Unit 3 Sample Lesson: Promotion and Publicity

Critical Learning	Guiding Questions
The promotion and publicity of a dance performance can make or break its success. There are necessary strategies required to successfully promote a dance performance.	What is meant by promotion for dance? What strategies would you employ to attract an audience to a performance? How would promotion for a hip hop dance performance differ from that for a performance of The Nutcracker? How might you leverage social media to promote a production?
Curriculum Expectations	Learning Goals
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 arts and the skills required for each Foundations C3. Responsible Practices: demonstrate an understanding of safe, ethical, and responsible personal and interpersonal practices in dance activities. C3.2 identify and carry out the responsibilities of the varied roles they undertake during dance activities	Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations) Identify and describe the production roles with respect to a dance performance Understand how to design lighting and costumes for a dance piece
Instructional Components
Readiness This lesson builds on previous lessons where students learned about the basic differences between promotion and production This lesson may act as a suitable follow up to a viewed dance performance that depicts strong aspects of production such as Blue Snake by Robert Désrosiers Terminology Production Promotion (see Glossary for these terms)	Materials Examples of programs from dance performances Folded pieces of paper with production roles on each one Student journals BLMs BLM #7 Promotion/Publicity

Approximately 25 minutes Minds On	Pause and Ponder
Whole Class > Examining Dance Advertisements Ask students to make a circle and pass an assortment of posters, handbills, flyers and other material around for students to examine. Ask students to cast votes on which one they consider to be the best poster, the best handbill, etc. Prompt: Which ones are the the most attractive? Which items 'speak' dance? If you have access to iPads or can project on an LCD projector, you may wish to focus exclusively on online/social media promotion (e.g. Facebook, instagram etc.) Whole Class > Brainstorming Characteristics of an Effective Dance Advertisement Ask students to brainstorm the different aspects of a dance poster, handbill, social media ad etc. that work and the aspects that make the item less attractive. Instruct students to consider what type of information is important to include on a poster. On chart paper or the chalkboard record the information generated. Distribute BLM #7 and go through the components of Promotion/Publicity.	Assessment for Learning (AfL) Observe whether there are gaps in the students' knowledge on the promotional and production aspects of dance. Observe whether students: work cooperatively think critically apply their understandings of the various roles Differentiation (DI) Use pictures and words to stimulate thinking 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 Link and Layer Ask students to make connections between working on dance promotion and promotion in other arts areas- similarities and differences. Ask students to think about the intersection of dance and the internet. How can the Internet be used to help dancers and dance companies use their dance videos and photos for marketing, educational, creative and revenue-generation purposes? Hyperlinks in the Lesson Arts Alive: Dance From Studio to Stage
Approximately 40 minutes Action!
Whole Class > Article on Dance Publicity Provide online or paper copies of the article From Studio to Stage from the Arts Alive website. Read the article with the students. The article captures the whole picture of what one must do in order to successfully publicize a dance production/event. Small Group > Press Package and Poster Instruct students to work with their small group (same as dance company) and create a press package and a poster to publicize their upcoming performance. Note: A press package contains artist biographies, descriptions of the work, some background about the company or artist and photos. Journalists use press packages to prepare previews and reviews for print and broadcast media. Previews help immensely with attracting an audience. Reviews are essential in the long term for building a credible reputation. (Source: Arts Alive) Students will need 1 or 2 classes to work on their press package and poster. Whole Class > Gallery Walk of Press Packages and Posters Invite the small groups to present their press package and poster around the classroom in a visually effective way (e.g., tri-board, bristol board, LCD projector, etc). Invite half the groups to stay stationed at their press package and poster to field questions about their company and/or upcoming performance. After 15 minutes, switch so that the other students have the same opportunity to receive questions about their company or upcoming performance.
Approximately 5 minutes Consolidation
Whole Class > Reflection Ask students to consider how strong or weak promotion will alter the perception of the performance they are about to see. Prompt a whole group discussion about the importance of a visual first impression on a dance web site, for example, and what this might convey to the viewer. If you have access to the Internet in the classroom, show the students some examples of the visual images that are presented and encourage discussion.