Dance technique and choreography for beginning and intermediate levels. Technique class will emphasize placement and the increase of movement efficiency through proper alignment. Students will also explore dancing to different rhythms, tempos and styles of music while emphasizing weight of the body and its relationship to space and gravity. In choreography class students will develop their understanding of the ways in which structural elements and movement vocabularies contribute to a dance’s overarching impact and content. Readings and viewings broaden students understanding of dance’s position in the world of art and ideas.
Sample reading list:
Copeland and Cohen, Ed., What is Dance?
Doris Humphrey, The Art of Making Dance
Joyce Morgenroth, Speaking of Dance
See instructor for complete list
Reading/Writing assignments:
Ongoing choreographic assignments (approx. 2 hours outside class/week); reading and viewing live and videotaped performances (approx. 2 hours outside classes/week); mandatory trip to NYC to view live performance; several short papers analyzing choreography and discussing dance based on readings and class work; and participation in an end of semester showing.
Other information:
DAN 219 is designed for students with one semester’s experience or some former training. Two two-hour classes in technique, one two-hour class in choreography. This course culminates in a studio performance and a mandatory end of semester showing, both held during last week of class in December, including the last day of class, December 12, 2014.
