Pieces to Play
Laura Webster
Hoe Ana
Tahitian canoe dance
• This is a canoe paddle dance of the Rarotongo
Islands/Tahiti.
• This lovely dance can be adapted for many different
environments – especially ones with
desks/chairs/risers!
• The unison, fluid movement is a wonderful way to
center a group or relax after a challenging music class.
• We can also use some of the movement ideas from this
dance to help create a new dance later on.
Stomp – Group Work
• Small groups create new sections with
existing rhythm creating new variations
• Use found sounds or….
• Use instruments or….
• Use movement or….
• Use speech or….
• Use something I haven’t thought of or…
• Any combination of the above!
Break!
Raas
a stick dance from India
• A traditional dance done at weddings and
other joyful events in India.
• When brought to America it was taught to
American disco music and is often still done to
disco (mostly Indian disco) music today.
• Raas is often choreographed to form new
group shapes and uses other folk dance
concepts as well as new choreographic ideas.
Over/Under/Around and Through
Ram Ram
Add Melody
Add text
Arrangement
Tambourine: Sita, Sita
Hand Drum: Happy Diwali
Bass Xylophone: Hanuman, Hanuman, Fly up high
Glockenspiel: Lights, pretty lights
Finger Cymbals: (downbeat)
Ram, Ram Ram
Creating a Dance for Ram Ram
• Mudras – d/r/m or recorder fingerings or
traditional
• Body Isolations – eyes!
• Yoga Cards – poses - shapes
Ram and Sita – a story of Diwali from India –
Retold by Laura Webster
There once was a very powerful and handsome prince named Ram. He fell in love and married
princess Sita.
(Composed group dance with Ram Ram Song)
Ram’s wicked stepmother wasn’t happy – she sent them away to live in the dark and dangerous
forest.
(Recorded traveling music – improvised movement with Over/Under/Around and Through)
One day while Ram was out hunting, an old beggar man approached Sita. “Please just a little rice?”
Sita was too soft hearted, as she reached out to help the man, he magically transformed into the
evil demon king, Ravana and he whisked her away to his castle.
“Come here and talk to me!”
“Please just a little rice?”
“Won’t you help a begger man?”
“I’ve got you now Sita!”
“Oh, hello.”
“I don’t know.”
“I should go!”
“help me Ram – OHHH!”
When Ram found out that his lovely Sita had been stolen away, he called upon Hanuman, the
monkey king of the sky, to help him. Hanuman called on all his monkey subjects to help Ram build
a bridge of stones across the ocean to the castle of evil King Ravana.
When Ram got to the castle an epic battle began.
(STOMP piece with Relationship dance)
Ram finally defeated King Ravana with his magic bow and arrow.
As Ram and Sita returned to their village on the back of the flying Hanuman, they saw below the
lights of the people guiding them home. Everyone rejoiced because good triumphed over evil.
(Dandiya Raas dance)
Thanks for having me!
Japanese Rice Cake Game
as I learned it from Marian Rose – used with permission
Omo, chio, suki, macho
Omo, chio, suki, macho
Petan ko, petan ko, petan petan petan ko
_kanute _kanute _kanute, kanute, kanute
Bom, bom, bom-bom-bom
Bom, bom, bom-bom-bom
Bom-bom-bom-bom-bom-bom-bom!
Sanskrit Proverb by Kalidasa
Look to this day,
For it is life,
The very life of life.
In its brief course lie all
The realities and verities of
existence
The bliss of growth,
The splendor of action,
The glory of power –
For yesterday is but a dream,
And tomorrow is only of vision,
But today, well lived,
Makes every yesterday a
dream
Of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision
of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this
day.