Pete Hillier continues his retelling of the traditional Russian story The Firebird with music from Ten Pieces including Stravinsky's dramatic score.
2. The magic garden
Pete Hillier continues his retelling of the traditional Russian story The Firebird with music from Ten Pieces including Stravinsky's score for the ballet The Firebird composed in 1911.
Resources
Download the audio for this dance session as an mp3 file.
Guidance on using the dance sessions in this unit with your group (pdf)
'The Firebird' - dance the complete final dance with all the music and narration.
Lesson summary
Warm up: Moving freely and energetically to the Firebird music.
Sequence 1: Firebird Partners. The children join a partner nearby and perform The Firebird motif together at the same time and then in opposition to one another 鈥 so as one partner raises their arms high with flickering fingers and hands, the other lowers their arms down.When the music changes partners take turns to lead or follow one other as they dip and dive, soar and whirl, leap and turn through the spaces like the Firebird.
Sequence 2: Prince Ivan in the magic garden. Music: Mozart 鈥 Horn concerto. Shoulders back and head high to stride around the garden with happy, confident steps like Prince Ivan. Freeze like a statue each time the music stops.
Sequence 3: The Princesses in the garden. Music: Beethoven鈥檚 Symphony No 5 (1st movement). Alone, then in pairs, and finally in groups of four. Explore different ways of throwing, catching and rolling imaginary apples with light, playful movements.
Sequence 4: The Fierce Guards. Music: Britten - Storm. Get into a scary, fierce-looking creature shape: clawed hands, arms stretched out threateningly, body tall or hunched over. Decide how your fierce creature is going to move 鈥 big, stamping steps or hunched over shuffle.
Performance of today鈥檚 sequences: Firebird Partners - Prince Ivan in the magic garden - The Princesses in the garden - The Fierce Guards.
Cool down: Calm, relaxed walk around the magic garden. Gentle stretches on the spot.
More from Time to Move: Ten Pieces
Planet Mars. 2: Dust storms and two moons. audio
The second of two sessions exploring planet Mars through dance to the 成人论坛's 'Ten Pieces'.
The Firebird. 1: The Firebird and Prince Ivan. audio
A retelling of the traditional Russian story 'The Firebird' with dances to music from the 成人论坛 'Ten Pieces'.
The Firebird. 3: The giant Kastchei. audio
Pete Hillier concludes his unit exploring the story of 'The Firebird' with music from 'Ten Pieces'.