Course Description:

DANCE PERFORMANCE & AESTHETICS is based on a professional dance company's working model, including preparing for and performing dance works under the direction of faculty or guest choreographers. The course may be repeated and includes performance opportunities.

DANCE PERFORMANCE & AESTHETICS is an extension of the UCHS Dance Company performance company. The course presents the fundamentals of the concepts, collaboration, problem solving, and process of choreographic creation through practical studies. Choreographic projects enable student-teacher collaboration to create short works for solo, duet, and small group situations, with options of focus on; cross media collaboration, site specific work, dramatic text, and partner work. *Prerequisite: This course is STRICTLY by audition only. Students cannot be placed in the course once auditions have occurred.

Rationale:

This is a practical course in all aspects of producing a dance concert that may include ballet, jazz, musical theater, and modern dance. In this course, students are given the opportunity to perform their own and others’ choreography and take this work through the process necessary to present it to an audience in a formal concert with music, costumes and lighting. The students also participate in promotion and publicity, so having completed this course they will gain an understanding and appreciation of what is involved in performing and producing a concert.

Course Breakdown:

The primary methods of learning will be rehearsing/preparing, observing, reflecting, performing, discussing and journaling. Learning activities will consist of the following:

• Rehearsal. Our class meetings are primarily used for rehearsal, which includes warm-up exercises, improvisational exercises to generate movement material, group and individual movement assignments, practice in learning movement and exercises in remembering choreography.

• Observation. As dance performers, students are expected to attend a professional modern dance performance during the semester and write an observation paper as outlined below.

• Reflection. Students are expected to bring a journal and writing utensil to every class meeting. The purpose of the journal is outlined below.

• Performance. Students will take responsibility in preparing for performance dance concerts. Activities include assisting in costuming, props, lighting and sound, and participating in technical rehearsals and performance for audience.