Site­ Specific to Immersive Dance Theater: Choreographing for Unconventional Formats and Spaces

Catalog description

This movement and performance course fosters the creation of interactive experiences that blur the lines between performers and audience, utilizing unconventional spaces for site-specific choreographic structures. Throughout the semester we will immerse ourselves in time-based performance art, emphasizing embodied choreography that challenges the confines of the traditional proscenium stage. Students will be expected to engage confidently in physically demanding movement vocabularies, bolstered by frequent performance opportunities. Set against the backdrop of New York City's rich cultural legacy, the course takes place in outdoor settings at various landmarks. With the inclusion of guest artists, students will collaboratively craft public performances, which will be documented on video. Our goal will be to probe the role of public spaces in articulating social commentary, melding choreography, activism, and performance art, and offering a unique opportunity for students to enhance their movement skills in notable urban locations, honing their performance capabilities within an ensemble. The desire and passion to participate and engage in movement and performance as an ensemble is required.