Course Info: HACU-0122

Dancing Modern 1: An Introduction to Moving and Making in Context was a beginning level full credit combined technique and theory course that introduced students to a variety of dance practices and methods in dance studies scholarship, research and writing. Students were invited to embody a wide variety of movement sequences designed to bring attention to the body’s capacity for articulation, spatial awareness, musicality, interpretation and personal expression. This exploration of dance techniques was bolstered by experiments with improvisational and dance-making processes, alongside the research of historical and social contexts relevant to the development of these dance forms. Students learned to read, discuss and write about live and recorded choreographic works, in addition to reflecting on their own dance practices. Through collective openness and commitment, students grew acquainted with their own expressive bodies in motion. They were encouraged in both physical and intellectual rigor to develop a basic dance literacy and use the written word to record and process various aspects of embodied experience. Requirements for successful evaluation, as set forth in the course syllabus, were: 1) Active Engagement in Studio Practice; 2) Maintenance of a Bi-Weekly Journal; 3) Regular Reading and Participation in Weekly Discussions; 4) 2 Reading Responses (3pg each); 5) Attendance of 4 Live Dance Performances/Events (one worksheet to fill out for each); 7) Performance Essay (4pg); 8) Viewing Dance Assignment (stage one of research paper); 9) Final Research Paper (with draft); 10) Initial Semester Goals, Mid-term Evaluation, and Final Self-Assessment.