Movement through the use of technique and improvisation. Emphasizes spontaneity, joy in moving, self-awareness and is based on experiential anatomy and developmental movement patterns. Provides strong foundation for further study in dance, theater, or sports. No previous dance training required.

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

Rooted in dance, martial arts and studies of body development and awareness. A duet form where partners use weight, momentum, and inertia to move each other freely through space. Solo and duet skills, rolling, falling, balance, counter-balance, jumping, weight sharing, spirals explored. Skill work combined with more open dancing in a supportive and focused environment. No previous dance training required.

Location

O'Brien Residence Hall Room 104 (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

Location

Sloan Performing Arts Center Room B025 (TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)

An introductory course of three different contemporary dance techniques. This course will be divided into three sections across the semester. Starting the course with the fundamentals of Cunningham technique to find stability, balance and coordination. We find a strong grounding through upright dance focusing on the 5 positions of the spine through various standing and travelling sequences. 

Second, we move on to release based techniques with a focus on using the stability we have found with Cunningham and applying in a more relaxed and somatic approach. Working on both floor work and standing work we have our emphasis on finding ease of movement through the use of breath and other sensations such as swinging. Lastly we move away from codified dancing to work on improvisation, where we can draw from everything we have learned in a more creative way of working that is more about interpreting tasks than recreating taught phrases granting you more autonomy over your

dancing. 

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

Yoga is defined as union, the uniting together of ourselves in all aspects- body, mind, heart, spirit. This class introduces the student to a hatha yoga method which integrates a dynamic and engaging approach to living through practicing on and off the mat. The goal of this class is to learn how to create a deeper, more enlivened relationship to ones self through honoring ones abilities and limitations, while growing ones skills and sensitivity in the supportive environment of the class community. Students will engage with principles of attitude, alignment and action in a full range of hatha yoga poses, breathing techniques, readings on yoga philosophy, reflection, journaling and discussion. Through this ongoing process, students of yoga are encouraged to cultivate a more expansive and clear perception of self and others. Attendance in selected workshops and performances are required.

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)

Focus is on contemporary dance, a form that is an evolving exploration of expression through movement. It will blend the challenges of full-bodied, momentum-driven dancing with a sense of ones own self-awareness and discovery. Through rigorous dancing, move beyond not only physical, but also artistic boundaries and dimensions.

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

Social dance plays an important role in every society, simultaneously fostering community and self-expression. From the Waltz to Contra Dancing, Ragtime Dances to Rock n Roll, and Tango to Salsa, this course explores the history and culture of several social and popular dances in the United States from the countrys founding to the present. Students discover how cultural beliefs are embedded in social dance practices, and how, vice versa, social dance practices can help shape changing norms and behaviors. Through a mixture of lectures, readings, discussions, video-viewings and experiencing the basic steps, each social dance form studied is contextualized within its time period. The course as a whole considers patterns of cultural change across the decades in terms of gender, race, class and social identities. No previous dance experience is necessary.

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

This course explores dance improvisation as a practice and technique for self-expression, performance and composition. By opening our senses and learning tools for generating movement in real-time, students will unite their bodies and minds to engage in spontaneous investigation and creation. Specific theories and techniques based in the work of Anne Bogart, William Forsythe and Laban Movement Analysis will be explored in addition to wider concepts such as scores, collective composition and site-specific work. The main goals of this class are to provide students with the freedom to explore their own movement-based research interests and to develop their individual artistic voices within a structured environment. Students will also strengthen their presence, intuition, self-awareness and decision-making skills

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

An art form of self-defense with aerobic and dance elements that brings together a harmony of forces. Through history, movement and culture, students gain self-confidence, power, flexibility, endurance, and tools towards self-discovery. Open to all, Capoeira balances the body, mind, and soul and enables one to break through limits, revitalizing oneself for everyday life.

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (MW 4:50PM - 6:20PM)

Krump; an urban street dance, is characterized by free, expressive, exaggerated and highly energetic movement. Krump was created by several youth from Los Angeles who were seeking to escape gang life and to express raw emotions in a powerful but non-violent way. A movement that started in a living room, is now all over the world. Students will learn the history, the fundamentals of Krump which consist of 4 main basics: Stomps, Arms, Chestpops, and Grooves and the terminology associated with the dance, such as battles, sessions, call-outs, get-off, kill-off, material, combos, hype and many more. Students will be evaluated through reflective writing, vocal quizzes, a mini-research project, video viewing, discussions and participation within the class, and attendance and responses to workshops and performance events on campus outside of class time.

Location

O'Brien Residence Hall Room 104 (MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

This beginner level dance course introduces the fundamental values, practices and movements of hip-hop dance. This course will focus on foundations and origins of hip-hop and street dance culture, and how each relates to today's current definitions of hip-hop and freestyle dance. The class will be explored through lecture and conversations, as well as movement participation by the students with choreography instruction and freestyle drills led by the instructor, plus related video and/or reading assignments as they pertain to each week’s lesson. Students will be challenged and encouraged to apply historical and practical knowledge of hip-hop in order to understand its influences on the world around them.

Location

Todd Union Room 202F (M 7:00PM - 7:30PM)

Todd Union Room 107 (M 7:30PM - 9:30PM)

Traditional Folkloric roots of Middle Eastern Dance, focusing on specific Bedouin dance styles of North Africa (Raks Shaabi). Discourse and research will address issues of gender and body image. Improving strength, flexibility and self-awareness of the body, the class work will include meditative movement, dance technique, choreography and improvisation. No prior dance experience necessary.

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (MW 6:30PM - 7:45PM)

Dancers, musicians, actors, painters, philosophers, poets, warriors, healers, and artists of every discipline historically have utilized the Chinese internal arts of Tai Chi and Qi Gong as tools for the mobilization of qi, or energy, in order to achieve health, healing, and mind-body-spirit integration. This course combines movement, meditative, and breathing exercises and traditional forms with readings, video viewings, creative exercises, exploratory projects, and discussions of literature and philosophy to explore how the practice and philosophy of these transformative arts can lead to mental and physical balance, body-mind integration, self-discovery, creative expression, and peak athletic and enhanced artistic performance.

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (TR 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

This experiential course invites pausing and reflecting on the habits of mind. Cultivate awareness of the present moment, which is the only moment available to learn and live. Students will be guided in mindfulness and insight techniques, relaxation, and other mindfulness practices. Incorporating mindfulness into daily life, class discussion, reading, and writing assignments will support understanding and personal growth. To facilitate establishing a personal practice, attendance will be required at DANC 218 meditation labs on specified Fridays. You must register for Lab when registering for the main section. Cluster: Mind-Body Somatics

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (MW 8:40AM - 10:10AM)

To facilitate establishing a personal practice, attendance will be required at meditation labs on Fridays

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (F 9:00AM - 9:50AM)

In this course, students with prior yoga and/or dance experience will learn how to refine their skills through a continued exploration of asanas, pranayama, philosophy, and meditation. We will explore a more rigorous vinyasa flow practice, resulting in students developing more clarity regarding alignment, breath support, core aliveness, and, ultimately, body/self-awareness. While this is an individualized practice, the importance of community will be emphasized throughout as students share aspects of their practice with each other. Readings, discussion, and reflective writing are inherent to deepening ones practice.

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (F 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 103 (W 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

This class is designed to meet the needs of students who already have an ongoing practice of hatha yoga and are interested in stepping more deeply into the refinements of asana and pranayama, as well as reflection, understanding and assimilation of the concepts and teachings of yoga philosophy. Students will continue to enhance and grow their technical skills using principles of alignment and engagement which are both scientific and artful. While building more physical strength and suppleness, students will also establish a more steady foundation of understanding in how to embody and practically apply the knowledge gained from what they are reading, learning and journaling about.

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (F 10:25AM - 11:40AM)

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 103 (W 10:25AM - 11:40AM)

Freshly experience inhabiting a human body and its postural alignment through the deep work of noticing and embracing anatomical processes. A counter-pose to the pressures of college life, discover embodiment as a resource for self-awareness, support, ease, and stress relief. Show up, slow down, pay attention, meditate, feel, sense, and relax. Explore form and the nature of mind through yogic practices. Color anatomical drawings, read about human structures, reflect on one’s unique living anatomy, write responses, join inquiry discussions, and adopt simple daily practices outside of class. Students are required to schedule a 1:1 meeting with the instructor outside of regular class time to design a project based on their distinct interests and needs. This class incorporates various aspects of the 8 limbs of yoga, particularly self-study. For a more movement focused yoga course see DANC 114 and DANC 225. Contact the instructor for more information and admittance to the course. Open to Juniors and Seniors. Cluster: (H1DAN009) Mind-Body Somatics

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (MW 10:25AM - 12:20PM)

This humanities course based in the arts combines the study of performing, visual arts and new media with history and theory to convey a breadth of stories about the human experience of climate change. In this interdisciplinary, collaborative course, students will be introduced to the multi-faceted use of the arts in designing for and expressing a vision for a sustainable future. Working with community partners, our research and story collection in the Adirondack park will be used to inspire projects in the course.  Collaboration, design thinking, and the iterative design process will be used to produce performances and art work that respond to the stories of the changing climate in the Adirondack park. It will move through multiple units of theoretical study as students simultaneously work on their creative projects. The course will include an optional trip to the Adirondack Park to engage with our community partners.

Location

Todd Union Room 107 (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

Rettner Hall Room 307 (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

If there is one thing we, as humans, can count on, it’s that things change. Whether on a cellular, environmental, political, ideological, or physical level, change is a constant in our lives and in our world. This new Humanities for Life course will incorporate multiple disciplines to provide greater scope and perspective on change and observe how artists from dance, music, and fine arts have creatively explored the subject. Psychology, Economic, Political Science, Linguistic, and Sustainability scholars will contribute to the course’s rich discussion and investigation. “What is my personal relationship with change?” is one of the course’s primary questions. As a final creative project, students will use movement, writing, music, art, and/or spoken word to express their own ideas about change. Classes will regularly explore embodied practice, creative and reflective writing, and expansive discussion to dive into this important inquiry.

Location

O'Brien Residence Hall Room 104 (TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

Would you like to perform several times this Spring? This course provides students with an experience of professional-style dance rehearsals through an in-depth creative process led by the instructor, with collaborative contributions from the cast. We will learn two new dances; the first will be performed at the Faculty Concert in the Sloan Performing Arts Center (Feb 29-March 2), and the second at the SEED Concert in Spurrier (April 11-13). Students will diversify their experiences as dancer-collaborators and deepen their creative journey as artists. 

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (TR 4:50PM - 6:20PM)

This is an introductory design course aimed at giving students exposure to light as a medium, lighting design, lighting equipment, and visual story telling for performance through class discussion, and practical work. This is a 2 credit course and meets throughout the semester from 3:30pm-6:30pm

on Fridays. Students will be required to attend dance performances and will help install the light plot. The class is built around specific performance dates that will provide the students with an opportunity to light a dance piece.

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (F 3:30PM - 6:30PM)

Experience dancing African styles from traditional cultures of Guinea, West Africa, as well as studying cultural history and context from which and in which they are practiced and performed. Technical emphasis will focus on musicality and complex choreographicarrangement. Students will practice dances and drum songs. Required outside work includes performance attendance, video viewing, text and article analysis, research and written work.

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

Experience dancing African styles from traditional cultures of Guinea, West Africa, as well as studying cultural history and context from which and in which they are practiced and performed. Technical emphasis will focus on musicality and complex choreographicarrangement. Students will practice dances and drum songs. Required outside work includes performance attendance, video viewing, text and article analysis, research and written work.

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (F 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

An examination of the origins and the evolution of the art of tap dancing in American History. Tap dancing is a twentieth century term, but the practice it labels is much older, at least as old as the United States.? (What The Eye Hears: A History of Tap Dancing by Brian Seibert). The branches of the jazz dance tree are many and variedAnother branch on the tree represents tap dance, which shares most of the rhythmic proclivities of jazz dance, but expresses them mainly through the feet.? (Jazz Dance: A History of the Roots and Branches edited by Lindsay Guarino and Wendy Oliver). Through lecture, video & practice we will examine the art of tap dancing.

Location

O'Brien Residence Hall Room 104 (MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)

Practice and performance of classical and contemporary ballet with a contemporary approach in order to serve the dancer of any style of movement. Within the ballet form, classes will explore efficiency of movement, breath, anatomical mechanics, strength, alignment and through-line, weight, rhythmic accuracy, clarity of space, shape and effort, and somatic practices to develop and improve technical skills..

Location

O'Brien Residence Hall Room 104 (MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

Practice and performance of classical and contemporary ballet with a contemporary approach in order to serve the dancer of any style of movement. Within the ballet form, classes will explore efficiency of movement, breath, anatomical mechanics, strength, alignment and through-line, weight, rhythmic accuracy, clarity of space, shape and effort, and somatic practices to develop and improve technical skills. Prerequisites: DANC 268 or DANC 252 or permission from Instructor

Location

O'Brien Residence Hall Room 104 (MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

Dancer as Collaborator is a one-credit movement course engaging students as dancers for choreographic work generated from the DANC 278 Choreography class and/or the Program of Dance and Movements Fall Concert. DANC 279 students act as collaborators in that they embody and perform the choreographers concepts and vision and participate in creative process. Rehearsals will average twice weekly for the bulk of the semester. Pieces created in this course will be included in the Fall concert, the End of the Term Showings, and/or other Program approved performance opportunities throughout the semester. Enrollment is by permission of instructor. Please email requests to m.p.smith@rochester.edu.

Taught by a long-time member of Les Ballets Africains, the national ballet of Guinea, instructor Fana Bangoura will introduce students in this course to dynamic dance traditions of West Africa and will join with them the power of percussion. Students will also become familiar with the origins and cultural significance of each dance, and the songs that accompany them. By breaking down the drum parts alongside the traditional dance movements, students experience dancing and drumming in perfect unison. This opportunity is geared for both drummers and dancers and is highly recommended for all skill levels.

Location

Todd Union Room 107 (WF 4:50PM - 6:05PM)

Kerfala Fana Bangoura will lead this exploration in Dance, Drumming and Historical Context in Guinea, West Africa. The instructor is a native of Guinea and has been a part of prestigious National companies Les Ballets Africains and Percussion de Guinee. The instruction will include rhythmic foundations for drummers and dancers and will build knowledge of the djembe, dundun, sangban, kenkeni, krins and bell and how they are used culturally for music and dance. Students will learn style, form, technique, and historical context of the dance right in the midst of the vibrant culture and landscape of Guinea. Course will be offered December 27, 2023 through January 15, 2024. Study Abroad Fee $2953.00

This course serves as an introduction to the basic principles of Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) and Bartenieff Fundamentals (BF) as systems for analyzing the complexity of human movement based on the theories of Rudolf Laban and Irmgard Bartenieff. Course includes an exploration of relevant historical and contextual information, the theoretical frameworks of Body, Shape, Space, and Effort, and patterns of total body connectivity. Course content will be examined through movement experiences, performance, observation, improvisation, film/video viewing, readings, group discussions, and written assignments. Descriptive analysis, contextual interpretation and creative collaborations are integral to the course. Additionally, the multidisciplinary applications of LMA and BF will be addressed.

Location

Todd Union Room 107 (MW 9:00AM - 10:15AM)

Location

O'Brien Residence Hall Room 104 (TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)

Sansifanyi is an ensemble that combines academic study and performance for intermediate and advanced students of African drumming and dance. This course requires a high degree of student commitment. Dancers who enroll in Sansifanyi will learn choreographic techniques for West African dance and gain experience dancing as soloists, and developing their own solo material. They will also focus on rhythmic timing, and on advanced skills such as how to combine movement with drumming. In addition to the time students spend in class, dancers will have weekly assignments researching, reading, writing, viewing videos, text and article analysis, practicing, and choreographing various rhythms, songs, movements, and sequences. Dancers must also be available for performances both on and off campus throughout the semester.  Prerequisite: Audition on first day of class or for dancers, one of the following: DANC 181/182, DANC 283, DANC 253, DANC 285: For drummers one of the following: MUSC 168A, MUSC 168B, MUSC 146

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (TR 6:45PM - 8:15PM)

Sansifanyi is an ensemble that combines academic study and performance for intermediate and advanced students of African drumming and dance. This course requires a high degree of student commitment. Dancers who enroll in Sansifanyi will learn choreographic techniques for West African dance and gain experience dancing as soloists, and developing their own solo material. They will also focus on rhythmic timing, and on advanced skills such as how to combine movement with drumming. In addition to the time students spend in class, dancers will have weekly assignments researching, reading, writing, viewing videos, text and article analysis, practicing, and choreographing various rhythms, songs, movements, and sequences. Dancers must also be available for performances both on and off campus throughout the semester. Students in section B are required to successfully complete section A of this course in order to register. In addition to gaining an in-depth understanding of the history and culture, students in this section will expand their repertoire and improve their skills at dancing/drumming and performing. Students in section B will also gain teaching assistant skills by helping the students in section A with select choreographies taught in the course. Prerequisite: DANC 365 A

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (TR 6:45PM - 8:15PM)

Sansifanyi is an ensemble that combines academic study and performance for intermediate and advanced students of African drumming and dance. This course requires a high degree of student commitment. Dancers who enroll in Sansifanyi will learn choreographic techniques for West African dance and gain experience dancing as soloists, and developing their own solo material. They will also focus on rhythmic timing, and on advanced skills such as how to combine movement with drumming. In addition to the time students spend in class, dancers will have weekly assignments researching, reading, writing, viewing videos, text and article analysis, practicing, and choreographing various rhythms, songs, movements, and sequences. Dancers must also be available for performances both on and off campus throughout the semester. Students in section C are required to successfully complete section A and B of this course in order to register. Students in this section will advance in their performance and choreographic skills. Students will continue to serve as peer teachers both in and out of the classroom sessions by assisting students in learning the dancing and drumming. Students in this section will oversee the basic teachings of this course including leading preparatory warm up phrases as well as assisting students with known repertory while new materials is being developed for the class by the instructor. Students in this section are required to work on a research-based capstone dance project throughout the semester. Prerequisites: DANC 365 A and DANC 365 B. Audits are only allowed after the course has been taken for credit.

Location

Spurrier Gymnasium Room 104 (TR 6:45PM - 8:15PM)

Telling a story is an art unto itself. The choreographer crafts how the story is told. DAN 367 Choreographic Voice: Dance and Narrative, delves into the art of story telling through dance. The class will look to past and present choreographers such as: Petipa, Graham, Limon, Bausch, Wheeldon, Jones, Kahn, among others, to see an array of story telling approaches. Concepts of: subject matter, setting, plot, text, media, character analysis, and performance will be included in the classs choreographic exploration. Throughout the semester, students will choreograph narrative movement studies from a variety of perspectives, culminating in a final narrative piece that will be performed for a university audience.

Location

O'Brien Residence Hall Room 104 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

Students will write, choreograph, perform, implement and/or carry out research, performances and/or projects. All students, regardless of their trajectory (choreography, performance or interdisciplinary research) will write a senior thesis, develop & realize their projects under advisement, consider & discuss various career opportunities & develop curriculum vitae. Practice in grant-writing, budgeting, marketing & general arts management skills will be addressed when appropriate. Creative process, creative & critical thinking are a focus and are carried through to a culminating event, paper, or project. Internships, other coursework as part of the major, co-curricular dance activity, service learning and/or other related activity is meant to support this capstone research both in advance of and in simultaneity with this seminar.

Location

O'Brien Residence Hall Room 104 (MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM)