Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0206 - Contemporary Dance Technique 2: Beginning/Intermediate

This course is designed for beginning and intermediate-level dancers. The studio will be our laboratory for a semester-long exploration of applying contemporary dance concepts to a ballet practice to discover alternative approaches to ballet technique. Contemporary dance practices, such as release methods, floorwork, and somatic techniques, will activate strength, stamina, spatial awareness, alignment, and breath, which we will then bring to codified ballet barre and center work. We will investigate how contemporary and ballet practices, working together, can offer entryways into grounded athleticism, dynamic rhythm, efficient movement pathways, and deep care for ourselves and our peers. We will actively confront and push against held stereotypes and assumptions about both forms to develop and deepen our dance practices. You will also be asked to reflect on personal dance lineages, critically engage with dance history and the contemporary dance field, identify goals, and articulate new embodied experiences over the course of the semester. Keywords:Dance, Technique, Modern, Contemporary, Ballet

Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time