Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by

A world premiere Kennedy Center co-commission with Hubbard Street 2, in collaboration

with Manual Cinema

Additional support for Mariko’s Magical Mix: A Dance Adventure is provided by The Clark Charitable Foundation; Mr. James V. Kimsey; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Education.

Funding for Access and Accommodation Programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by Mike and Julie Connors and the

U.S. Department of Education.

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided byDavid and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge

Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, an education program of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about Education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education

The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

© 2015 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

David M. Rubenstein Chairman

Deborah F. RutterPresident

Mario R. RosseroVice President, Education

Choreography and original concept by

Robyn Mineko WilliamsStory by

Sarah Fornace, Julia Miller, and Robyn Mineko Williams

Music direction and sound design by Kyle Vegter

Puppetry and projection devised by Sarah Fornace and Julia Miller Puppetry and projection design by

Lizi Breit, Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace, and Julia Miller

Mariko’s Magical Mix:

A Dance Adventure

Mariko’s Magical Mix:

A Dance Adventure

Join the Journey

Join the Journey

And remember that a good audience…

stays seated,stays quiet,doesn’t eat,

listens,and claps.

Have fun!

And remember that a good audience…

stays seated,stays quiet,doesn’t eat,

listens,and claps.

Have fun!

You can play a part in Mariko’s adventure by doing these things:

Watch for…2 Mariko’s new friends and how they’re each different or unique.

2 movements the dancers make that you’ve seen before or have made yourself.

2 how Mariko moves with the shadows.

Listen for…2 songs that sound familiar. Can you name any of them?

2 strong beats. Sometimes dancers move with the beat and sometimes they don’t.

2 how the music helps set the mood.

Think about…2 how Mariko’s character changes from the beginning of the story to

the end.

2 the way music and dance make Mariko see her “boring” world in a new way.

2 how “old” music can feel new to someone who’s never listened to it.

2 your favorite moment in the performance. Why did you like it best?

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Dance, Music, Shadows, and More!Prepare to take a magical journey with music, dance—and puppets! Mariko’s Magical Mix tells the story of a young girl’s adventure through all kinds of movement and songs. The show also includes special puppets that use light to create interesting shapes and shadows. Sit back and enjoy the ride as six dancers—three men and three women—tell the tale of Mariko (pronounced MAH-ree-koh) and her fantastic travels.

Mariko and the Gift of MusicHave you ever been bored or felt like you wanted to do something different? Have you ever felt like you don’t “fit in”? Mariko knows how that feels, too. When we first meet Mariko, she’s tired of doing the same things every day. She feels out of step with the kids at school and sometimes fights with her little brother. Her favorite thing to do is listen to music by herself, wearing headphones. But soon, she discovers an old box of her mom’s vinyl records in the attic and starts to listen to sounds and musical beats she’s never heard before. And—just like that—the music takes her on a surprising voyage to different and exciting places, where she makes new friends, and finds out that music and adventures are even better when shared with others.

Let’s Dance!As you watch the show, you’ll see the dancers use only their bodies (including their faces, arms, and legs) to tell Mariko’s story. As they dance, look closely—sometimes smaller movements like raising an eyebrow or pointing a finger can mean big things. At other times, the music gives you important clues about what’s going on (the songs might sound happy or sad depending on what Mariko sees or feels). Watch for movements you might do in everyday life along with more choreographed dance steps.

In Record TimeIn the performance, the music Mariko hears comes from her mom’s old vinyl (VY-null) records. These are large discs that hold music on them. They were very popular in the days before computers and are still made today.

EXTRAORDINARY? EXTRAORDINARY? Screens and ShadowsMariko’s story will include lots of light and shadows. You may think of a shadow as being a shape you see when something solid gets in the way of a beam of light (like when your body blocks the sunshine and your own shadow appears on a wall or a sidewalk). During the performance, shadows are cast when something or someone stands between a bright light and one of the show’s screens. These screens set the scene as Mariko travels to places like a busy city or to a tricky maze. Watch how the dancers and cardboard cutouts (known as “shadow puppets”) create interesting shadows.

Mariko’s Music MixMariko’s magical, musical mix of jazz, rock, and pop songs includes some new tunes written especially for the show and some older songs you may have heard before. The songs may make you think of different things like dreams (when the music is soft and sweet), animals (when the music is loud and bouncy), or machines (when the beat is extra strong).

Cover Illustration by Drew Dir for Manual Cinema

CanMUSIC turn anordinary day into something

CanMUSIC turn anordinary day into something

Dance, Music, Shadows, and More!Prepare to take a magical journey with music, dance—and puppets! Mariko’s Magical Mix tells the story of a young girl’s adventure through all kinds of movement and songs. The show also includes special puppets that use light to create interesting shapes and shadows. Sit back and enjoy the ride as six dancers—three men and three women—tell the tale of Mariko (pronounced MAH-ree-koh) and her fantastic travels.

Mariko and the Gift of MusicHave you ever been bored or felt like you wanted to do something different? Have you ever felt like you don’t “fit in”? Mariko knows how that feels, too. When we first meet Mariko, she’s tired of doing the same things every day. She feels out of step with the kids at school and sometimes fights with her little brother. Her favorite thing to do is listen to music by herself, wearing headphones. But soon, she discovers an old box of her mom’s vinyl records in the attic and starts to listen to sounds and musical beats she’s never heard before. And—just like that—the music takes her on a surprising voyage to different and exciting places, where she makes new friends, and finds out that music and adventures are even better when shared with others.

Let’s Dance!As you watch the show, you’ll see the dancers use only their bodies (including their faces, arms, and legs) to tell Mariko’s story. As they dance, look closely—sometimes smaller movements like raising an eyebrow or pointing a finger can mean big things. At other times, the music gives you important clues about what’s going on (the songs might sound happy or sad depending on what Mariko sees or feels). Watch for movements you might do in everyday life along with more choreographed dance steps.

In Record TimeIn the performance, the music Mariko hears comes from her mom’s old vinyl (VY-null) records. These are large discs that hold music on them. They were very popular in the days before computers and are still made today.

EXTRAORDINARY? EXTRAORDINARY? Screens and ShadowsMariko’s story will include lots of light and shadows. You may think of a shadow as being a shape you see when something solid gets in the way of a beam of light (like when your body blocks the sunshine and your own shadow appears on a wall or a sidewalk). During the performance, shadows are cast when something or someone stands between a bright light and one of the show’s screens. These screens set the scene as Mariko travels to places like a busy city or to a tricky maze. Watch how the dancers and cardboard cutouts (known as “shadow puppets”) create interesting shadows.

Mariko’s Music MixMariko’s magical, musical mix of jazz, rock, and pop songs includes some new tunes written especially for the show and some older songs you may have heard before. The songs may make you think of different things like dreams (when the music is soft and sweet), animals (when the music is loud and bouncy), or machines (when the beat is extra strong).

Cover Illustration by Drew Dir for Manual Cinema

CanMUSIC turn anordinary day into something

CanMUSIC turn anordinary day into something

Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by

A world premiere Kennedy Center co-commission with Hubbard Street 2, in collaboration

with Manual Cinema

Additional support for Mariko’s Magical Mix: A Dance Adventure is provided by The Clark Charitable Foundation; Mr. James V. Kimsey; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Education.

Funding for Access and Accommodation Programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by Mike and Julie Connors and the

U.S. Department of Education.

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided byDavid and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge

Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, an education program of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about Education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education

The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

© 2015 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

David M. Rubenstein Chairman

Deborah F. RutterPresident

Mario R. RosseroVice President, Education

Choreography and original concept by

Robyn Mineko WilliamsStory by

Sarah Fornace, Julia Miller, and Robyn Mineko Williams

Music direction and sound design by Kyle Vegter

Puppetry and projection devised by Sarah Fornace and Julia Miller Puppetry and projection design by

Lizi Breit, Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace, and Julia Miller

Mariko’s Magical Mix:

A Dance Adventure

Mariko’s Magical Mix:

A Dance Adventure

Join the Journey

Join the Journey

And remember that a good audience…

stays seated,stays quiet,doesn’t eat,

listens,and claps.

Have fun!

And remember that a good audience…

stays seated,stays quiet,doesn’t eat,

listens,and claps.

Have fun!

You can play a part in Mariko’s adventure by doing these things:

Watch for…2 Mariko’s new friends and how they’re each different or unique.

2 movements the dancers make that you’ve seen before or have made yourself.

2 how Mariko moves with the shadows.

Listen for…2 songs that sound familiar. Can you name any of them?

2 strong beats. Sometimes dancers move with the beat and sometimes they don’t.

2 how the music helps set the mood.

Think about…2 how Mariko’s character changes from the beginning of the story to

the end.

2 the way music and dance make Mariko see her “boring” world in a new way.

2 how “old” music can feel new to someone who’s never listened to it.

2 your favorite moment in the performance. Why did you like it best?

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