- The Art of Dance-Making

Catalog description

This course focuses on the creation and presentation of assigned short movement studies that focus on principles of dance composition for the concert stage. Past focus has been on the relationship of movement to sound, interrogating the use of music in modern dance history. Through solo, duet and group forms students learn about the compositional elements of space, time, dynamics, flow and shape, discover their own unique movement style, become familiar with how the body works and how it can be expressive, and expand their own definitions of dance. Three fundamental aspects of creative work in movement will be emphasized: movement invention, compositional structure, and creating meaning. A desire to take risks and be transformed, a willingness to use the body as an expressive tool, an eagerness to learn, and willingness to question personal choices are essential for success in this class. An interest, ability and a desire to be physically challenged to work toward expressive clarity in movement, is assumed. This course will explore a range of different topics of choreographic investigation and may be taken more than once for credit.