Note: Groundwork: Testing Basic Mechanics of Movement Through Play In this class we will be working to increase our movement variability; and to enhance our proprioceptive sensitivity. The goal is to develop a practice that helps the student move through life with ease. This class is grounded in the search for sustainable and efficient movement. Calisthenics, somatic research and improvisation will be used to provoke adaptability in the face of obstacles. The aim is to provide resources for the student's own practice; and to invoke a sense of play when confronting chaos and complexity.

Note: This class will be a Cecchetti inspired class that also explores the connection and evolution of ballet technique from Cecchetti to the Vaganova and Balanchine techniques/philosophies.

Note: Contemporary African Dance This course expresses movement forms that combine indigenous African dance techniques as a fundamental exploration through improvisation. The goal is to incorporate varied dance styles while maintaining the philosophies of African dance aesthetics. This course is to equip students with African dance movement expressions and embodiment.

Note: Taught by dance students enrolled in DANCE 481.001.

Note: This class meets in Studio 4: Room 1060. Study of the various folkloric dance forms of the Caribbean, particularly those of Cuba, Haiti, and Brazil.

Note: In this class, we will move together, learn original choreography, practice improvisation, and experiment with some low pressure creations of our own. We will keep journals and discuss our curiosities, desires, and discoveries in the field of contemporary dance. We will survey influential choreographers and companies, look at historical artistic movements and methods, and view performances to deepen our understanding of what contemporary dance is and where we might see ourselves within.

Note: Bharatanatyam is one of the most widely-practiced classical dance forms of India. This intricate and beautiful tradition has an extensive vocabulary, spanning across both abstract dance and storytelling. This course is a beginner's guide to the physical practice of Bharatanatyam. Students will learn basic movements, gestures and facial expressions from the dance vocabulary, understand the history of the form and embody a practice that has been evolving for centuries.

Note: This beginner level course will introduce students to dance styles originating from the African Diaspora. Students will learn fundamentals of movement derived from West African, Caribbean, and African American forms and will gain historical and cultural context of these styles. Throughout the course, we will discover how these techniques inform and influence contemporary jazz technique and use those principles to create unique and diverse movement scores. Throughout this course students are encouraged to take their own self exploration through movement, history, and culture. Dance is deeply informed by our personal experiences, where our ancestors are from, and where we hope to end. This course will be a quest of how we transform and develop as individuals through movement and dance.

Note: Throughout the semester, we will work with physical, written, and spoken prompts to uncover patterns and curiosities within us. We will learn choreographic tools such as time, space effort, repetition, accumulation, character, and theme and variation, as well as constructive feedback techniques to support the creative process. Movement explorations and guided improvisations will be utilized to discover and expand physical language, as students learn to create original solo and group works in a supportive environment. Students will be required to view one live dance performance and write a reflection, as well as give a brief context presentation on a prominent choreographer. Class will culminate in an informal showing of student creations. No prior dance technique is required. Interdisciplinary explorations are encouraged, and curiosity and openness will be key to the process.

Note: This class meets in Studio 3: Room 1180. Study of traditional dances of the African Congo.

Note: Taught by dance students enrolled in DANCE 481.002.