Upcoming
Welcome Catherine!
Pre-Semester 2012
Fall 2012 Pre-Semester Dance Workshop
Dancing and Dance Making:
Two Days with Paul Matteson '00
Friday and Saturday
September 7-8, 2012
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Courses
Courses offered in the past four years.
▲ indicates offered in the current term
▹ indicates offered in the upcoming term[s]
DANC 0160 - Intro Dance ▲ ▹
Introduction to Dance
This entry-level dance course introduces movement techniques, improvisation/composition, performance, experiential anatomy, and history of 20th century American modern dance. Students develop flexibility, strength, coordination, rhythm, and vocabulary in the modern idiom. Concepts of time, space, energy, and choreographic form are presented through improvisation and become the basis for a final choreographic project. Readings, research, and reflective and critical writing about dance performance round out the experience. 2 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab
Fall 2008, Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013
DANC 0163 - From Africa to the Americas ▹
From Africa to the Americas: Moving from Our Core
This course is an introduction to dance emphasizing the influence of traditions from the African Diaspora on contemporary modern dance. Technique sessions incorporate styles from West Africa and Central and South America with performance work. Discussion of readings on the history and current practice of movement forms originating in Africa, as well as on the work of artists developing fusion styles, supports written and creative work. Compositional studies explore the intersection between technique, history/theory, and performance. (No previous dance experience required.) 2 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab
Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Fall 2011, Fall 2012
DANC 0241 - Russ Ballet &Creation Mod Cult
Russian Ballet and the Creation of Modern Culture (in English)
An exploration of the phenomenon of Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes which, between 1909 and 1929, exerted a pervasive influence over the creation of modern culture in the Western world. We will investigate the methods employed by Diaghilev to bring together innovative choreographers, composers, artists, and writers (Fokine, Nijinsky, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Satie, Picasso, Cocteau, etc.) to create collaborative works of art that defined modernism, and the historical context within which these works were created. Readings, music, art, film/video and other sources, will shed light on the relationship between modernism and World War I, "Russianness," commercialism, neo-classicism, commedia dell'arte, gender, and the "homosexual aesthetic". No knowledge of ballet or Russian is required. 3 hrs. lect./disc., screening
Spring 2009, Fall 2011
DANC 0244 - African Music & Dance Perform ▲ ▹
African Music and Dance Performance
In this course we will meet as an ensemble to learn and master how to play, sing, and dance to various African traditional musical instruments. With emphasis on technique, style, and form, we will get hands-on experience playing various types of East African musical instruments (drums, fiddles, harps, lyres, zithers, flutes, panpipes, trumpets, thumb pianos, rattles, shakers, and xylophones). At the end of the semester we will stage a concert highlighting the repertoire we have learned. This course is open to all students and will not require any prior knowledge of performing African music and dance.
Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013
DANC 0260 - Advanced Beginning Dance I ▲ ▹
Advanced Beginning Dance I
This is the first course in the studio sequence for students entering Middlebury with significant previous dance experience. It is also the course sequence for those continuing on from DANC 0160 or DANC 0161 and provides grounding in the craft of modern dance needed to proceed to more advanced levels. Modern dance movement techniques are strengthened to support an emerging individual vocabulary and facility with composition. Students regularly create and revise movement studies that focus on the basic elements of choreography and the relationship of music and dance. Readings, journals, and formal critiques of video and live performance contribute to the exploration of dance aesthetics and develop critical expertise. (DANC 0160 or by approval) 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab
Fall 2008, Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013
DANC 0261 - Advanced Beginning Dance II ▲ ▹
Advanced Beginning Dance II
A continuation of DANC 0260. (DANC 0260) 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab
Fall 2008, Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013
DANC 0272 - Performing Culture: USA
Performing Culture: America's Dancing Bodies
This course (which includes film screenings) explores historical and cultural perspectives on American concert and social dance, emphasizing modern and postmodern forms from the late-1950s through the present. Our examination of this period of near-constant change will address a number of questions about "moving bodies" and their relationship to both political and artistic transformations occurring during this time. We will be especially concerned with the themes of gender, race, identity, and community. The course emphasizes cultural analysis, but it will also involve students in movement as a means of addressing the material and bridging scholarly and "embodied" forms of exploration and analysis. 3 hrs.
Spring 2010
DANC 0277 - Body & Earth ▲ ▹
Body and Earth
This course has been designed for students with an interest in the dialogue between the science of body and the science of place. Its goals are to enhance movement efficiency through experiential anatomy and to heighten participants' sensitivity to natural processes and forms in the Vermont bioregion. Weekly movement sessions, essays by nature writers, and writing assignments about place encourage synthesis of personal experience with factual information. Beyond the exams and formal writing assignments, members of the class will present a final research project and maintain an exploratory journal. 3 hrs. lect. 1 hr. lab.
Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012
DANC 0279 - Movement Intentionality ▲
Movement Intentionality for the Stage
This course is intended for students seeking focused attention on the expressive potential of the body. We examine processes that will enable students to develop short, original performance pieces rooted in kinesthetic experience, including movement, voice, and visual perception. We will employ improvisational methods, such as Contact Improvisation and Viewpoints, to generate and experiment with physical language, text, and other compositional components of performance. Discussion of readings in the history and current practice of performance art and improvisation, drawn from the literature on dance, theatre, music, and visual arts, will support creative work. Previous experience in theatre or dance valuable but not required. 3 hrs. lect.
Spring 2009, Spring 2011, Spring 2012
DANC 0283 - Social Dance & Popular Culture ▹
From George Washington to John Travolta: Social Dance in Popular Culture
In this course we will examine religion, gender, morality, etiquette, politics, and other cultural and societal issues in American history as they intersect in the public sphere through the activity of social dance. Coursework will involve the investigation of primary source materials including contemporary letters and diaries, dance manuals, newspaper and journal reports, and accounts of social dance in American literature. Students will read texts on dance and cultural history, view images of dance in American art and popular film, and listen to four centuries of American dance music. 3 hrs. lect./2 hrs. screening
Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Spring 2013
DANC 0284 - Modern Dance History in U.S. ▹
Modern Dance History in the United States: Early Influences to Postmodern Transformations
In this seminar we will focus on the emergence and development of 20th century American concert dance--especially modern and postmodern dance forms--from the confluence of European folk and court dance, African and Caribbean influences, and other American cultural dynamics. We will look at ways in which dance reflects, responds to, and creates its cultural milieu, with special attention to issues of gender, race/ethnicity, and class. Readings, video, and live performance illuminate the artistic products and processes of choreographers whose works mark particular periods or turning points in this unfolding story. Our study is intended to support informed critical articulations and an understanding of the complexity of dance as art. 3 hrs. lect./2 hrs. screen.
Spring 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2012
DANC 0360 - Intermediate/Advanced Dance I
Intermediate/Advanced Dance I
This course involves concentrated intermediate-advanced level work in contemporary dance technique and choreography culminating in production. Theoretical issues of importance to the dancer/choreographer are addressed through readings, writings and practice. (DANC 0261 or by waiver; this course may be taken in any sequence with DANC 0361, DANC 0460, DANC 0461) 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab
Fall 2009, Fall 2011
DANC 0361 - Intermediate Advanced Dance II ▲
Intermediate/Advanced Dance II: Dance for the Camera
This course will involve concentrated intermediate-advanced level work in contemporary dance technique and choreography specifically designed for the frame of the camera. In this course we will explore how to best capture and edit dance on video. We will exercise and refine our visual sensibility through the exploration of basic digital editing techniques and mastery of fundamental camera mechanics. Texts, written work, and regular practice will focus on the creative process in dance and film making. This will culminate in a screening/performance at the end of the semester. (DANC 0261; this course may be taken in any sequence with DANC 0360, DANC 0460, and DANC 0461) 3 hrs lect./3 hrs lab
Spring 2010, Spring 2012
DANC 0376 - Anatomy and Kinesiology ▲ ▹
Anatomy and Kinesiology
This course offers an in-depth experiential study of skeletal structure, and includes aspects of the muscular, organ, endocrine, nervous, and fluid systems of the human body. The goal is to enhance efficiency of movement and alignment through laboratory sessions, supported by assigned readings, exams, and written projects. (Not open to first-year students) 3 hrs. lect.
Fall 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013
DANC 0377 - Nature and Creativity
Nature and Creativity
In this course we will explore the relationship between the creative process and natural processes and phenomena. Among our activities will be: weekly outdoor sessions of observation, journal writing, and sketching; reading of essays by contemporary nature writers and scientists; and movement practices including the discipline of Authentic Movement focusing on the connection between the human body and the environment. Background in Environmental Studies plus previous experience in one of the arts is recommended. 3 hrs. lect./disc. 1 hr. lab
Fall 2009
DANC 0380 - Dance Company ▹
Dance Company of Middlebury
Dancers work with the artistic director and guest choreographers as part of a dance company, learning, interpreting, rehearsing, and performing dances created for performance and tour. Those receiving credit can expect four to six rehearsals weekly. Appropriate written work, concert and film viewing, and attendance in departmental technique classes are required. Auditions for company members are held in the fall semester for the year. One credit will be given for two terms of participation. Performances and tour are scheduled in January. (Limited to sophomores through seniors, by audition.) (DANC 0260; Approval required) 4 hrs. lect./4 hrs. lab
Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012
DANC 0381 - Dance Company of Middlebury
Dance Company of Middlebury
Dancers work with the artistic director and guest choreographers as part of a dance company, learning, interpreting, rehearsing, and performing repertory dances. Those receiving credit can expect daily rehearsals plus technique classes, campus performance, and tour. Appropriate written work is required. Auditions are held in the fall semester for the full year; one credit will be given for two semesters of participation. (Approval required; limited to sophomores through seniors by audition).
Winter 2009, Spring 2009, Winter 2010, Winter 2011, Winter 2012
DANC 0400 - Special Topics ▲ ▹
Special Topics in Dance: Independent Study
(Approval required)
Fall 2008, Winter 2009, Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013
DANC 0460 - Intermediate/Advanced DanceIII ▹
Intermediate/Advanced Dance III: The Place of Dance
In this course we will investigate three aspects of place in relation to dance: where we source movement, the relevance of dance in culture, and the effects of place on the moving dancing body. Material covered will include body systems dance technique at the intermediate/advanced level, improvisation and composition toward choreography and site specific work, readings and reflective writing, and performance viewing. The course culminates in formal and informal showings of performance work. The emergence of a personal philosophy and dance aesthetic will be engaged and formally articulated in writing. (DANC 0261; this course may be taken in any sequence with DANC 0360, DANC 0361, DANC 0461) 4.5 hrs. lect./2 hrs. lab.
Fall 2010, Fall 2012
DANC 0461 - Intermediate/Advanced Dance IV
Intermediate/Advanced Dance IV: Performance Improvisation
This is rigorous training in techniques that prepare a student for the challenge of simultaneously conceiving, composing, and performing strong, theatrical dances, on the spot, alone and in ensemble. Body is developed as an articulate, responsive instrument. Mind is honed toward quick, clear perception of potential form, willingness to act and react. Personal philosophy and dance aesthetic are cultivated and formally articulated in writing. Musicians proficient with their instrument and able to read music are strongly encouraged to seek admission. (Required for dancers: DANC 0261 or by waiver; this course may be taken in any sequence with DANC 0360, DANC 0361, DANC 0460) 6 hrs lect.
Fall 2008, Spring 2011
DANC 0500 - Independent Project ▲ ▹
Independent Project
(Approval Required)
Fall 2008, Winter 2009, Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013
DANC 0700 - Independent Project ▲ ▹
Independent Project
(Approval Required)
Fall 2008, Winter 2009, Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013
DANC 1005 - Culture as Creative Process
Culture as Creative Process
This course is designed for students from a broad range of backgrounds and academic disciplines who are interested in developing their unique creative process, researching their cultural history, and creating a performance project that reflects the intersection of the two. Improvisatory tools and guided imagery provide methods for developing creative work. Weekly classes in movement from the African Diaspora, regular journaling, work-in-progress showings, and feedback sessions add further depth. Students will also generate a bibliography relating to their cultural history and present the results of their research in written form. (Not open to students who have taken ARDV 0117)
Winter 2010
DANC 1009 - Community Dialogue/Arts
Community Dialogue Through the Arts
In this course students will learn both the theory and the practice of community dialogue through the arts. We will study the roles of community organizers, activists, artists, community members, performers, and scholars in the field of community engagement, such as The Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Urban Bush Women, Crossroads Theatre, and Jan Cohen-Cruz of Imagining America. Students will collaborate to design, plan, implement, and document a community engagement project aimed at making tangible change that continues after the course is completed. Readings will be drawn from Radical Street Performance, Visions of Culture, and Imagining America Publications. This course counts as an elective towards the Dance major.
Winter 2009, Winter 2012
DANC 1010 - Contact Improvisation
Defying Gravity: Contact Improvisation
In this course we will learn to roll, fall, slide, give and take weight, and defy gravity as we develop a physical vocabulary for an athletic partnering technique known as Contact Improvisation (CI). We will build a sense trust of within the class community and develop the skills necessary to take dramatic risks in our dancing and broaden our range as physical performers. The history and philosophy of CI will be covered through various texts including Sharing the Dance and Contact Quarterly. Previous experience is not required, but a hunger to move is a must!
Winter 2010
DANC 1011 - Experiential Anatomy & Yoga
Experiential Anatomy and Yoga
Experiential anatomy involves learning about the body through the body. In this anatomy and kinesiology course, we will study the skeletal system, plus aspects of the neuro-muscular, endocrine, organ, and circulatory systems. Yoga labs and a final creative project will extend the coursework into movement. Required texts will include The Anatomy Coloring Book; Bodystories; Yoga: Body, Mind, Spirit, and Light on Life. (This course is not open to students who have taken DANC 0376.) Each student will be expected to purchase a yoga mat, costing approximately $25.00.
Winter 2010, Winter 2012
DANC 1012 - Meditations on Human Rights
30/30: Meditations on the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights
This course is designed to offer students an opportunity to work intensively together to build a performance project inspired by the UN Declaration of Human Rights. Each student will research specific domestic or international human rights issues and develop that material into character studies and personal portraits. Daily physical, vocal, and creative process exercises will support the transformation of research into thirty artistic “moments” for presentation. Requirements will include a journal, research paper, final showing, and summation paper. No previous experience in the arts is required.
Winter 2011
