Fall 2013
DAN 207Introduction to Ballet(LA)From grand plié to grand jeté, Introduction to Ballet is for students with a curiosity for the study of classical ballet. No prior dance experience necessary and beginners are welcome. In this studio course students will learn the fundamentals of ballet, gaining an understanding of its physicality, artistry, and principles of alignment. Students will examine the historical origins of ballet and its absorption of cultural influences. Live music will be featured in this class and key in exploring the inextricable link between music and dance.Tina Fehlandt
DAN 209Introduction to Movement and Dance(LA)Designed for people with little or no previous training in dance, the class will be a mixture of movement techniques, improvisation, choreography, observing, writing and discussing. Students will investigate their own movement patterns and delve into many facets of dance and cultural questions surrounding it. We will explore the role of dancer, choreographer, audience member, and critic in relation to such topics as aesthetic questions, politics, identity, religion, and complex views of the human body.Aynsley L. Vandenbroucke
DAN 215Introduction to Dance Across Cultures(LA)Bharata Natyam, Butoh, Hip Hop, and Burmese dance are some of the movement practices that will have us travel from temples and courtyards to clubs, streets, and stages around the world. Through dance activities, readings, discussions, and viewings of filmed and live performances the course will introduce students to dance across cultures and historical periods while questioning categories such as classical, traditional, ethnic, folk, and world dance. The course meets twice a week, one class is dedicated to studio practice and one to theory. Guest artists will teach different dance forms. No prior dance experience is necessary.Staff
DAN 219Modern Dance: Beginning Technique and Choreography(LA)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.Staff
DAN 300Muscle/Memory: Dance(LA)Students in DAN 300 will create dance works for unconventional spaces that will emphasize performance, theatricality, and props. Students in the associated VIS 300 will create sculptures that inform bodily movement in the form of garments, portable objects and props. The two classes will come together periodically to compare notes and pursue the question of how nearly identical movements and objects can be considered dance in some contexts and art in others. A lecture series of prominent choreographers and artists will accompany the courses. This studio course is open enrollment.Staff
DAN 319Dance Performance Workshop: Intermediate Repertory and Choreography(LA)Intermediate dance technique and choreography, with a focus on contemporary practices. In technique, students will be challenged to increase their body's strength, coordination and alignment, and to develop awareness and range of motion in multiple spatial planes. The repertory component of this course calls on students' collaborative abilities as they work with faculty in the development a new dance. In choreography, students will work in movement-based laboratories to develop their fluency with a wide range of contemporary choreographic approaches. Readings and viewings contextualize the work culturally and historically.Staff
DAN 419Dance Performance Workshop: Advanced Repertory and Choreography(LA)Students are exposed to distinct choreographers by learning and performing repertory and creating choreography. The Technique and Repertory sections of the course develop technical expertise, expressive range, and stylistic clarity. Students will dance with attention to alignment, detail, spatial clarity, and an awareness of other dancers. In Choreography classes, students will work together in movement-based laboratories to develop choreographic decision-making skills. Readings and viewings inform studio practice and place dance in current artistic movements.Staff
DAN 420Advanced Dance Performance and Choreographic Projects(LA)Advanced students will learn and perform dances that represent diverse approaches to contemporary choreography. Technique and Repertory classes encourage rich, subtle and stylistically accurate renditions of choreography and cultivate intelligent and imaginative artistic interpretations. In Choreography classes, students will develop senior thesis projects; they can choose to focus on choreographic development or enhancing artistry as a performer. Classes will foster individual choreographic practices and mentor students as they transfer a dance from the studio to stage. The course is required for all Seniors pursuing a Certificate in Dance.Staff
