Classroom Resource Guide for Teachers
Dasher’s Magical Gift
Produced by
CNY Arts Directed by
Larry Crabtree Written by
Matt Chiorini
Performed by
Students from Dance Centre North
This production is made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, and Onondaga County.
SUMMARY: Scene 1- It is 3 days before Christmas when two lost penguins, Wiggles and Wobbles, find themselves at the North Pole rather than the South Pole where they encounter Peppermint (call her Pepper), the first reindeer they have ever seen. She hurriedly explains what reindeer are and that they can fly, she also tells them about Christmas. The Scene ends with the Red Carpet arrival of Dasher who is the lead reindeer to pull Santa’s sleigh and a North Pole celebrity.
Scene 2- Later that evening, when the two penguins are discussing a recap of the day, they see Pepper again. She gives them a lovely description of the magic of the Spirit of Christmas. Outside of Santa’s workshop the reindeer are warming up for flying practice, but Dasher avoids practice with the excuse that he has interviews. He ignores Pepper’s request for an
autograph and hurts her feelings, causing her to run into the forest.
Scene 3- Pepper is lost in the Frozen Forest where she meets the Spirit of Christmas. The Spirit of Christmas helps Pepper and gives her a small box to deliver to Dasher, after reminding her that even big celebrities like Dasher can feel alone and afraid, and sends Pepper off to find Dasher.
Scene 4 - Sir Ralph Elf is reporting on the activity on December 24th as the reindeer prepare for their trip and wonder whom Santa will choose to help Dasher lead the sleigh. The Penguins are still debating whose fault it was that they got lost and Dasher admits to Santa that he can’t fly any more. Santa announces that Christmas has to be cancelled. Pepper
arrives, out of breath, with the gift for Dasher. Dasher grabs it from her and then has a change of heart and gives the gift to Pepper, explaining that she really deserves it. The small box opens and light emanates from the box, filling Dasher with the true meaning of Christmas, and he begins to float off the ground. Christmas is saved and Pepper is chosen to fill the empty space next to Dasher and they take off with Santa as the Spirit of Christmas reminds everyone of the real meaning of the season.
*CCSS, NGSS and Core Standards have been considered when creating this guide.
You will find codes and a key (included) for each page and how it relates to each.
Internet Resources www.claus.com
Full fun things to do for both kids and parents: choose an Elf Buddy, go to Elf School, e-mail Santa, and much more
www.northpole.com Visit Santa’s Workshop with
plenty of activities and ideas
www.xmasfun.com Lots of fun stuff, including
songs, recipes, stories and a
countdown to Christmas
This Classroom Resource Guide is intended to provide helpful information
for the teacher and students to use before and after attending the
performance. The activities presented in this guide are suggested to stimulate responses and discussions so that the
theatrical production may be used as a tool for creative learning. We hope that
our suggestions are useful and productive!
Pre- Performance Activities
Introduce the Characters The main characters and some
supporting characters in this pro-
duction are depicted on the first
two pages of the Activity Sheets.
Reproduce these images and give
each student a copy. Explain that
Dasher’s Magical Gift tells an
original story about some of
our best loved Christmas
characters. Ask each child to
think of a simple story which
involves some or all of these
characters. This story can be
written down or told to the rest
of the group.
Imagine The Setting
The main action in Dasher’s
Magical Gift takes place at the
North Pole, outside Santa’s
workshop, and in the Frozen
Forest. On the third page of the
Activity Sheets, the outside of
Santa’s Workshop is depicted.
Have your students draw what
they imagine the inside to look
like. Discuss the fact that this is
exactly what the scenic designer
does when beginning to design a
set. After you have seen the
production, have your students
compare their ideas to those of
the designer for Dasher’s Magical
Gift.
Discover Who Makes The
Production Happen On the fifth page of the Activity
Sheets, there is a worksheet list-
ing all the people who worked on
Dasher’s Magical Gift. Have your
students draw lines to match the
people to the descriptions of
their jobs.
Learn More About the Theater On the sixth page of the Activity
Sheets, there is a worksheet list-
ing many of the things you will see
upon your arrival at the Civic Cen-
ter. Have your students draw lines
to match these things to their
descriptions.
Discuss The Elements Of
This Production Unlike some classical ballet,
Dasher’s Magical Gift utilizes a
narrator and pantomime. It is a
dance-drama that combines the
elements of ballet (dance and mu-
sic) with the elements of
theater (a storyline, narrator,
and pantomime). Discuss these
elements with your class and
ask your students to look for
them while watching the
production.
Dance
The dance in this production is
primarily highly stylized mime and
is almost always set to music. The
choreographer plans the move-
ments to coordinate with the
music.
Music
In any film, television production,
or live performance, music is a key
element in establishing the mood
or setting the pace for what is to
happen. In dance, of course, it is
particularly important. Music pro-
vides the inspiration for the dance
and coordinates and motivates the
movements.
Mime
Using body movements, facial ex-
pressions and gestures, a mime
can portray a character, mood,
idea, or storyline.
Narrator
The person who tells the story as
it is enacted by the dancers on the
stage
Sets
The set establishes the place where the action is taking place. The set may include:
• Backdrops - Large pieces of material
hung at the back of the stage
• Flats - A piece of scenery made of a
wooden frame covered with canvas and
painted
• Furniture - As in a home, to create re-
ality or special furniture for a special
setting, as in the castle
• Properties - Small items like dishes and
toys used on stage
Costumes
Anything worn on stage is part of the actor’s
or dancer’s costume. The costumes need to
convey the personality of the character, as
well as be easy to move in.
Education Standards used:
W.K.2/ S.L.K.5/ RL 6.7/ VA.Re.7.1.5a/ W.K.3/ RLK.7/ RL5.7/ MU.Pr.4.1.5a
The following are pieces of music* that are used during the production of Dasher’s Magical
Gift. You can play these selections for your students and have them describe how the music
makes them feel, or what they think is happening when this music is playing during the show.
*All music pieces are selections from the opera Coppélia by Leo Delibes.
Scene 1: No.11-Musique Des Automates/ No.7- Czardasz Danse Hongroise
Scene 2: No.24 Fete de la Cloche
Scene 3:No.5-Ballade/No. 13 Chanson a Boire Et Scene
Scene 4: No.6-Theme Slave Vare/ V.-L’Hymen
LEO DELIBES (1836 - 1891)
Léo Delibes was born in Saint-Germain-du-Val, now part of La Flèche (Sarthe),
France, in 1836. His father was a mailman, and his mother a talented amateur
musician. His grandfather had been an opera singer. He was raised mainly by his
mother and uncle following his father's early death. In 1871, at the age of 35, the
composer married Léontine Estelle Denain.
Léo Delibes was trained at the Paris Conservatoire. His first major triumph came
with the ballet Coppélia, based on a story by ETA Hoffmann and staged at the
Opéra in 1870. He excelled as a composer of operetta (short operas- usually funny)
and was equally successful with operas of a more serious kind.
Stage Works
Delibes won early success with Coppélia and its story of old Dr. Coppelius and his doll Coppélia, who seems to
come to life. He followed this in 1876 with Sylvia, set in ancient Greece. The 1866 ballet La Source had given
Delibes an earlier opportunity to work with the established composer Minkus. In 1882 Delibes wrote a set of
dances for Victor Hugo’s play Le Roi s’amuse, later to provide a subject for Verdi’s opera Rigoletto. His opera
Lakmé, dealing with the love of a British officer and the daughter of a priest in mid-19th-century India,
provides the well-known ‘Bell Song’ for sopranos. The ‘Flower Duet’, popularized by its recent commercial use,
remains his most popular piece to date.
For more information on Léo Delibes go online to: http://www.naxos.com/person/Leo_Delibes/27154.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Léo_Delibes
Education Standards used:
MU.Pr.4.1.5a/ VA.Re.7.1.5a/ VA.Cn.11.1.5a
In-Class Activity Education Standards used: SL.K.5/ SL.1.5
Hands & Feet Reindeer Heads
YOU WILL NEED:
Colored Construction paper: brown, black, green, yellow, white
Scissors and Glue
PROCEDURE
1. Trace student’s foot on brown paper and cut it out. (This is the reindeer's head.)
2. Trace both of the student’s hands on yellow paper and cut out.
3. Glue “hands” to the back of the "toes" end of the foot. These are the antlers.
4. Cut out eyes and a reindeer nose with the white and black paper.
5. You can also use googly eyes and pom-poms for the face.
6. Glue the face pieces on the reindeer.
7. Add holly pieces or other appropriate holiday decorations
Post- Performance Activities
Visual Arts
I. 2 Penguins accidentally
arrive at the North Pole
II. Outside Santa’s Workshop
III. The Frozen Forest
IV. Outside Santa’s Workshop
Make a Group Mural
Discuss the characters you met in Dasher’s Magical Gift. Have your students look through
magazines, newspapers, and online for pictures of these characters and have them cut out
the pictures and bring them to school. Make a group mural of a Christmas scene by
arranging the cutouts on a large sheet of paper and pasting them down.
Make Puppets
Have your class make puppets of the characters in Dasher’s Magical Gift. Make up
other stories using puppet characters in a puppet show.
Draw Pictures
Drawing activities can be found on page eight thru ten of the Activity Sheets. Students
can draw penguins and Christmas presents.
Draw a Favorite Scene
Have your students draw their favorite scene from the production.
Education Standards used: RL.1.7/ SL.K.5/ VA.Re.7.1.5a/ RL 8.6
Scenes
Language Arts
Creative Questioning: 1. When you close your eyes and think about the performance you have just seen, what
moment do you remember first? Why do you remember that particular scene or moment?
2. How would you tell a friend what the performance was about? (Use as few sentences as
you can.)
3. If you had to give the performance a new title, what title would you give it?
4. What four words describe this performance?
5. If you could choose one of the characters in the performance to spend an hour with,
whom would you choose? Why? What would you ask this character?
6. If you could spend an hour with the whole performing company, what would you ask them?
7. If you were made the director of this production and could change anything, what would
you change?
8. Did you like this performance? Why or why not?
Talk About the Action
Found on page seven in the Activity Sheets are
four pictures of different moments in the
show. Duplicate this sheet for your class and
ask students to number the scenes from 1 to 4,
in the order in which they happened. They may
also want to color them or draw their own
versions. Talk about how the character was
feeling at that moment of the play.
Write Other Adventures of Dasher and
friends
Dasher’s Magical Gift opens with two lost
penguins at the North Pole. Make your own
book filled with the adventures of Dasher and
his friends. Have each student write a story or
a poem. Collect the stories and poetry and bind
them into a book.
Education Standards used:
VA.Re.7.1.5a/ RLK.7/ RL 1.7/ RL 4.7/ RL 5.7/ W.K.3
SL.K.5/ SL.1.5
Characters:
Pepper Dasher Santa
Wiggles Wobbles The Elves Sir Ralph
Comet Cupid
Dancer Donner Prancer Vixen
Blitzen
The Christmas Spirit
Language Arts-Poetry
The author of Dasher’s Magical Gift chose to create a story around the character of Dasher because
that is the first reindeer called out by Santa in the famous Christmas poem A Visit From St. Nicholas
by Clement Clarke Moore. In Dasher’s Magical Gift, Pepper uses poetry to explain the true meaning of
Christmas to the two penguins and, in a later scene, the Spirt of Christmas uses poetry when speaking
with Pepper. The final scene of the performance ends with the voice of the Spirit of Christmas
echoing a verse of poetry. Discuss with your students, using A Visit from St. Nicholas as an example,
how poetry can be used to tell a story. Discuss with the students how poetry can cause us to feel
emotions or create a visual picture in our heads. Have your students write a poem that tells a story
about their favorite holiday memory or experience. (A copy of the poem is included on page eleven of
the Activity Sheets.)
“To the top of porch! To the top of the wall! Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”
-A Visit From St. Nicholas By Clement Clark Moore
Education Standards used: VA.Cn.11.1.5a/ RL 5.7/ RL 6.7
Write To Us! It is important to us to know how you like Dasher’s Magical Gift - your feedback does make
a difference. Take some time to have your students write letters to us. The questions and
activities inside will provide ideas for what these letters could include. We have included an
easy form letter for your students to fill out (last page- Activity Sheets) to say THANKS!
Mailing address: CNY Arts, John H. Mulroy Civic Center, 421 Montgomery St., Syracuse, NY 13202
Penguins are flightless birds.
While other birds have wings for flying, penguins
have adapted flippers to help them swim in the
water.
Most penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Galapagos Penguin is the only penguin that
ventures north of the equator in the wild.
Large penguin populations can be found in
countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Chile,
Argentina and South Africa.
No penguins live at the North Pole!!
Penguins eat a range of fish and other sea life that
they catch underwater.
Penguins can drink sea water.
Penguins spend around half their time in water and
the other half on land.
Penguin’s black and white plumage serves as
camouflage while swimming. The black plumage
on their back is hard to see from above, while the
white plumage on their front looks like the sun
reflecting off the surface of the water when seen
from below.
Talk About the Natural Habitats:
Dasher’s Magical Gift creates a situation that would never occur in nature; a penguin and reindeer interacting.
Discuss the habitats of penguins and reindeer, why it would be uncommon for them to interact, and the unique
environment each one is found in. Ask your students if they could choose between living in the North Pole or South
Pole, which would they choose?
Education Standards used: 2-LS4/ 3-LS4
Science
opportunities
Dasher’s Magical Gift shows us a
situation where penguins and
reindeer interact. Considering how
rare it would be that these two
animals would ever meet up, this
gives you an opportunity to discuss
the natural habitats of both the
penguin and the reindeer.
Online Resources:
http://www.nothingbutpenguins.co
m/about-penguins/
( a great website all about penguins
and their natural habits)
http://a-z-
animals.com/animals/reindeer/
( a good link for some general facts
about reindeer - diet, habitats,
scientific name)
Right in our own backyard:
http://rosamondgiffordzoo.org/ass
ets/uploads/animals/pdf/Humbold
tPenguin.pdf
( a link to information about the
penguins that students could see if
they visit the Rosamond Gifford Zoo
right here in Syracuse)
Fun Facts About Penguins!