Script and Choreography for Summer
Hill of the Hawk Scenes, Script, Choreography, and Notes for Teachers and Parents
SCENES
Uffe in his forest home
The knock and tunnel to the his gate
The feather and invitation
Uffe sets out
Skipping through the forest
Animal friends join the journey
Crossing the wide river by condor flight
Tumbling down the hill of flowers
Meeting and greeting Esselen people
Gathering and celebration until “good night.”
SCRIPT
1.
The bright sun is shining through the leaves of an oak
Where tall pines make shade for the forest’s small folk.
Living deep in this wood, at peace in his home
Is a wee woodland fellow named Uffe, a gnome.
2.
His tunnel is long and deep in the ground
Where he crawls and he climbs to his bright crystal mound.
Comes a knock on this day at his round little gate.
Uffe climbs and he crawls but he must be too late!
3.
No one there but a feather, on the ground where it fell.
Could it be that this feather has a story to tell?
Uffe listens intently, for the feather can talk.
“Come at once,” it invites him, to the Hill of the Hawk.”
4.
“A midsummer’s fest!” Uffe chortles with glee.
“And the best of it is, there’s an invite for me!”
His forest green cloak Uffe drapes ‘cross his back,
Finds his staff and sets out, with a jaunty new hat.
5.
“Skippety skip, skippety skip, over and under with never a slip.
“Skippety hop, skippety hop, over and under with never a stop.”
6.
Behind him came trailing his animal friends,
A long line of creatures with seeming no end.
The bunnies came hopping! The deer stepping lightly.
The snakes slither softly. The sparrows chip brightly.
The frogs jumping spryly. The bears bounding slowly.
The bees buzz busily. The cougar stalking lonely.
The chickens clucking lazily. The bobcats padding silently.
The skunks prancing proudly. The slug sliming slippery.
7.
After time they arrive at Big Creek so wide.
Uffe frowns and he worries - how to make the far side?
Now, flickering shadows cross the face of the sun.
A great condor swoops down, and not only one.
•
“Greetings all!” Brother Condor calls out loud and strong.
“We’ve come here to help you, we’ll do you no wrong.
“Climb aboard our strong backs, have no fear, do not balk.
“We’ll fly ‘cross Big Creek to the Hill of the Hawk.”
•
Off they go, soaring high on the warm summer air.
Each condor flying proudly with the riders they bear.
All too soon, swooping low, they return to the ground
With a step or a tumble, hardly making a sound.
8.
Before them there lies a wide swath of deep green
With flowers the like they never have seen.
Daisies and poppies, sweet peas and more,
Roses, snapdragons, morning glories galore!
“Oh, lovely,” cries Uffe, turning to his small flock.
“But we’re late so let’s hurry to the Hill of the Hawk.”
Down the path they all scramble but poor Uffe stumbles
On a stone in the path, and they all take a tumble.
Rolling over and over and over, like a ball,
Each creature turn-turning, the big and the small.
‘Til at last they collapse at the foot of the hill.
Uffe rises, brushes off, then hears a sweet trill.
9.
“Greetings, Uffe and friends!” booms a voice from the west.
“The tribe bids you warm welcome to our midsummer fest.”
“Follow us,” says the Esselen Clan of the Bear.
“Follow us,” says the Esselen Clan of the Deer.
“To the shore, to the shore of the beautiful sea,
Esselen man, Esselen woman, woodland creatures and trees.
Together they gather in a wide circle round
Little Uffe among them, and sit on the ground.
10.
The sage stick is lighted, sweet smoke fills the air.
The two clans united, the Deer and the Bear.
“Let’s dance, drum, and sing!” hoots an owl with a squawk.
“To greet the full moon o’er the Hill of the Hawk.”
And here, at Big Sur, by the bountiful sea,
They join hands in a circle beneath a tall tree.
With the full moon above, and stars twinkling bright,
The new friends together wish each one a “Good night!”
All snug in his blanket, thoughts turning towards home,
Sweet dreams softly come now, to Uffe the Gnome.
CHOREOGRAPHY AND NOTES
Prepare Yourself, the Props and the Space
Prepare the children by reading the story from the book, and/or telling the story with quiet listening. The whole of the story told by a trusted adult helps to form the connection between listening and forming inner pictures of the story. Moving those inner pictures into action is fun and joyful, and specific movement progressions on Uffe’s journeys are beneficial for neurological and physical development.
Set the space for the story, with a long stretch of mats in the center, and the special feather and Uffe’s staff and hat set neatly aside.
Select a child to be Uffe, with a special (red) cloak (or silk tied to be a belt or other decoration.
Plant the forest of trees. All other children form a line on the mats, with their legs wide and arms raised and open. They are the forest trees, with the tunnel formed under their legs.
Cue music. Harp is lovely as are tones on a lyre or glockenspiel, or a rain stick or some other special sounds. Best is to have a talented musician who prepares tunes and rhythms for the various scenes and movement sequences to underscore the story. Thank you, Portia Diwa and Amelia Romano for the countless masterpieces of harp for dance and Uffe’s adventures I’ve ever heard. In a pinch, I’ve sung the whole story through many times, improvising my own voice as I go, with a simple tone to start and end the story.
The movements follow the words of the story, so slow your storytelling down. This will help the child’s inner picture to develop as she “moves” into the characters. The movements take time to develop, even if practiced for weeks. They are full of sensory and reflex-integrating movements every child needs to do again and again. The images are rich and dynamic and the children benefit from them unfolding from scene to scene. The whole story is a long journey, especially in movement, and take serious stamina to complete, so take time to build it up from beginning to end.
Unfold the spaces
The spaces gently unfold through ten scenes, from a small nest in the forest, to an invitation to a journey into the wider natural world, some risk and a challenge, and a return home safe and sound.
Uffe in his forest home
Forest trees stand firmly with feet wide (forming a tunnel) and arms lifted wide (forming branches), Uffe sits (or is “sleeping” facing trees
The knock and tunnel to his gate
Uffe crawls on hands and knees through the tunnel. (This sets the constant direction of the flow of movement down the mats, throughout the story.) As each tree is passed through, that tree turns around, drops down, and follows Uffe through the tunnel. Other trees move forward, if needed. As the children finish crawling through, they gather around the storyteller.
The feather and invitation
While the tunnel is traversed, discretely pick up the feather, ready to show it when it is named in the verse. Hold feather to your (or a child’s) ear.
Uffe sets out
A helper sets Uffe up with his staff and his hat and the helps the other children line up around the mats.
Skipping through the forest
Take Uffe’s hand (if you want and the child needs support) for the skipping (which may or may not be what’s expected: the kids may gallop or hop or whatever they feel is “skipping”) down the mats, coming back to the “start” along the sides so there is a clear direction for the flow (after a few times they will know this so don’t change it once it’s been set.)
Animal friends join the journey
Honestly, I don’t actually do every single animal named in the script (because I can’t remember every one and also see the children get exhausted) but each one has developmental value. Do what works for your group, individuate for any special needs, and be sure to vary the qualities, spaces, and dynamics of movement from slow (bear, cougar, slug) to fast (bunny, frog, bees) to belly movements (snake, slug.) A favorite is the deer: we’ve practiced them being quiet, alert, and shy, lifting their feet so carefully and arms/fingers held to be “listening” antlers. If there’s a loud noise, like a branch cracking, they might run fast down the path. This builds anticipation, excitement, and fun.
Crossing the wide river by condor flight
Parents and adult/teen helpers join to be the condors, if possible (otherwise, the storyteller will be lifting the children one at a time: fun, but takes awhile to get everyone over the river. This was a big happy moment for the original groups in Big Sur, when their parents came forward from the periphery to rescue the weary band of travelers. Always have an adult helper there to spot the acrobatic lift, for your safety as well as the little ones.
Tumbling down the hill of flowers
If you are lucky enough to have a wedge mat called a “cheese” set this up to create a hill at the head of the mats to launch the tumbling rolls. Otherwise, set off the children one at a time in a log roll. I sing “Rolling Down the River” over and over if I don’t have a live musician, and “spot” the children as they roll. The flowers are nice characters to add for very little ones or others who are happiest watching the unfolding story than being active in it. They can be “planted” at the edges.
Meeting and greeting Esselen people
Again, two adult helpers help here with the optional stunt. I often get fancy and put a child on the shoulders of each of the leaders of the Bear and Deer clans. This serves as an advanced acrobatic for the older children to master, climbing up with two or three steps onto your knee and then swinging a leg around your shoulders. The children are exhausted by now (as you may be too) so the others are sitting cross legged on the ground taking a well-deserved breather.
Gathering and celebration until “good night”
Everyone stands and forms a circle together. After “good night” I often sing “Come follow, follow follow me…. or other song if I want to guide them home again, maybe in a wander, to end up back in Uffe’s forest, where they can all stretch out (on the mats if you like) for sweet dreams. Feel free to build the ending for your group and your space.
Want more? Check out our other Uffe the Gnome Movement Adventures at our shop.
Need a tutorial? Let me know in the comments and let’s see what can be scheduled. It would be fun to have a group and I am happy to demonstrate via video chat and answer your questions about the choreography and movement.