Professors WOMACK (chair), LINDBLADE, WANG; Associate Professor MANLEY, DAVIS GREEN, EDMONDS (by courtesy); Assistant Professor PLATT, Adjunct Associate Professors AMES, DAVIS; Part-time Faculty  MERCER; Artist in Residence, HERMINJARD, Guests in Drama and Dance, TINSLEY-WEEKS, EIKO & KOMA, AVAUNT, LAURITZEN, GOUDIABY, MARBLE, NELSON, SPENCER, BUNTPORT THEATRE, TAIYUAN PUPPET THEATRE, HUGHES;  Emeritus Professors JOHNSON, MALCOLM; Lecturers LASMAWAN, Department Coordinator QUINN; Technical Director ; MARTIN, Assistant Technical Director PRIEST; Costume Shop Supervisor  AVRAMOV

The Major

Dance majors must complete a minimum of 12.75 units in the major. Of these, 2.5 units must be in upper-level technique 300-400 with at least 1.0 unit in modern dance and .50 units in ballet.  Dance majors are required to take Dance Theory courses including: DA 110: Fundamentals of Design and Technical Theatre, DA 221: Beginning Choreographic Forms: Theory and Practice, DA 225: The Body in Motion: Anatomy and Kinesiology, DA 303: Junior Seminar (Block 3), DA 311: Social History of Dance: The Birth of Modern Dance in America, DA 322: Music and Dance, DA 404: Senior Thesis / Honors Project. Majors must complete Dance Theory courses DS 223: Improvisation (.25 unit) either concurrently or prior  to taking DA 221: Beginning Choreographic Forms and DA 321: Advanced Choreographic Workshop (.50 units). The remaining two courses are electives, and may not be in Dance Studio. They are to be chosen from any Dance Theory block course or: DA 100: History of Performance (2 block course; only 1 unit counts toward the major), or DR 105: Acting 1.

In addition, majors must complete a production participation requirement of .50 units working technical support, which is listed as DR 212-15 Theatre Studio. Technical theatre job requirements should ideally be completed before the final semester of the major.

Dance majors are urged to elect at least one unit in drama that will not count toward the units required for the dance major. Dance majors are also advised to study French as a basis for understanding much of the contemporary and historical vocabulary of dance.

In completing DA 404, all majors must demonstrate their ability to do advanced work in the field. Outstanding work overall will be rewarded with distinction upon graduation.

The Minor

The minor in dance consists of 5 units, .25 unit of crew work, and one integrative project worth one unit. Three of the required units are in Dance Theory: DA 221: Beginning Choreographic Forms: Theory and Practice, DA 311: Social History of Dance: The Birth of Modern Dance in America. A 322: Music and Dance.  One unit is from Dance Studio in upper level technique (300-400), of which 0.50 unit must be in modern dance and 0.25 unit in ballet, and one elective unit, to be chosen from any Dance Theory block course or: DA 100: History of Performance (2 block course; only 1 unit counts toward the major), DR 105: Acting 1: Introduction, DA 110: Fundamentals of Design and Technical Theatre.

In addition to course work, dance minors must complete .25 unit of crew work, which is listed as DA 212-215 Theatre Studio. Technical theatre job requirements for the minor should ideally be completed before the final semester of the minor. Students will earn technical theatre credit for work done on a specific departmental production over a span of 2 blocks.  Subheading indicates type of work and title of the production.  Dance minors must also complete an approved junior or senior integrative project that is either appended to a regular block course or registered for as DA 404: Senior Thesis, respectively.

Please use (DA) when signing up for a Dance Theory class

DA 100 History of Performance – Surveys performance in the Western tradition from ancient sacred ritual to contemporary performance art.  Chronological, thematic and theoretical study of Greek theatre and Roman spectacle, the medieval masque and revelry, Lully’s ballets and Moliere’s plays, and Renaissance public forms of performance.  Considers notions of class, genre, industrialization, and expression in 19th century dance and drama, including realism and the revolt against established forms.  Introduces elements of technology, reproduction, and multimedia forms in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Considers film, installation, and early performance art as critical additions to performance.  Creative projects and field trips augment the course. This class meets the Critical Perspectives: The West in Time requirement, and is also listed as Dance Theory 100. (DR 100) 2 units  — Lindblade/Platt

DA 102 Chinese Meditative Arts – This course unites theory and practice of several of the Chinese meditative art forms, including various martial art forms, tai chi, Chinese calligraphy, painting, and carving. Breathing, calm mental focus, strength, coordination, and flexibility are skills developed through these meditations, enhancing body-mind integrity and capacity for creative work. (Meets the Critical Perspectives: Diverse Cultures and Critiques requirement.) (AS 109.) 1 unit   — Wang

DA 110 Fundamentals of Design and Technical Theatre – Basic theatrical design and technical theatre, its vocabulary, theory and application in the areas of technical direction, sound, lighting, set and costume design.  A foundation course with emphasis placed on understanding the collaborative nature of technical theatre in production. (DR 110)  Limited to 14 1 Unit, Davis-Green

DA 200 Topics in Dance – Courses offered by resident and visiting faculty on specialized topic areas, courses offered by resident and visiting faculty on specialized areas, including dance history, dance literature, dance theory and film.

DA 212 – 215: Studio work in technical theatre required for the major. Students will earn technical theatre credit for work done on a specific departmental production over a span of 2 blocks.  Subheading indicates type of work and title of the production.

DA 212 Theatre Studio – Block 2 – Studio work in technical theatre required for the major. Students will earn technical theatre credit for work done on a specific departmental production over a span of 2 blocks.  Subheading indicates type of work and title of the production.25 unit

DA 213 Theatre Studio – Block 4 – Studio work in technical theatre, required for the major.  Work covers a specific departmental production over a span of 2 blocks.  Sub-heading indicates type of work and title of the production. .25 unit

DA 214 Theatre Studio – Block 6 – Studio work in technical theatre, required for the major.  Work covers a specific departmental production over a span of 2 blocks.  Sub-heading indicates type of work and title of the production.25 unit.

DA 215 Theatre Studio– Block 8 – Studio work in technical theatre required for the major. Students will earn technical theatre credit for work done on a specific departmental production over a span of 2 blocks.  Subheading indicates type of work and title of the production, .25 unit.

DA 221 Beginning Choreographic Forms – Theory and Practice: study of the choreographic form through problems dealing with aspects of space, time and motion. Required: Concurrent enrollment in modern dance technique. Prerequisite: 1/4 unit of Beginning Modern Dance or Dance Improvisation or prior dance experience is recommended. 1 unit — Herminjard

DA 223 Improvisation - The practical work in dance improvisation, frequently in collaboration with musicians and artists, to evolve an expanding vocabulary of movement, voice and performance possibilities. Limited to 20 .25 unit — Berg

DA 225 The Body in Motion: Anatomy and Kinesiology – The course takes a mechanical look at the body, analyzing each joint in terms of bone, muscle, and ligament makeup, starting from the feet and working up through the torso. Anatomical composition determines how any movement occurs, and the course will analyze such movement from a physiological perspective. The course will also consider a variety of movement problems and injuries, the causes of these problems, and develop a regimen of exercises to attack dance-related disabilities. 1 unit — Wang

DA 235 Theory & Practice of Yoga - This course provides an intensive introduction to the practice of yoga in the tradition of Indian philosophy. The practice of yoga comes in many forms, although ultimately its purpose is singular: That is, to still the multiple layers of consciousness in order to achieve genuine freedom in the form of enlightenment. Each day of the course will involve asana practice, or the practice of postures, based on the teaching of B.K.S. Iyengar, who emphasizes careful attention to alignment in the poses and focuses on sequences meant to balance energy and prepare the body/mind for meditation. Each day of the course will also involve discussion of important texts of the Indian philosophical tradition, including the Bhagavad Gita, the Samkhya-Karika, and the Yoga Sutras, attributed to Patanjali, as well as selections from other Hindu texts. (Meets the Critical Perspectives: Diverse Cultures and Critiques requirement.) 1 unit — Berg (not offered 2010-11)

DA 300 Topics in Dance/Drama – Courses offered by resident and visiting faculty on specialized topic areas, courses offered by resident and visiting faculty on specialized areas, including dance history, dance literature, dance theory and film

DA 300 Topics: New Media for Performance and Installation – A studio course exploring the production of fusions of performance and time-based digital media.  Aspects to include movement improvisation and production of audio, video, and interactive environments with the aim of fusing these elements in a variety of types of work (AS 310) 1 unit – Herminjard/Raffin

DA 300 Topics: Black Aesthetics in American Dance - This course will examine the development of The Black Aesthetic from its genesis in cultural nationalist discourses of the Black Power/ Black Arts Movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s in the U.S. and its subsequent impact on concert dance. Students will examine primary source documents and choreography from the selected period in order to identify Black performance aesthetics and understand dance as a mechanism through which culture, politics and identity may be ascertained. (ES 200) 1 unit – Nur Amin

DA 300 Topics: Locution, Location & Locomotion in Modern Drama and Contemporary Performance – Creative activity has presupposed the capacity to freely move and speak.  This course traces an artistic counter-tradition that imposes obstacles upon language, movement, and space across multiple disciplines: puppetry, surrealist poetics, novels, experimental theatre, contemporary American plays, performance art, and dance.  Contrary to their apparently disruptive purpose, these obstacles aid artistic expression.  Recent examples of walking– such as Merce Cunningham’s Biped, novelist W.G. Sebald’s historical strolls, and Terence Davies’ cinematic tour of Manchester– will allow us to study the potential of prosthetics to repair personal and historical trauma, even as they impair speech and mobility.  The course may also include works by Büchner, Kleist, Ibsen, Jarry, Beckett, Mabou Mines, Jelinek, Kentridge, Schwitters, Kantor, Beuys, Acconci, Nauman, Bausch, Fornes, Suzan-Lori Parks, Spalding Gray, Tim Etchells, Vera Mantero, and Marie Chouinard. 1 unit – Platt

DA 300 Topics: Theories of Theatre: From Plato to Performativity – Traditional definitions of theatre generally emphasize dramatic action and thus place its praxis at odds with theoretical reflection.  By proposing that theatre and the history of aesthetics are inextricably related, this course seeks to correct the widely accepted opposition between theory and praxis.  We will first examine theatre’s philosophical roots in Greek thought, whose influence determined the establishment of representational conventions at the advent of modernism.  The course will investigate 20th-century thinkers– like Benjamin, Derrida, and Deleuze– who mobilized theatre as a means of theoretical intervention.  We will ultimately consider how these theorists’ efforts resulted in concepts that may surpass theatre, such the Neo-Baroque, the postdramatic, and performativity.  Although the course will focus on theoretical texts in order to prepare students to engage theatre’s current critical discourse, we will also consider plays, performances, and choreography.  Additional readings may include selections from texts by Nietzsche, Artaud, Szondi, Butler, Weber, Franko, Lepecki, Hans-Thies Lehmann, Kristeva, Foucault, Pavis, and Puchner. (DR 300) 1 unit – Platt

DA 303 Junior Seminar: Collaborative Practices - Activates theoretical and practical aspects of creative collaboration between drama and dance majors, respectively, and also among artistic disciplines.  Immersion in performance theory, aesthetic philosophy, and collaborative strategies to create an integral final group public performance.  Collaboration and collision through a process of experimentation and rehearsal to discover which elements (visual, kinesthetic, audio, textual, temporal, and spatial) lend themselves to a unified event in performance.  For this course, HIJACK visits from the field asking, “What is dance? What is theater?” The field is a blur of merged forms. The disciplines of Contemporary Dance and Contemporary Theater are indistinct and perhaps obsolete.  Together these forms are wrestling with the impact of now old new frontiers exposed by visual artists, music, film, YouTube, etc.  HIJACK will share our strategies for collaboration.  Together we will re-draw and re-fuzz the lines between forms, borrowing from each other’s tool bags, demarcating our turfs. Van Loon & Wilder share 18 years as a Minneapolis-based choreographic collaboration. (DR 303) 1 unit – Hijack

DA 311 Social History of Dance – The Birth of Modern Dance in America – Explores the social and political issues of the period 1880–1950 in the development of modern dance and studies the people — mostly women — who were the innovators of this unique form. Viewing of videotapes, readings about each artist, and interactive projects designed to develop full understanding of each choreographer, innovator, and dancer. Practical dance techniques will also be studies. Prerequisite: Intermediate modern dance or equivalent. (Meets the Critical Perspectives: Diverse Cultures and Critiques requirement.) 1 unit — Wang (not offered 2010-11)

DA 321 Advanced Choreographic Forms – Further study in choreographic technique, done in a workshop setting and offered as an adjunct throughout the school year. Students will work on individual pieces throughout the year, both solo and ensemble, and edit and reconsider the pieces, culminating in a public presentation of the work. Prerequisite: Dance Theory 221 .50 unit — Berg

DA 322 Music & Dance – A study of the structural and artistic relationship between music and dance forms. Course work will include theoretical and practical experience designed to develop a better understanding of rhythm as a unifying element in movement and music. 1 unit —(not offered 2010-11)

DA 325 Projects in Dance - Independent work in dance appropriate to the needs or interests of qualified students.

DA 331 Colorado College Touring Dance Troupe – Students in this course will have the opportunity to develop numerous performance, production, and arts management skills through the presentation of both faculty and student-choreographed works at local schools and organizations. The troupe seeks to actively promote the appreciation of dance and to foster a sense of discipline, artistic integrity, and community outreach among its student members. Extended Format, blocks 1–8. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor and Extended Format, blocks 1–8. 1 unit — Herminjard, Wang

DA 400 Topics in Dance – Courses offered by resident and visiting faculty on specialized topic areas, courses offered by resident and visiting faculty on specialized areas, including dance history, dance literature, dance theory and film.

DA 404 Senior Thesis/Project – Advanced study of topics related to theory, criticism, literature, and history of the theatre and dance, resultant thesis or performance. Required of all dance majors. Prerequisite: Majors or consent of instructor. (DR 404) 1 unit —Department

DA 425 Dance Repertory – Development of performance and rehearsal techniques through choreographic forms. Repertory works from faculty, Labanotation scores, or guest choreographers will be set on students for performance. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor through audition. Extended Format Blocks 1–8. .25 – 1 unit — Berg, Herminjard, Wang, Mercer, Guests