Dance 1-Dance Journals:
Directions and Details
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You will be required to complete three journal entries every marking period (except the last marking
period) in your dance composition notebook. You should complete one from the quote choices, one from
the free response choices, and one from the search and respond choices.
For every entry, you should include the date you completed the entry and the prompt number you have
chosen.
You should use dance specific vocabulary. Make sure you underline or highlight the words in order to get
credit for using them. To receive full credit, you should include at least three words.
You will be able to turn in the journals any day from when the journal dates are open to up until the due
dates. No late journals will be accepted.
You will earn 50 points per marking period for your journals (15 points per entry and 5 points for format).
1st marking period due date: Monday, September 16th-Thursday, October 10th
2nd marking period due date: Monday, October 28th-Thursday, December 19th
3rd marking period due date: Monday, January 6th-Thursday, February 27th
Prompts:
Quote Choices- Please write the quote and the author. Then reflect on what the quote means to you.
Describe in detail.
"Everything in the universe has a rhythm. Everything dances."- Maya Angelou
"Dance is the hidden language of the soul."- Martha Graham
"Don't dance for the audience, dance for yourself."- Bob Fosse
"We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced." - Fredrich Nietzsche
"Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are great because of their
passion."- Martha Graham
"I don't want people who want to dance, I want people who have to dance."- George Balanchine
Free Response ChoicesWhat have you liked most about dance class this marking period? What have you learned and what do
you still need to work on? Explain. (Can be answered every marking period)
If you were to create your dream dance piece, what would it look like? What style? How many
dancers? Describe.
What do you want to learn in Dance 2, 3, and 4? Use details.
Imagine you are the director of a dance studio. What do you image his/her typical day at a studio looks
like? Describe.
Imagine you are a choreographer and are given the job of choreographing a piece with three other
choreographers. Write about how you would accomplish creating the piece of choreography with these
other choreographers.
What style of dance do you like the best? Why? Use details. (Please do not answer until the third
marking period when we have covered the majority of styles.)
Search and Respond ChoicesFind a video online of a dance piece. Write the URL. First describe the dance. Then, write what you like
about the dance and what you do not like about the dance. Use details. You may find Youtube useful.
(You may complete this prompt more than once as long as you choose a different dance piece.)
Find a picture of a dancer online or in a magazine. Write the URL or magazine title (and page number).
Describe the picture. Then, write a creative piece about what you imagine the dance he/she dances
would look like. Use details. (You may complete this prompt more than once as long as you choose a
different dance picture.)
Choose any piece of school appropriate music. (No profanity, please.) Write the title and the artist(s).
Describe in detail what style dance you imagine could be created for this music. (You may complete
this prompt more than once as long as you choose a different piece of music.)
Research dance studios in our area. Include the studios you found and your thoughts about your
findings.
Research colleges that offer dance majors. Include the colleges you found and your thoughts on the
information you found.
Find a current dance production (anywhere in the world). Write the URL to their website and then
describe what the dance production is in your own words. Write your thoughts about the information
you found. (Possible questions to think about: Do you want to see this production? What do you
imagine the dances to look like? What type of costumes do you think they wear? How many dancers do
you think are needed?)
Research dance conventions that come to our area. Write the title of the convention and what they
offer. Who are the teachers? What styles do they teach? Write your thoughts about the information
you found.