Course Description: Study of the history and philosophy of dance in selected geographic locations in the twentieth century.
Course Objectives:
1. to understand dance history as vital to who you are today
2. to explore the resource that is the past
3. to use that understanding and exploration to communicate effectively about dance, especially through description and interpretation of dance, research and writing about dance, and choreographic analysis.
Course Calendar:
Tuesday, January 9. Introduction: Why study dance history?
Thursday, January 11. Looking At Dance: Movement Analysis- the basics
Tuesday, January 16. Ballet In America
See: works by Tudor, de Mille, Balanchine, Arthur Mitchell, the Joffrey
Read: Jack Anderson, Ballet and Modern Dance: A Concise History, "The Rise of American Ballet," 139- 164.
Thursday, January 18. Ballet Around The World
See: Coppelia, Blood Wedding, Billboards
Read: Jack Anderson, Ballet and Modern Dance: A Concise History, "Ballet Around The World," 205-221.
Tuesday, January 23. Other European Forms
Thursday, January 25. American Vernacular Dance
See: Watch Me Move
Read: Read: http://www.jazzart.org
Discuss: Prime Movers Concert, Friday - Saturday, January 26 - 27
Tuesday, January 30. Jazz, Tap, Clogging. Pop versus music-based jazz and tap.
See: tap, jazz, and clogging excerpts
Thursday, February 1. Renaissance/ Baroque class: guests (Carol Marsh)
Tuesday, February 6. Musical Theatre
See: works by Hanya Holm, Agnes de Mille, Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse
Thursday, February 8. Music Video
Music video papers due
Tuesday, February 13. Pre-Modern Dance
See: Clips of Duncan, Denishawn, movement choirs
Read: Jack Anderson, Ballet and Modern Dance: A Concise History, "The Phoenix of Modern Dance," 165-174.
Discuss: Jan Van Dyke Dance Group, Thursday - Saturday, February 8 - 10
Thursday, February 15. Martha Graham
See: Night Journey
Read: Jack Anderson, Ballet and Modern Dance: A Concise History, "The Phoenix of Modern Dance," 174-182.
Tuesday, February 20. Graham studio day
Thursday, February 22. Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman, and their legacies
See: Water Study, New Dance, Day on Earth, There is a Time
Tuesday, February 27: Review for midterm
Discuss: Faculty Concert, Eluza Santos, Thursday - Saturday, February 22 - 24
Thursday, March 1 - Midterm
Tuesday, March 6 - Thursday, March 8. Spring Break
Tuesday, March 13. Humphrey rep class/ Introduce Katherine Dunham
Thursday, March 15. Discuss readings by Brenda Dixon Gottschild and about Mary Wigman in preparation for residency. Readings will be on reserve.
Tuesday, March 20 and Thursday, March 22. No class. You must substitute two events from the Fault Lines residency instead. Try to attend at least one lecture and one concert.
Tuesday, March 27. Discuss Fault Lines. Turn in journal/ essay.
Thursday, March 29. Late Modernism. Paul Taylor, and Alvin Ailey
Read: Jack Anderson, Ballet and Modern Dance: A Concise History, "The Phoenix of Modern Dance," 182-187; http://www.alvinailey.org
Discuss: on Tuesday, M.F.A. Master Production, Miriana Lausic, Friday - Saturday, March 16 - 17
Tuesday, April 3. Dunham technique class
Thursday, April 5. Late Modernism: Nikolais and Cunningham
Read: http://www.merce.org
Discuss: M.F.A. Production, Tara Shumaker, Friday - Saturday, March 30 - 31
Tuesday, April 10: Postmodernism and Judson
Read: Jack Anderson, Ballet and Modern Dance: A Concise History, "The Phoenix of Modern Dance," 187-191.
Discuss: M.F.A. Production, Gina Desko, Friday - Saturday, April 6 - 7
Thursday, April 12: Postmodernism studio day
Mini Judson concert
Tuesday, April 17, Thursday, April 19, Tuesday, April 24: Late postmodernism. David Dorfman, Urban Bushwomen, Joe Goode, Martha Clarke, Mark Morris, Bill T. Jones
Read: Jack Anderson, Ballet and Modern Dance: A Concise History, "International Contemporary Dance," 223-234.
http://www.mmdg.org/, http://www.pbs.org/ktca/alive/stillhere.html, http://www.riverbed.com, http://www.stelarc.va.com.au/
Tuesday, April 24: Discuss: Departmental Concert, Friday - Saturday, April 20 - 21
Computer-mediated dance and all dance major papers due
Thursday, April 26. Review for final.
Thurs., May 3- 3:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Final
________________________________________________
GRADING AND EXPECTATIONS
Fault Lines Journal: this journal must contain (many, wonderfully detailed, thoughtful) pages of notes from the one lecture and one performance you should attend. It must also contain a five page essay you write, giving a personal reaction to those events. This is not a restatement of your notes, but an essay that develops an original perspective on the themes and issues presented and their presentation through dance. 15%
Individual research paper/ essay:
If you're not a dance major: Please prepare a five-seven page paper about either music video or computer-mediated dance. This paper must be a research paper with at least five references and either focus on the history of the medium or critically investigate an example of that form. 15%
If you are a dance major: Please prepare a five-seven page paper that explores your relationship to some choreographer. Your work must be a research paper with at least five references, but your focus needs to be on what personal or aesthetic affinity you have with this person. What about them and/or their work do you find valuable? 15%
Performance attendance and discussion: You must attend one live concert (at UNCG, preferably) in addition to the Fault Lines concert. You must prepare and turn in written discussion points on ALL the dances you see. These should include:
• the movement content of the dance (most striking uses of body, space, time, choreographic structures, environment);
• the themes and/or issues addressed by the choreographer; and
• some personal connection or comment related to the work.
Your discussion points for the live concert should be turned in the Tuesday after you attend a performance. (Except where our schedule dictates the discussion will be held on Thursday.) 10%
Based, on your written discussion points, you must participate in an in-class panel discussion on one concert. You will sign up for this during the first days of this course. I recommend that you attend the concert with a friend or friends and prepare your remarks with them. Grades for this assignment will be determined by the ENTIRE class. 10%
Class attendance and participation- 10% (After 2 absences, 1/2% taken off for each day not in class, each day not prepared, each day not participating from attendance grade. Be prepared to exhibit your understanding of readings and to participate in class activities. There will occasionally be homework assignments.
Midterm- 20%- short answer, essay, fill in the blank.
Final- - 20%- short answer, essay, fill in the blank.
UNCG DEPARTMENT OF DANCE
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE FOR SPRING 2001
UNCG DANCE Department Theatre- Walker Avenue
Friday - Saturday, January 26 - 27: Prime Movers Concert
Thursday - Saturday, February 8 - 10: Jan Van Dyke Dance Group
Thursday - Saturday, February 22 - 24: Faculty Artist Solo Concert. Eluza Santos
Friday - Saturday, March 16 - 17: M.F.A. Master Production. Miriana Lausic
Friday - Saturday, March 30 - 31: M.F.A. Master Production. Tara Shumaker
Friday - Saturday, April 6 - 7: M.F.A. Master Production. Gina Desko
Friday - Saturday, April 20 - 21: Departmental Concert
Friday - Saturday, April 27 - 28: B.F.A. Senior Concert
Fault Lines Residency
February 21: 7-9 PM: Film and discussion: "The Life and Times of Sarah Baartman"- Weatherspoon (source for Tongue Smell Color)
March 19: 8:00 PM: Mary's Ark, Blue Eyes, and the Inability to Dissolve Dance Theatre
March 20 12:00- 1:30: Brown-bag discussion: Race, Gender, Nationality, Memory and German Unity Today.
March 21, 3:30 PM: Ballrooms, Nightclubs, and the Vaudeville Stage: African American Vaudeville in the Swing Era. Weatherspoon
March 23, 8 PM Tongue Smell Color UNCG Dance Theatre
All performances begin at 8:00 pm in the UNCG Dance Theater located in the Health and Human Performance Building on Walker Avenue. For tickets, information and details call the University Box Office: (336) 334-4849.
BOOK: Jack Anderson, Ballet and Modern Dance: A Concise History. Princeton Book Company, Publishers. NJ: 1992. Princeton.