400

DANC 453 Forces and Figures in American Jazz Dance

This lecture course will examine and discuss the culturally diverse social, vernacular and popular dances jazz dance draws upon through readings, video viewings, in-class and online discussions. Classes will pay particular attention to the influences of African American contributions to social, studio, commercial and musical theater traditions of American Jazz Dance, and their impacts on the evolution of jazz dance in society. Student will develop advanced critical thinking and writing and research skills in this course.

3

DANC 460 Senior Project

A capstone course for graduating dance majors. Students will propose to the faculty a senior project that will take place over a two-semester time period. Possible senior projects include performance or choreographic projects, research projects, dance videography projects, or other topics upon advisement. Students will take this course twice in subsequent semesters.

1

DANC 464 Choreography III

In this course, students continue their exploration of various elements of the craft of choreography: space, time, force and motivation. These are concepts that can be applied to any genre of dance when choreographing. Movement invention will be approached through improvisation, movement studies, readings, performance viewings, video viewings and written assignments. An emphasis will be placed upon discovering your own unique expressive movement vocabulary and deepening your powers of observation of self, others and the world around you. Dancers will learn how to investigate movement and to probe and manipulate movement materials. Concepts will be explored as soloists and group works. In preparing for a final composition showing, dancers will investigate issues that are important and use their findings to create a final work, a solo either set on themselves or someone else, or a group work. Choreographers can not be in their own group work. As a class we will decide what work will be shown or create a work together for the TADA Informal Class Showing that happens at the end of each semester.. Dancers will leave this class with different methods of how to generate movement for themselves, and how to describe their movement using language to others. Above all, a spirit of inquiry will be cultivated in this final level of choreography course.

3

Prerequisites

DANC 264 and DANC 364

DANC 485 Senior Project Seminar

This course will prepare senior dance majors for the production of their capstone concert in the Spring of their senior year. The course will focus on the development of creative work, as well as the administrative activities essential to concert production.

1

DANC 461 Practicum in Dance

Teaching of a beginning technique class for returning professionals or graduate students. By audition only.

3

DANC 462 Practicum in Dance

Teaching of a beginning technique class for returning professionals or graduate students. By audition only.

3

DANC 460 Senior Project

A capstone course for graduating dance majors. Students will propose to the faculty a senior project that will take place over a two-semester time period. Possible senior projects include performance or choreographic projects, research projects, dance videography projects, or other topics upon advisement. Students will take this course twice in subsequent semesters.

1

DANC 490 Senior Project

This course encompasses the second semester of the capstone experience for BFA Dance majors.  After a prerequisite semester of research and creative process, majors will produce their Senior Project concert in the Merrins Studio Theatre.  Students will also be required to author a post-mortem reflection on their creative process as well as a self-assessment of their development as a creative artist through the capstone experience. 


1