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EN ROUTE AFTERBEFORE BEYOND

INSIDE

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This section is part of a full New Victory® School toolTM Resource Guide. For the complete guide, including information about the New Victory Education

Department check out: NEWVICTORY.ORG/SCHOOLTOOLS

LUV: AMERICAN-STYLE

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

Speaking and Listening: 1; 3; 6Language: 1, 3; 4; 6

NEW YORK STATE STANDARDS

The Arts: 4ELA: 1; 4

BLUEPRINT FOR THE ARTS

Dance: Developing Dance Literacy; Making Connections

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INSIDEBEFORE EN ROUTE AFTER

CLOSER LOOK AT LUV: AMERICAN-STYLE

• Dr. Rennie Harris began teaching hip hop when he was only 15 years old! Today, he teaches different street moves and their origins, as well as lessons on the history of hip hop.

• Dr. Rennie Harris incorporates a variety of forms of street dance into his choreography including Campbell locking, popping & boogaloo, b-boy-girl, house, and hip hop social dancing. Be on the lookout for these different street dances in LUV: AMERICAN-STYLE!

• In 1992, when Dr. Rennie Harris began his dance company, Rennie Harris Puremovement, he acquired a fan base of teens and young adults who wanted to dance with him. So, in 2007 he created RHAW (Rennie Harris Awe-inspiring Works), a youth-only dance company. This is the company you’ll get to see in action in LUV: AMERICAN-STYLE!

Popping & locking to a soundtrack of chart-topping rock, the talented young performers of Rennie Harris Awe-inspiring Works (New Vic 2013) use dance and dialogue to portray one young man's struggle with identity, love and justice. Choreographed by Alvin Ailey Award recipient Dr. Rennie Harris, his laws of hip hop—individuality, creativity and innovation—rule in this compelling mix of street styles. Break out of the cypher and cross the floor when RHAW goes rock in LUV: AMERICAN-STYLE.

BEYOND

[ ]Hip Hop Theater + Coming-of-Age Story

+ RHAW Emotion =

LUV: AMERICAN-STYLE

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS LUV: AMERICAN-STYLE FROM?

• Philadelphia loves art! Nicknamed the Mural Capital of the US, Philadelphia has over 2,000 outdoor murals and more public art than any other US city!

• The world’s first electronic computer (which weighed 27 tons!) was created in secret at Philadelphia’s University of Pennsylvania.

• Philadelphia is known for its delicious cheesesteaks, but did you know that they didn’t have cheese on them until 10 years after they were created? They were just steaks!

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

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ASIANORTHAMERICA

SOUTHAMERICA

ATLANTICOCEAN

PACIFICOCEAN

X

XPHILADELPHIA

PENNSYLVANIA

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INSIDEBEFORE EN ROUTE AFTER BEYOND

Prior to exploring LUV: AMERICAN-STYLE with your students, find out how much they already know about hip hop. Also allow them to explore the theme of growing up in modern society.

Do you enjoy dancing? How do you feel when you dance? Do your emotions affect how you dance?

What do you know about hip hop dance? What makes it unique?

What is it like to grow up? What changes are happening in your life as you get older?

How does the outside world view you as a kid and/or young adult? What do they understand? What do they not understand?

How do you identify yourself? What makes you, you?

Do you ever feel that the world is unjust? How?

If you had to create a dance piece about justice, what style of dance would you use? What kind of music?

WHAT DO YOUR STUDENTS KNOW NOW?

A COMING-OF-AGE STORY follows a character as he or she grows from childhood to adulthood. Typically, this person has to overcome challenges and obstacles before reaching adulthood. These stories have many moments of self-reflection and lessons about growing up physically, mentally and emotionally. Some famous examples of coming-of-age stories include The Catcher in the Rye, Boyz in the Hood, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, The Outsiders, The Breakfast Club and Boyhood.

HIP HOP is more than just a style of music, it is a cultural movement that was developed in the South Bronx during the 1970s. Hip hop culture emcompasses many different art forms, including music, visual art and writing. Hip hop has gone global, branching a wide variety of communities within the US and internationally. Because of its diverse audience, hip hop can break down racial barriers and provide a community for people of all backgrounds.

Hip hop is identified by its pillars, which include: b-boy/girl, DJing, graffiti, spoken word and fashion. This guide will explore many of these pillars and how they connect to the story of LUV: AMERICAN-STYLE.

INSIDE THE ART FORM

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