Syllabus
WSU Department Name
Dance
WSU Course Number & Listing
DANC 1010 CA/DV: Introductory to Dance (3 Credit Hrs.)
High School:
(Attention: Contact the College or University you wish to attend to make sure that
these Concurrent Enrollment courses will meet your goals for fulfilling General
Education requirements or will count toward your chosen major).
Adjunct Instructor’s Office Hours
After class or by appointment
Adjunct Instructor’s phone and email
Prerequisite High School Courses if any
See Instructors
WSU Course Description:
This course provides an introduction to dance as a means of cultural expression. It is
designed for both major and non-major students to explore dances of particular nondominant cultures as a tool for understanding cultural characteristics. The course
examines human movement as an identifier and descriptor of culture, specifically nondominant cultures within the United States and their global cultural lineages. Throughout
the semester, the course will focus on universal functions of human movement and the
diverse ways in which those functions are expressed across multiple aesthetic systems
and cultural practices of selected dance traditions.
The course contributes to an understanding of dance/movement as a means for
recognizing and appreciating difference. Embracing difference in this way is based upon
the assumption that movement (ranging from pedestrian to highly stylized actions)
reveals underlying values that are part of the social, cultural and aesthetic traditions that
are apparent in contemporary America. As contemporary students within the United
States, each of us is in some way inextricably tied to these value systems and traditions.
In designing an open forum in which to analyze and discuss those ties, this course will
provide insight into both personal and cultural identity as well as appreciating difference.
General Education Requirements
This is a course that fulfills General Education requirements in the Creative Arts. These
specific requirements are:
• Written and oral communication
• Use of library and other resources
• Critical thinking, cognitive learning, and individual and group problem solving
• Fundamental unifying principles and organizing themes of dance
• Understanding terminology used in dance
• History, theories, and ethical standards applicable to dance
• Influence of dance and its power to create and reflect culture and appreciating the
intrinsic value and joy of the work itself
• Interdependency of dance with the broader worlds of ideas and action
• Developing understanding of forms of dance throughout the world and appreciation of
their diversity
Teaching Strategies:
The course utilizes lectures, class discussions, group presentations, video observations,
movement experiences/laboratories, writing exercises, in-class written exams, and
reflective activities to synthesize material and make course content personally relevant.
Students will be actively engaged in movement activities and dance through selected
readings and studio classes.
WSU Course Objectives:
_ To practice analysis and criticism at the level appropriate to the introductory study of
movement as a cultural form.
_ To honor the body and its physicality as a profound way of transmitting history and
culture.
_ To explore and better understand the varied histories and aesthetic practices of
selected and diverse dance traditions within contemporary American culture.
_ To experience, define, discuss, deconstruct, and critically analyze ideas of dance
history and culture as represented through differing styles, traditions, and forms.
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To learn about the various ways human movement has taken on symbolic meaning in different cultures
throughout history and to discover the influence this has had on shaping culture within the United
States.
_ To provide an open forum in which to examine the role of movement, dance, and the
arts in human experience.
_ To personally experience basic movement ideas, the elements of dance,
communication through movement, improvisation, and performance.
_ To improve observation skills and ability to understand dance performance. Develop
aesthetic and critical capability to respond to live performance.
_ To increase capacity for cooperative and independent learning.
WSU Required Textbook & Materials:
Text: Harriet R. Lihs, Appreciating Dance: A Guide to the World’s Liveliest Art.
(Princeton, NJ: Princeton Book Company)
WSU Course Requirements:
Course Work:
Attendance and participation……………………………………………..45 points
Chapter writings…………………………………………………20 points (10 each)
Individual work…………………………………………………..20 points (10 each)
Mid-term exam…………………………………………………………….30 points
Concert response paper…………………………………………………...20 points
Term paper or project/presentation……………………………………….35 points
Final exam………………………………………………………………….30 points
Class Preparation:
Attendance & Participation 45 points
Consistent attendance and prompt arrival is required. If you miss classes, you will miss a
significant amount of material. You are responsible to get the information from one of
your colleagues in the class.
Your preparation for and participation in class is valued and appreciated as well as
graded. Your reading and response preparation is expected for each class period. Class
involvement is noticed and contributes to your grade. Any written assignment should be
typed, double-spaced, 12pt. Times/Times New Roman or similar font, excluding
discussion notes, reading notes, and in-class writing assignments.
Grades will consist of class preparation, participation, attendance, project assignments,
response papers, and exams.
Dance Area Attendance Policy: One absence is permitted before the final grade is
lowered, one half grade for each additional absence. (Three class observations, three
times late or three times leaving class early = 1 absence.) Six absences are grounds for
failure.
Homework:
Chapter Writings 20 points (2@10 points each)
Due within 1 week of subject matter.
TWO (2) exploratory writings to be turned in covering class material of your choice.
These writings provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to synthesize
diverse materials into a logical point of view. You are required to make at least three
specific references to the reading material for that selected class, as well as include
pertinent information from the class discussion, video(s) and the movement experience (if
there is one). The purpose is to demonstrate comprehension of the reading material and
the ability to synthesize information.
E.g., One reference might describe the court dances of Java, giving the correct titles for
the dances and information detailing the role these dances play in that culture. Full credit
papers will also include pertinent information from the video on Javanese or court
dancing and the class movement or discussion experience. Finally, you must answer the
question ”How does the dance reflect the culture from which it was produced?”
Individual Work 20 points (2@10points each)
Due within one week of experience
In order to make the class relevant to you, you are allowed to have some say in how you
earn some of your credit. This individual work is an opportunity for you to explore dance
in a way that makes sense to you. It is possible to earn these points without ANY
additional financial obligation incurred. It is important to me that this not be busy work
and in the perfect world we would be able to take several class field trips to different
dance/cultural events that would help you see the power of dance in your own life as well
as in the lives of others. Unfortunately, this is not possible. In an effort to make this class
relevant you may choose to investigate dance further. This is not extra credit. I’ve listed
several ideas below and I am eager to have you make your own suggestions regarding
ways that you think would help you to understand dance as a cultural phenomenon.
• See an additional concert and write a paper
• Participate in an event, take an African dance class at RDT, go to a workshop, etc. To
receive credit you must write about your experience and have the instructor sign a note
indicating that you participated.
1 Mid-Term Exam
30 points
The test is made up of two sections, an objective section and an essay section.
1 Concert Response Paper 20 points
See a dance concert and respond.
This is a formal paper. Your paper should be typed and have the same structural and
grammatical quality as the term paper. Your paper will reflect your thoughts and
impressions of at least two pieces (or if it is an evening length work, two sections). I am
not looking for a “play-by-play” report: “They wore red; the music was by . . .” I am
interested in your perceptions of what you saw. What was the effect? How did it make
you feel? Then, what in the dance do you think caused this effect? It is not important that
you liked what you saw, it is important that you defend your point of view. See Concert
Response Papers guidelines.
Term paper or Project/Presentation 35 possible points
Term paper due the last day of class (earlier submission is encouraged)
Project/ Presentation Paper due at time of presentation
Project/Presentation You and a group of 3-5 classmates will select a type of dance or
dance experience that interests you. You will give a 20 minute presentation that will
include 1) the history and information about the role the dance plays in its culture and
2) Either a demonstration or experiential segment for the class.
The group will submit ONE (1) outline with everyone’s names on it; this outline is the
text from which you will have presented your information to the class. It must include
FOUR of the following types of sources: 1) your text or an assigned reading, 2) a book,
other than your text, and not a reference book, 3) a reference book, 4) a popular magazine
or newspaper, 5) a scholarly journal, 6) an internet web site, 7) a journal or newspaper
article found on the internet, 8)a video or DVD. Topics must be approved in advance. See
specific writing requirements below.
Term Paper 35 possible points
This paper may be done in lieu of a Project/Presentation. Read a book about a dance
artist, company, form, style, science or other approved topic. You will also need to find at
least two related journal articles, one from the library and one from the Internet. Write
about the topic presented in the book; support it with information from the journals; relate
this information to what you are learning in class. THIS IS NOT A SIMPLE BOOK
REPORT. I am specifically looking for how you analyze what you have read and how
you make sense of it along side other written material and your own experiences. See
specific writing requirements below.
Some questions to consider: Does the information confirm or change your previous
beliefs? How does this relate to what you are learning in this class? If the reading was
about a person, does his/her creative process or experiences shed any light on your own
process or on history? Draw some parallels.
Specific Writing Requirements for both the Term Paper and the Project/ Presentations
This is a formal paper. Write a 4-8-page paper. The paper must be typed, 10-12 point
type, standard font, black ink on plain paper, no folders. Since this is a formal paper, it
must have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Correct grammar and spelling;
sentence and paragraph construction are important. Use of slang is permitted only within
quotation marks. The use of contractions is not permitted unless they are part of a quote.
Connect your thoughts. Include a title page. Use inclusive notes, a bibliography and
follow APA form in the writing of this paper. Staple the pages together in the upper left
corner. Do your own work. Plagiarism is grounds for failure.
Final Exam
30 points
The final is comprised of two sections, an objective section and an essay section.
Note about writings:
If you are not satisfied with your grade, you may either rewrite ONE paper for which you
did not receive full credit OR do an additional paper to obtain your desired point total.
This rewrite or extra paper must be submitted within one week of receiving the first
attempt back. Staple the new paper to the old paper. I will return these second chance
papers when I can get to them. You may take advantage of this “second chance” only one
time, i.e., one time for Chapter Writings, Individual Work or Concert Response Papers
only (not for each category). Rewrites will not be accepted for Term and
Project/Presentation papers. You may, however, submit a draft of this paper earlier in the
semester and I will be happy to review it and give you feedback. Rewrites and drafts will
not be accepted the last two weeks of the semester.
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING CONCERT RESPONSE PAPERS
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Deadline: Papers are due within one week of the concert.
Papers are to be typed, two pages, double-spaced. Title your paper. Be
creative. Put your name and date on the first page or title page.
The reason for the deadline requirement is that I am requesting that you reflect
back on what you saw and experienced. In order to do this, the concert must
be fresh in your mind.
Please do not take notes in the theatre.
Immediately after the concert, you may want to jot down some thoughts about
something that struck you or an image that is strong.
When writing the paper, choose one (two at the most) dance(s) to write about
(if it was a concert made up of many vignettes) that had the greatest effect on
you. If it was a full-length ballet, discuss one or two segments of the ballet.
Do not try to write about every dance. Chances are, that in a whole evening of
dance, some pieces might be significant to you and others, totally
meaningless. Concentrate on the one(s) that meant the most to you.
Now, think about what effect the dance had upon you. Did it bore you? Did it
irritate you? Were you totally elated? Did it make you think? Did it tell a
story? Literally? Did you create a story while watching the dance? Did it
make you feel warm and serene? As you can see, the possible images and
effects are endless. Dance has meaning on many different levels, many
different kinds of meaning. I am not interested in what you “liked” or
“disliked.” Go beyond these basic reactions.
How does this dance connect with a reading, video or class experience?
Discuss.
Now it is time to reflect back on what you saw, to discover what it was that
caused these images. DESCRIBE, IN MOVEMENT TERMS, WHAT THE
DANCERS DID, OR WHAT THE CHOREOGRAPHER DID, TO GIVE
YOU THIS EFFECT. E.g., The feeling of sudden aggression was brought on
by the abrupt change of direction. The dancers were moving around in a
circle, sinuously floating, when unexpectedly, they all turned in unison to face
the audience and started to stamp their feet loudly as they progressed
methodically, one after another, to the edge of the stage, never ceasing the
percussive rhythm. Get the idea? Identify the effect you experienced, then,
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think about what it was that caused that effect. Tell me with word pictures.
Make me see and experience what you saw and felt.
Your opinions are valid if formed by intelligent reflection and reasoning.
After all, you're the audience. But your opinions are only one aspect of this
assignment. You must support your opinions with examples. Defend your
views.
Do not give a “Play by play” account of the performance.
Hand written papers will not be accepted.
WSU Grading:
Your grade can be figured by taking the total number of points and dividing them in half.
This will give the standard point breakdown.
95-100 4.0
90-94 3.7
87-89 3.3
83-86 3.0
80-82 2.7
77-79 2.3
73-76 2.0
70-72 1.7
65-69 1.3
60-63 1.0
0-59 0 E
A
Excellent, goes beyond expectations
AB+
B
Good, solid, completes work
BC+
C
Satisfactory, average
CD+
D
Poor, incomplete or sub-standard work
Failure
Calendar of Course Content:
WSU Course Evaluation:
As a concurrent student, you are given the privilege of evaluating this course. This is an
anonymous evaluation which allows you an opportunity to express your opinions of the
course and the instructor.
WSU Student Code of Conduct:
Download the WSU Student Code of Conduct at:
http://www.weber.edu/ppm/Policies/6-22_StudentCode.html
***This outline may be changed at any time as deemed necessary by the instructors.