1. List School, Department, course number and course title
School of Liberal Arts, Performing Arts Department, PERFA-181-01 Asian Dance.
a) English 5 is a prerequisite for the course. The course is writing intensive.
b) We have offered the course in various configurations including as a Jan Term lower
division course. The feedback from our students was that there was too much
information for a Jan Term course and that it was upper division work. We explored
the truth in these claims and offered the course in the fall with upper division credit.
This course seemed more favorable and students gave Professor Jia Wu excellent
teacher evaluations. We have been using that model for the past two years.
Course description:
Classical dance is a significant symbol for the contemporary Asian nations-state and its
diasporas. In this class, we will explore how the category of “classical dance” was
defined in 20th and 21st century in Asia and investigate the performative value of the
concept—that is, we will look into what the idea of “classical dance” does, how it is
deployed, and examine the circumstances of its production and reception. Out of the
many established classical and contemporary forms, our focus will be on wayang wong
and shadow puppet in Bali and Java, Kathak and Bharatanatyam in India, Peking Opera,
Yangge, Ethnic Dances and “Revolution” Ballet in China. We will explore the key
sources upon which the dances are based; survey the histories of the forms that comprise
the classical canon; and situate the revival, reconstruction, and institutionalization of
classical dance as a symbol of national identity and heritage in these four nations. We
will also look at “folk,” “social,” “popular,” “Bollywood,” “modern,” and “contemporary”
dance as categories distinguished from—and which interrogate—classical
structures. Throughout, we will critically consider the relationship between dance,
colonialism, nationalism, religion, and social history.
Partial Reading Lists:
Kapila Vatsyayan, Indian Classical Dance
Pallabi Chakravorty, “Dancing into Modernity: Multiple Narratives of India’s Kathak
Dance” Dance Research Journal 38 / 1 & 2 summer / winter 2006 135 pg, 115- 136
Avanthi Meduri, “Bharatanatyam: What Are You?” Asian Theatre Journal, Vol. 5, No. 1
(Spring, 1988), pp. 1-22.
Shakuntala Rao, “The Globalization of Bollywood: An Ethnography of Non- Elite
Audiences in India” The Communication Review, 10: 57–76, 2007
Jane Desmond, “Dancing out the Difference: Cultural Imperialism and Ruth St. Denis’s
Radha of 1906,” Moving History/Dancing Cultures, eds. Ann Dils and Ann Cooper
Albright. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 2001, pg. 256-270.
I Wayan Dibbia, Balinese Dance, Drama and Music
Catherine Diamond, “Fire in the Banana's Belly: Female Performers Essay the Masculine
Arts”, Asian Theatre Journal, Volume 25, Number 2, Fall 2008, pg. 231-271
Andrew N. Weintraub, “Contest-Ing Culture Sundanese
Wayang Golek Purwa Competitions in New Order Indonesia”, Asian Theatre Journal,
Vol. 18, No. 1, Special Issue on Puppetry (Spring, 2001), pg. 87-104
Garrett Kam, “Wayang Wong in the Court of Yogyakarta: The Enduring Significance of
Javanese Dance Drama” Asian Theatre Journal, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Spring, 1987), pp. 29-51
Jukka O. Miettinen, “Cross-Dressing Across Cultures Genre and Gender in the Dances of
Didik Nini Thowok”, Asia Research Institute, Working Paper Series No.108
Jenny Kwok Wah Lau, “Farewell My Concubine - History, Melodrama, and Ideology in
Contemporary Pan-Chinese Cinema”, Film Quarterly, Vol. 49, No. 1 (Autumn, 1995), pp.
16-27
For example: Students cannot simply look at the Classical Indian Dance Bharatanatyam and
discuss the exotic costume, challenge gestures, exaggerated facial expression and rhythmic bells.
Avanthi Meduri, author of Bharatanatyam: What Are You?, questions who has the power to
decide the identity and authority of this art form through the 16th century to present. She states
that Bharatanatyam was considered as a “corrupted form” in India during British occupation.
During Indian independency, “respected” people rescued Bharatanatyam, which became one of
the eight Indian Classical dances. In class discussion, I invite my students to debate: How do you
define respectability and corruption? Who determines the definition? What are the consequences
of categorizing certain people as respectable and corrupted?
In this course, the student is responsible for making TWO 20-minute presentations in class on a
theme related to the readings. They are expected to use appropriate vocabulary, contextualize the
reading, highlight key concepts and arguments illuminated in the text, and raise pertinent
questions and/or issues for discussion.
Each student will be asked to write a 12-15 page research essay. This essay will be graded for
demonstration of critical thinking. Each essay should have a particular argument and focus on a
dance style, issue, or performance discussed in class. You could also choose to write a
comparative paper where you analyze a theme or concept of Asian Dance in relation to your own
dance practice, or another dance style. The research paper guideline is attached.
2. Justification for the course
This course is a necessary component of our dance curriculum. Three years ago the dance
program updated the course offerings to remain current in the field. Nonwestern dance courses
are part of our dance education and training in the 21st century. We have also applied for the
Core Curriculum in Artistic Understanding and Global Perspectives. The CCC has approval
pending since it is not a “permanent” course. The confusion was due to the fact that the course
was offered as a special topics course and always had the number of PERFA 160. When we
updated the curriculum and renumbered all of the dance courses, we had to get the course
approved again. There is no record of prior approval because of this. We require this course of
our majors in dance. Dance minors take it as an option in a menu of choices. In the “old” core
the course covered the diversity requirement and has been cross-listed with Women’s Studies.
a) COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. Dance in Bali and Java: students will be able to:
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Identify the basic characteristics and vocabulary in classical dance.
Understand the key concepts and discourses involved in the study of these forms.
Develop an awareness of the context and politics of performing as well as viewing these
dances.
Develop writing a dance paper with a critical eye, an historical context, and a feminist
perspective.
Understand the connection between the various forms and how they lead to the
development of a new style of dance.
Recognize the relationship between the movement and music.
2. Dance in China: students will be able to:
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Identify the basic characteristics and vocabulary in Peking Opera, Yangge and other
ethnic Chinese dances.
Understand the key concepts and discourses involved in the study of these forms.
Develop an awareness of the context and politics of performing as well as viewing these
dances.
Develop writing a dance paper with a critical eye, an historical context, and a feminist
perspective.
Understand the connection between the various forms and how they lead to the
development of a new style of dance.
Distinguish “classical”, “folklore”, “modern,” and “contemporary” dance.
Recognize the relationship between the movement and music.
Distinguish major contemporary choreographers.
Understand the dance education system.
3. Dance in India: students will be able to
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Identify the basic characteristics and vocabulary in Bharatanatyam and other classical
Indian dance forms.
Understand the key concepts and discourses involved in the study of these forms.
Develop an awareness of the context and politics of performing as well as viewing these
dances.
Develop writing a dance paper with a critical eye, an historical context, and a feminist
perspective.
Understand the connection between the various forms and how they lead to the
development of a new style of dance.
Distinguish “classical”, Bollywood,” “modern,” and “contemporary” dance
Recognize the relationship between the movement and music.
c) Describe how the objectives listed above relate to Department, School, or
College goals.
As mentioned above, the dancer must have nonwestern forms in his/her education.
The dance program also wishes to offer courses in the core curriculum.
d) Describe the kinds of assignments/tasks that will be typical of those used to
evaluate the performance of students in the course.
1. On-line Forum
2. Students are required to post at least one question and respond two other
questions per reading on on-line forum, which is set in MOODLE.
3. In-class Presentations
Students will be responsible for making TWO 20-minute presentations in class
on a theme related to the readings.
4. Three Quizzes
5. One 12-15 Page Essay
6. Symposium Paper Presentation
Students will transform their 15-page essay into an 8-page paper suitable for a
20-minute talk (maximum time limit), and decide if/how they want to
complement it with audiovisual elements, performance practices, or workshopstyle audience participation. We will also include a short Q&A session after each
presentation.
Will the pass/fail grading option be allowed?
Yes, for students not in the major or minor in dance.
3. Student Population Identify who the anticipated students will be: department
majors? majors from other departments? students fulfilling other requirements?
Also give an estimate of how many students will be taking the course when offered.
There are approximately 50 majors and minors in the dance program. About half of them
will take the course. The course is offered every other Fall. It was offered in Fall 2013.
The course is also open to non-majors and minors. In the past students from other
departments have taken the course. In Fall 2011 it was offered with Women’s Studies.
There were 16 students in the course. Fall 2013 had smaller enrollment numbers due to
the fact that no one needs Diversity courses anymore and the new core approval has not
happened yet. We anticipate larger enrollment if given CCC approval. There are fewer
upper division Artistic Understanding courses in our Department.
4. Relationship to present College curriculum Indicate where this course fits in
relationship to other courses in the department. Identify any needed modification to
(or deletion of) existing courses as a result of offering this course. List courses in
other departments related to or affected by this course, particularly the potential
impact (either positive or negative) of this course on other departments and
programs.
The dance major is expected to take a series of courses offered developmentally. This
course fall into our history/theory rotation. Students take:
 PERFA 1, Perceiving the Performing Arts
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PERFA 181, Asian Dance
PERFA 182, Dance History I
PERFA 183, Dance History II
PERFA 184, Dance in Performance
There has been a positive impact to our department with the addition of this course. We used to
ask our students to take PERFA 14, World Music and Dance. We switched the major offering to
an upper division course for several reasons: 1) the course is taught by an expert in the field; 2)
this provided more depth rather than a survey of other dance forms; 3) this was the national
model; 4) PERFA 14 would become a service course for non-majors and benefit the CC.
5. Any extraordinary implementation costs Indicate whether there will be any special
or additional equipment necessary to run the course? special classroom or other
physical space requirements?
The Dance studio is used 4 times through the whole course for guest movement workshops. We
work this out internally. It does not affect external scheduling. Students pay a lab fee for the
course to cover guests and performances.
6. Library Resources
Completed by Sharon Walters. Please see email sent 1/30/2014.
7. Course credit and grading options Indicate the value of the course in SMC
course credits (1, .5, .25) , the total number of hours that the student will
spend in the classroom during the semester, the projected out-of-class time
per week (average), and the format of the course (lecture/discussion, lab,
studio, etc.)
The course is 1.0 credits and will meet in the classroom for the appropriate hours.
Currently it is offered on a T Th schedule. It is a lecture/discussion course with four days
of studio work for the students to learn the movement of various dances. Out of class
time is consistent with our courses. Performing Arts students are expected to spend a
considerable amount of time attending live performance. The dates are always included
in the syllabus. They attend 2-3 per semester in all of our full credit courses.
8. Prerequisites, corequisites (If applicable)
English 5
9. Course description wording for the appropriate College catalog Please submit the
actual catalog wording, not an approximation.
Classical dance is a significant symbol for the contemporary Asian nations-state and its
diasporas. In this class, we will explore how the category of “classical dance” was
defined in 20th and 21st century in Asia and investigate the performative value of the
concept—that is, we will look into what the idea of “classical dance” does, how it is
deployed, and examine the circumstances of its production and reception. Out of the
many established classical and contemporary forms, our focus will be on wayang wong
and shadow puppet in Bali and Java, Kathak and Bharatanatyam in India, Peking Opera,
Yangge, Ethnic Dances and “Revolution” Ballet in China. We will explore the key
sources upon which the dances are based; survey the histories of the forms that comprise
the classical canon; and situate the revival, reconstruction, and institutionalization of
classical dance as a symbol of national identity and heritage in these four nations. We
will also look at “folk,” “social,” “popular,” “Bollywood,” “modern,” and “contemporary”
dance as categories distinguished from—and which interrogate—classical
structures. Throughout, we will critically consider the relationship between dance,
colonialism, nationalism, religion, and social history. Students will attend live
performances as well as learn movement from some of the master teachers in the Bay
Area. Lab fees will be used to cover these costs.
10. Course content A syllabus, with tentative reading list, topics to be covered,
and major assignments, will normally be expected. In addition, in courses
where activities predominate, describe the role of such activities in the design
and purpose of the course.
Please see attached syllabus sent by email 1/30/2014.
11. Review of experimental offering Address what was learned and if any changes
grew out of the experimental offering of the course. (A course should be offered on
an experimental basis before it is presented for formal approval and inclusion in the
catalogue.)
We have offered the course in various configurations including as a Jan Term lower
division course. The feedback from our students was that there was too much
information for a Jan Term course and that it was upper division work. We explored the
truth in these claims and offered the course in the fall with upper division credit. This
course seemed more favorable and students gave Professor Jia Wu excellent teacher
evaluations. We have been using that model for the past two years. Changes also include
more student research and use of technology in the classroom seen in the online forum.
Experiential learning has also evolved with more movement master classes and student
leaders teaching movement material.