Program in Dance
Faculty
Director
- Susan Marshall
Acting Director
- Rebecca Lazier
Executive Committee
- Su Friedrich
- Judith Hamera
- Aleksandar Hemon
- Brian E. Herrera
- Jhumpa Lahiri
- Deana Lawson
- Yiyun Li
- Susan Marshall
- Moon Molson
- Paul Muldoon
- Kirstin Valdez Quade
- James Richardson
- Joseph S. Scanlan
- Tracy K. Smith
- Susan Wheeler
- Jeffrey Whetstone
- Stacy E. Wolf
Associated Faculty
- Michael W. Cadden
- Jane Cox
- Martha Friedman
Professor
- Judith Hamera
- Susan Marshall
Senior Lecturer
- Rebecca J. Lazier
Lecturer
- Alexandra Beller
- Tina Fehlandt
- Zvi Gotheiner
- Dyane Harvey Salaam
- Richard Dean Moss
- Rebecca Stenn
- Aynsley Louise Vandenbroucke
Sits with Committee
- Tina Fehlandt
- Aynsley Vandenbroucke
- For a full list of faculty members and fellows please visit the Program in Dance website.
Program Information
The Program in Dance (link is external), part of the Lewis Center for the Arts (link is external), familiarizes students with creative, performative, and analytical approaches to dance through exposure to professional choreographers, dancers, scholars, and interdisciplinary artists. At the core of the Program in Dance is the belief that physical and intellectual engagement with dance fosters an integration of mind and body that allows for a greater connection to our own selves and, by extension, to our community. To that end, we aim to increase and expand the University’s exposure to and appreciation of dance through practice, performance, and critical academic discourse.
The program’s depth, diversity, and flexibility nurture beginners and challenge pre-professionals. While pursuing a liberal arts education, students have the opportunity to undertake demanding, studio-based courses with faculty and visiting artists. The creation of original work, both choreographic and written, is emphasized alongside expansive, rigorous training. The program supports multiple performance opportunities each year, ranging from full professional productions in the Berlind Theatre with choreography by faculty and guests, to site-specific interdisciplinary thesis projects and independent experimental work. Students with a special interest – possibly even a career interest – in dance can choose to earn a program certificate.
The curricular wing of the program offers interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to the study of dance. The program offers courses in modern, contemporary, hip-hop, ballet, and diasporic African dance practices, as well as repertory, choreography, dance studies, anatomy, pedagogy, improvisation, and experimental dance practices. In addition, co-curricular classes in a variety of techniques are offered on a daily basis. Yearly short- and long-term visiting artists enhance curricular offerings by choreographing original work, staging the work of seminal choreographers, or by teaching workshops, seminars, and master classes.
Launched in 2017, the Hearst Choreographer-in-Residence Program fosters connections with the greater dance community. It provides selected professional choreographers with resources and a rich environment in which to develop their work and offers opportunities for students, faculty and staff to engage with diverse creative practices.
Admission to the Program
Program courses are open to all undergraduates, and past experience in dance is not a requirement for admission to introductory courses. The program also offers advanced classes, as well as co-curricular opportunities, such that the serious student will, upon graduation, be prepared for advanced study in the field.
Program of Study
A certificate from the Program in Dance will be awarded to students who successfully complete a substantial amount of work in the practical and academic areas of the discipline. Students may choose to concentrate their studies on performance, choreography, dance scholarship, or an interdisciplinary focus. Substitution of requirements, if necessary, will be based on faculty recommendation and in consultation with the program director. Students should enroll in the certificate program during the second term of the sophomore year, but no later than the start of the second term of the junior year. At least two of the required courses should be completed before enrollment in the certificate program.
To obtain a certificate in dance, students must complete: (1) four studio courses above the introductory level, two of which must be performance courses: DAN 319/320/419/420, and one must be a spring studio course: DAN 307, DAN 322, DAN 401, DAN 408, DAN 431 or DAN 432; (2) one seminar course in dance studies; (3) two additional performances during the junior and/or senior year with a guest choreographer, in a dance-based Atelier, or in a senior thesis production; (4) two semesters of twice-weekly co-curricular classes; (5) DAN 317 Junior Seminar for those intending to complete a Senior Choreographic Thesis; and (6) 20 hours of technical work in assisting the dance program's productions.
Advanced Creative Work. The program offers all students the opportunity to do advanced creative work under the supervision of its faculty. To qualify for a choreographic thesis, students must complete the equivalent of two choreography courses and participation in Performance Lab. With permission of the student's department of concentration, such a project may also satisfy one of the requirements for independent work, in which case it must consist of or be accompanied by written work, such as a scholarly or critical evaluation. Past independent projects have included performances in the Hearst Theatre, site-specific productions, and video installations. Often, senior certificate dancers choose dance to be the topic of their departmental theses. For example, an anthropology concentrator chose as her thesis subject Sri Lankan dance; a comparative literature thesis explored links between poetry and dance theories; and other certificate students have looked at dance from the viewpoints of computer science, activism, mathematics, neuroscience, and music.
Certificate of Proficiency
Students who fulfill the requirements of the program receive a certificate of proficiency in dance upon graduation.
Courses
DAN 201 Dance Appreciation: Seeing Dance in New York City/Articulating the Elusive LA
In this introductory course we will make six field trips to view live dance in a variety of NYC performance venues. Students will develop the ability to articulate their experiences as viewers starting in a thoughtful and active engagement with the dance works then in a discussion and writing while analyzing the form, content and contexts of the works in a group setting. We will study the historical, cultural, social and interdisciplinary contexts of contemporary dance forms. Guest writers and scholars will visit the class to reflect on diverse approaches to dance criticism and analysis and their role in the current cultural landscape. Instructed by: StaffDAN 204 Introduction to Choreography Spring LA
This studio course will introduce students to choreographic processes and questions of movement vocabulary, structure, pacing, orchestration and meaning. Through completing a number of short dances and a substantial final project, the class will explore choreographic forms and innovations found in contemporary dance, musicals and music videos. Readings and viewings work in tandem with students' dance-making to fuel debate and analysis of today's choreographic work and the power of movement to engage in current artistic and political issues such as, identity, gender, race, power and control. Acclaimed guest dance artists will visit the class. Instructed by: StaffDAN 207 Introduction to Ballet Fall/Spring 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. Instructed by: T. FehlandtDAN 208 Body and Language (also
THR 208
) Fall
LA
In this studio course open to all, we'll dive into experiences in which body and language meet. We'll think about these from aesthetic, cultural, political, personal, and philosophical perspectives. We'll play with the physicality of voice and the material qualities of words and sentences. We'll find literary structures in movement. We'll explore language from, in, around, and about (our) bodies. We'll question hierarchies between body and language and delve into times in which words and/or bodies fail or fall away. We'll move and create together using tools from dance, theater, visual art, improvisation, somatic, and writing practices. Instructed by: A. Vandenbroucke THR 208
DAN 209 Introduction to Movement and Dance (also
MTD 209
/
THR 209
)
LA
Movement permeates every aspect of life, whether within our bodies, minds, or the world around us. In this studio course open to everyone, we use tools from Laban Movement Analysis to develop ways to dance, improvise, make performance, and fully inhabit our lives. We dive into the roles of dancer, choreographer, audience member, and critic in relation to aesthetic questions, politics, identity, religion, and complex views of the human body. Students can apply our work together to dance in any style as well as to daily experiences like moving into an interview confidently and finding embodied practices for transforming stress. Instructed by: A. Vandenbroucke MTD 209
THR 209
DAN 210 Power, Structure, and the Human Body (also
GSS 210
/
THR 210
)
LA
In this studio course open to anyone with a body, we will explore power, structure, and human bodies through personal, political, anatomical, kinesthetic, and aesthetic lenses. We will delve into these issues as artists do: by reading, thinking, talking, moving, and making performances, actions, sense, and change. Each day we will literally incorporate what we study by using tools from dance, somatic and creative practices. We will explore what it means to be an engaged intellectual. Readings include contemporary thinkers about race, gender, sexuality, disability, and performance. Students design final creative projects. Instructed by: A. Vandenbroucke GSS 210
THR 210
DAN 211 The American Experience and Dance Practices of the African Diaspora (also
AAS 211
) Fall/Spring
LA
A studio course introducing students to American dance aesthetics and practice, with a focus on how American dance has been influenced by African American choreographers and dancers. An ongoing study of movement practices from traditional African dances and those of the African diaspora, touching on American jazz dance, modern dance, and American ballet. Studio work will be complemented by readings, video viewings, guest speakers, and dance studies. Two two-hour classes. Instructed by: D. Harvey Salaam AAS 211
DAN 213 Introduction to Contemporary Dance Fall/Spring LA
Designed for students with minimal dance experience who are curious about contemporary dance techniques and choreography. Perfect for students who have taken other intro level dance courses and who want to broaden their dance knowledge and deepen their physical skill and experience. Students will try on various identities within dance - mover, creator, performer, writer, historian - in an attempt to holistically learn about Contemporary Dance. Readings and viewings will inform the creation of choreographic studies and invite students to consider issues debated by today's dance artists. Instructed by: StaffDAN 214 Being and Doing: Dance for Every Body (also
THR 215
)
LA
In this studio course open to everyone, we'll explore dance as a way to deepen both our self-knowledge and engagement with others. We'll delve into dance as meditation, using tools from ecstatic dance, yin yoga, and improvisation to establish a personal practice. We'll examine genre-bending performances occurring outside of theaters and study how dance reflects- and can change (and whether it should try to change) -contemporary issues, taking up such topics as power, class, race and gender. In final creative projects, students take aspects of being and/or doing further into their own lives and communities. Instructed by: A. Vandenbroucke THR 215
DAN 215 Introduction to Dance Across Cultures (also
ANT 355
/
GSS 215
) Fall
LA
Bharatanatyam, butoh, hip hop, and salsa are some of the dances that will have us travel from temples and courtyards to clubs, streets, and stages throughout the world. Through studio sessions, readings and viewings, field research, and discussions, this seminar will introduce students to dance across cultures with special attention to issues of migration, cultural appropriation, gender and sexuality, and spiritual and religious expression. Students will also learn basic elements of participant observation research. Guest artists will teach different dance forms. No prior dance experience is necessary. Instructed by: J. Hamera ANT 355
GSS 215
DAN 216 Uncertainty (also
THR 216
)
LA
In this studio course open to all, we'll ramble in the unknown searching for embodied philosophy, thinking art-making, and clarity that's open for revision. As is fitting for our subject, we'll ask many questions. Is uncertainty a requirement for truly creative processes? In cultural and creative times of uncertainty, how do we find our centers and is that even a goal? What tools can dance, somatic, and artistic practices offer for existing within uncertainty? Can uncertainty help us understand others? What are the ethical implications of uncertainty in life and art? We'll move, read, and create together, design substantial final projects. Instructed by: A. Vandenbroucke THR 216
DAN 218 Mapping the Transgressive Body: A Performance Lab LA
Centering an interdisciplinary approach to live performance making, this creative lab will consider how we as artist-citizens strengthen the mind and body to resist normalized structures of performance to release, activate, and translate unknown, foreign, and/or vulnerable materials into live performance actions. Students will conduct research, view and critique live performance (on and off campus) attend exhibitions, and create cosmologies of their creative influencers. Open to all students interested in exploring their previously uncharted performative potential. Instructed by: StaffDAN 220 Contemporary Technique and Choreography LA
Incorporating aspects of jazz, modern and ballet, this contemporary dance class focuses on strengthening fundamental alignment and coordination. Technique class will start with exercises designed to organize the body and build in physical intensity to culminate in phrase work that is vigorous and challenging. In choreography, students will develop their understanding of the ways in which structural elements and movement vocabularies contribute to a dance's impact and content. Two two-hour classes in technique, one two-hour class in choreography. Instructed by: StaffDAN 221 Stillness (also
THR 222
) Spring
LA
In a universe filled with movement, how and why and where might we find relative stillness? What are the aesthetic, political, and daily life possibilities within stillness? In this studio course open to all, we'll dance, sit, question, and create substantial final projects. We'll play with movement within stillness, stillness within movement, stillness in performance and in performers' minds. We'll look at stillness as protest and power. We'll wonder when stillness might be an abdication of responsibility. We'll read widely within religions, philosophy, performance, disability studies, social justice, visual art, sound (and silence). Instructed by: A. Vandenbroucke THR 222
DAN 222 Introduction to Hip-Hop Dance (also
AAS 222
) Spring
LA
This introductory survey course gives equal weight to scholarly study and embodied practice, using both approaches to explore a range of hip-hop dance techniques, as well as the cultural and historical contexts from which these dances emerged. Special attention will be given to breaking - the most prominent hip-hop form - as a foundation for exploring other forms of movement. By critically exploring these physical and historical connections, individuals will adapt and apply their own philosophies to dance in order to develop a personalized style. Instructed by: Staff AAS 222
DAN 223 An Introduction to the Radical Imagination (also
AAS 223
/
VIS 224
)
LA
Using an interdisciplinary visual and performance studies approach to explore various sites of contemporary art practices, this course will provide an introduction to radical performance practices through which artists consider the gendered and racialized body that circulates in the public domain, both onstage and off. We will query the kinds of political questions that performers raise with their work. Our texts will include live and recorded performances, as well as historical and theoretical secondary sources. Every other week the class hosts a public performance/speaking series featuring radical artists and curators. Instructed by: Staff AAS 223
VIS 224
DAN 224 Experiential Anatomy Spring EC
This course introduces students to human anatomy using movement, drawing, and dance practices. We will study the structure and function of the body from an interdisciplinary perspective, with a focus on relationships between cognition, the nervous system and movement. Class time will be shared between anatomy/kinesiology lectures and exploring the material through experiential and creative activities. We will discuss common problems encountered in fitness and every day life, while looking at the human structure in depth to evaluate possible solutions. Creative and research projects explore multiple ways the arts and sciences intersect. Instructed by: S. WelshDAN 225 Introduction to Breaking: Deciphering its Power Spring LA
This introductory course gives equal weight to scholarly study and embodied practice, using both approaches to explore the flow, power and cultural contexts of Breaking. This course will focus on developing a clear foundational Breaking technique in order to build a strong basis for exploring other Hip-Hop forms. By critically exploring this form physically and historically, individuals will adapt and apply their own philosophies to dance in order to eventually develop a personalized style. Instructed by: R. XavierDAN 300 Body and Object: Making Art That Is both Sculpture and Dance LA
Students will create sculptures that relate directly to the body and compel performance, interaction, and movement. Students will also create dances that are informed by garments, portable objects, and props. Works will be designed for unconventional spaces, challenge viewer/performer/object relationships, augment and constrain the body, and trace the body's actions and form. The class will consider how context informs perceptions of the borders between performance, bodies, and objects. A lecture series of prominent choreographers and artists will accompany the course. This studio course is open enrollment. Instructed by: S. MarshallDAN 301 Body and Object: Making Art that is both Sculpture and Dance (See VIS 300)
DAN 304 Special Topics in Contemporary Practice (also
MUS 301
/
THR 321
/
VIS 320
)
LA
Offers students the opportunity to gain a working knowledge of the ways in which
dance, dance/theater, and body-based art are created and performed today. Primarily a studio course that stresses learning through doing. Students will have the opportunity to work with leading experimental creators. Topics, prerequisites, and formats will vary from year to year. Instructed by: Staff MUS 301
THR 321
VIS 320
DAN 307 Dance Technique and Anatomy of Movement LA
This course provides laboratories and cross-genre dance technique to facilitate a somatic understanding of kinesiology. Students identify limitations and expand individual expression. Technique class will integrate ballet and modern techniques while emphasizing values of exploration and risk-taking. Movement labs will integrate research in functional anatomy/kinesiology and diverse systems of somatic education to understand both the potential of neuro-motor development and physiological systems. Classes will provide freedom of exploration in all genres of dance and give students knowledge to strengthen physicality and movement repertoire. Instructed by: StaffDAN 309 Modern Dance: Intermediate Technique and Choreography LA
In technique, students will be encouraged to expand movement range and increase technical mastery as related to modern and contemporary dance practices. In choreography, students will be encouraged to create dances that articulate their independent vision in solo and group works. Readings and viewings will supplement studio work and expand knowledge of historical and contemporary trends in the arts. Two two-hour classes in technique, one two-hour class in choreography. Instructed by: StaffDAN 310 The Arts of Urban Transition (also
ARC 380
/
THR 323
/
URB 310
)
LA
This course uses texts and methods from history, theatre, performance studies, and dance to examine artists and works of art as agents of change in New York (1960-present) and contemporary Detroit. Issues addressed include relationships between artists, changing urban economies, and the built environment; the role of the artist in gentrification and creative placemaking; the importance of local history in art interventions; and assessing impacts of arts initiatives. Fall break trip to Detroit, and visits to key sites in New York and Philadelphia, are included. Students will use data and methods from the course to produce final projects. Instructed by: J. Hamera ARC 380
THR 323
URB 310
DAN 312 FAT: The F-Word and the Public Body (See AMS 398)
DAN 315 Dance Techniques of the 20th Century: Dunham, Graham, Horton, Limon LA
A studio course in modern dance technique for intermediate/advanced students. This course will consist of four units focusing on prominent movement innovators of the 20th century: Katherine Dunham, Martha Graham, Lester Horton, José Limón, taught by experts in their respective dance techniques. The relevance and impact of these techniques will be underscored by examining and practicing Contemporary Dance to understand the influence of these pioneering movement systems on 21st century dancing artists. Readings and viewings of performances will further enhance students' knowledge of the major trends in 20th century Modern Dance. Instructed by: T. FehlandtDAN 316 Dance in Education: Dance/Theater Pedagogy (also
HUM 317
/
THR 328
/
TPP 316
) Spring
LA
Dance/Theater Pedagogy Seminar explores the connection between engaged dance and elementary school literacy, mathematics and social studies while allowing students the opportunity to be civically engaged and contribute to the community. The course combines teaching movement classes to elementary school students while collectively engaging in an in-depth exploration of Dance and Theater in Elementary Education with an emphasis on recent developments in the field. Fieldwork takes place weekly at designated out-of-class times. Classroom management skills, lesson planning strategies and various methods of evaluation/assessment will be examined. Instructed by: Staff HUM 317
THR 328
TPP 316
DAN 317 Contemporary Dance - Issues and Processes Spring LA
This seminar is designed for junior dance certificate students to investigate current dance practices and ideas. Part study and discussion of the processes, aesthetics and politics involved in dance making and viewing -- part independent creative practice and critique -- this course invites students to a deeper understanding of their own art making perspectives and to those of their classmates. Guest artists will visit classes and share some of the directorial, collaborative and interpersonal challenges involved in leading a significant creative enterprise. Serious creators (non-juniors/certificates) may apply to enroll. Instructed by: R. LazierDAN 319A Choreography Workshop I Fall LA
Choreography Workshop I exposes students to diverse methods of dance-making by tracing the evolution of choreographic thought. Varying approaches to improvisation will be taught to warm-up, discover movement material, and challenge movement habits. Classes will workshop compositional tasks that set limitations to spark creativity. Students will present their choreography weekly and learn to discuss, critique, and evaluate work shown in class. Selected readings and performances (both on video and live) will expose students to varying choreographic philosophies, processes, and aesthetics. Instructed by: A. VandenbrouckeDAN 319B Dance Performance Workshop: Repertory I Fall LA
Technique and repertory course that focuses on developing technical expertise, expressive range, and stylistic clarity. In technique, students will examine concepts such as skeletal support, sequential movement, rhythm, and momentum to emphasize efficiency in motion. In repertory, students will learn and perform dances that represent diverse approaches to dance-making either through collaboration with faculty or by learning significant dances from modern and contemporary choreographers. The course encourages rich, subtle, and stylistically accurate renditions of choreography and engages students in collaborative learning. Instructed by: StaffDAN 320A Choreography Workshop II Fall LA
This contemporary dance technique class emphasizes fundamentals of proper alignment to achieve increased movement efficiency, strength and flexibility. Working with aspects of modern, jazz and ballet, students will explore dancing to different rhythms, tempos and styles of music. Phrase work teaches strong movement in space and musicality. Students will understand how 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. Two 2-hour classes in technique, one 2-hour class in choreography. Instructed by: StaffDAN 320B Dance Performance Workshop: Repertory II Fall LA
Technique and repertory course that focuses on developing technical expertise, expressive range, and stylistic clarity. In technique, students will examine concepts such as skeletal support, sequential movement, rhythm, and momentum to emphasize efficiency in motion. In repertory, students will learn and perform dances that represent diverse approaches to dance-making either through collaboration with faculty or by learning significant dances from modern and contemporary choreographers. The course encourages rich, subtle, and stylistically accurate renditions of choreography and engages students in collaborative learning. Instructed by: StaffDAN 321 Special Topics in Dance History, Criticism, and Aesthetics (also
MTD 321
/
THR 322
) Spring
LA
This course focuses on the history, criticism, and aesthetics of dance as a theatrical art form and/or a social practice. Topics might include an examination of dance through personal, aesthetic, religious, social, and/or political lenses. Classes will be augmented by film, videos, music, guest speakers, occasional demonstrations, and studio work. One three-hour seminar. Instructed by: Staff MTD 321
THR 322
DAN 322 Special Topics In Urban Dance (also
AAS 312
) Spring
LA
This advanced studio/seminar topics course explores the artistic, social, and cultural implications of hip-hop dance through an intensive focus on the concept of style. Using master classes, academic study, and embodied practice in the studio to develop a physical understanding and detailed social analysis of four specific hip-hop dance genres, we will explore the distinctive cultural influences that shaped each of these diverse forms, as well the deeper movement principles that they share. These principles will then be placed in the larger historical, political and performative context of the Afro-Diasporic experience in the Americas. Instructed by: Staff AAS 312
DAN 323 The Politics of Hip-Hop Dance (also
AAS 308
/
LAO 323
) Spring
LA
Hip-Hop is one of the most important cultural movements of the last half-century. But although hip-hop culture comprises a wide range of artistic practices - including music, dance, theater and graphic arts - its cultural politics are almost always analyzed through the lens of rap music. This seminar, by contrast, will explore the social and historical implications of hip-hop culture through its dance forms. Instructed by: J. Schloss AAS 308
LAO 323
DAN 349 How to Think With Performance: Dance and Performance Studies Theory (also
THR 349
)
SA
The interdisciplinary field of performance studies offers generative strategies for theorizing social life. This course explores the ways performance as a critical theoretical tool and as a practice enables students to examine everyday self-presentation, political economy, gender, race, and sexuality, material culture, ethics, and other social practices. Theoretical genealogies in anthropological and poststructuralism included. Because performance studies posits theory as doing, in-class performance exercises, and theorizing and constructing performance-based activism, are part of the course. No formal dance or theatre experience necessary. Instructed by: J. Hamera THR 349
DAN 350 Creating Your Biomythography Workshop (also
AAS 329
/
CWR 350
) Spring
LA
Coined by the poet and essayist Audre Lorde, the term "biomythography" combines history, biography, and myth-making. Using an interdisciplinary workshop approach to explore the concept of the biomyth, this course will provide an introduction to various sites of contemporary art practices situating literature, design, and dance within a social and historical context. Zami will serve as a point of departure into the creation of our memoir narratives. Additional texts will include live and recorded performances, historical, theoretical secondary sources, as well as guest writers, poets and artists. Instructed by: J. Kosoko AAS 329
CWR 350