Exploring character, story, and expression through dance

How can we recognize a character before they ever say a word?

Students explore modern character archetypes found throughout stories and storytelling, including The Hero, Nurturer, Explorer, Rebel, Magician, Trickster, Leader, Innocent, Sage, Creator, Lover, and Everyperson.

Using familiar stories, characters, and age-appropriate material as a starting point, students identify selected archetypes and explore how their character traits can be translated into movement.

Students investigate how posture, gesture, rhythm, space, energy, and emotion can communicate who a character is and what they want. Through creative movement and choreography, students explore what happens when different archetypes meet and how relationships, conflict, emotion, and change can be communicated without words.

Working individually and collaboratively, students translate character and story into movement and create original choreography.

Students will:
– Identify familiar character archetypes in stories
– Explore character traits through movement and physical expression
– Develop nonverbal communication and emotional expression
– Experiment with gesture, posture, rhythm, space, and energy
– Explore relationships and interactions between characters
– Develop critical-thinking skills through movement and storytelling
– Collaborate to create original choreography
– Discover how the body can tell a story

This residency can be adapted into a workshop format or developed as a longer residency depending on the needs of the school.

This program offered by: Jill Giedt