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Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
1. Describe the anthropological origins of dance and the various
functions of dance in primitive societies.
2. Discuss the chronology of dance history from ancient times through the
20th century.
3. Recognize and analyze the dance forms of the Renaissance, Baroque,
Romantic and Modern periods in terms of elements of style and cultural
influences.
4. Distinguish the stylistic characteristics of western contemporary
theatrical dance forms and the works of prominent choreographers of the
20th century.
5. Compare and contrast the techniques of historical, classical, and
contemporary dance forms.
6. Relate the development of dance and artistic movements in dance to
those of the visual arts, music, and literature in each major historical
period.
7. Recognize musical forms from the 16th through 20th centuries in
relation to dance forms.
8. Demonstrate knowledge of fashion and costume of various historical
periods as they pertain to the dance movement of each period.
9. Identify, locate, and interpret written sources for study of dance
history and apply research knowledge to other dance topics using
appropirate citation style, if different than MLA.
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I. Anthropological basis of dance
A. Dance as the earliest human expression
B. Function of dance in ritual such as rites of passage, kinship,
hunting dances, war dances
C. Dance as social interaction
II. Dance in ancient cultures
A. Relationship of myth, ritual, social organization, and folk
customs to dance
B. Evolution of specific forms of dance in ancient drama
III. Dance of Western Europe
A. Religious and social dances of Medieval Europe
B. Renaissance and Baroque court dance as reflections of culture
C. Elements of style in music, art, architecture, and literature in
Renaissance, Baroque, and Romantic periods of Western Europe
D. Dance as a professional theater art: its origin in court dance
and its evolution to the stage
IV. The Ballet
A. Study of the development of ballet from 1661 through the
Romantic era (19th century)
B. The rise of the Russian Ballet and its influence on ballet
world-wide
C. The Diaghilev Era
D. Ballet in the 20th century (including influence of modern dance)
E. Prominent ballet choreographers and dancers
V. Modern Dance
A. Pre-modern influences: Isadora Duncan and Denishawn
B. Early modern dance in America and its influence on the dance of
Europe and Russia
C. Pioneers of modern dance (e.g. Martha Graham, Doris
Humphrey, Charles Weidman)
D. Post-modern dance and the Avant Garde movement
E. Relationship of modern dance to artistic movements of the 20th
Century
VI. Brief overview of the history of other contemporary dance forms
A. Ballroom
B. Jazz
C. Tap
VII. Musical forms from the 16th through 21st century and their
relationships to dance forms
VIII. Fashion and costume in each historical period and the effect on
dance movement of that period
IX. Dance research methodology:
Introduction to discipline-specific research tools, including seminal
books, important periodicals, major indexing sources, professional or
trade organizations, standard reference tools, discipline specific tools,
and major web sites.
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Ballet and Modern Dance, A Concise History, Jack Anderson, 1992
Dance as a Theater Art, Selma Jean Cohen, 1974
The Dance Maker, Elinor Rogosin, 1980
Orchesogrophy, Thoinot Arbeau, 1986
Dance, From Magic to Art, Lois Ellfeldt, 1976
Dancing through History, Joan Cass, 1993
Ballet and Western Culture, Carol Lee, 1999