Courses

The course offerings in dance at Emory College are diverse and rich, stimulating mind and body alike. Our mission is to educate the entire dancer through studio work, the creative process, special subjects in the field, and interdisciplinary approaches.

DANC 123R: Contemporary Modern Dance I (Introduction) (1 hour)

Content: This course is designed for students with no or minimal dance experience. It introduces dance technique and contemporary modern dance vocabulary. Emphasis will be placed on dynamic alignment, sensing and activating weight, developing coordination, and discovering body connections. Movement explorations take place on the floor, standing, and in sequences locomoting through space. Creative expression and musicality are integrated into class content.

Particulars: Fulfills PED/PE requirement. May be taken up to three times for credit. Students are required to take this course three times before progressing to the next level and should secure the permission of the instructor before doing so.

DANC 223R: Contemporary Modern Dance II (Advanced Beginning) (1 hour)

Content: This course builds on the technical skills introduced in Dance 123R. Emphasis is placed on centering, core support, breath support, full articulation of the body in three-dimensional space, fully integrating concepts of parallel and rotation, and the interplay of stability and mobility.

Particulars: This course is designed for students who can demonstrate the skills taught in Contemporary Modern Dance I. At least three semesters in the Contemporary Modern Dance I and consultation with instructor is required before entry into this course. May be taken up to four times for credit. Fulfills PED/PE requirement.

DANC 323R: Contemporary Modern Dance III (Intermediate) (1 hour)

Content: This course is designed for students who are ready to deepen technical practices. Emphasis is placed on the student's technical proficiency and versatility. This course encourages intermediate students to become articulate performers by developing groundedness, musicality, sophisticated use of three-dimensional space, partnering, and ensemble work.

Particulars: This course is designed for students who can demonstrate the skills taught in Contemporary Modern Dance II. Consultation with instructor is required before enrolling in this course. May be taken up to six times for credit. Fulfills PED/PE requirement.

DANC 423R: Contemporary Modern Dance IV (Advanced) (2 hours)

Content: This course is designed for advanced dance students who can demonstrate a consistent repertoire of technical skill absent of fundamental body issues. Class material challenges the student's technical and performance range and develops a sophisticated understanding of movement concepts through assignments, discussion, and unique class experiences. Content includes, but is not limited to, problem solving, partnering, a conscience use of phrasing, and somatic practices.

Particulars: Contemporary Modern Dance IV is taught at an advanced level and is designed for students who have mastered the skills taught in DANC 323R. Consultation with instructor is required before enrolling in this course. May be taken up to eight times for credit. Fulfills the PED/PE requirement.

DANC 121R: Ballet I (Introduction) (1 hour)

Content: This course is designed for students with no or very minimal experience in ballet technique. Ballet I introduces students to the basic skills and terminology of ballet. The course includes barre exercises with an emphasis on alignment. Center work will include adagio, tendu, basic turns, petite allegro, and grande allegro in simple combinations. The course is designed to develop individual body awareness, strength, flexibility, and an appreciation of the art of ballet.

Particulars: Fulfills PED/PE requirement. May be taken up to three times for credit. Students are required to take this course at least two times before progressing to the next level and should secure the permission of the instructor before doing so.

DANC 221R: Ballet II (Advanced Beginning) (1 hour)

Content: This course is designed for students who can demonstrate an understanding of and familiarity with basic ballet vocabulary. Includes barre exercises with a continued emphasis on alignment. Center work will include adagio, tendu, turns, petite allegro, and grande allegro in simple combinations. The course is designed to develop individual body awareness, strength, flexibility, musicality, and an appreciation of the art of ballet.

Particulars: This course is designed for students who have successfully mastered the skills taught in Ballet I. At least 2-3 semesters in Ballet I and consultation with the instructor are required before entry into this course. May be taken up to four times for credit. Satisfies PED/PE requirement.

DANC 321R: Ballet III (Intermediate) (1 hour)

Content: This course continues to reinforce and build upon the skills learned in Ballet II. More emphasis is placed on style and execution of movement at an intermediate level. Movement sequences become more intricate. A more extensive movement vocabulary is introduced.

Particulars: This course is designed for students who can demonstrate an understanding of and familiarity with the skills and vocabulary addressed in Ballet II. At least 2-3 semesters in Ballet II and consultation with the instructor are required before enrolling in this course. May be taken up to six times for credit. Fulfills the PED/PE requirement.

DANC 421R: Ballet IV (Advanced) (1 hour)

Content: This course continues to reinforce and build upon the skills learned in Dance 321R. More emphasis is placed on style and execution. Combinations increase in intricacy and a larger dance movement vocabulary is introduced. Course work may include pointe work and variations.

Particulars: This course is taught at an advanced level and is designed for students who have mastered the skills taught in Dance 321R, or by permission of instructor. At least two semesters in Ballet III and consultation with the instructor are required before enrolling in this course. May be taken up to eight times for credit. Fulfills the PED/PE requirement.

DANC 124R: Jazz Dance I (Introduction) (1 hour)

Content: This course is designed for students with no or very minimal jazz dance experience. The course provides an introduction to articulating and expressing rhythms through stylized movement sequences, basic technical skills, and performance. Emphasis is on development of greater body awareness, strength, flexibility, coordination, musicality (especially syncopation), and improvisation.

Particulars: Fulfills PED/PE requirement. May be taken up to three times for credit.

DANC 224R: Jazz Dance II (Advanced Beginning) (1 hour)

Content: This course includes further development of skills introduced in Jazz Dance I with greater emphasis on style, performance, and technique. More technically challenging movement sequences will be introduced and students will be expected to individualize movement at a beginner/intermediate level.

Particulars: Jazz Dance I or previous jazz training constitutes prerequisites. Fulfills PED/PE requirement. May be taken up to four times for credit.

DANC 324R: Jazz Dance III (Intermediate) (1 hour)

Content: This course includes further development of skills introduced in Jazz Dance II with greater emphasis on style, performance and technique. More technically challenging movement sequences will be introduced and students will be expected to individualize movement at an intermediate level. Course material may include components of Broadway, lyrical, hip hop and other entertainment-based dance forms.

Particulars: Jazz Dance II or previous jazz training constitutes prerequisites. Fulfills PED/PE requirement. May be taken up to six times for credit.

DANC 424R: Jazz Dance IV (Advanced) (1 hour)

Content: This course is designed for advanced dancers who demonstrate consistent technical knowledge within the jazz dance genre. Class material will range in style from Broadway to contemporary.

Particulars: Jazz Dance III or permission of the instructor. Fulfills PED/PE requirement. May be taken up to eight times for credit.

DANC 222R: Hip-Hop (beginning/intermediate) (1 hour)

Content: Students learn the basic skills and techniques of street dance styles (such as breaking, popping, locking, house, new jack, and krumping) and examines hip-hop dance/culture as a social, concert, and commercial form. The course contextualizes the physical practice with lectures and discussions.

Particulars: Fulfills PED/PE requirement. May be taken up to three times for credit.

DANC 322R: Hip-Hop (intermediate/advanced) (1 hour)

Content: This course develops techniques of street dance styles andexamines hip-hop dance/culture. Students dive deeper into their artistry by engaging in the cultural laws of hip-hop—innovation, creativity, and individuality, to raze traditional hierarchical systems of power and promote respect for all.

Particulars: Designed for students who have mastered the skills taught in DANC 222R. Fulfills PED/PE requirement. May be taken up to three times for credit.

DANC 150R: Movement Improvisation (1 hour)

Content: This course is an investigation of the body's potential to move without preconception. Explorations in a variety of improvisational forms emphasize group interplay, problem-solving, and inner listening in order to reveal new movement vocabularies and increase kinesthetic awareness.

Particulars: Required course for dance and movement studies majors and minors. May be taken up to three times for credit. Fulfills PED/PE requirement. Prerequisite for Choreography I.

DANC 212R: Topics in Dance Technique (1 hour)

Content: Students will study a technique dance form, learning the basic techniques and style of the form. The material will be further explored through historical, cultural, and political perspectives. This course culminates in a performance or lecture demonstration.

Particulars: Fulfills PED/PE requirement. May be taken up to three times for credit (topics must be different).

DANC 213R: African Dance (1 hour)

Content: This course will introduce a variety of African Dance styles and movement forms from the West and Central African countries. Students will understand the relationship of culture and tradition in these regions, and study the technical components of each dance form.

Particulars: Fulfills PED/PE requirement. May be taken up to two times for credit.

DANC 214R: Flamenco (1 hour)

Content: Flamenco reflects a way of life through rhythmic footwork, fluid upper body movements, and music of guitar, singing, and percussion. This course emphasizes the Spanish Gypsy culture and its forms of group support and expression. Students analyze its origins and evolution.

Particulars: Fulfills PED/PE requirement. May be taken up to two times for credit.

DANC 215R: Kuchipudi (1 hour)

Content: This course introduces students to the basics of Kuchipudi, which is one of the seven Asian Indian classical dance forms. Students will gain familiarity with hand gestures, foot movement, rhythmic syllables, and how to use combinations of these to express themselves through dance. At the end of the course, students will learn their first Kuchipudi dance item, Poorva Rangam, which means complete presentation.

Particulars: Fulfills PED/PE requirement. May be taken up to two times for credit.

DANC 225: Fitness for Dancers (1 hour)

Content: This course increases the students' physical capacities through study and implementation of principles of physical fitness with the objective of improving dance performance. Somatic practices and exercise systems are introduced through guest lectures. Students are introduced to anatomical and physiological issues that are common among dancers.

Particulars: Fulfills PPF requirement.

DANC 207R: Emory Dance Company (1-2 hours)

Content: As a member of Emory Dance Company, students will perform in a fully produced dance concert. Students gain performance techniques, learn about ensemble dancing, and often contribute in the making of original choreographic work. In addition, students will gain experience in some of the technical aspects of dance concert production.

Particulars: Course admission is by audition. Simultaneous enrollment in a dance technique class is required. Credit hours are assigned in accordance with the number of works in which a student participates. May be taken up to eight times for credit. Fulfills PED/PE requirement.

DANC 250: Choreography I (3 hours)

Content: This is a dance composition course designed to allow the student to discover new ideas about movement in a nurturing and experimental environment. Students develop and perform solo studies with an emphasis placed on the development of personal movement vocabulary, phrase building, and the exploration of choreographic tools. Discussion, critiquing, and descriptive writing about their choreographic processes will supplement direct physical work.

Particulars: Prerequisite - DANC 150R: Movement Improvisationn or PE_OX 151 Dance Improvisation. Required course for dance and movement studies majors and minors. Must be a declared dance and movement studies major or minor, or permission of instructor. Fulfills XA GER requirement.

DANC 350: Choreography II (5 hours)

Content: Students will utilize skills acquired in Choreography I. Choreography II emphasizes deeper exploration and understanding of the elements of space, time, and energy in group works. This course meets twice a week, with an additional evening lab for viewing and critiquing works in progress. Students participate in many aspects of the production process.

Particulars: Movement Improvisation (DANC 150 or PE_OX 151) and Choreography I (DANC 250) are prerequisites. Fulfills HAP GER.

DANC 360R: Choreographic Laboratory (2 hours)

Content: This course is designed to provide additional working experience in creating choreographic work. In addition, students participate in many aspects of the production process.

Particulars: Movement Improvisation (DANC 150 or PE_OX 151), Choreography I (DANC 250), and Choreography II (DANC 350) are prerequisites. May be taken up to two times for credit.

DANC 226: Topics in Somatic Practices (1-4 hours)

Content: Somatic movement education builds a relationship between the body and mind by guiding the mover through a process of full body integration. A variety of somatic practices may be covered, including Bartenieff Fundamentals, Iyengar-based yoga, Pilates, and core support movement training. Somatic practices can be applied to everyday activities and performance, affecting levels of confidence and encouraging authenticity.

Particulars: Fulfills PED/PE requirement. This course can be repeated up to three times for credit as long as the topic is different.

DANC 220: History of Western Concert Dance (4 hours)

Content: This course traces the development of Western concert dance from 15th century European court dance to the present. Emphasis will be placed on the development of American modern dance, postmodern dance, and current dance artists.

Particulars: This course is required for all dance and movement studies majors and minors. Must be a declared dance and movement studies major or minor or permission of instructor. GER: HSC

DANC 228: Hip-Hop Dance and Identity (3 hours)

Content: This course explores hip-hop dance/culture via lectures and movement sessions. It facilitates cultural self-awareness and tools for self-expression by considering race, sexuality, class, authenticity, and gender within hip-hop to delineate how it unifies people across racial and ethnic barriers.

Particulars: GER: ETHN

DANC 229: Introduction to Dance (3 hours)

Content: Introduction to Dance is an overview of dance as an expressive art form, a symbolic language, and an integral aspect of world cultures. The course is designed to help students grasp a range of cultural, aesthetic, and bodily worlds from which dance is born. Course work enables students to develop intuitive and verbal skills which allow them to articulate about movement and its meaning. This is supported by direct physical experience in various dance forms, styles, genres, and throughly exploring the creative process.

Particulars: Course material will be presented through a series of lectures, guest speakers, performance observations, discussions, and actual movement experiences. No prerequisites or dance experience required. GER: HAP/HA

DANC 240: Dance Literacy (3 hours)

Content: This course will provide a framework for observing, analyzing, notating, and understanding movement as an expressive, communicative form. Movement literacy skills are demonstrated through the body by building relationships between Body, Space, Shape, and Effort. By utilizing Rudolph Laban's Movement Analysis system (LMA), emphasis is placed on embodying movement intention and discovering context and meaning in stylistic patterns of movement.

Particulars: Extensive readings, movement studies, discussions, and video observation will be the means of gathering data. No prerequisites required. Required course for dance and movement studies majors. GER: HAP/HA

DANC 243: Arts Administration (3 hours)

Content: A lecture/laboratory course on how artists accomplish their work in the face of changes in values, government mandates, and the economy

Particulars: Cross-listed with THEA 243, MUS 243, ARTHIST243. GER: HSC

DANC 329W: Art as Work: Self, Community, Practice (4 hours)

Content: This course explores the practical, aesthetic, and current issues of the performing arts as they relate to the development of individual artists and the communities that support their work. Focus areas include arts advocacy, grant writing, and the arts as a reflection of contemporary culture.

Particulars: Required course for dance and movement studies majors. Permission only. Cross-listed with THEA 329. GER: continued writing (W/CW)

DANC 330: Dance Pedagogy (3 hours)

Content: This course develops communicative, leadership, and creative skills while preparing the student for his/her role as a dance educator. Movement is developed as a kinesthetic tool for learning. Content includes the history of dance education, educational theories, development of original lesson plans, and practical teaching experiences in the Atlanta community.

Particulars: Permission of instructor recommended. GER: HAP

DANC 211: Tango: Argentina's Art Form (3 hours)

Content: This course for music and dance students to study Argentine tango will intersect scholarly studies of tango history and culture with performance practice. It will provide an authentic, holistic learning experience for students to understand how theory and practice inform each other. Music and dance majors and minors only, or by permission of instructor with letter of recommendation by a music or dance professor.

Particulars: Cross-listed with MUS 211. Instructor consent required to enroll in this course. GER: XA

DANC 230: Principles of Design (4 hours)

Content: The focus of this course is on design for dance, providing students with a theoretical and practical understanding of the processes involved in conceiving and executing stage designs. It will serve as an introduction to the theory and practice of set, costume, and lighting design. In a broader sense, it is aimed at helping students hear and experience music and dance with a richer sense of its visual qualities. Cross-listed with THEA 230

Particulars: Fulfills HAP/HA GER requirement.

DANC 251: Lighting Design for Dance (4 hours)

Content: Students learn to balance the practical and theoretical aspects of lighting design—technical know-how, artistic vision, communication skills (drafting, drawing, charting), collaboration, and organizational skills. Students are expected to have some knowledge of concert dance and theatrical methods.

Particulars: Fulfills XA GER

DANC 314: Twentieth Century Music Theater

Content: A study of the history and forms of musical theater in America since the turn of the twentieth century.

Particulars: Cross-listed with THEA 314; fulfills HAP GER.

DANC 334W: Beyond Bollywood: Histories of Indian Dance (4 hours)

Content: Drawing on critical Indian dance studies, this course traces the complicated histories of Indian dance, focusing on the intersections of gender, caste, aesthetics, and race. The course reimagines the histories of "classical" Indian dance, both in India and on the transnational stage.

Particulars: Cross-listed with MESAS 334W; fulfills CWE GER (continued writing with race and ethnicity)

DANC 336: Experiential Anatomy (3 hours)

Content: This course is designed for dancers, movers, and aspiring movement practitioners to develop a deeper anatomical understanding of the body and to explore anatomical relationships through movement, somatic practices, and neuromuscular exercises.

Particulars: Fulfills HAP GER; cross-listed with HLTH 369

DANC 340W: Arts Writing and Criticism (4 hours)

Content: This course will be conducted as a professional workshop. During the semester students will be required to produce a series of critical articles covering a wide spectrum of fields from music to books, to dance, to theater and the visual arts. Class sessions and assignments will be devoted to nurturing the requisite skills needed to become a successful reviewer or critic. The seminar will include talks by faculty from Journalism, Dance, Music and Theater Studies, as well as visiting professional critics.

Particulars: Fulfills HAPW GER; cross-listed with ENGRD 380W, MUS 370W, THEA 340W

DANC 385: Special Topics in Dance and Movement Studies (1-4 hours)

Content: Course based on selected topics in dance or movement studies. May be repeated for credit when topic varies. Recent special topics courses are listed below.

DANC 454W: Special Topics: Sex, Power, and Ballet (4 hours)

Content: This course examines ballet from the nineteenth century to present day through the lenses of gender and sexuality. Students will engage with critical texts from dance studies, feminist theory, and queer theory to consider ways the performing ballet body materializes and functions aesthetically, culturally, and politically on the Western concert stage.

Particulars: Cross-listed with WGS 455W; fulfills HAW GER.

DANC 455W: Special Topics: Ballet Culture: Pleasure and Pain (4 hours)

This course examines how media simultaneously portrays and constructs cultural representations of ballet through the tropes of pleasure and pain. Students will analyze popular films from the 1940s to present day, documentaries, and television series in relationship to dance history and larger Westernized notions of sexuality, childhood, and the body.

Particulars: Cross-listed with WGS 455W; fulfills HAW GER.

Topics may vary from year to year. Below are examples of recent seminars.

DANC 190: Freshman Seminar: Contemplate, Create, Debate: The Arts According to You (3 hours)

Content: Philosophy, the arts, and criticism come together in this course that traces the history of artistic thinking from the early Greeks, to the naughty Europeans, to our current artistic climate. Students will create, perform, produce, examine, and begin to define their own aesthetics by taking in as much art and culture as one can in a semester! Guest lectures, abstract thinking, and a journey into unfamiliar arts-driven territory will define the class. Students will have the opportunity to gain some hands-on experience with different artistic genres, including music, theater, visual arts, and dance.

DANC/MATH 190: Freshman Seminar: Move Your Math (3 hours)

Content: Mathematics and dance are usually perceived as two distinct and unrelated disciplines. But, in reality, both share the same building blocks dynamics, time and space. This course bridges the left and right side of the brain through rigor and creativity. You will experience mathematics in a new way by exploring the relationship between movement concepts and math concepts. This is done via movement improvisations, discussions, presentations, and collaborative projects. This approach will help you overcome difficulties experienced in the past so that you can develop an in-depth understanding of simple and advanced mathematics, while building confidence in both math and dance. No dance experience is necessary.

DANC 190: Freshman Seminar: Connecting the Mind to the Moving Body (3 hours)

Content: This course focuses on exploring the interconnections of body and mind through somatic and movement experiences. Students will focus on the ways somatic practice informs and intertwines with one's intellectual life, cultural identity, and embodied life experiences. This course will present an experiential overview of different somatic practices (i.e. Alexander, ideokinesis, Bartenieff Fundamentals and core support techniques). All of these somatic forms require attention to breathing, alignment, proprioception, core support, sequencing and flexibility. This class will be supported with various guest movement teachers, readings, discussions, journaling, a series of short papers, and an essay exam. This course would be a great choice for any student who has a background in dance, yoga, tai chi, Pilates or any movement form and is interested in different ways of looking at and experiencing movement.

DANC 491R Special Projects: Performance (1-4 hours)

Content: This course provides students with an opportunity to explore individually designed projects, under faculty supervision and evaluation. May be repeated for credit when project varies

Particulars: By consent of department only. May be taken up to four times for credit. Students enrolled in this course must also be enrolled in a technique class for credit.

DANC 492R: Special Projects: Technical Production (1-4 hours)

Content: This course provides students with an opportunity to explore individually designed technical production projects in dance under faculty supervision.