Stillness in Motion: Global Dance Forms and Mindful Movement

Catalog description

This is a movement course in which students will gain strength and balance by learning a limited and specific set of Asian dance techniques, while also experimenting with transforming short phrases of text (stories, poetries, lyrical images) into movement. There will be contextual readings on the history, aesthetic philosophy and politics of the forms that have inspired this course - Seraikela Chhau (from the eastern Indian state of Odisha) and Kalari (from the Southern Indian state of Kerala), Butoh (from Japan), Wayang Wong (from Indonesia) and Odissi (from the eastern Indian state of Odisha). The movement philosophies of all these forms emphasize strength, balance, minimalism and mindfulness, rather than speed - hence the title. The course is about finding beauty and expression by mindful engagement with the body, applied this towards creating short, beautiful experiments of movement art. Besides movement work in the studio, this course also requires students to do readings, video viewing, discussion, and written analysis. Satisfies Dance minor requirement. Satisfies South Asian Studies minor requirement. Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement Satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement