Program in Dance

Faculty

Director

  • Rebecca J. Lazier (acting) (spring)
  • Susan S. Marshall

Associate Director

  • Rebecca J. Lazier

Executive Committee

  • Elena Araoz, Theater, LCA
  • Michael W. Cadden, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Tina M. Campt, Art and Archaeology
  • Jane F. Cox, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Martha Friedman, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Su Friedrich, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Aleksandar Hemon, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Brian E. Herrera, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Rebecca J. Lazier, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Yiyun Li, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Pamela E. Lins, Visual Arts, LCA
  • Susan S. Marshall, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Moon Molson, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Paul B. Muldoon, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Kirstin Valdez Quade, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Joe Scanlan, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Susan Wheeler, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Jeffrey Whetstone, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Rhaisa Williams, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Stacy E. Wolf, Lewis Center for the Arts

Associated Faculty

  • Michael J. Love, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Olivier P. Tarpaga, Music

Sits with Committee

  • Tina Fehlandt
  • Aynsley L. Vandenbroucke

Professor

  • Judith Hamera
  • Susan S. Marshall

Professor of the Practice

  • Rebecca J. Lazier

Lecturer

  • Ronald K. Brown
  • Tina Fehlandt
  • Dyane Harvey Salaam
  • Rashaun Mitchell
  • Silas R. Riener
  • Rebecca Stenn
  • Aynsley L. Vandenbroucke

Visiting Lecturer

  • Davalois V. Fearon
For a full list of faculty members and fellows please visit the department or program website.

Program Information

The Program in Dance (link is external), part of the Lewis Center for the Arts (link is external), welcomes all students to engage and experiment with dance. At the core of the program is the belief that dance fosters an integration of mind and body that allows for a greater connection to ourselves and our communities. To that end, we work to increase and expand the University’s exposure to and appreciation of dance through practice, performance, and critical conversation.

The program provides a depth, diversity, and flexibility of offerings that nurture beginners and challenge pre-professionals. While pursuing a liberal arts education, students have the opportunity to undertake demanding courses with professional choreographers, dancers, interdisciplinary artists, and scholars. The curriculum emphasizes expansive, rigorous training and the creation of original works of choreography, performance, and academic analysis. We support multiple creative and performance opportunities each year, ranging from productions in the Roger S. Berlind Theatre and the Hearst Dance Theater, with choreography by faculty and guests, to site-specific interdisciplinary projects and independent thesis work. Students with a special interest or career aspirations in dance can choose to earn a program certificate.

The curriculum is open to students of all backgrounds and areas of training. We focus on movement, the body, dance, and choreography as primary sites for exploration and as ways of knowing and experiencing. Our courses include: comparative approaches to training in modern and contemporary dance, hip-hop, ballet, diasporic African dance, and improvisational forms; repertory workshops that expose students to significant works from the choreographic canon and emerging choreographers; interdisciplinary and collaborative courses centered on embodiment, pedagogy, and choreographic research; and a range of seminars in diverse topics in dance studies. Many courses are cross-listed with other departments and programs including: Gender and Sexuality, African American Studies, Anthropology, Visual Arts, Theater, Music, American Studies, and Urban Studies.

Dance courses fulfill several distribution requirements. Most dance courses fulfill the Literature and the Arts (LA) requirement, and several courses may also fulfill the requirements of Epistemology and Cognition (EC), Ethical Thought and Moral Values (EM), Social Analysis (SA), Historical Analysis (HA), and Culture and Difference (CD).

With more than 20 dance courses offered per year, the curricular program serves more than 400 students annually, and a committed group of 10-20 students earn a Certificate in Dance each year. The Program in Dance resides in the Wallace Dance Building within the Lewis Arts complex, in close proximity to the Programs in Theater, Music Theater, and Visual Arts. Students have access to three spacious studios designed for dance and the Hearst Dance Theater, a 100-seat convertible studio/theater.

Additional co-curricular opportunities include drop-in classes in hip-hop, ballet and contemporary, and guest choreographer performance opportunities and workshops. With an active student-led Performing Arts Council, Princeton also supports more than 15 student-run dance companies, and many dance certificate students assume leadership roles and participate in these organizations. With this wide array of opportunities and resources, a dedicated student can dance for upwards of 30 hours a week while still pursuing a major and outside interests.

The Caroline Hearst Choreographer-in-Residence program provides professional choreographers with resources to develop their work and performance opportunities that expose students to diverse creative practices. Princeton Arts Fellows, guest choreographers, and visiting artists enhance program offerings through performances, choreographing original work, or teaching courses, workshops, and seminars.

The Dance Program staff includes a music director and a stellar group of accompanists, who support and collaborate with faculty and students. Most classes integrate live music, and student projects frequently feature original, live music, often coordinated with the Music Department. Students and faculty also benefit from engagement with professional costume and lighting designers and the support of staff in the areas of costume, scenery, lighting, and stage management. Dance students in performance courses receive support for injury prevention and have access to dance-specific physical therapy. Dance courses frequently include trips to New York City and Philadelphia to see a range of performances, enjoy studio visits, and meet artists.

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 intermediate and 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 artistic and academic areas of the discipline. Students may choose to concentrate their studies on performance, choreography, or dance scholarship, or create 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 sophomore year, but no later than the start of the first term of  junior year. We recommend 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:

For Performance and Choreography focus:

● four studio courses: two must be fall performance courses: DAN 319/320/419/420, and one must be a spring studio course, for example: DAN 401, DAN 402, DAN 408, DAN 431, or DAN 432
● one seminar course in dance studies, for example: DAN 321, DAN 215, or another course by approval of director
● performance and choreographic concentrations require two additional performances with a guest choreographer, in a dance-based Atelier, or in a senior thesis production
● 20 co-curricular classes over four years or an additional studio course, including introductory courses
● DAN 317 Choreography Studio for those intending to complete a Senior Choreographic Thesis
● DAN 420A Senior Piece for those intending to complete a Performance Thesis

For Dance Studies focus:

● four seminars in performance studies and dance studies
● one studio course, for example: DAN 207, DAN 211, DAN 221

For Independent focus:

● five DAN courses selected in consultation with faculty. One must be a studio course, and one must be a seminar course in dance studies, for example: DAN 215, DAN 321, or another course by approval of director

For all:

● 20 hours of technical work assisting with the dance program’s productions

Advanced Thesis Work in Choreography or Performance (Thesis work is not a requirement for the Dance certificate)

The program offers certificate students the opportunity to apply to create a performance or choreographic thesis project under the supervision of its faculty. To qualify for a choreographic thesis, students must have completed two choreography courses (for example: Choreography Workshops DAN 319A, 320A, 419A) as part of their certificate requirements and enroll in DAN 317: Choreography Studio, in the spring of their junior year. Choreographic thesis projects encompass a broad definition of choreography and take place in the flexible environment of the Hearst Dance Theater.

To qualify for a performance thesis, students must meet the requirements for the performance certificate and commit to performing in the Senior Dance Project. Students who meet these requirements may also apply for an individual performance project which often involves commissions from emerging choreographers
or the staging of existing repertory.

With permission of the student’s department of concentration, such projects may also be part of a student’s departmental major thesis work. 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 207 Introduction to Ballet Fall 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. Fehlandt

DAN 208 Body and Language (also
THR 208
/
GHP 338
) Spring 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, medical, personal, and philosophical perspectives. We'll explore language from, in, around, and about (our) bodies. We'll question hierarchies between body and language, use embodied approaches to examine pressing issues of our time. 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 move and create together with tools from dance, theater, visual art, improvisation, writing, and somatic practices. Instructed by: A. Vandenbroucke

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

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

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

DAN 213 Introduction to Contemporary Dance Spring LA

This course offers a broad, embodied introduction to the breadth of contemporary dance. We will be moving, reading, watching, and writing about dance. Contemporary issues, such as Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ rights, immigration, and American exceptionalism will be viewed through the lens of contemporary dance. We will try on the styles of essential creators in the field in an effort to understand their POV. We will create work ourselves (no experience necessary) to learn about the expressive and communicative potential of dance. We will be moving and meditating to release tension, increase personal awareness, and boost authenticity. Instructed by: A. Beller

DAN 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

DAN 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: Staff

DAN 221 Stillness (also
THR 222
) Fall 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

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

DAN 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. Xavier

DAN 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. Marshall

DAN 301 Body and Object: Making Art that is both Sculpture and Dance (See VIS 300)

DAN 302 #Dancing Black: Black American Dance from 1970 to Today (also
AAS 316
) Spring CDLA

This course explores the politics, aesthetics, and histories of Black American dance from the early 1970s to today. Paying special attention to the politics of circulation and new technologies, we will explore questions around innovation, virality, citation, ownership, and appropriation. Radio, television, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok will be studied as connected yet discreet technologies of creative dispersal in direct relationship to their capacity for/constraints around creative, economic, and political output. Instructed by: J. Johnson

DAN 303 Rhythm Tap Dance Lab: Explorations in Black Embodied and Electronic Music (also
AAS 329
/
MTD 303
/
MUS 268
) Spring LA

Enrolled students will engage with this course as workshop cast members of a new interdisciplinary piece by Princeton Arts Fellow Michael J. Love and explore methods of rhythm tap dance performance, live electronic music composition, and practice-based research on Black American music (genres such as jazz, funk, soul, hip hop, techno, and house). In-studio class meetings, structured as rehearsals, will be augmented with weekly listening, viewing, and reading assignments. There may also be opportunities for guest artists and respondents. The course will culminate in a work-in-progress showing during the final weeks of the semester. Instructed by: M. Love

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

DAN 305 Black Dance: History, Theory, Practice (also
AAS 307
/
AMS 310
) Spring CDHA

This course traces histories, traditions and innovations in Black American dance through archival and embodied practice. Moving from the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade to the 1970s, we will explore how dance - when executed by those who identify as Black and when circulated outside/beyond/without Black people themselves - speaks to the body's relationship to the political, social, and cultural contexts of American life. Through a hybrid seminar/studio seminar format, students will be introduced to theories, debates, and critical frameworks in Black Dance. We'll wrestle with the complexities around researching, doing, and reading Black Dance. Instructed by: Staff

DAN 306 Introduction to Radical Access: Disability Justice in the Arts (also
GSS 367
/
THR 367
) Fall CDLA

Disability is front and center in a global social justice revolution. But who are the disabled artists and ideas behind this movement? How can we embrace Radical Accessibility and Care in our daily artistic practices? This course invites all artists, from choreographers to theater makers, film makers, visual artists, writers and composers to immerse in a highly collaborative, improvisational, experimental and inclusive community to explore Disability Justice as a framework for creative, dramaturgical and curatorial practices. Instructed by: Staff

DAN 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: Staff

DAN 310 The Arts of Urban Transition (also
ARC 380
/
THR 323
/
URB 310
) Fall/Spring 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. Spring 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: Staff

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. Fehlandt

DAN 316 Dance in Education: Dance/Theater Pedagogy (also
HUM 317
/
THR 328
/
TPP 316
) Spring LA

Dance in Education: Dance/Theater Pedagogy explores the connection between engaged dance and elementary school literacy, mathematics and social studies, while allowing students to be civically engaged. Students will teach movement classes to elementary school students and will explore 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 at schools and institutions for young people in the Princeton region. Classroom management skills, lesson planning strategies and various methods of evaluation/assessment will be examined. Instructed by: R. Stenn

DAN 317 Choreography Studio 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. Lazier

DAN 318B Dance Performance Workshop: Rhythm Tap Fall LA

Princeton Dance Festival performance course for the creation of a new rhythm tap dance piece by 2021-2023 Princeton Arts Fellow Michael J. Love. The course focuses on developing technical expertise, expressive range, and stylistic clarity. Students will examine various concepts - such as skeletal support, sequential movement, rhythm, and momentum to emphasize efficiency in motion - and perform an original work that represents a contemporary approach to dancemaking. The course encourages rich, subtle, and stylistically accurate renditions of choreography and engages students in collaborative learning. Instructed by: M. Love

DAN 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: Staff

DAN 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: Staff

DAN 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: Staff

DAN 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: Staff

DAN 321 Special Topics in Dance History, Criticism, and Aesthetics (also
AMS 328
) Not offered this year 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

DAN 322 Special Topics In Urban Dance Not offered this year 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

DAN 324 Princeton Dance Festival Expanded (also
THR 327
) Not offered this year LA

This course will be a unique venture into dance culminating in a performance for the Princeton Dance Festival. This studio course explores dance-theatre practice to address the desires, needs, and realities of the body and its greater community, centering the politics of self and group care. We will improvise in movement, somatics, vocal sound, song, spoken and written words, creating for and with each other, with the outcome being a greatly expanded skill set for the performing artist. Studio movement practice, creation and discussion will be supplemented by selected readings and out-of-studio creation as a practice of joy and resilience. Instructed by: Staff

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

DAN 354 Performance as Art (See VIS 354)

DAN 402 Anatomical Approaches to Contemporary Dance Spring LA

In this advanced studio course, dancers will study experiential anatomy in conversation with a variety of approaches to contemporary dance. Students will train in Contact Improvisation, experimental J-Sette, and repertory by Lar Lubovitch and Robert Battle. Students will explore relationships between scientific information, aesthetic priorities, training goals, and creative practices. We'll consider ways of optimizing movement drawn from somatic and conditioning techniques such as Pilates, neuromuscular patterning, PNF, and visualization. Drawing and journaling will clarify personal goals and understanding of movement capacities. Instructed by: S. Welsh

DAN 408 Approaches to Contemporary Dance and Movement Practices Spring LA

This advanced studio course compares diverse approaches to contemporary dance and improvisation to explore how dance training fuels individual development, choreographic process and aesthetic research. This course both explores movement techniques designed to advance a student's biomechanical understanding of their body and exposes students to leading trends in the development of new movement languages created by choreographers. Knowledge gained through comparative embodied practice allows students to form research built on a synthesis of influences that have shaped current movement research and choreography. Instructed by: R. Lazier

DAN 409 Contemporary Dance: Advanced Technique and Choreography LA

Advanced dance technique and choreography. In technique, students will be challenged to expand their movement range and increase their mastery of various styles required by today's dance world. Students will work to develop approaches to technique that emphasize ease and efficiency in motion. In choreography, students will work together on group objectives in movement-based laboratories that focus on collaboration and choreographic choice-making skills. Two two-hour classes in technique, one two-hour class in choreography. Instructed by: Staff

DAN 419A Choreography Workshop III Fall LA

Choreography Workshop III extends students' approaches to choreographic research by asking them to create complete works on dancers other than themselves. Students will consider how to transfer their vision to an ensemble and learn to give directives to groups that further their process. By focusing on developing an initial idea into a complete work, students will question their understanding of development and challenge themselves in new directions. Readings and viewings inform studio practice and invite students to wrestle with issues debated by today's dance artists. Instructed by: Staff

DAN 419B Dance Performance Workshop: Repertory III 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: Staff

DAN 420A Choreography Workshop IV Fall LA

Students workshop their senior thesis performance. Classes delve deeply into a specific choreographic process and performance approach in preparation for Senior Thesis Production in Dance Theater. Required for seniors pursuing a Certificate in Dance. Instructed by: Staff

DAN 420B Dance Performance Workshop: Repertory IV 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: Staff

DAN 432 Ballet as an Evolving Form: Technique and Repertory Spring LA

A studio course in contemporary ballet technique for advanced students. The course will consist of an advanced ballet class and explorations into contemporary choreography through readings, viewings, and the learning of repertory. The course will focus on three renowned choreographers, and prominent guest artists will coach students in the style and repertory of each choreographer. Readings and viewings of live and videotaped performances. Three two-hour classes. Instructed by: T. Fehlandt