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Welcome to Cuesheet,

a performance guide

published by the

Education Department

of the John F. Kennedy

Center for the

Performing Arts,

Washington, D.C.

This Cuesheet is

designed to help

you enjoy the

performance of Unite!

by Balafon West African

Dance Ensemble.

A balafon (BA-lah-fahn)

is a musical instrument

played in West Africa.

A picture of a balafon

marks items you may

want to talk about with

other students, friends,

or family.

What’s in

Cuesheet?

Guinea’s Gift to the

Stage, pages 2-3

Dancers and their

Dances, pages 4-5

Drums, Drums and

Shakers!, pages 6-7

On Performance Day,

Resources, page 8

������������FOR TEACHERS������������

Unite!PERFORMED BY

BALAFON WEST AFRICAN DANCE ENSEMBLE

ensemble (on-SOM-bull)—

a group of dancers and

musicians

© PHOTOGRAPH BY STAN BAROUH

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Unite! alafon West African Dance Ensemble performs dance, songs and music from The

Republic of Guinea (GIH-nee). The dancers wear brightly colored costumes and jump, spin, and sway to the beat of African drums. The program is called “Unite!” because the members of Balafon want to join together with you, their audi-ence, to celebrate life.

balafon's leaderThe leader of Balafon is a woman from Guinea named Kadiatou Conte (kah-dee-YAH-too KON-tay). When she was a young girl, she learned to dance by copying the movements of the older people she watched. She danced whenever she could because she loved it so much. When she was 15 years old,

Kadiatou was chosen to join the national dance group of Guinea. For the next 15 years she traveled all over the world and danced for many thousands of people. When Kadiatou came to the United States to dance in 1972, she loved the people here, especially the African-American community.

In 1985, Kadiatou finally moved to Washington, D.C. and formed the Balafon West African Dance Ensemble. Her nickname is “Mama” because she has taught so many people to dance, much like a mother teaches her children. Kadiatou believes that if you dance, you will be healthier and happier.

what is a balafon?A balafon is sometimes called an African xlyophone (ZI-loh-fone). It is a handmade percussion (purr-KUH-shun) instrument cut from short, flat pieces of wood tied to a frame. These pieces of wood are the “keys” that make the cheerful sound. To play a balafon, you hit the keys with wooden sticks.

all about balafon

percussion—musical

instrument played by striking

it with an object or hands

Kadiatou performs with many different instruments, including shakers like this one.

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a country called guinea

he Republic of Guinea is a country on the west coast of Africa, just north of the

equator (ee-KWAY-tur). Its people come from many different cultures. Each culture has its own language, music, dance, clothing, and rules for living.

a student at 30!

When Kadiatou was a girl in Guinea, she was

not allowed to go to school. In fact, she became a student only after she moved to America. By then she was 30 years old! Think about what your life would be like if you were not allowed to go to school. Write a story about what your experiences might be like and draw a picture of Kadiatou as a student in your class-room. Share your story and picture with your class.

unhappyhistoryHundreds of years ago, traders came to Guinea to buy slaves. The slaves, mostly men, were shipped across the ocean and forced to work for farmers and plantation owners in America, South America and the Caribbean islands. Many families in Guinea were broken apart. The slave trade ended around 1880. Today, one site where men were sold is now a mu-seum, reminding everyone of the painful history of slavery.

daily life In Guinea, the marketplace is important to the community. People come every day to buy and sell clothes, fruit, rice, soap, candies, and many other things. The marketplace is always filled with dance and music. The dancing begins when drummers join together and play on wooden drums they have made themselves.

equator—the line on maps

and globes running east and

west that divides the earth in

two equal parts.

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These village children have just finished playing a game similar to hopscotch. More photographs of every day life can be found at http://friendsofguinea.org.

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a country in africa

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who is inbalafon?

alafon unites people of different colors and countries into one group of perform-

ers. Some are African-American, some white Americans, and others are African. All of the dancers are women, and the musicians are men. Sometimes the dancers play drums too. When Kadiatou was a young girl in Guinea, women never played

drums, but today they do. Balafon’s dances show that women can be powerful as well as graceful.

a quiet beginning...The performance begins with peace-ful music played on a balafon at the center of the stage. Next, drummers playing steady beats come to the stage from all around the theater. Then the dancers arrive wearing white dresses so long that they drag on the floor. Finally, Kadiatou sings in the Malinke [MA-leen-kay] language, “Look at us, we are here!”

high energydancingEighty years ago, people in West Africa began dancing a happy new dance called “High Life.” In Guinea, this dance is known as “Macuru” (mah-KOO-roo). Watch for this happy dance in the program, because during the “Macuru,” members of Balafon will ask some of you to join them on stage.

moving and growingKadiatou’s favorite dance is the fast paced "Doun Doun Bah" (DOON-doon-bah). She loves performing it, because she says that if you dance it enough, your body will get very strong.

the dancers and the dances

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Kadiatou performs at a mall in Prince George's County, MD, with a youth group called Colours.

B Mama Kadiatou is surrounded by her "daughters," members of the dance ensemble.

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the dancers and the dances

making yourown dance

At the performance, some students will be invited to

dance on stage. To practice for this, make up your own dance at home to your favorite music. Perform your dance for friends or family.

dance costumesKadiatou Conte designs the cos-tumes worn by the dancers. She sends her plans to Guinea where tailors make the costumes from African cloth. No special shoes have to be made, because the dancers always perform in their bare feet. Dancing this way helps the perform-ers feel more connected to the stage, and to the ground beneath it.

a tributeto womenin africaKadiatou will sing a quiet song about women in Africa while the dancers move very smoothly and slowly. She sings: “We women in Africa, we are so beautiful. We are so power-ful, we are happy when we dance.” The dance and music together show that people can be gentle and still be very strong.

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This woman has just returned from the marketplace while carrying her child on her back.

These dancers wear belts of bells and shakers while playing the drums.

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handmade from treesIn Guinea, drummers build large djembe ( JEM-bay) drums by carving their outer shapes from tree trunks and hollowing out their centers. The drumhead is made from an animal skin stretched over one end and attached with leather strings and wooden pegs. The bottom of the drum is left open. To play a djembe, you hit the drumhead with your hands. When the drumhead is hit, pieces of metal or wood on the djembe's sides shake and rattle.

bang a big drumThe djoun djoun (joon-joon) is a big drum that makes sounds with a very low pitch like a bass (base) drum makes. It has two drumheads made from thick cowskin tied to each end of a hollowed-out tree trunk.

drum pitchesBigger drums play lower pitches and smaller

instruments play higher ones. Pitch is made by air moving back and forth. Bigger instruments have more air inside so their pitch is lower. To hear this, try the following:

1. Gather two or more plastic bottles of different sizes.

2. Blow across the top of each of the bottles. Listen to the sounds.

3. Pour some water into a bottle and blow across its top. How is its pitch different? Why?

follow the leaderBalafon’s master drummer sets the speed (tempo) of the music and changes it when needed. He leads the musicians by playing certain rhythms (RI-thumz) and pitches, which the musicians and dancers understand like words in a language. While these rhythms are playing, the master drummer will improvise (IM-pruh-vyze) new rhythms.

pitch—the highness or

lowness of a sound

T musical instrumentshe music for Balafon’s dances is played mostly on drums and shakers. Each instrument has its own sound and is played in its own way.

rhythm—a pattern of beats

formed by the length and

stress of the notes

the music of b alafon

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Top: These big drums are called djoun djouns.Below: Shakers are made from gourd-like plants.

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songs withan answerBalafon will sing what’s known as “Call and Response” songs. These songs sound like one person asking a question that is answered by a group of people. Listen when Kadiatou sings the “Call” and others sing the “Response.”

learningby ear

In America, children learn music by hearing

it and later, some learn to read musical notes. In Guinea most music is learned by ear — by listening and trying to recreate what has been heard. Think of a

song you know, such as “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Without telling your classmates what the song is, clap the rhythm of the song. Have your classmates try to recreate the rhythm. Can they tell what song has been clapped?

expressyourself

In Guinea, people sing songs, play drums, and

dance to show how they feel— happy or sad, mad or glad. In a group of 5 students, make up a dance and drum beats that express a feeling. As a group, perform the dance and play the beats on drums or even on your desks. Ask your class to guess what the feeling is.

the music of b alafon

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The dancers and musicians play the big drums and make music with their shakers.

balafon's songs any of the dances have songs with words that the performers

sing while dancing and drumming.

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ResourcesYou may want to…

read:

Huet, Michael. The Dances of Africa.New York: Harry M. Abrams Publishing, 1996

go online:Balafon West African Dance Ensemble. balafon.org

Africa for Kidspbskids.org/africa/

Festival de GuineeSee colorful pictures from Guinea (spelled “Guinee” in French)africa-ata.org/guinea_picture_show6.htm

Les Percussions de GuineeLearn more about percussion music in Guinealespercussionsdeguinee.com/

Homemade: Stu’s DjunbasketLearn to build an instrument like a djoun djounrhythmweb.com/homemade/djunbasket.htm

Stephen A. SchwarzmanChairman

Michael M. KaiserPresident

Darrell M. AyersVice President, Education

For more information about the per-forming arts and arts education, visit our Web sites:kennedy-center.org/educationartsedge.kennedy-center.org

unite! balafon west african dance ensembleCuesheet is funded in part through the support of the U.S. Department of Edu-cation; the Kennedy Center Corporate Fund; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; the Carter and Melissa Cafritz Charitable Trust; DC Commis-sion on the Arts and Humanities; Prince Charitable Trusts; Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. Stolwijk and The Hattie M. Strong Foundation.

Cuesheet Editor: Peg KolmWriter: Richard PaskeDesign: Cynthia Friedman

© 2005, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

on performance day

A terrace surrounds the upper level of the Kennedy Center, allowing visitors a view of Washington, DC and Virginia.

you, the audienceThe performers in Unite! by Balafon West African Dance Ensemble need help from you, the audience. You are an important part of the performance. Being a member of an audience in a theater is different from watching a movie or television program. The performers are in the same room with you and are affected by what you do. To do their best, the performers need you to watch and listen closely. The other members of the audience also depend on your quiet attention during the performance so they can watch and listen, too.

visiting the kennedy centerThe Kennedy Center is a living memorial to John F. Kennedy, the President of the United States from 1961 to 1963. As a living memorial, the Kennedy Center is a place where dance, music, and theater can be experienced every day. There are seven stages at the Kennedy Center. Unite! by Balafon West African Dance Ensemble, will be performed in the Theater Lab. When you enter the Kennedy Center, you will walk into the Hall of States where you will see the flags of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. Territories. To get to the Theater Lab, you will take an elevator to the Roof Terrace Level, the Kennedy Center’s top floor. A larger banner, reading “Theater Lab” hangs on the wall outside the theater. Inside, an usher will direct you to your seat. The Theater Lab does not have a cur-tain in front of the stage, so you will be able to see the set for Unite! Four hundred people can watch a performance together in the Theater Lab!

WATCH.LISTEN.THINK.IMAGINE.ENJOY UNITE! BALAFON WEST AFRICAN DANCE ENSEMBLE!