"True art is an expression of the human being's search for a relationship with the spiritual, whether the spiritual longed for when his soul leaves the body, or the spiritual which he desires to remember when he dips down into a body, or the spiritual to which he feels more related than to his natural surroundings, or the spiritual as manifested in colors when outside and inside lose their separateness and the soul moves through the cosmos, freely, swimming and hovering, as it were, experiencing its own cosmic life, existing everywhere; or ... the spiritual as expressed in earth life, in the relationship between man's soul-spirit and the cosmic ... " - Rudolf Steiner
Course WC/ART
Puppetry
Lesson 5 - Marionettes 3
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Course Outline
Puppetry
Lesson 1 - Table Puppets Lesson 2 - Finger Puppets Lesson 3 - Marionettes 1 Lesson 4 - Marionettes 2 Lesson 5 - Marionettes 3 |
Introduction
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“We must do everything in our power to help the children to develop fantasy.” ~ Rudolf Steiner. Puppetry (finger puppets, small puppets and marionettes) are common within Waldorf schools because they are a living play imbued with inner imagination and fantasy. Puppet shows draw the child into a story, watching it unfold step by step, grow and change, and these pictures are taken right into the stream of life forces, without creating hard and fixed impressions. The draw forth from children their imagination and allow the story to take them where they need to do as far as the inner life working pictures. Puppets and puppet shows are not only beautiful, but provide many advantages. Rahima Baldwin Dancy, a Waldorf early childhood educator, notes that “when stories and fairy tales are translated into cartoons or movies, they lose their evocative quality and are often too powerful…for young children. But when stories are acted out in front of the children using stand-up puppets or marionettes, the experiences have a very calming and healing effect on the children.” Because of its value, puppetry has fast become one of the most popular forms of educational instruction in traditional elementary schools. The California State Curriculum Guide states that puppetry is an ideal instrument for aiding in language development. According to Frisch (2004), at their most basic, puppets are an exceptional means of conveying a message. However, the value goes much, much further. Puppetry integrates more art forms, disciplines and subject matter than any other creative or dramatic medium. Exploring the puppet theater arts opens the door to history, music, math, science, creative writing and language arts, painting, sculpting, acting, dance and many other disciplines that have their roots in a multitude of cultures, some of which have puppetry traditions that extend back for thousands of years. |
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Tasks and Assignments Puppetry Lesson 5
1. Read instructions and gather materials.
2. Create your own marionettes: Create the four marionettes pictured above using and adapting the instructions provided. 3. Perform a simple story with your marionettes, and practice the performance several times. You may use an already existing script or story, or a story you have invented yourself. 4. Create a video of your marionettes performance and submit. |
Waldorf doll style head
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Items Needed
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Tools Needed
1. Needles – sewing and doll making
2. Pins 3. Sewing machine 4. Scissors 5. Beeswax crayon & a piece of paper towel to rosy the cheeks |
Instructions
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1. Make a “Waldorf doll” style head that is 2 ½ inches tall from neckline to top of head. (see picture 1)
2. Cut a small X in the center of your sky blue silk handkerchief. I have seen instructions that say to cut a circle, but I like the small X better. I think you waste less of your material. With a running stitch, make a circle around the X. The circle needs to be large enough for your doll neck to fit through. Leave the tails loose till you are sure your head is situated properly. (see picture 2) 3. From underneath the puppet, you will be able to pull down and straighten the corners of fabric made from cutting the X. When the corners are pulled down and the silk is oriented correctly with the head, then you can pull the running stitch tight and tie in knots. (see picture 3) 4. Flip the silk over to see your puppet’s face. (see picture 4) |
Picture 2
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Picture 3
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Picture 4
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5. Any small dew drop or even a pea pebble would work to add a little bit of weight to the hands. Wrap the dew drop in a little bit of wool, cover with a scrap of your skin fabric and tie. (see picture 5a and 5b)
Picture 5a
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Picture 5b
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6. Bring the side corners of the silk to the middle and connect them together and to the body with one stitch. Place your newly made hands in line with the neck/where the silk will fold in half. (see picture 6)
7. It is possible to stitch around the hands through only the under layer of the silk (be sure to go through the wrist skin fabric too). This will allow you to attach the hands without any stitches showing. (see picture 7)
7. It is possible to stitch around the hands through only the under layer of the silk (be sure to go through the wrist skin fabric too). This will allow you to attach the hands without any stitches showing. (see picture 7)
Picture 6
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Picture 7
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8. Now you can rosy her cheeks and add the hair. Use a 2 wig approach to her hair. One gets folded in half at the seam and the other stays open and the seam becomes the middle part in her hair. (see picture 8)
9. The folded wig goes on first and is set back on her head. Stitch down on the fold of the yarn. Then place the open piece on top of the head and stitch down on what would be the part down the middle. (see picture 9)
10. The wings are made from a few layers of light pink tulle. Stitch around the edge with a light yellow. (see picture 10)
9. The folded wig goes on first and is set back on her head. Stitch down on the fold of the yarn. Then place the open piece on top of the head and stitch down on what would be the part down the middle. (see picture 9)
10. The wings are made from a few layers of light pink tulle. Stitch around the edge with a light yellow. (see picture 10)
Picture 8
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Picture 9
Picture 10
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11. Now string the marionettes. Use one string for both hands and then another for the head. Go through the head horizontally above the ears. (see pictures below)
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Please submit files of completed art project(s), comments and questions via the online form or via email.