 |
2008 Copyright Joseph R. McAuliffe
Carp leaping over Dragon's Gate |
For the past two Mind Move Make classes, our Kindergarten-2nd grade artists have been inspired by a Chinese folktale in which a determined carp fish transforms into a powerful dragon. In China, the carp is a symbol of endurance, perseverance, and strength. The folktale is centered around a brave little carp who swims upstream along a river that flows down a legendary mountain. The river's current is very strong; it is a difficult path to follow. There are many waterfalls along the way that the tiny fish must traverse. In the end, the river leads to Dragon's Gate. There is one last waterfall that the courageous carp must jump over to meet its final goal. As the carp leaps into the air, it can feel its body changing into that of a mighty dragon.
The Chinese have a saying that goes, "The carp has leapt through the Dragon's Gate". This is used for students who pass their university exams. It is also used to describe anyone who works diligently towards a goal and succeeds beyond their wildest dreams! In traditional Chinese and Japanese artwork, both the carp (or koi) and the dragon are depicted often.
Both our movement work and our visual artwork have been driven by this story. The students have imagined their skin transforming into the scales of the carp. We thought about what the cold water of the river would feel like rushing against our skin. I asked if any of the children had hiked up a large hill or maybe even a mountain and everyone's hand went up. I asked them to imagine what it would be like to try SWIMMING up a mountain! What a difficult task!
During our first class, the students used black ink to draw their carp fish. I reminded them of the techniques we already learned in using the ink to create a painting. During our second class, we used pencil and permanent markers to create a dragon image. Eventually we will incorporate color into both artworks.
Movement-wise, during our next class the students will work together to create a performative piece telling the story of the carp becoming the dragon. I will provide a few simple props to help them along, though the use of these will be optional. Their goal will be to somehow, through movement, show the mountain, the river, the carp, and the dragon. It will be fun to see what they come up with! I'd like to give them a few classes to complete this performative piece and maybe show it to their parents during our last class!
Here are a few of the koi or carp paintings:
 |
| Kindergarten artist |
 |
| Kindergarten artist |
 |
| Second grade artist |
 |
| Second grade artist |
And here are a few of the dragon drawings:
 |
| Kindergarten artist |
 |
| Kindergarten artist |
 |
| Second grade artist |
 |
| Kindergarten artist |
 |
| Second grade artist |
 |
| Second grade artist |
