Sra: Imagine It!, Themes, Taking a Stand, Ancient Civilizations Ecology, Great Expectations, Earth in Action, Art and Impact, Level 6

Here is a fun question to ask an adult: Where is most of Earth's fresh, drinkable water?

People usually guess that lakes contain the majority of Earth's water. Others might say rivers, swamps, or clouds.

And all of these are wrong.

Most of the world's drinkable water is under the ground! In fact, there is a hundred times more water beneath your feet than in all the lakes and rivers combined. But because we do not see this water, it is easy for us to forget how much is actually there.

Why is so much water underground? Water is a liquid, so it is always affected by gravity. Because of gravity's pull, water flows to the lowest point it can find. If water can seep into soil or between rocks underground, it will do so.

In some areas, water sinks hundreds of feet into the ground. It trickles down through soil and clay to the rock layers. These rocks often have cracks and openings. Water travels to these open spaces and can stay there for years and years.
A body of water in such a place is called an aquifer. An aquifer can be compared to a sponge that has been soaked in water. Like a sponge, aquifers contain water that can be removed. A well can be drilled down into the aquifer, where water can then be pumped to the surface.
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Over time, seeping water will eventually refill the aquifer. As long as a well does not pump out more water than an aquifer can replace, the aquifer can provide freshwater for a long time.

Sometimes water comes into an aquifer, and there is no exit for it. When this happens, the aquifer builds up pressure. If a well is dug down to an aquifer under pressure, the water may come up without needing to be pumped. In some cases, the water may shoot dozens of feet into the air!

Although aquifers are not usually as huge as underground caves, these types of aquifers do exist. Limestone is a rock that can dissolve if it is in contact with water for a long time, so large underwater caves sometimes form where there is limestone.

Aquifers can be massive. One of the largest aquifers in the world is the Guarani Aquifer in South America. It supplies freshwater to four countries. In the United States, there are many large aquifers. The Ogallala Aquifer runs from Texas to South Dakota and serves eight states. It is one of the most used aquifers in the world, supplying water to people in the country and in big cities.

The next time you are out walking on "dry land," remember this: Underneath your feet, there is probably a lot of freshwater.

What is this article mostly about?

A a source of water under the ground

B where the Ogallala Aquifer is located

C how gravity affects water

D drilling into an aquifer and finding water

Why does the author compare an aquifer to a sponge?

A to show how small an aquifer can be

B to explain how an aquifer holds water

C to show that an aquifer can be squeezed

D to explain why water in an aquifer is clean

What causes a cave to form where there is limestone?

A pressure from falling water

B gravity moving the limestone

C holes from drilling into the rock

D limestone dissolving

How does water get into an aquifer?

A Rivers empty into the aquifer.

B Lakes gradually sink under the ground.

C Water seeps down from the surface.

D Holes are drilled deep into the ground.

Test Tips

Think about the question.

Look at each answer choice.

Use the information in the article to answer the question.

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Theme Connection

* Why did Lange choose these people as an artistic subject?

* What do you think the photograph is trying to show?

* What response do you think Lange hopes to get from a viewer?

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Big Idea

What roles can art play in life?

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* premiered

* debut

* dawdled

* blues

* dignity

* jazz

* sleek

* choreography

* heritage

* tempo

Vocabulary Strategy

Culture Shock, a new local dance group, premiered their program "Connections" on Friday night at the Green Theater. I arrived thirty minutes before the debut to interview members of the audience, who dawdled in the lobby waiting for the curtain to rise. Haunting blues played in the lobby while I asked my questions. Most of the audience seemed to be friends and family members of the dancers.

A bell announced that it was only five minutes before the start of the performance. Everyone shuffled into the theater and sat down. The venue was half full at best.

With great dignity , the conductor of the band rose and bowed. The band began to play some jazz . Moments later, the dancers entered from both sides of the stage. Their moves were as sleek as the shiny and smooth costumes they initially wore.

The choreography included ballet, jazz steps, and some tap. The audience was taken with the mix of styles.
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The next dance was even better than the first. It was performed to the constant beat of one drum. So in tune were the dancers that the drumbeat seemed to be coming from their body movements. I later discovered that the drums and moves were influenced by the group leader's Native American heritage .

Each of the dances borrowed styles from across the world. Some displayed an African influence, while others had a Caribbean flair. Another dance reminded this reviewer of Chinese opera. "Connections" is truly a well-chosen title.

In the middle of the program, the lead dancer performed a solo. It was, in a word, outstanding! Her body moved in a steady swivel that played off the tempo of the tune created by the band.

At the end of the program, the dancers bowed to a standing, roaring crowd. And it was not just the friends and families who were so appreciative. My fellow dance reviewers were some of the loudest voices in attendance.

The Green Theater should be full on Tuesday for Culture Shock's final performance. Do yourself a favor and make sure you are part of the audience. I know you will love the experience.

Game

Concept Vocabulary

The concept word for this lesson is revolutionary. Revolutionary means "showing or causing an important change." How can music or dance be revolutionary? How does revolutionary connect with the theme Art and Impact?

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Comprehension Skill: Sequence

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by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Focus Questions

How can dance be an expression of heritage and culture? How does Alvin Ailey celebrate African American tradition in his work?

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Alvin and Lula worshiped at True Vine Baptist

Church every Sunday. When they arrived for services, Alvin slid into his usual seat in the first-row pew. There he could watch his mother sing in the gospel choir. And Lula sure could sing. Her voice rose clear and strong as she sang the morning hymn.

The men at True Vine dressed in dignified suits.

The women showed off wide-brimmed hats and fanned away the Texas heat. Some cuddled powdered babies; others hugged their Bibles.

True Vine's Reverend Lewis delivered a thundering sermon. The organ rang out, followed by a bellow of tenors singing "Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham."

Sweet sopranos and tambourines joined the rousing refrain:

Rocka-my-soul in the bosom of Abraham

Rocka-my-soul in the bosom of Abraham

Rocka-my-soul in the bosom of Abraham

Ohhh, rocka-my-soul....

The congregation made a joyful noise. They stepped and swayed with the warmth of the spirit and raised their palms in revelation. Alvin stomped his feet and clapped his hands so hard, they hurt. "Ohhh ... rocka-my-soul ... ," he sang along.

Alvin was going to miss the music and rejoicing at True Vine Baptist Church.

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Alvin stared out his window while the train rocked and lurched its way through the dry Texas land. Life in the city would be so different.

Los Angeles was a flashy town. Lula found plenty of work. Most mornings she left their apartment on East 43rd Place before sunrise, and she didn't return home until the sun was long past setting.

Alvin didn't mind, though. On Saturdays and after school he liked spending time alone, exploring the city streets. He strolled Central Avenue, where nightclubs such as the Club Alabam boomed with the sounds of big-band jazz -- swinging music that spilled out into the street -- while the musicians inside rehearsed for the evening show.
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Alvin especially liked downtown Los Angeles, where the lights on the theater houses reflected off the pavement. There was the Orpheum Theater, the Biltmore, the Rosebud, and the Lincoln.

Outside each theater a blinking marquee announced the latest show:

Pearl Bailey Performing Live Billie Holiday -- A Night of Blues Duke Ellington and His Band

The men who owned the theaters stacked handbills on their stoops. Each handbill announced coming attractions. Alvin collected them all.

He dawdled along the sidewalk and spotted a handbill showing a black dancer, something Alvin had never seen advertised before. The paper said

Coming Soon to the Biltmore Theater Katherine Dunham and Her Dancers in Tropical Revue

Alvin looked carefully at the picture of Katherine Dunham, a beautiful dancer fluttering exotic ruffles. Katherine Dunham and her dance troupe were one of the few traveling shows in the world with black dancers performing dances from Africa, Haiti, and Latin America.

Alvin was curious. As he tucked the announcement into his pocket, he noticed Ted Crumb, a skinny boy with spindly legs, hanging out at the stage door nearby.

Ted knew all kinds of things about dance; he hoped to dance onstage someday. Ted told Alvin that Katherine Dunham's afternoon show was about to start and that they could see dancing like they'd never seen before.

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Alvin and Ted crept down the alley that led to the Biltmore's stage entrance. They kept quiet and out of sight. With the stage door opened just so, they watched the splendor of Tropical Revue.

Alvin nudged Ted. "What is that they're doing? What is that?" He asked.

"That's modern dancing," Ted said. "Watch this!"
Ted tried Katherine Dunham's

Bahiana. Alvin slapped out a beat on his knees and followed Ted's lead.

Slowly, Alvin began to move. He curled his shoulders from back to front and rippled his hands like an ocean wave. He rolled his hips in an easy, steady swivel, dancing with an expression all his own.

Alvin moved like a cat, smooth like quicksilver. When he danced, happiness glowed warm inside him.

Dusk crept over the city. The streetlights of Central Avenue winked on, one by one. Alvin made his way back to East 43rd Place.

That night, Alvin told his mother he'd seen black people performing their own special dances. It was a show Alvin would never forget.

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More than anything, Alvin wanted to study dance. But when Alvin arrived in Los Angeles not everyone could take dance lessons. In 1949 not many dance schools accepted black students. And almost none taught the fluid moves that Alvin liked so much -- almost none but the Lester Horton Dance Theater School, a modern dance school that welcomed students of all races.

Lester's door was open to anyone serious about learning to dance. And, at age eighteen, Alvin Ailey was serious, especially when he saw how Lester's dancers moved. One student, Carmen de Lavallade, danced with a butterfly's grace. Another, James Truitte, made modern dance look easy.

But Lester worked his students hard. Sometimes they danced all day.

After hours in the studio, droplets of sweat dotted Alvin's forehead. He tingled inside, ready to try Lester's steps once more. At first, Alvin kept time to Lester's beat and followed Lester's moves. Then Alvin's own rhythm took over, and he started creating his own steps. Alvin's tempo worked from his belly to his elbows, then oozed through his thighs and feet.

"What is Alvin doing ?" one student asked. "Whatever he's doing, he's sure doing it fine," two dancers agreed.

Some tried to follow Alvin's moves, but even Alvin didn't know which way his body would reel him next.

Alvin's steps flowed from one to another. His loops and spins just came to him, the way daydreams do.

Alvin danced at Lester Horton's school almost every day. He taught the other students his special moves.
Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 606 and page 607 in the print version.

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Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 606 and page 607 in the print version.

In 1950, Alvin joined Lester Horton's dance company. Soon Alvin performed his own choreography for small audiences who gathered at Lester's studio. Alvin's dances told stories. He flung his arms and shim-shammed his middle to express jubilation. His dips and slides could even show anger and pain. Modern dance let Alvin's imagination whirl.

All the while, Lester watched Alvin grow into a strong dancer and choreographer. Lester told Alvin to study and learn as much as he could about dance. He encouraged

Alvin to use his memories and his African-American heritage to make dances that were unforgettable.

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Alvin's satchel hung heavy on his shoulder. His shoes rapped a beat on the sidewalk while taxicabs honked their horns. He was glad to be in New York City, where he came to learn ballet from Karel Shook and modern dance techniques from Martha Graham, two of the best teachers in the world.

Alvin took dance classes all over town, and he met dancers who showed him moves he'd never seen before. So many dancers were black. Like Alvin, their dreams soared higher than New York's tallest skyscrapers.

Alvin gathered some of the dancers he'd seen in classes around the city. He chose the men and women who had just the right moves to dance his choreography. Alvin told them he wanted to start a modern dance company that would dance to blues and gospel music -- the heritage of African-American people. Nine dancers believed in Alvin's idea. This was the beginning of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

On March 30, 1958, on an old wooden stage at the 92nd Street Y, Alvin and his friends premiered with Blues Suite, dances set in a honky-tonk dance hall. Stage lights cast moody shadows against the glimmer of each dancer's skin. The women flaunted red-hot dresses with shoes and stockings to match; the men wore black hats slouched low on their heads. They danced to the swanky-swank of a jazz rhapsody.

Alvin's choreography depicted the blues, that weepy sadness all folks feel now and then. Blues Suite stirred every soul in the room.

Alvin was on his way to making it big. Word spread quickly about him and his dancers. Newspapers hailed Alvin. Radio stations announced his debut.

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An even bigger thrill came when the 92nd Street Y asked Alvin to perform again. He knew they hardly ever invited dance companies to come back. Alvin was eager to show off his next work.

On January 31, 1960, gospel harmonies filled the concert hall at the 92nd Street Y.

Alvin clapped in time to the music, the same way he did when he was a boy. But now, Alvin rejoiced onstage in Revelations, a suite of dances he created to celebrate the traditions of True Vine Baptist Church in Navasota, Texas.

The audience swayed in their seats as Alvin and his company gloried in their dance. High-stepping ladies appeared onstage sweeping their skirts. They danced with grace and haughty attitudes. Alvin and the other men jumped lively to the rhythm, strutting and dipping in sassy revelry.
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Revelations honored the heart and dignity of black people while showing that hope and joy are for everyone. With his sleek moves, Alvin shared his experiences and his dreams in a way no dancer had ever done.

When Revelations ended, the audience went wild with applause. They stomped and shouted. "More!" they yelled. "More!"

Taking a bow, Alvin let out a breath. He raised his eyes toward heaven, satisfied and proud.
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Meet the Author

Andrea Davis Pinkney

Brian Pinkney

The son of famed children's book illustrator Jerry Pinkney, Brian Pinkney grew up watching his father's work closely. After earning a degree in art, Pinkney worked for the magazine Field and Stream before becoming a full-time children's book illustrator. He and his wife have collaborated on several children's books. Pinkney uses a unique "scratchboard" technique with his illustrations. He begins by painting a white board with black ink, then scratches off the designs with a sharp tool. Finally, he fills in the white areas with paint. Pinkney loves music and has worked with his wife on a book about jazz legend Duke Ellington.
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Art and Impact: Theme Connections

Within the Selection

Beyond the Selection

Design a poster for a dance company you would like to form. The poster should make clear the type of dance and the type of music the company will feature and why.

Remember to look for pictures of Ailey and other dancers for the Concept/Question Board.

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Genre

Feature

Dance falls into two main categories. There is dance for fun--dance for the sake of dancing. Then there is dance intended for an audience--dance hoping to make a statement. In the United States, both types of dance borrow from other cultures.

Cultural borrowing enriches the art of dance. Artists regularly look to other cultures when creating new dance programs. They may want variety in their work. Or the culture may inspire their art to move in a different direction. They might also wish to use a part of their heritage or family history in their work, such as Alvin Ailey's use of spirituals in his dances.

These songs had roots in music developed by slaves. The songs were based upon African rhythms and musical practices. To these were added the languages and structures of European forms of music.

Ailey was not the first dancer to borrow from traditions of other cultures. Ruth St. Denis borrowed from the dances of India, Egypt, and Asia. The German dancer Mary Wigman was inspired by African and Eastern Asian dance styles. Dancer Pearl Primus combined styles from Africa with Caribbean influences from the West Indies.

Her choreography helped make African American dance important in the United States.

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Katherine Dunham, a major influence on Ailey and other figures in dance, is another example. Having studied the dance styles of Africa and the Caribbean, Dunham became known for moving different body parts independently of one another.

Dunham created dances for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In these dances, Ailey and other modern dancers built on ballet. Ballet is a European form of dancing.

When dancers combine the best musical and dance traditions of several cultures, they create art with a real impact. They move their audiences to tears and cheers. They move their steps into the realm of art and their art form to greater heights and lasting importance.

Dancer	Cultures Borrowed
Ruth St. Denis	India, Egypt, Asia
Mary Wigman	Africa, Eastern Asia
Katherine Dunham	Africa, Caribbean
Pearl Primus	Africa, Caribbean