Dance Course Descriptions

This course is designed for students with no or very minimal experience in ballet technique. Ballet I introduces students to the basic skills and terminology of ballet. The course includes barre exercises with an emphasis on alignment. Center work will include adagio, tendu, basic turns, petite allegro, and grande allegro in simple combinations. The course is designed to develop individual body awareness, strength, flexibility, and an appreciation of the art of ballet. May be taken up to three times for credit. Students are required to take this course at least two times before progressing to the next level and should secure the permission of the instructor before doing so.

This course is designed for students with no or minimal dance experience. It introduces dance technique and contemporary modern dance vocabulary. Emphasis will be placed on dynamic alignment, sensing and activating weight, developing coordination, and discovering body connections. Movement explorations take place on the floor, standing, and in sequences locomoting through space. Creative expression and musicality are integrated into class content. May be taken up to three times for credit. Students are required to take this course three times before progressing to the next level and should secure the permission of the instructor before doing so.

This course is designed for students with no or very minimal jazz dance experience. The course provides an introduction to articulating and expressing rhythms through stylized movement sequences, basic technical skills, and performance. Emphasis is on development of greater body awareness, strength, flexibility, coordination, musicality (especially syncopation), and improvisation. May be taken up to three times for credit.

Students will study a dance form, learning the basic techniques, movement, and a dance or dances indicative of the form. The material will be further explored through historical, cultural and political perspectives. This course culminates in a performance or lecture demonstration. Required course for dance and movement studies majors. May be taken up to three times for credit.

An investigation of your body's potential to move without preconception. Explorations in a variety of improvisational forms emphasize group interplay, problem-solving, and inner listening in order to reveal new movement vocabularies and increase kinesthetic awareness.

An introductory seminar on a special topic in dance and movement studies.

As a member of Emory Dance Company, students will perform in a fully produced dance concert. Students gain performance techniques, learn about ensemble dancing, and often contribute in the making of original choreographic work. In addition, students will gain experience in some of the technical aspects of dance concert production. Course admission is by audition. Simultaneous enrollment in a dance technique class is required. Credit hours are assigned in accordance with the number of works in which a student participates. Evaluation procedures announced in class.

This course for music and dance students to study Argentine tango in Buenos Aires will intersect scholarly studies of tango history and culture with performance practice. It will provide an authentic, holistic learning experience for students to understand how theory and practice inform each other. Music and dance majors and minors only, or by permission of instructor with letter of recommendation by a music or dance professor.

This course traces the development of Western concert dance from 19th century Romantic Ballet to the present. Emphasis will be placed on the development of American modern dance, post modern dance, and current trends and dance artists. This course is required for all dance and movement studies majors and minors. Students wishing to enroll must be a declared dance and movement studies major or minor, or obtain permission of the instructor.

This course is designed for students who can demonstrate an understanding of and familiarity with basic ballet vocabulary. Includes barre exercises with a continued emphasis on alignment. Center work will include adagio, tendu, turns, petite allegro, and grande allegro in simple combinations. The course is designed to develop individual body awareness, strength, flexibility, musicality, and an appreciation of the art of ballet. At least 2-3 semesters in Ballet I and consultation with the instructor are required before entry into this course. May be taken up to three times for credit.

This course builds on the technical skills introduced in Dance 123R. Emphasis is placed on centering, core support, breath support, full articulation of the body in three-dimensional space, fully integrating concepts of parallel and rotation, and the interplay of stability and mobility. At least three semesters in the Contemporary Modern Dance I and consultation with instructor is required before entry into this course. May be taken up to three times for credit.

This course includes further development of skills introduced in Jazz Dance I with greater emphasis on style, performance, and technique. More technically challenging movement sequences will be introduced and students will be expected to individualize movement at a beginner/intermediate level. May be taken up to three times for credit.

This course increases the students' physical capacities through study and implementation of principles of physical fitness with the objective of improving dance performance. Somatic practices and exercise systems are introduced through guest lectures. Students are introduced to anatomical and physiological issues that are common among dancers.

Credit, one hour. Through various body awareness techniques the body gains maximum efficiency and ease of motion. Movement explorations focus on core support, breath support, range of motion, clear initiation, and sequencing. The holistic study of Bartenieff Fundamentals addresses the interrelationship of mind and body, and can be applied to everyday activities and performance. The specific content of this course may rotate. This course fulfills the principles of physical fitness requirement.

The Alexander Technique utilizes a mind-body approach to improve awareness, alignment, flexibility, balance, and strength. Through readings, discussion, group exercises, and hands-on work, students will develop skills to perform everyday and specialized activities with more clarity, ease, and efficiency. This class is particularly valuable for dancers, actors, musicians, and athletes.

Introduction to Dance is an overview of dance as an expressive art form, a symbolic language, and an integral aspect of world cultures. The course is designed to help students grasp a range of cultural, aesthetic, and bodily worlds from which dance is born. Course work enables students to develop intuitive and verbal skills which allow them to articulate about movement and its meaning. This is supported by direct physical experience in various dance forms, styles, genres, and throughly exploring the creative process.

The focus of this course is on design for dance, providing students with a theoretical and practical understanding of the processes involved in conceiving and executing stage designs. It will serve as an introduction to the theory and practice of set, costume, and lighting design. In a broader sense, it is aimed at helping students hear and experience music and dance with a richer sense of its visual qualities.

This course will provide a framework for observing, analyzing, notating, and understanding movement as an expressive, communicative form. Movement literacy skills are demonstrated through the body by building relationships between Body, Space, Shape, and Effort. By utilizing Rudolph Laban¿s Movement Analysis system (LMA), emphasis is placed on embodying movement intention and discovering context and meaning in stylistic patterns of movement. Required course for dance and movement studies majors.

This is a dance composition course designed to allow the student to discover new ideas about movement in a nurturing and experimental environment. Students develop and perform solo studies with an emphasis placed on the development of personal movement vocabulary, phrase building, and the exploration of choreographic tools. Discussion, critiquing, and descriptive writing about their choreographic processes will supplement direct physical work. Required course for dance and movement studies majors and minors. Must be a declared dance and movement studies major or minor, or permission of instructor.

Spring. Credit, two hours. This course offers the experience of performing extensively within a touring context. Students will learn diverse repertory choreographed by faculty, guest artists, and students. These works will be presented in a variety of venues or settings. Entrance by audition.

This course continues to reinforce and build upon the skills learned in Ballet II. More emphasis is placed on style and execution of movement at an intermediate level. Movement sequences become more intricate. A more extensive movement vocabulary is introduced. At least 2-3 semesters in Ballet II and consultation with the instructor are required before enrolling in this course. May be taken up to three times for credit.

This course is designed for students who are ready to deepen technical practices. Emphasis is placed on the student¿s technical proficiency and versatility. This course encourages intermediate students to become articulate performers by developing groundedness, musicality, sophisticated use of three-dimensional space, partnering, and ensemble work. Consultation with instructor is required before enrolling in this course. May be taken up to three times for credit.

This course includes further development of skills introduced in Jazz Dance II with greater emphasis on style, performance and technique. More technically challenging movement sequences will be introduced and students will be expected to individualize movement at an advanced level. Course material may include components of Broadway, lyrical, hip hop and other entertainment-based dance forms. May be taken up to three times for credit.

This course examines the practical, aesthetic, and current issues of dance as a fine art and profession. Focus areas in the course generally include the arts in higher education, arts advocacy, grant writing and presentation skills, dance as a reflection of contemporary culture, and guest lectures from a myriad of professionals in dance related fields. Individual subtopics in the course will vary depending on topical issues and immediate resources. The course material is delivered via readings, discussions, project-based assignments, guest speakers, and field trips as appropriate. Required course for dance and movement studies majors.

This course develops communicative, leadership, and creative skills while preparing the student for his/her role as a dance educator. Movement is developed as a kinesthetic tool for learning. Content includes the history of dance education, educational theories, development of original lesson plans, and practical teaching experiences in the Atlanta community.

Labanotation is a system of movement notation developed by Rudolf Laban in the early twentieth century. It is a tool which is used worldwide for in-depth study, preservation and greater understanding of dance works of this century. In this course students will develop basic skills in the analysis, recording and reading of movement phrases and scores.

This course will be conducted as a professional workshop. During the semester students will be required to produce a series of critical articles covering a wide spectrum of fields from music to books, to dance, to theater and the visual arts. Class sessions and assignments will be devoted to nurturing the requisite skills needed to become a successful reviewer or critic. The seminar will include talks by faculty from Journalism, Dance, Music and Theater Studies, as well as visiting professional critics.

Students will utilize skills acquired in Choreography I. Choreography II emphasizes deeper exploration and understanding of the elements of space, time, and energy in group works. This course meets twice a week, with an additional evening lab for viewing and critiquing works in progress. Students participate in many aspects of the production process.

This course is designed to provide additional working experience in creating choreographic work. In addition, students participate in many aspects of the production process.

This course is designed to guide students towards a more in-depth understanding of the creative process of theater and dance. The translation of dramatic text into movement, and movement into dramatic text, will give students the opportunity to investigate both theater technique and dance theory. Students will explore gesture and articulation of the body in space utilizing music/sound and text. Students will also explore emotion, persona, and interior life as a means to enhancing and strengthening the performance experience.

This course continues to reinforce and build upon the skills learned in Dance 321R. More emphasis is placed on style and execution. Combinations increase in intricacy and a larger dance movement vocabulary is introduced. Course work may include pointe work and variations. At least two semesters in Ballet III and consultation with the instructor are required before enrolling in this course. May be taken up to nine times for credit.

This course is designed for advanced dance students who can demonstrate a consistent repertoire of technical skill absent of fundamental body issues. Class material challenges the student¿s technical and performance range and develops a sophisticated understanding of movement concepts through assignments, discussion, and unique class experiences. Content includes, but is not limited to, problem solving, partnering, a conscience use of phrasing, and somatic practices. May be taken up to nine times for credit.

Provides students with an opportunity to explore individually designed projects, under faculty supervision and evaluation. May be repeated for credit when project varies.

Provides students with an opportunity to explore individually designed technical production projects in dance under faculty supervision. May be repeated for credit when project varies.

Provides students with an opportunity to explore individually designed historical and/or theoretical research projects under faculty supervision. May be repeated for credit when project varies.

Provides students with an opportunity to explore individually designed internship projects under faculty supervision. May be repeated for credit when project varies.

Fall, spring. Prerequisite: consent of department only. Must be taken in addition to the major requirements. Open by permission to candidates for honors in their senior year.

Must be taken in addition to the major requirements. Open by permission to candidates for honors in their senior year.

Provides students with an opportunity to explore individually designed directing projects under faculty supervision. May be repeated for credit when project varies.

Provides students with an opportunity to explore individually designed choreographic projects under faculty supervision. May be repeated for credit when project varies.

Provides students with an opportunity to explore individually designed projects under faculty supervision and evaluation. May be repeated for credit when project varies.