Modern dancers from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts whirled and leapt with people half their size last week. The college dancers join ABS teachers to lead kindergarteners in explorations of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf this month. Kindergarten teachers begin the project by sharing the story (as re-told by Russian composer Serge Prokofiev,) using recordings and picture books. Music teacher Mr. Wilbur introduces students to the voices and families of the instruments portraying each of the characters. Meanwhile, students compare the stereotypical wolves represented in children's literature (Three Little Pigs, Red Riding Hood, The Boy Who Cried Wolf...) to the shy, endangered creatures as they occur in reality. Students compare Peter’s family to their own. They explore the language and elements of the story in class, change the ending, act it out, and draw each section. Dance teacher Ms. Adams works with the UNCSA dancers and the children to re-tell the story through movement. The UNCSA dancers' challenge is to discover the range of abilities of 5 to 6-year olds, and to choreograph the dance within that range. The unit culminates with kindergarteners performing together with the UNCSA dancers, a wind quintet of UNCSA musicians, and narration by Peter Perret, Conductor Emeritus of the Winston-Salem Symphony.
{the many Peters}
{the group portraying the bird}
{the group portraying the duck}
{the group portraying the cat}
{the group portraying the grandparents}
{the wolves on the prowl}
{Finn, as a hunter}
{the hunters catch the wolf}
{the entire cast}
{cast party with his class back in his classroom}
This experience was such a delightful one for Finn, everything from learning the story and music, to learning about wolves, to meeting and following his "big dancer". I'm so happy for him that his first experience in a play was a positive, encouraging adventure rather than a scary, tense, nervous event.
