Dance at Harvard- Office for the Arts






		Committee on Dramatic Arts Dance Courses for Academic Credit: The following courses are offered for credit through the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and are open to both undergraduate and graduate students. These courses may be applied to the Secondary Field in Dramatic Arts. Fall Courses - Dance Program List of Instructors and Staff Freshman Seminar. Movement and Meaning: Dance, Culture, and Identity in the 20th Century, Jessica Berson Half course (fall term). M 1:00-3:00 pm. Every culture in the world dances, but how does dance represent or reflect those cultures? How does dance intersect with its social and political contexts? This course examines the history of Western theatrical and social dance through the course of the twentieth century, including the development of modern dance in the U.S. and Europe, contemporary ballet, popular dance, and dance in film and television. Through readings, discussion, video viewing, and practical work, we will interrogate the ways in which dance embodies debates about race, class, and gender. In order to explore these questions from an embodied perspective we will dance ourselves as well as studying the dancing of others, trying out different movement styles and idioms. Because the history of Western concert dance incorporates many elements of non-Western and popular dance, we will also look at dance from the African Diaspora and the evolution of social dance in the United States. The course begins with a discussion of different approaches to studying dance history (anthropology/ethnography, reconstruction, analysis, criticism, biography etc.), and then examines different movements in the history of dance through the choreography of specific artists and the worlds in which they work. Artists under consideration include Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, George Balanchine, Alvin Ailey, Judson Church Dance Theater, and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, among many others. Class meets at the Harvard Dance Center. Dramatic Arts 120. The Art of Movement Design: Choreography, Elizabeth Weil Bergmann Half course (fall term). T/Th 3:30-5:30 pm. This introductory choreography course utilizes movement exploration to tap into participants’ aesthetic and interpretive skills as they are challenged to make dances. Exploration into the use of time, weight, and space inform their creative process. Through a combination of readings, writings, discussions, videos, and dance improvisation, the course focuses on how movement choices develop dances that are kinesthetic, dramatic, and artistic for both the performer and the audience. No previous dance experience necessary. First class meets at 3:30 pm on Thursday, September 3 at the Dance Center. Dramatic Arts 121. Group Choreography, Elizabeth Weil Bergmann Half course (fall term, repeated spring term). W 4:00-5:30 pm. This course will focus upon independent work on the part of the student while choreographing for groups of 3 or more dancers. Concentrating on the principles of group form along with the use of space and music, assignments will be individually tailored to suit each choreographer’s experience and needs. Text and videos will be assigned based upon each student’s previous experience. For students who have completed DA 120 or have choreographic experience. By permission of instructor. Note: Enrollment determined by interview. For information call instructor at 617.495.1484. May be repeated with instructor approval. First class meets at 4:00 pm on Wednesday, September 2 at the Dance Center. Dramatic Arts 128. The Ailey Legacy: A Celebration of African-American Heritage and the Modern Dance Tradition, Sylvia Waters and Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish Half course (spring term). T/Th 3:30-6:00 pm. This course, taught by Sylvia Waters and Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish of the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, will include Horton technique classes and Ailey repertory with lectures, archival footage, interviews, and remarks by those who knew him. Focus will be on Ailey and his musical collaborations with Duke Ellington, Max Roach, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Charlie Mingus, among others. Lectures will be enriched by Waters’ personal experiences and interactions with Ailey. Experienced dancers only. Call the Dance Program at 617.495.8683 or email at dance@fas for more information. ----------------------------------------------- Home \| Harvard College \| Harvard University This page maintained by OFA Webmaster. For more information, contact the OFA at 617.495.8676. Last Updated: 06/19/09 12 September 2007 URL: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/dancewww.fas.harvard.edu /~dance/harvarddance2_09.htm Copyright © The President and Fellows of Harvard College

Committee on Dramatic Arts Dance Courses for Academic Credit: