Dance at the Movies

Catalog description

A historical overview of dance and film from the early 1900s to the present, demonstrating the central role of dance in the movies. Focuses on dance in popular American movies (e.g., from early film to Fame and Footloose), while addressing the rise of screen dance as a specialized field, dance animation (e.g., Fantasia and Happy Feet), and the importance of film documentaries on dance. Close analysis of excerpts from a wide variety of films allows students to understand both changes in form and content over time in relation to changing social and historical contexts. Students learn about the shifting ways that dance is captured on film in terms of shooting, editing and special effects, as well as the role of dancing in terms of narrative and thematic development of movies and topics related to gender, sexuality, class and race/ethnicity.