Morphs

Categories

Description

This lesson, similar to our Flip-Book lesson, is designed for children to explore movements and perform them as the different characters in Haring's work, emphasizing transitional poses and personal expression.

Objective

Children will invent and perform movements pantomiming different characters in Haring's work.

Children will invent transition movements linking one character to another.

Resources

Haring Morphs

Haring Flipbooks

1656 | Man on Arm Flip Book| $4.50
1657 | Yellow Figures Flip Book | $4.50

Materials

Index cards with name or picture of a Haring character or one of your own choosing. (For Haring: baby, dog, spaceship, pyramid, television, man, pregnant woman, etc. Any other range of characters could also be used, such as different kinds of occupations or different species of animals or plants).

Procedure

Divide children into groups of three.
Each group picks two index cards.
Two children will pantomime the characters chosen, while the third will act out the transition (or morph) between them.
Children improvise and practice as a team. If, for example, index cards from dog and baby are chosen, the three children choose roles and separate themselves on the stage. The first child pantomimes the baby and then tags the second child. The second child copies the baby movement, transforms it into a dog, and then tags the third child. The third child then copies the dog movement, and expands on it.

Children exchange roles three times, improving the group performance over-all as they do so.
Optional: to create larger dances, children invent transitions to link different team sequences together into a longer seamless whole.
Children perform morphs for their class or school.

Extensions

Film the project, or create a slide show.

Introduce music to the movements, and examine how it affects the character and performance.