Unit 3 Sample Lesson: Production and Production Roles

What is dance production?                                                                How do producers ensure that they are not appropriating culture or voice in their choices about what to produce?
What goes on 'behind the scenes' in a dance performance?
What will you need to do (in addition to the choreography and the performing) to mount your own dance performance (in the Culminating Task)?

Creating, Presenting, and Performing

Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing

B3. Continuing Engagement: demonstrate an understanding of the purpose and possibilities of continuing engagement in dance arts.

B3.1 identify a variety of career options that are available in the dance artsa dn the skills required for each

Learning Goals

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• define the term Promotion as it relates to dance
• explore the role of social media in promoting dance
• create an imaginary dance company and promote it
• Use improvisation, the elements of dance and compositional approaches to generate movement vocabulary
• Use music and/or silence to influence a variety of interpretations of a movement phrase

Readiness

Students should already understand the differences between production and promotion.

Students should be comfortable working both independently and in small groups.  

Presenting work to the class at the end of a lesson and demonstrating proper audience behaviour should be an established norm.

Terminology

Materials

Examples of posters, handbills, flyers, Facebook or Instagram ads or pages etc. representing different dance companies
chart paper and marker or chalkboard
samples of music depicting various genres (e.g. hip hop, classical ballet, jazz,  Bollywood, African drumming, etc.)

BLMs

BLM #4 Production Roles
BLM #5 Production Roles Cards
BLM #6 Create Your Own Dance Company

Whole Class > Circle

Hand out samples of programs from different shows. Direct students' attention to the "Credits" section. Prompt: Which of the job titles listed in the program would be considered production roles?

Whole Class > Production Roles and Responsibilities

As a class, list some of the production roles, then hand out a folded piece of paper with a production role on it to each student. On each piece of paper there will be one example of a production role (e.g.; Stage Manager, Lighting Designer, Costume Designer, Videographer, etc.). Go around the circle and ask each student to try and describe the role they have on their paper and what they think those specific responsibilities are. Students consider, based on what they observed in their experience, which jobs require the most creativity, discipline, administrative skills, etc.

Small Group > Mix and Match

Prior to the lesson, print out a copy of BLM #5 Production Roles Cards. Cut out all of the boxes on the handout, thus, separating all of the roles from the responsibilities. Ask students to form four groups and instruct them to collectively match up the roles with the responsibilities. Take up their answers as a whole class. Make four copies of the handout BLM #4 Production Roles for students to have as a reference. 

Assessment for Learning (AfL)

Give general and specific corrections as students are given time to practice their dance company repertoire
Observe whether students:

• work cooperatively
• think critically
• synthesize information

Differentiation (DI)

Use pictures and video to stimulate thinking and connect to the production aspects of dance

Quick Tip

Monitor the groups to see if they are staying on task. Is the group maintaining focus?

Does the group need more time?

Strategically ask questions and provide suggestions for struggling groups

Survey students to find out if anyone has had personal experience in making costumes, being on a technical crew, being a rehearsal director, etc. for a dance performance. Encourage them to share their experience with the class.

Link and Layer

Ask students to think about the intersection of dance and the internet. How can social media be used to help dancers and dance companies use their dance videos and photos for marketing, educational, creative and revenue-generation purposes?

Small Group > Brainstorming Production Roles 

Ask students, in small groups, to consider the production needs of their final performance in the culminating task. Instruct them to come up with production roles that may need to be filled. As students are brainstorming, students can take on roles such as, materials manager (collects chart paper, markers for the group), recorder (records the group's ideas), time manager (keeps the group on task), presenter (presents the ideas to the class). If internet access is available invite students to view this link below for more ideas on production roles or a handout may be created.

Arts Alive: Behind the Scenes

Note: Realistically, some or most of the roles may be filled by the teacher(s) and/or other staff because the students in this course also have the responsibility of performing in the show.

Whole Class > Review of Production Roles

Ask students to share the various roles that they came up with while brainstorming. Instruct students to keep this in their minds for the final performance task where they will have to fill some of these roles. Share with students that they will be given an assignment about starting their own dance company. The purpose of this assignment is to learn about the various aspects of creating a company, filling company roles, filling production roles and working collaboratively.

Whole Class > Promotion Assignment : Create Your Own Dance Company

Explain the promotion assignment: Create Your Own Dance Company (see BLM #6) 

Small Group > Creating a Dance Company

In small groups, students will work together to collectively decide on a dance style that they are all interested in. Instruct students to create a series of movement phrases (approximately three to four) that emphasize their dance style. Provide students with music to use for their choreography or invite them to bring in their own. Ask groups to create an imaginary name for their dance company based on their chosen dance style. They must also create an artistic statement for the company. They must make decisions on who will fill the dance company roles listed on the assignment handout. The company roles can be filled by real or imaginary people; however, the four or five students must be included somewhere in the company roles. For the movement phrase that the group created, determine lighting and costume for the piece. Explain to students that for their Culminating Activity choosing lighting and costuming will be requirement and that this is practice for then. 

A. Lighting

• record overall colours of lights (cool or warm area washes)
• record any lighting effects, i.e. a follow spot, back lighting-silhouette effect, etc.
• identify cue times

B. Costumes

• determine whether they will create or purchase costumes
• sketch costume design ideas
• choose fabric(s) and colour(s)
• determine sizes and/or measurements

Whole Class > Company Presentations

Invite students to present their dance company to the rest of the class. Encourage students to use their own personal flair and creativity in their presentations.  

Individual > Journal Reflection Question

For homework, ask to students to answer the following:
If you were to choose one of these productions roles as a career, which one do you feel you would be best suited for based on your personal qualities and why?

Ask students to refer to the specific responsibilities of their chosen role in their answer. Remind students that by working collaboratively on a team, each member of the group can choose a specific role that will help the group and also allow them to demonstrate their strengths and best personality trait.