Air Play Acrobuffos
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2021/22 Season | UMS Learning Guide Available Online: Mon 10/4 – Fri 10/15 Air Play Acrobuffos A Digital School Day Performance
Transcript of Air Play Acrobuffos
2021/22 Season | UMS Learning Guide
Available Online:
Mon 10/4 – Fri 10/15
Air Play AcrobuffosA Digital School Day Performance
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2021/22 Season | UMS Learning Guide
How to use this guide.Your class is attending a digital performance... Air Play with Acrobuffos!
This guide will help you prepare for the digital performance. Each section is organized around a question or activity connected to the performance.
Some things will be different than seeing a performance in person:
1. You will be watching this concert on your computer screen and not in a theater.
2. You might be watching with your class or at home with your family.
3. You can rewind the video to watch a part that you really enjoyed again.
Grade
K-4Grade
5-7Grade
8-12
This learning guide and event are intended for grades K-3.
In UMS learning guides for other events, these symbols will indicate the difficulty level of the material.
What are some other differences between seeing a live performance and a digital one?
Stop & think!
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Table of contents.
4. Who is performing? 7. What does circus theater look like?
9. Artistic Stop – Performing Circus Theater
10. What is the history of the circus?
15. What does this performance have to do with Michigan?
17. How does circus theater inspire people?
19. Artistic Stop – Designing Your Own Circus
20. How does science connect to this performance?
21. How can I find out more? 22. How can I write about circus theater?
23. Who made this performance possible?
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AcrobuffosSeth Bloom and Christina Gelsone are theatrical clowns and have loved performing all their lives! They met each other at a circus in Afghanistan. They got engaged while doing street performances in Scotland and then got married in China. When they are not performing, they spend time at their home in New York City. In 2005, Seth and Christina created Acrobuffos.
Who is performing?
2021/22 Season | UMS Learning Guide
In this performance of Air Play, Seth and Christina worked with sculptor Daniel Wurtzel to bring to life the very air that we breathe. A sculptor takes objects or materials and changes them to create different shapes or images.
Air Play tells the story of two siblings traveling through a land of air where ordinary, everyday objects turn into beautiful things. Umbrellas fly around, fabrics soar over the audience, balloons swallow people, and snow swirls everywhere, filling the stage.
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Watch this video of a 2016 interview with Seth and Christina in Ann Arbor. Here they talk about some of the shows they have performed before
Before you watch: Think: what do you know about circus theater already? Have you ever been to the circus? What did you see?
After you watch: What did you like about the video? Was there anything in the video that surprised you?
Who is performing?
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When we go to the theater to watch a play or a musical, we often focus on the words that are being said or sung. However, in circus theater, the focus is on the movement of the body rather than words.
In some ways circus theater is like sports. Players have to learn particular moves. They think about what to do with their bodies and their relation to other people on the field.
Circus theater performers do the same thing, just not on a field. They are athletes who train regularly to master different skills, learn new movements, and exercise to keep up their stamina and strength.
Circus theater performers can include clowns, acrobats, jugglers, tightrope walkers, and so much more! All circus theater performers communicate with their bodies. Circus theater can be thrilling to watch. Performers demonstrate amazing feats of athleticism and skill, but please don’t try these moves at home! Acrobats and trapeze stunt artists train for many years so they do not injure themselves when performing.
What does circus theater look like?
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Mime is a key element of circus theater.One skill that all circus theater performers have in common is mime. Mime is a theater technique that has been around since the times of Ancient Greece.
When performing mime, circus theater performers use facial expressions, body language, and hand gestures to communicate the story to other performers and the audience. Unlike actors on the stage or in movies, mimes do not use their voices. They remain silent.
Watch this short animation video of a mime.
While you watch: What stories did you see told by the mime? What emotions did you see by the facial expressions and body gestures of the mime?
What does circus theater look like?
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Artistic Stop – Performing Circus TheaterNow it is your turn to become a circus theater performer.
You are going to create your own performance by putting together all the knowledge you have read and the different videos you have watched about circus theater and mime.
Step 1: Watch this video of a mime ‘In the Box’
Now choose one of the skills to practice!
‘The Box’
‘The Flower’
‘The Balloon’
Remember to use your facial expressions to show how you are feeling! You could even practice in the mirror. What are some other things you can mime?
Step 2: Think of a famous nursery rhyme like Row, Row, Row Your Boat or Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and create your own circus theater performance to express the song. Remember, you cannot use words. Just facial expressions, body movements, and gestures.
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What is a circus? How, when, and where did the circus start? Circus is a name used for travelling performers. Usually circuses include clowns, acrobats, musicians, trapeze artists, and stunt performers. Throughout most of history, circuses have included trained animals, but that does not usually happen today because it is not fair to the animals. Circuses are often performed in a circus tent.
What is the history of the circus?
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Some say that the circus first appeared in the 18th century, and if we look at the origins of the modern circus they may be right. The circus was a thrilling form of entertainment for people. Remember, they did not have television, the internet, or smartphones during that time. However, historians say that circuses first appeared in Ancient Rome as early as 400 B.C.!
What is the history of the circus?
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What and where was one of the first ever circuses in the world?One of the first circus stadiums to be built was in the Ancient City of Rome. It was called Circus Maximus. Chariot races and other entertainment and performances took place here. It was the first and largest stadium built in Rome, and could hold as many as 250,000 people.
The rich people (the aristocracy) sat in the front, and the poor people (the plebs) had to sit at the back. Arenas like Circus Maximus began to appear all throughout the Roman Empire, each one showcasing a variety of spectacles such as staged battles, gladiatorial combat, and exhibitions of wild animals trained to perform tricks.
What is the history of the circus?
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How did the modern day circus begin?In 1782, the famous English equestrian Philip Astley started to perform horse-riding shows. In between shows, Astley would hire jugglers and acrobats to entertain people. From there, others started to follow Astley’s example and add different elements to the events. Andrew Ducrow started adding mimes to the performances, and Joseph Grimaldi invented the circus clown. All of these elements were present in the early 18th-century circus and some of them, like the clown, made their way into the circus as we know it today.
In 1793, John Bill Rickets was the first man to bring the circus to the United States of America from Europe. Circuses became very popular throughout the U.S. well into the 19th century.
AstleyAstley DucrowDucrow GrimaldiGrimaldi RickettsRicketts
What is the history of the circus?
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What does the circus look like today?Circus performances have changed throughout the centuries. Today, they use theatrical elements such as costumes, lighting, sets, and special effects to tell a story in exciting ways. The circus has become more than just an entertaining show. It is its own unique art form. Air Play uses all of these elements to tell a story.
What is the history of the circus?
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Circuses have been a popular form of entertainment in Michigan for well over a century. Major circus families in Michigan history include the Lewis Bros. of Jackson; the Nelson Family of Mount Clemens; the Silver Bros. of Acme and Greenville; the Whitney Family of Imlay City; the Wixom Family of Argentine and Bancroft; the Stow(e) family in Berrien Springs; and the Skerbeck family of Escanaba. Many of these Michigan-bred circus performers toured around the country and were very popular!
What does this performance have to do with Michigan?
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What does this performance have to do with Michigan?
One of the most popular circus groups in Michigan is from Detroit. Detroit Circus specializes in high-flying aerial antics on fabric, trapeze and lyra hoop, fire eating and dancing, stilt walking and acrobatics, contortion, juggling, feats of mind-bending strength and acro-balance, and a variety of other circus acts.
Watch this short video of the Detroit Circus.
After you watch: How is this circus performance different from the circus performances you have learned about so far? What did you find interesting about this Michigan-based circus? continuedcontinued
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Watching acrobats fly around the stage or jugglers throw batons of fire up in the air can be scary! It can also be inspiring. When we see circus performers at work, they can inspire us to follow our dreams. They can also help us realize that we can do hard things!
How does circus theater inspire people?
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The circus has inspired many great artists who try to capture it in painting or drawing. Here are some painters who created works of art inspired by the circus.
“Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando” (1879 by Edgar Degas)
“The Circus” (1891 by Georges Seurat)
“The Trick Act” (1930 by Dame Laura Knight)
“Le Clown” (1962 by Pablo Picasso)
For each image, ask yourself: What do you notice in the image? How do you think the artist was inspired by the circus? What did you learn about circus theater from this image?
How does circus theater inspire people?
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Stop & think!
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Artistic Stop – DesigningYour OwnCircus
You have learned a lot of information about the circus, and now you have a good idea of what makes one successful. Let’s have some fun and put all those ideas into practice by designing your own circus show.
What performers would you have in your circus? What would they do? What would they look like?
Draw some pictures of your circus. You can draw the different performers or the circus tent. You can draw anything you like to be in your circus!
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How does science connect to this performance?
One thing that makes Air Play so fascinating to watch is the way in which air and kinetic energy are used as part of the show.
What is kinetic energy?
Kinetic energy is the energy an object has while it is moving. The way objects move in Air Play is by using air! The air blown onto certain objects creates the kinetic energy of the object.
Daniel Wurtzel used this technique to explore how to change the shape and movement of different fabrics.
Watch this video to learn more about different types of energy.
After you watch: What is energy? What is one type of energy?
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How can I find out more?Are you interested in finding out more about the circus or the performers?
There are great resources online and in Southeast Michigan.
Acrobuffos
Academic Kids
Beat by Beat Physical Theater Games for Kids
Detroit Circus Website
Major Circus Families – Clarke Historical Library
Partner Institutions in Michigan:
Ann Arbor District Library
University of Michigan Museum of Art
Detroit Institute of Arts
Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
Detroit Historical Museum
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How can I write about circus theater?Write a Postcard to a FriendDo you think any of your friends or family members would have enjoyed the performance? Write them a postcard so they can hear all about it. Draw a picture of what you saw on stage. Write about your drawing.
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Who made this performance possible?
This Digital School Day Performance was coordinated by the University Musical Society (UMS). UMS is a performing arts presenter, which means that they bring in music, dance, and theater groups that are touring to different cities across the world for Michigan residents to enjoy. UMS has been around since 1879!
Every year, UMS presents many performances in many different venues in Ann Arbor and throughout Southeast Michigan, and it also offers free educational activities for students and community members. UMS has been recognized for its “lifetime of creative excellence” by the national government, receiving a National Medal of Arts in 2014.
Other School Day Performances in 2021-2022
Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán (Digital performance, Nov 1-12, 2021)
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis (Mon, Nov 29, 2021)
Imani Winds (Fri, Jan 28, 2022)
Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández (Mon, Feb 7, 2022)
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UMS Staff
Matthew Van Besien, UMS President
Cayenne Harris, Vice President of Education and Community Engagement
Terri Park, Associate Director of Education and Community Engagement
Alexandria Davis, Community and Audience Programs Manager
Maddy Wildman, University Programs Manager
This guide was written and researched by Benjamin Gaughran and Terri Park.
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Who made this performance possible?
