Theater and Dance 255 - Dance and Society

This course explores the aesthetic legacy of dance as an expressive medium for documenting, commenting on, and reflecting on society. It focuses on the historical developments of ritual, social dances, and concert dances with an emphasis on non-Western cultural influences, understanding dance-making and dance movements, identifying global dance trends from belly dance to break dancing, and recognizing the body as art. Artists considered include Pearl Primus, Maya Deren, Bill T. Jones, Tatsumi Hijikata, and Dada Masilo, among others. Students will develop a global understanding and appreciation of dance related to their own cultural identity. Key areas of study include the function of dance in society, historical developments in concert dance, social dances, non-Western classical dances, dance as a tool for community activism, the role of the black Diaspora in popular culture, and contemporary dance concert forms. Students will develop an understanding of dance history through group and individual assignments, video screenings, readings, short movement studies, and written critiques. Two class meetings per week. 

Fall semester. Lecturer Torres.

How to handle overenrollment: THDA majors given priority. Instructor will choose students based on a balance of interests and class years.

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: This course requires regular attendance and class participation, class discussion, and reading, viewing and writing assignments. It will also include group assignments outside of class.