DANC 211 - Afro-Contemporary Dance I

An exploration of the rich African and Afrodiasporic influences on modern and contemporary dance techniques and choreography. Beginning with the anthropological research of Katherine Dunham, Black traditions from the Caribbean and North and South America helped shape American concert dance traditions. This course is designed as an intermediate-level technique class in modern and contemporary dance forms from the United States, Brazil, and the Caribbean with an extensive introduction to movement composition. Work in both areas emphasizes movement invention, design, and development. This class will have a series of compositional assignments to apply choreographic tools. In addition to movement efficiency, strength, flexibility, and alignment, we will work with complex rhythmic structures, torso and hip articulations, and expressivity. This course will examine racial and ethnic dynamics in American concert dance.

Unit(s): 1
Group Distribution Requirement(s): Distribution Group I
Instructional Method: Studio
Grading Mode: Letter grading (A-F)
Notes: This course is appropriate for students with previous training in dance technique. This course may be applied toward the dance studio requirements.
Group Distribution Learning Outcome(s):

Understand how arguments can be made, visions presented, or feelings or ideas conveyed through language or other modes of expression (symbols, movement, images, sounds, etc.).
Analyze and interpret texts, whether literary or philosophical, in English or a foreign language, or works of the visual or performing arts.
Evaluate arguments made in or about texts (whether literary or philosophical, in English or a foreign language, or works of the visual or performing arts).