Dance

Fundamentals of Dance offers students an introduction to dance techniques and styles; creative process; critical thinking and communication including analyzation, evaluation, and reflection; dance history, culture, and citizenship; and innovation in dance arts. Students will develop the technical and artistic skills necessary for expressive dance performance and for the safe training and care of the body as an instrument. They will demonstrate an understanding of dance within the contexts of history, culture, and other art forms, and of the role of dance as a vehicle for human expression. Students will develop observation and critical-thinking skills for the evaluation of dance works, including their impact on society, and nurture a lifelong appreciation for dance as an integral component of an educated, cultured society. This course can be repeated twice for credit with a different emphasis.

Dance and the Creative Process offers dance students the opportunity to integrate and expand upon the concepts learned and skills acquired in Dance 1 or other equivalent prior training. Students develop additional performance and production skills while increasing their range of physical skills through disciplined study of dance technique. Dance improvisation and composition studies expand students' creativity and choreographic craftsmanship.

Dance 3 offers third year dance students the opportunity to expand upon their technical and performance skills, apply choreographic concepts, and understand dance as an art form through self-evaluation and reflective-thinking processes. Students develop leadership skills by assuming greater responsibility for defined roles in production preparations.

Dance 4 helps students to develop independent thinking, personal responsibility, and leadership while continuing to refine dance skills in performance and choreography. Students synthesize technique and composition skills in the creation of movement sequences. Advanced level composition and production skills are applied.