In this introductory course we will make six field trips to view live dance in a variety of NYC performance venues. Students will develop the ability to articulate their experiences as viewers starting in a thoughtful and active engagement with the dance works then in a discussion and writing while analyzing the form, content and contexts of the works in a group setting. We will study the historical, cultural, social and interdisciplinary contexts of contemporary dance forms. Guest writers and scholars will visit the class to reflect on diverse approaches to dance criticism and analysis and their role in the current cultural landscape.
Sample reading list:
Alva Noe, Action in Perspective
Erika Fischer-Lichte, Minou Arjomand, Ramona Mosse, The Routledge Introduction to Theatre and Performance
Paul Allain, Jen Harvie, The Routledge Companion to Theatre and Performance
Erika Fischer-Lichte, Saskya Iris Jain, The Transformative Power of Performance: A New Aesthetics
Reading/Writing assignments:
Students will be assigned to read sections from the sources on the reading list in preparation for the class. There will be two written assignments analyzing the performance we will attend on our field trip.
