Asia Education Foundation

Brush Strokes

cover image: Dance Unit: Brush Strokes

In this unit students explore the gestural aspects of line and movement created by Chinese calligraphy. In researching the art of calligraphy, students will investigate the potential of interpreting the brush strokes through whole and isolated body movement, stylistic differences and concepts of energy or chi.

 


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Activities 1-2

Activity 1: Introduction

  1. Read extract from Mao's Last Dancer in Resource sheet 1.
    • Discuss students' familiarity with Chinese languages/text and their memories of learning to write/learn their own or another language /text. (If appropriate, students could extend discussion to link with contextual studies of China/Cultural Revolution/Chairman Mao.)
    • Discuss difference between printed characters and writing by hand/brush (calligraphy).
  2. Have students complete a KWL chart about the history of Chinese calligraphy.
  3. Show examples of calligraphy (Resource sheet 2). Show video/s of master demonstration of calligraphy (Resource sheet 2 gives examples of suitable YouTube clips).
    • Have students discuss their reactions to these examples.
  4. Isolate some of the key concepts:
    • direction of writing
    • order of brush strokes
    • use of materials
    • fine movement of the fingers/wrist/hand/arm.
  5. Read pages 32-36 from Watson, R, 1995, Visions, Curriculum Corporation, Melbourne, and have students reflect on their reading in their dance journal.

Activity 2: Physical warm-up

Note that a warm-up should occur at the beginning of each physical session.

  1. Ask students to move around the classroom space, following instructions by teacher moving in direction indicated:
    • Forwards, backwards, sideways (both ways) and at a speed/pace nominated for 1-10.
      eg forwards at a pace of 5; backwards at a pace of 2; sideways at a pace of 8.
      The teacher could use Chinese numbers to complete this exercise if appropriate. The Standard Mandarin website has Chinese numbers with voice pronunciation: www.standardmandarin.com/chinesephrases/1_to_10. The Columbia University Asia for Educators website has an excellent example of the ways in which numbers are written in Mandarin: afe.easia.columbia.edu/china/language/callig.htm
  2. Follow this with a teacher-directed dynamic stretching activity using trudges, lower body, upper body and torso. See Resource sheet 4 for major muscle group stretches. (This could be used to revise or introduce the 'planes of movement', which will be referred to later.)