What is a play and how do you write it?  In this course, students will be introduced to the basic principles of writing for the stage (voice, craft, and process), and study short plays. Students will gain an understanding of foundational aspects such as conflict, character, objectives, obstacles, and stakes. In parallel to learning elements of playwriting, students will read plays reflecting various periods, cultures and narratives, as well as critical theories around the craft of playwriting and theatrical forms.

"What is acting? Who is a performer?” In this course, students develop techniques that they discover and embody, making them their own as they explore acting, identity, and performance theories. Through a combination of critical analysis and practical exercises, students will gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of performance and its impact on both the individual and society.

This is a beginning to intermediate level course in contemporary floorwork technique with a primary focus on movement practice. Using the studio as a laboratory, we will learn/revisit fundamentals of moving in and out of the floor with ease, efficiency, and proper alignment. Utilizing the floor and gravity as our dance partners, we will experiment with approaches to floorwork that cultivate groundedness, teach the mechanics of low level movement, and develop the strength, coordination and stamina required.

In this course, we will delve into the vibrant world of Afro-Cuban dance, tracing its roots to the powerful rhythms and rituals of African ethnic groups like Bantu, Yoruba, and Fon. Students will explore how these ritual dances have shaped Cuba's identity and influenced global dance styles like salsa and rumba. With live drumming and chanting, students will immerse themselves in intricate polyrhythms and fluid movements that connect body, spirit, and community.

Hip Hop is a popular form of Afro-diasporic cultural production, and for many, a lifestyle. In this studio course for beginning and intermediate level dancers, students will learn about the history and origins of Hip Hop dance and culture, including the core four elements: Deejaying, Emceeing, Breakin', and Graffiti. Students will also be introduced to the basic movement aspects of Hip Hop dance, such as bouncing and rocking, as well as movement from stylistic Hip Hop forms like poppin', lockin', house, and breakin'. Movement will be learned through both repetition and freestylin'.

This is a course in the study and practice of ballet -- a dance technique originating in the Italian Renaissance royal courts of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries -- as a contemporary movement vocabulary.  Objectives include the intellectual and physical introcution to -- or continuing practice in -- ballet technique, as well as increased body awareness, alignment, flexibility, coordination, body strength, musical phrasing, and the expressive potential of movement. The course material is presented at the beginning and intermediate levels. A half-course.

This introductory course focuses on movement as a language that communicates our thoughts, emotions, beliefs, habits and sensations. We will explore and expand our individual movement vocabularies through improvisation and various movement practices. Each week different practices and themes will be introduced to offer multiple viewpoints, different ways of moving, approaches to dance and performance making, and compositional methodologies. An emphasis of the course will be experimental trials in exploring various approaches and aesthetics.

Double course. Open to senior majors in Sexuality, Women’s and Gender Studies who have received departmental approval.

Fall semester. The Department.

How to handle overenrollment: null

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: an emphasis on written work, readings, and independent research. They will be required to meet regularly with the professor.

Open to senior majors in Sexuality, Women’s and Gender Studies who have received departmental approval.

Fall semester. The Department.

How to handle overenrollment: null

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: an emphasis on written work, readings, and independent research. They will be required to meet regularly with the professor.

Independent reading course.

Fall and spring semesters. The Department.

How to handle overenrollment: null

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: an emphasis on written work, readings, and independent research. They will be required to meet regularly with the professor.