Dance
- DAN 207: Introduction to BalletFrom grand plié to grand jeté, Introduction to Ballet is for students with a curiosity for the study of classical ballet. No prior dance experience necessary and beginners are welcome. In this studio course students will learn the fundamentals of ballet, gaining an understanding of its physicality, artistry, and principles of alignment. Students will examine the historical origins of ballet and its absorption of cultural influences. Live music will be featured in this class and key in exploring the inextricable link between music and dance.
- DAN 208/THR 208/GHP 338: Body and LanguageIn this studio course open to all, we'll dive into experiences in which body and language meet. We'll think about these from aesthetic, cultural, political, medical, personal, and philosophical perspectives. We'll explore language from, in, around, and about (our) bodies. We'll question hierarchies between body and language, use embodied approaches to examine pressing issues of our time. We'll play with the physicality of voice and the material qualities of words and sentences. We'lll find literary structures in movement. We'll move and create together with tools from dance, theater, visual art, improvisation, writing, and somatic practices.
- DAN 211/AAS 211: The American Experience and Dance Practices of the African DiasporaA studio course introducing students to American dance aesthetics and practices, with a focus on how its evolution has been influenced by African American choreographers and dancers. An ongoing study of movement practices from traditional African dances and those of the African diaspora, touching on American jazz dance, modern dance, and American ballet. Studio work will be complemented by readings, video viewings, guest speakers, and dance studies.
- DAN 213: Introduction to Contemporary DanceThis course offers a broad, embodied introduction to the breadth of contemporary dance. We will be moving, reading, watching, and writing about dance. Contemporary issues, such as Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ rights, immigration, and American exceptionalism will be viewed through the lens of contemporary dance. We will try on the styles of essential creators in the field in an effort to understand their POV. We will create work ourselves (no experience necessary) to learn about the expressive and communicative potential of dance. We will be moving and meditating to release tension, increase personal awareness, and boost authenticity.
- DAN 229/MTD 229/THR 229: Introduction to Rhythm Tap Dance: Past Legacies, Future RhythmsIn this studio course, dancers will study the past, present, and future of rhythm tap dance by learning the techniques and Black American histories, traditions, and legacies that have established and continue to sustain the form. While learning fundamental steps and foundational routines, we will interact with various media curated to introduce some of rhythm tap's important people, happenings, and places. Additionally, we will engage with related theory and closely examine the work of contemporary tap artists to identify how the form is being preserved and how Black traditions are being used to shape innovations and new approaches.
- DAN 305/AAS 307/AMS 310: Black Dance: History, Theory, PracticeThis course traces histories, traditions and innovations in Black American dance through archival and embodied practice. Moving from the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade to the 1970s, we will explore how dance - when executed by those who identify as Black and when circulated outside/beyond/without Black people themselves - speaks to the body's relationship to the political, social, and cultural contexts of American life. Through a hybrid seminar/studio seminar format, students will be introduced to theories, debates, and critical frameworks in Black Dance. We'll wrestle with the complexities around researching, doing, and reading Black Dance.
- DAN 319A: Choreography Workshop IChoreography Workshop I exposes students to diverse methods of dance-making by tracing the evolution of choreographic thought. Varying approaches to improvisation will be taught to warm-up, discover movement material, and challenge movement habits. Classes will workshop compositional tasks that set limitations to spark creativity. Students will present their choreography weekly and learn to discuss, critique, and evaluate work shown in class. Selected readings and performances (both on video and live) will expose students to varying choreographic philosophies, processes, and aesthetics.
- DAN 319B: Dance Performance Workshop: Repertory IPrinceton Dance Festival performance course. Technique and repertory course that focuses on developing technical expertise, expressive range, and stylistic clarity. Students will examine concepts such as skeletal support, sequential movement, rhythm, and momentum to emphasize efficiency in motion. Students will learn and perform dances that represent diverse approaches to dance-making either through collaboration with faculty or by learning significant dances from modern and contemporary choreographers. The course encourages rich, subtle, and stylistically accurate renditions of choreography and engages students in collaborative learning.
- DAN 320A: Choreography Workshop IIDance choreography, with a focus on contemporary practices and performance. Classes will workshop compositional tasks that set limitations to spark creativity. Students will work in movement-based laboratories to develop their fluency with a wide range of contemporary choreographic approaches. Students will present their choreography weekly and learn to discuss, critique and evaluate work shown in class, Readings and viewings contextualize the work culturally and historically.
- DAN 320B: Dance Performance Workshop: Repertory IIPrinceton Dance Festival performance course. Technique and repertory course that focuses on developing technical expertise, expressive range, and stylistic clarity. Students will examine concepts such as skeletal support, sequential movement, rhythm, and momentum to emphasize efficiency in motion. Students will learn and perform dances that represent diverse approaches to dance-making either through collaboration with faculty or by learning significant dances from modern and contemporary choreographers. The course encourages rich, subtle, and stylistically accurate renditions of choreography and engages students in collaborative learning.
- DAN 324/THR 327: Princeton Dance Festival Expanded: Politics of CareThis course will be a unique venture into dance culminating in a performance for the Princeton Dance Festival. This studio course explores dance-theatre practice to address the desires, needs, and realities of the body and its greater community, centering the politics of self and group care. We will improvise in movement, somatics, vocal sound, song, spoken and written words, creating for and with each other, with the outcome being a greatly expanded skill set for the performing artist. Studio movement practice, creation and discussion will be supplemented by selected readings and out-of-studio creation as a practice of joy and resilience.
- DAN 419A: Choreography Workshop IIIChoreography Workshop III extends students' approaches to choreographic research by asking them to create complete works on dancers other than themselves. Students will consider how to transfer their vision to an ensemble and learn to give directives to groups that further their process. By focusing on developing an initial idea into a complete work, students will question their understanding of development and challenge themselves in new directions. Readings and viewings inform studio practice and invite students to wrestle with issues debated by today's dance artists.
- DAN 419B: Dance Performance Workshop: Repertory IIIPrinceton Dance Festival performance course. Technique and repertory course that focuses on developing technical expertise, expressive range, and stylistic clarity. Students will examine concepts such as skeletal support, sequential movement, rhythm, and momentum to emphasize efficiency in motion. Students will learn and perform dances that represent diverse approaches to dance-making either through collaboration with faculty or by learning significant dances from modern and contemporary choreographers. The course encourages rich, subtle, and stylistically accurate renditions of choreography and engages students in collaborative learning.
- DAN 420A: Choreography Workshop IVStudents workshop their senior thesis performance. Classes delve deeply into a specific choreographic process and performance approach in preparation for Senior Dance Thesis Production.
- DAN 420B: Dance Performance Workshop: Repertory IVPrinceton Dance Festival performance course. Technique and repertory course that focuses on developing technical expertise, expressive range, and stylistic clarity. Students will examine concepts such as skeletal support, sequential movement, rhythm, and momentum to emphasize efficiency in motion. Students will learn and perform dances that represent diverse approaches to dance-making either through collaboration with faculty or by learning significant dances from modern and contemporary choreographers. The course encourages rich, subtle, and stylistically accurate renditions of choreography and engages students in collaborative learning.