INTERDISCIPLINARY MINORS
MULTIDISCIPLINARY MINORS
CATALOGUE
Dance Studies
Dance Studies is an expressive inquiry. It is designed to intergrate
theoretical and practical exploration of human movement principles,
expression and culture through the medium of dance.
An interdisciplinary, liberal arts program, dance studies draws upon
the Departments of Art, Biology, Communication Arts, English, History,
Music, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology and the disciplines of Education
and Cultural Studies. Flexibility in course study is permitted so that
students' individual interests and needs are met while at the same time
a developmental and focused approach to inquiry is encouraged.
Goals:
|
-facilitate holistic perceptions of being, experience and inquiry
|
| -generate ease, flexibility, power and expressiveness in movement |
| -critically consider implications of dance as a cultural signifier |
| -become an informed participant in cultural debates around the
body |
| -cultivate capacity for presence and aesthetic sensibility |
| -apply insights beyond studio and performance experience |
Dance performance provides students an opportunity to cultivate presence. Performance options not only extend dance into different areas of the college community, they also generate student leadership and collaborative skills.
The annual concerts are produced and directed by dance program faculty:
- Allegheny Repertory Dance, a company of student dancers who maintain in repertory and perform in concert the work of professional choreographers.
- Concert of Student Works, a evening of work produced in Creative Process Classes (Dance Studies 370).
- Faculty/Alumni/Friends of Allegheny Dance in Concert, an evening of works created and performed by dance faculty and Allegheny dance alumni, often in collaberation with other arts faculty and alumni.
Two performance groups are produced and directed by students:
- Orchesis, a student dance interest group which produces and directs an evening of dance created, designed and performed by students.
- Dance Team, a group of women dancers who entertain at athletic events.
Three additional groups receive funding support from the dance program while students provide leadership:
- Liturgical Dance Choir, an exploration of dance as worship.
- Improvisations UN LTD, an open weekly exploration of music and dance improvisation.
- Social Dance Ensemble, a exploration of popular social dance forms.
The Minor: An interdisciplinary exploration of the multi-dimensional nature of dance. Students take a common core of dance courses. In addition each designs rationale and plan for a more in depth exploration of one particular aspect of dance. The dance studies committee must approve these plans. Explorations must translate into a minimum of 26 credits.
Jan Hyatt, William Bywater, Alec Dale, and Nancy Lowmaster coordinate
the minor.
The common core of 16 credit hours:
- DS 100 Principles of Movement (2 credits)
- DS 270 Dance, Ritual of Experience (4 credits)
- DS 370 Creative Process (4 credits)
- Phil 375 The Body in Western Culture (4 credits)
- DS 101 Modern Dance (1 credit)
- DS 102 Ballet (1 credit)
*Performance required in one Allegheny Repetory Dance concert season and one additional performing group.
Courses in the Dance Studies Curriculum receive
humanities distribution credit include the following:
| DS 100 |
Principles of Movement (2 credits) |
| DS 101 |
Modern Dance (1 credit)
|
| DS 102 |
Ballet (1 credit) |
| DS 103 |
Contact Improvisation (1 credit) |
| DS 104 |
Jazz Dance (1 credit) |
| DS 105 |
Tap Dance (1 credit) |
| DS 106 |
Cultural Dance (1 credit) |
| DS 107 |
Ballroom Dance I (1 credit) |
| DS 108 |
Ballroom Dance II (1 credit) |
| DS 109 |
Liturgical Dance (1 credit) |
| DS 110 |
Yoga I (1 credit) |
| DS 111 |
Tai Chi (1 credit) |
| DS 200 |
Upper Level Technique (1 credit) |
| DS 205 |
Tap Dance II (1 credit) |
| DS 210 |
Yoga II (1 credit) |
| DS 270 |
Dance, Ritual of Experience (4 credits) |
| DS 370 |
Creative Process (4 credits) |
| DS 470 |
Dance History Seminar (4 credits) |
| LS 490 |
Neuroscience and Dance (4 credits)
Special offering: Fall 2001 MW 2:30-3:20 and T (lab) 2:30-3:45. An exploration of various processes engaged in the experience and appreciation of dance practice and performance from an interdisciplinary perspective. This investigation focuses on neural processes underlying the psychosocial, kinesthetic, and expressive dimensions of dance. Neural processing theories are explored in both neuroscience laboratories and dance studios using electrophysiological and digital imagery analysis.
Professors Jeff Hollerman, Jan Hyatt, Alec Dale.
More information about the Neuroscience Program is available. |
| Phil 375 |
The Body of Western Culture (4 credits) |
Updated 5/11/01
