Syllabus
Course Title:
Term:
Schedule:
Dance Appreciation
Fall Semester 2013
TR 8:25-9:40 AM, Room 7A13
Instructor Information
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Delma Iles, MFA
Department of Music, Theater and Dance
Office: 3604-38
Office Hours: MW 1:30-4:30 PM, TR 2:10-4:10 PM
*Please note that if I am not in my office during these hours I am probably in
6400 completing a class or rehearsal.
Office phone: 305-237-3040/alternate phone: 305-858-7002
Email: diles@mdc.edu/ alternate email: mdanceco@bellsouth.net
Textbook: Learning About Dance: Dance As An Art Form and Entertainment by
Nora Ambrosio/Fifth Edition/Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company
I.
Course Description
This course is a general overview that explores the nature and function of dance as a
religious expression, as an art/entertainment form and as a social expression. Specific
dance genres such as ballet, modern dance, jazz, Spanish, dances of Africa and the
African Diaspora, Asian dance, Bollywood, and a variety of social dance forms will
be the focus of the course. The course is designed to provide the student with a
foundation level of understanding of dance as a major form of human expression in
its historical and cultural significance.
II.
Objectives
The student will develop a broad, comprehensive understanding of dance from a
global view that includes
1. historical perspectives
2. social implications
3. philosophical attitudes
The student will be able to identify a variety of styles of dance and also identify the
major artists and their contributions to dance by:
1. identifying a variety of forms and techniques
2. identifying the artists aligned with each style of dance
3. contrasting styles, choreographic structures and/or the meaning of specific dance
forms
4. abstracting from a specific dance, its primary aesthetic intent
5. developing skills in critical thinking to skillfully evaluate various choreographic
styles and individual artists
At the completion of Dance Appreciation, the student will have:
1. Developed a comprehensive perspective of many styles of dance
2. Learned to analyze dance forms according to seven specific criteria
3. Read a minimum 200 page book on a dance artist accompanied by a 1,000 word
critique of the book and oral report
4. Identified organizational and design elements of a variety of dance forms and the
artists associated with the forms
5. Viewed class videos and formally written critiques of at least 2 videos
6. Viewed 2 professional dance performances and formally written critiques of them
III.
Teaching Strategies
This is a lecture/discussion course, which means students must complete all reading
assignments BEFORE coming to class. The nature of the course requires all students
to participate in class discussions. Reading assignments will be handed out in class or
assigned as internet research.
Audiovisual materials and supplemental reading materials will be used in the course
to supplement lectures.
Please Note: students should keep notes on all information from the videos and
lectures as they are supplementary to, not a repetition of, the textbook.
Any material presented in the class including videos, lectures,
discussions, oral reports, and written materials is potentially
material that will appear on exams.
The following formats will be used in the classroom:
1. Formal lectures given by the instructor
2. Class discussions on selected, prepared topics
3. Guest Artists and Presenters
4. Oral presentations prepared by the students
5. Class field trips
IV.
Evaluation, Attendance, and Writing Assignments
Two exams will be given: a mid-term and a final. Each exam will have equal
weight and together the two exams will represent 30% of the total grade for the
semester (10% for the midterm and 20% for the final). These may be composed of
multiple choice, fill in the blank, true/false, short answer or essay and analysis
questions.
Mid-Term Exam – October 22 during regular class time
Final Exam - December 17 at 9:25 AM – 10;40 AM
Midterm Exam dates may be shifted due to hurricanes, unexpected campus
activities, visits by guest artists, or other circumstances. Any changes of date will
be announced in class well in advance of the date. Final Exam dates are fixed by
Miami Dade College and cannot be changed by the instructor.
Book Critique/Oral presentation.
 All students will select a book (minimum 200 pages) on the life and
contributions of a dance artist of merit.
 A list of relevant artists appears at the end of each chapter in your textbook.
 Each student must select a different artist, so selection is first come/first
served. If you are interested in a particular artist, submit your request early.
Requests will be taken starting August 30. All selections must be submitted
on or before September 26. Failure to make a selection by September 26
will result in: 1) You will be assigned an artist and book by the instructor
2) Your final grade for the written portion of this assignment will be
reduced by one letter grade.
Book selections must be approved by the instructor.
 A 1,000 word written critique on the book will be turned in. Guidelines for the
book critique will be provided in a separate handout.
 Each student will give a five-minute oral presentation on the artist covered in
the book. Students are required to impersonate the artist. Students are required
to dress as this person and present themselves as the artist throughout the
event to all faculty, fellow students and guests.
 Together the book critique and oral presentation represent 20% of the final
grade.
 Book Reports are due on November 7.
 Oral presentations are due on November 5 and 7 (the members of class
will be divided between these two dates). You must make your oral
presentation on the date that is assigned to you. If you do not show up on
the date of your presentation, you will receive a grade of “F” for the
assignment.
Late Policy
Reports and written papers will not be accepted late. Simply not
showing up on the date of the presentation will result in a grade of “F” for the
assignment. If you have a true emergency, call or email the instructor. Makeup
presentations are entirely at the discretion of the instructor and will be granted
only if written documentation can be provided that covers a true emergency.
Extension Policy
Extensions may be granted on a limited basis strictly at the discretion of the
instructor. Requests for extensions must be made in writing (email is acceptable)
24 hours in advance of the due date and will not be accepted on the due date. A
student is eligible to receive only one extension per semester.
Email Submission of Papers
Written papers may be submitted by email. If submitted by email, they must be
received no later than 9:30 AM on the due date in order to receive credit.
Live performance attendance and critiques. Students must attend 2 live
professional dance performances and write a 1,000 word critique on each of them. A
ticket stub and program book must be turned in with each of the written critiques.
Write your name on all ticket stubs and program books in order to be sure that you
will receive credit for attending! 10 points will automatically be deducted from the
paper if the ticket stub and program book do not accompany the paper. Staple the
ticket stubs and program book to the written paper. Students turning in papers via
email must present the ticket stub and program book in the class immediately
following the date that the paper is due. WRITE YOUR NAME ON THE TICKET
STUB AND PROGRAM BOOK!
*The selection of performances must be approved by the instructor.
Each written critique represents 10% of the final grade.
Free tickets will be provided for selected performances whenever possible. All MDC
Live and New World School of the Arts dance performances are acceptable for this
assignment and are available free or for $5-$10 with your student ID. Miami Dade
County’s Culture Shock student ticketing program also provides for $5 tickets with
valid student ID.
*If your personal schedule does not allow you to attend these performances, it is
strongly suggested that you drop Dance Appreciation, as attendance and
accompanying critiques are a requirement of the course! Watching performances on
TV or video is not acceptable.
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Performance Critique #1 due on or before October 17.
Performance Critique #2 due on or before December 10.
Critique Submission Policy
Critiques will not be accepted late! Any critique submitted after 9:30 AM on the
due date will receive a grade of F.
Extension Policy
Extensions may be granted on a limited basis strictly at the discretion of the
instructor. Requests for extensions must be made in writing (email is acceptable)
24 hours in advance of the due date and will not be accepted on the due date. A
student is eligible to receive only one extension per semester.
Email Submission of Critiques
Written papers may be submitted by email. If submitted by email, they must be
received no later than 9:30 AM on the due date in order to receive full credit.
Social Dance Project
In order to better understand social dance and its function in society, this project requires
students to actually dance! Students will be divided into teams of 2. Each team will select
a social dance form, research it, learn the steps, acquire the music necessary, and teach it
to the rest of the class. Social dance forms can be cultural (salsa, tango, polka, etc.) or
historic (waltz, lindy hop, Charleston, etc.). Each team must select a different social
dance so there will be no duplication. Requests will be taken on a first come, first serve
basis. You may select your own team partner. If you fail to do so, a partner will be
assigned to you. Selection of the social dance forms to be presented must be made by
October 29. Social Dance presentations will take place on November 12 and 14. Each
team will be assigned a date for presentation. If you do not attend class on the date of
your presentation, you will receive a grade of “F” for this assignment. On these dates, the
Dance Appreciation class will meet in the Wolfson dance studio (room 6400). Be sure to
wear clothing that you can easily dance in!
Class Participation. This course provides you with an opportunity to voice your
opinions, feelings and ideas respectfully. Stimulating conversation about class topics with
the professor and among the students are highly encouraged and respected. 20% of your
final grade is based on your attendance and class participation.
Cell Phones & Pagers must be turned off before entering the classroom. If your
cell phone rings during class you will be counted as absent for that
class!
No eating in class! Drinking coffee, tea, and water are acceptable.
Attendance. Students are expected to attend ALL classes, with no more than 3
unexcused absences during the semester. Three tardies (defined as entering the
classroom any time after the class session starts) are equivalent to one unexcused
absence. Students are expected to participate in class discussions and to answer questions
on assignments. Students will be purged if they have missed more than 5 classes without
contacting the instructor. Class attendance and participation represents 20% of the final
grade.
Class Protocol. Students are expected to adhere to the policies and procedures as
outlined in the Miami Dade College handbook of students’ rights and responsibilities.
Excused absences:
Religious holidays
Miami-Dade official activities
New World/MDC Wolfson Dancers performances (if you are dancing in them)
Excused absences for unique circumstances are entirely at the discretion of the instructor
and are rarely given.
Excused absences for illness are given only with a written note from a doctor
documenting the date(s) of the necessary absences.
Students who miss classes are responsible for all class materials,
assignments, and classroom exercises that are given during the absence!
Students with Special Needs: Please see the instructor at the beginning of the semester
to discuss special needs as applicable.
PLEASE NOTE THAT PLAGARISM AND CHEATING ARE ACADEMIC
FELONIES. Plagiarizing will automatically result in a failing grade for the class
and possibly expulsion from Miami Dade College. Please refer to the Miami Dade
College Manual of Policy for complete descriptions of all college wide policies and
procedures.
To avoid plagiarism: If you directly copy the words of an author, then you must place
them in quotes and cite the source. If you paraphrase someone else’s ideas, you must cite
the source. If an idea is not yours, cite the author and the work from which you received
the idea. Common knowledge and factual information is not generally cited.
Summary of grading criteria:
10% of the final grade is based on the Midterm Exam
20% of the final grade is based on the Final Exam
20% of the final grade is based on the book critique and oral presentation (10% each)
20% of the final grade is based on performance attendance and accompanying
critiques (10% each)
10% of the final grade is based on the Social Dance Project
10% of the final grade is based on class attendance
10% of the final grade is based on class participation, homework and classroom
exercises. *Please note that these items are also affected by attendance since you
cannot participate in the class if you are not there!
PLEASE NOTE:
Your grade is based on the criteria outlined above. Extra credit is not an option for grade
improvement. Make- up exams will be given entirely at the discretion of the instructor
after a conference with the student. Students will be allowed only ONE makeup exam
during the semester. All make-up exams must be arranged for in advance. No makeup exam will be provided for students who miss the regular exam without prior
communication and approval from the instructor. If you fail to show up for the
midterm or final exam you will receive a grade of 0 unless extreme circumstances
can be documented and approved.
Grading Rubric:
A = 90-100+
B = 80-89
C = 70-79
D = 60-69
F = 59 and below
GORDON RULE COURSE
PLEASE NOTE: Dance Appreciation is a “Gordon Rule” course. This means that
to earn a minimum “C” grade in the course, the student must demonstrate college
level writing skills.
Grading Policy with regard to writing skills:
In formal written papers and assignments 1 point will be deducted for each error in
writing skills including (but not limited to): proper capitalization & italics, punctuation,
subject/verb agreement, syntax, spelling, use of correct tense of verbs, writing in
complete sentences, etc.
Re-Write Policy - If a student receives an unsatisfactory grade due to poor writing skills,
the student may take it to the College writing lab for assistance and re-submit the paper
within one week for a revised grade. The original paper and the revised version must be
stapled together in the case of a re-write.
*This policy applies only to writing skills. Students submitting papers that do not fulfill
other requirements of the assignment (such as length, topic, criteria) will not be able to
re-submit under this policy.
STUDENT WITHDRAWAL FROM CLASS:
If you feel that you will be unable to complete the requirements for passing this class,
you have the option to withdraw from the class by the College’s “drop date” of
November 6. However, there are consequences of which you need to be aware if you
drop a class or stop attending and you should always speak to your instructor or an
advisor first. For example, you must earn at least two-thirds or 67% of the total credits
for which you have registered and that failure to comply with this requirement will
adversely impact your financial aid status with MDC. If after considering the possible
consequences, you still opt drop the class, keep in mind that it is your responsibility to do
so (not the instructor’s) and failure to withdrawal will result in you earning a grade of “F”
for the course you stop attending.
If extenuating circumstances (e.g., illness, accident, change in employment situation, etc.)
prevent you from continuing to attend your class before the drop date, speak to your
instructor first and if needed, to the Chairperson to assess your options.
Learning Resources
 Many (although not all) of the videos and DVD’s shown in class are in the MDC
library, some at Wolfson and some at Kendall, some are in the Humanities Lab
and a few are the personal property of the instructor. If you miss class, check with
the instructor to determine if you can view any missed videos at the library.
 Recommended readings suggested by the instructor
 Local and visiting guest artists and choreographers from the community
 Performances at New World School of the Arts and Miami Dade College MDC
Live Arts
 Relevant videos and hand-outs from journals, newspapers and other sources
 Selected Bibliography
Anderson, J. – Ballet and Modern Dance
Cujoy, A. – The Dance Encyclopedia
Cohen, S.J. – Dance as a Theater Art
DeMille, A. – The Book of the Dance
Kirstein, L. - Dance: A Short History of Classic, Theatrical Dancing
Reynolds, N. – No Fixed Points – Dance in the Twentieth Century
Important Dates:
August 30 – last day to drop and receive a full refund. Also last date to change courses or
add new courses
September 2 – Labor Day Holiday
November 6 – last date to withdraw from classes
November 11 – Veterans Day Holiday
November 28-December 1 - Thanksgiving Holiday
December 13 – Last day of regular classes
December 14-20 – Final Exam week