Courses

DANC 105 Introduction to Performance Studies

In this course students explore the question “what is performance?” and how this informs their understanding of an increasingly mediated and globalized world. They examine the broad spectrum of performance in its many forms including theater, dance, visual art, performance art, everyday life, folklore, rituals and celebrations, and protests as well as the processes of each. Students apply readings on performance theory to performance events and sites on campus and beyond. In addition, they engage in an in-depth exploration of both global and intercultural performances and the growing international importance of this field.

DANC 151 Making Dance

Students develop skills in inventing and structuring movement by creating solo and group studies. Reading, writing, and viewing assignments inform creative activities.

DANC 202 Devising Performance

Devising is a contemporary performance-making practice that declines the traditional single author/choreographer/director/script model of theater in favor of a collaborative approach to generating themes, content, forms, and aesthetics for creating performance. In this hybrid course students learn about devising practices, theories, and politics through the exploration of how performance companies work in this generative space, and explore devising techniques to practice these methodologies in action.

DANC 250 Dance Histories of the United States

Dance History invites students into creative and critical engagement with history and historiography by examining dance and performance topics and theories. This course encourages students to research aesthetic and conceptual lineage and influence in concert and commercial dance forms in the United States by considering contemporary and historic choreographies and dance artists. In researching various histories of modern, jazz, street styles, ballet, and indigenous forms, students will gain insight into a multitude of embodied expressions in africanist, europeanist, and indigenous traditions. Students will be asked to engage their curiosity and question the role that dance history plays in developing collective and individual creativity and ingenuity, as well as in resisting and/or reifying notions of power, hierarchy, and privilege in contemporary societies. Course content will include regular reading, writing, personal reflection, viewing assignments, and presentations.

DANC 251 Making Dance II

An exploration of the craft and the art of making dance performance from human gesture. Readings, critical analysis, and informal showings support the complex process of creating a finished movement-based piece for public performance by the end of the semester. The course culminates in a Studio Concert presented in Plavin Studio 1 at the end of the semester. Prerequisite(s): DANC 151, 253, 270I, DN/TH 202, or significant Choreography for Bates performance clubs.

DANC 252 Contemporary Issues in Dance

This course focuses on current dance works and some of the issues that inform contemporary dance practices. Discussions include the ways in which choreographers, performers, and societies confront matters of political climate, cultural diversity, entertainment, globalization, and the politicized human body in dance.

DANC 253 Dance Repertory

Students experience a variety of approaches to making and performing dance through intensive choreographic residencies with professional guest choreographers, all artists-in-residence at the Bates Dance Festival. The course culminates in the Marcy Plavin Dance Concert at the end of the semester. Recommended background: previous dance experience. This course may be repeated for credit. Co-requisite(s): DANC 270D.

DANC 262 Embodying Activism: Performing a Living Definition

A lecture and studio practice course intended to generate a living definition of embodying activism to be performatively personified. Through a series of social justice lensings, student artists determine for themselves what they consider activist and how they would engage that distinction throughout their creative process.

DANC 270 Studio

This series of studio courses provides instruction in a variety of dance styles and performing practices. DANC 270 may be repeated for credit without limit. One-half credit is earned for each course completed.

DANC 270A Studio: Modern I

In this mixed-level modern technique course, students address problems of performance, practice, style, and form in order to build strong technique and enhanced artistry and understanding. No prior dance experience required. Open to first-year students.

DANC 270B Studio: Ballet I

In this beginner-level ballet technique course, students explore the traditional practice, style, vocabulary and form of classical ballet. No prior dance experience required. Open to first-year students.

DANC 270C Studio: Modern Partnering

Contemporary partnering skills, including contact improvisation skills, weight sharing, spatial and physical relationships, and personal responsibility, are combined with modern dance technique. Recommended background: previous dance experience. Open to first-year students.

DANC 270D Studio: Repertory Styles

This intermediate/advanced contemporary technique course explores a variety of approaches to contemporary dance training and practice as experienced with different artists-in-residence with the Bates Dance Festival. Recommended background: experience in dance.

DANC 270E Studio: Jazz I

In this mixed-level technique course, students address jazz dance performance, practice, style, and form in order to build strong technique as well as to enhance artistry and understanding. Recommended background: experience in dance. Open to first-year students.

DANC 270F Studio: Advanced Jazz, Musical Theater

This jazz technique course explores a variety of approaches to creating dance repertory in a jazz style. It is for advanced dancers and leads to performance at the end of the semester. The instructor approves enrollment based on the level of experience of the student.

DANC 270G Studio: Dance Ensemble, Intermediate

This course focuses on contemporary techniques, clarity of intention, and general performance skills, in order to maintain a strong technique and develop one’s personal contribution to ensemble dancing. Recommended background: intermediate experience in dance and some contemporary modern training.

DANC 270H Studio: Ballet II

In this intermediate-level ballet course, students strengthen their technique and enhance their artistry through the practice of classical ballet. This level is appropriate for returning beginner and/or intermediate dancers who are already at ease with the ballet vocabulary. Recommended background: DANC 270B.

DANC 270I Studio: Improvisation

Students explore improvisational dance skills essential to any style of dance through the use of body weight, momentum, and physical contact. Some familiarity with any form of dance is helpful. Open to first-year students.

DANC 270K Studio: Hip Hop

In this mixed-level technique course, students address hip-hop dance performance, practice, style, and form in order to build strong technique as well as to enhance artistry and understanding. Recommended background: some experience in dance. Open to first-year students.

DANC 270L Studio: Hip Hop II

In this upper level technique course, students address hip-hop dance performance, practice, style, and form in order to build strong technique as well as to enhance artistry and understanding. The course will include technique and repertory for performance. Recommended: two semesters in DANC 270K or previous experience in hip hop.

DANC 270M Studio: Dance Ensemble, Advanced

This advanced-level course focuses on modern technique, clarity of intention, and general performance skills, in order to maintain a strong technique and develop one’s personal contribution to ensemble dancing. Recommended background: advanced experience in dance and some modern training.

DANC 270N Studio: Ballet III

In this advanced-level ballet course, students strengthen their technique and enhance their artistry through the practice of classical ballet. This level is appropriate for the intermediate-advanced dancer who has prior training in classical ballet at the intermediate-advanced level.

DANC 270P Studio: Flamenco

In this beginner-level Flamenco dance course, students explore the traditional practice, style, vocabulary, and form of Flamenco. No prior dance experience is required. Open to first-year students.

DANC 270Q Studio: West African Dance of Guinea

Together, master drummer and djembe artist Sayon Camara, and devoted dance artist Marita Kennedy-Castro, bring to this class live rhythms and dances that celebrate the cycles of life and nature, and are the heartbeat of Guinean culture. Students will learn foundational movements, contemporary style and choreography, cultural relevance, and the regional and historical context of each rhythm and dance. This traditional art form continues to evolve in present day Guinea and is celebrated around the globe. No prior dance experience is required. Open to first-year students.

DANC 270R Studio: Somatics

This course will explore the principles of sensation-driven learning, the yoga and dance movements to awaken kinesthetic, proprioceptive, and interoceptive awareness. Focus shifts from achieving aesthetically pleasing movement to discovering greater movement efficiency, freedom of expression, self-agency, awareness, and creativity. No prior dance experience is required. Open to first-year students.

DANC 270T Studio: Physical Theater

An introductory theater and dance course to familiarize and cultivate physical theater skills that translate to both disciplines. Some of the many aspects of the course will include partnering, contact improvisation, weight sharing, stage combat basics, creating spatial and physical relationships, Touch Literacy with integrated Consent Scaffolding, and vocal techniques to build a solid Physical Theater foundation.

DANC 270W Studio: Pilates

An introduction to the exercises and principles of classical Pilates. This physical training course uses the Pilates method and complementary conditioning techniques to develop core strength, alignment, and flexibility. This course is designed for physical performers, but useful for bodies of all kinds. One-half credit is earned.

DANC 290 Practicum

Working under faculty direction, students perform major roles in departmental productions as a performer (290A); stage manager, associate stage manager, technician (290B); designer, dramaturg, assistant director (290C). May be repeated for credit. One-half credit is earned.

DANC 290J Indonesian Dance Ensemble

Indonesian Dance introduces students Javanese court dance and Acehnese dance traditions. The course begins with the basic movement vocabulary of Central Javanese court dance or Acehnese dance styles, and proceeds to the study of dance repertoire. Focus is on techniques and practice, supplemented with short lectures that will provide the sociocultural, historical, and contemporary contexts. Students in the course will perform with live music provided by the Bates Gamelan Ensemble at the end of the semester concert.

DANC 300 Bates Dance Festival

For students with previous kinesthetic training who can demonstrate fluency and commitment to their practice, this course provides Bates students with the opportunity to participate in the Bates Dance Festival Professional Training Program. Full participation in this summer program requires 30 weekly hours of technical training across multiple dance disciplines and theoretical practices. Festival courses are taught by leading scholars, artists, and practitioners in their fields. An integral part of this course is attending festival concerts, informal showings, discussions, and video presentations. This course may be repeated for credit.

DANC 351 Composition Seminar

A further investigation of the compositional tools used in creating dance and the continued development of a better understanding of the intention behind the movement. The course emphasizes the personal exploration of creative process, craft, artistic intention, and integrity in dance making. The course culminates in the Fall Dance Concert at the end of the semester to be performed on Schaeffer stage. This course may be repeated for credit. Prerequisite(s): DANC 251, 253, DN/TH 202, or significant Choreography for Bates performance clubs.

DANC 360 Independent Study

Student artists, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a proposed course of study, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study per semester.

DANC 457 Senior Thesis

A substantial dance-related project, usually in the form of choreography, performance, or a written project. Student artists register for DANC 457 in the fall semester. A choreographic thesis is available only to students who have completed the two additional courses in creative process, including DANC 351, DANC 360, or equivalent. Successful completion of this course qualifies as a thesis credit toward the dance major.

DANC 458 Senior Thesis

A substantial dance-related project, usually in the form of choreography. Students register for DANC 458 in the winter semester. A choreographic thesis is available only to students who have completed the two additional courses in creative process, including DANC 351.

DANC S29 Tour, Teach, Perform

This course uses the diverse collective skills of the students in the class as base material for the creation of a theater or dance piece that tours to elementary schools. The first two weeks are spent working intensively with a guest artist to create the performance piece. The remaining weeks are spent touring that piece, along with age-appropriate movement workshops, to elementary schools throughout the region. This course is open to performers and would-be performers of all kinds. This course may be repeated for credit.

DANC S32 Building a Dance Practice

Students take a daily intermediate modern dance technique class and develop an individual project in an area of dance research such as choreography, improvisation, pedagogy, criticism, theory, or art therapy. Recommended background: at least one college-level dance course or intermediate level of proficiency in any dance form.

DANC S50 Independent Study