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Sia
Sia

Learn English in this Sia music ESL lesson

Date: Apr 03 2015

Themes: Celebrity, Music, Pop Culture

Grammar: Tag Questions

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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Even though Sia has been performing and writing music for more than twenty years, she has recently gained a lot of popularity from her newest album. This is even more unexpected since Sia has decided to hide her face. She’s shy and doesn’t like being famous.

Instead, Sia has actors and dancers who are already famous wear a wig that looks like her own hairstyle to perform in her place. In her latest music videos for the songs “Chandelier” and “Elastic Heart,” a young dancer wears the light-colored wig and does some amazing interpretive dancing to her music.

Marni really enjoys the artistry of the new popular music videos, but Brian doesn’t really understand them. Find out more in today’s English lesson about the singer Sia.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Brian

Brian

Marni

Marni

Brian:  Hey, Marni. Have you seen this new artist who did the “Chandelier” video?

Marni:  Sia?

Brian:  Yeah, what did you think of that?

Marni:  So, are we talking about “Chandelier,” or her new one, “Elastic Heart”?

Brian:  They’re very similar, aren’t they?

Marni:  There’s the same girl who’s in both of them, who is donning a Sia wig.

Brian:  They both just have interpretive dancing in them.

Marni:  Yes. I think they’re amazing. There’s such artistry in them. I just find them captivating.

Brian:  Really? I just don’t get it.

Marni:  Really?

Brian:  I just think they’re bizarre just to be bizarre.

Marni:  Hmm, interesting. Maybe I’m such a fan of dance and I just think there’s such interesting stories that can be told through interpretive dance. They are a little bizarre, especially “Elastic Heart.” But I think they’re really engaging. I like that people are using dance to tell stories.

Brian:  I will say that when I watched them, what happened was completely unexpected.

Marni:  There you go.

Brian:  Quite surprising.

Marni:  I think that’s part of what an artist wants is to have unexpected reactions.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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In Sia’s newest music videos for the songs “Chandelier” and “Elastic Heart,” a young dancer brings the songs to life. Marni loves the artistry of the dancing and how it can show the meaning of the songs. She is a big fan of dance and thinks that it’s a great way to tell stories.

But Brian doesn’t feel the same way. In fact, he thinks that the videos are really weird and he doesn’t understand them. Not everyone can understand the use of dance to tell stories, even if it is done in a very interesting way.

Have you seen the Sia videos? What do you think about dancing as a way to tell a story?

 

Comments

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NIJ321655

NIJ321655

United States

1 2 3 drank.

05:24 PM Apr 22 2015 |

marstanf

marstanf

Argentina

I’ve seen the video of Chandelier some time ago, and I’ve heard the song a lot on the radio. I love the song and I liked the video even better. The way the girl dances conveys sadness, desperation, need to express herself, need for freedom. I’m not really sure what the artist was trying to say. I thought it was sweet and quite out of the ordinary. (not bitten by a whatever Julito said! lol) 


05:34 PM Apr 06 2015 |

willy1908

willy1908

Peru

I haven’t seen the video of the song “Chandelier· yet, but I’ve already seen the video of “Elastic Heart”. It was a little weird, but it deserves a treatment of an artwork, because it has elements of arts like dancing, aesthetics and so forth.

03:38 AM Apr 05 2015 |

Jongsoo

Jongsoo

South Korea

I  have not seen it.


Where can I see it?

03:05 AM Apr 05 2015 |

julito1

julito1

Argentina

OLA, hola !!jejejeje, yes, i take full resposibility , furthermore , the young  dancer is playing out   her act as she would also ( to make matters worse) been posessed by a ghost. Sorry, ,i am kidding , i respect every form of art. 

07:50 PM Apr 04 2015 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

Guys, I have an idea, in order better understand Sia, let’s turn on our best song and try to move to the music as though it’s the only language we can speak. I’m going to do it today! Oh my god! I ‘m thrilled already. Let’s all get bitten by a scorpion!! I didn’t say that, Julito did!:))

07:40 PM Apr 04 2015 |

docgene

Russian Federation

Personally speaking,I haven’t seen the mentioned videos. May be I shall. Modern music is almost out of any boundaries and restrictions for self-expression. Anyway, the more captivating, engaging music and artists we have the better. Donning weird robes and wigs is just a  means of attracting fans and new folllowers.

01:54 PM Apr 04 2015 |

iftikhar659668

Pakistan

i haven’t listen to her neither seen on television uptil now, but i will check it out her voice and dancing.


i think whenever we telling stories and something about past we should break the mold. off course, music is one of best way to tell stories by performing dance but it should be unparalled as well. it becomes more interesting if the dance is captivating and interpretive. so people can easily get in about the stories.


10:11 PM Apr 03 2015 |

s11211s

s11211s

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I have never seen the Sia music videos, But I saw 3 of them 0ne hour ago!


They are strange, I’m not sure I understand exactly what the music videos want to tell! But they are innovative, interpretive and captivating. 


I think understanding of dance depends on yourself that you how interpret the dance.


Classical dance shows you changing the seasons, agriculture, happiness, love.


In these videos I see fight, love, hate and play, I don’t know maybe Sia and her dancer today see the world like that I understand of music and her dance! 

05:12 PM Apr 03 2015 |

julito1

julito1

Argentina

i Am an ignorant when it comes to weigh in my opinión about artistry dance, no question about it, but so as not to miss a class with you guys i saw the video Chandelier. My point is , has that little doll that performed the dance been stung by an scorpion ?, otherwise how can we explain the bizarre movements that she is doing . Dunno, just saying !!

04:07 PM Apr 03 2015 |

La Princesse de la vie

Egypt

Well, I go with Brian’s side, the dancing is totally Bizarre, I didn’t get it. But I still respect creativity in artistry. And I liked the song Chandelier, with the music, it’s all good.



I like some dancing trends, but I don’t like contemporary dance, it’s wholly odd to me, like silent interpretation speaking loud for words, but I’m not into it.


02:56 PM Apr 03 2015 |

Shoba

Shoba

Sri Lanka



I just watched “Elastic heart” and couldn’t quite get it. 


Anyhow, in my view, a story in dance is not only graceful but also thrilling for the viewer due to the challenge of deciphering and decoding every movement of the dancer/dancers.



 

S&W

S&W

China

@ola thank you for your explanation ,along with the lyrics i think i know what exactly the song express,i also searched the dancer Maddie Ziegler ,oh my god ,she is very amazing only thirteen years old.I have to admit that someone is born to be a shining star.

10:02 AM Apr 03 2015 |

Temulen

Mongolia

Now I watched the music videos. But I clearly couldnt get it. If I watched them many times, I might find out hidden ideas of Sia. Sometimes something mysterious is a little bit tasteful

05:25 AM Apr 03 2015 |

ScienceBoy

ScienceBoy

Turkey

I think I am just like Brian. I warched the music video of “Elastic Heart” and it really looks bizarre.. I couldn’t understand the story but as I undestand from the comments of Ola and S&W’s comments, there is an important one.

ola33

ola33

Japan

S&W, the dance is very emotional that tells about frustration, tiredness and desperate feelings. When the dance can interpret that without listening to the lyrics, it’s amazing. It’s very dramatic:)

03:26 AM Apr 03 2015 |

S&W

S&W

China

I totally like that white-color wig ,although i can’t understand what’s the dancer trying to express ,but i do like the way to make a music video very creative and unexpected.

ola33

ola33

Japan

I still remember watching Grammy Awards dozing off on and all of a sudden my sleepiness was completely shaken off by Sia’s Chandelier. It was so unexpected! Not only the song i really liked but the choreography as well that was both interpretive, captiviating and amazing.  Yes, Sia’s viewed bizzare by many, but I like it :) totally. 


Elastic heart is great, especially lyrics.

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