Courses

DANC 151. Introduction to Dance Composition.This course explores the physical language of dance. Students develop skills in inventing and structuring movement through improvisation and by creating solo and group studies. Significant reading, writing, and viewing assignments inform class discussions. Enrollment limited to 15. C. Dilley.Concentrations.

DANC 230. Dance Improvisation.Improvisation is a vital skill for any performer and embodies vital modes of both practicing and thinking dance. In this course students explore contemporary approaches to improvisational dance composition, movement invention, and partnering while also engaging with current literature in this area of dance studies. Enrollment limited to 20. Staff.Concentrations.

DANC 240. Technique: A Kinesthetic Approach.This modern dance technique course develops an understanding of the use of the physical body in dance. Topics include a basic study of anatomy; the mechanics of movement; and the use of time, space, and energy for efficient and effective movement. Recommended background: previous dance training. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. C. Dilley.Concentrations.

DANC 250. Early Modern Dance History.At the turn of the twentieth century, modern dance emerged as an exciting new art form. From Isadora Duncan to the collaborations of Cage and Cunningham, modern dance has been deeply rooted in innovative exploration and a convergence of diverse cultural expressions. This course focuses on the early dance pioneers, the ideas and conditions that informed their work, and their subsequent influences on the art world. Open to first-year students. R. Boggia.Concentrations.  |   Interdisciplinary Programs.

DANC 251. Dance Composition.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. prerequisite(s): DANC 151. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 9. Normally offered every year. Staff.Concentrations.

AA/DN 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. Open to first-year students. [W2] C. Dilley.Concentrations.

DANC 253A. Dance Repertory Performance I.Students experience a variety of approaches to making and performing dance through intensive choreographic residencies with professional guest choreographers. The course culminates in a concert of the accumulated pieces at the end of the semester. Recommended background: previous dance experience. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission is required. Staff.Concentrations.

DANC 253B. Dance Repertory Performance II. A further exploration of the many different ways to approach choreography. Through working with a number of artists, students experience a variety of pieces that expose them to a unique combination of ideas and practices. Prerequisite(s): DANC 253A. Instructor permission is required. Staff.Concentrations.

INDS 256. Rites of Spring.Le Sacre du printemps—The Rite of Spring— began as a ballet, with music by Igor Stravinsky, choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky, and sets and costumes by Nicholas Roerich. Premiered in 1913 to riots in Paris, The Rite of Spring has lived on to become one of the most important pieces of music in the Western canon and the zenith of stature and daring for choreographers. This course examines where it came from and how it has evolved over time through dance works, music, and cultural context. Cross-listed in dance, music, and Russian. [W2] C. Dilley.Concentrations.

DN/ED 265. Teaching through the Arts.This course examines arts education theory and policy and methods and models of arts education, and considers career options. Class sessions include large- and small-group work, participatory experiences, lectures, group discussions, and student-led activities and presentations. Through a thirty-hour field placement, students explore teaching in and through the arts. Recommended background: EDUC 231. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 18. B. Sale.Concentrations.

DANC 270. Studio Dance.This series of studio courses provides instruction in a variety of dance practices. DANC 270 may be repeated. One-half credit is earned for each course completed. Students register for DANC 270A, 270B, 270C, or 270D, etc.; the appropriate sequential course number (271–278) is recorded on the student's transcript. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25.Concentrations.

DANC 270A. Studio Dance: Modern. In this modern technique course, students address problems of performance, practice, style, and form in order to build strong technique and enhanced artistry and understanding. Recommended background: experience in dance. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. Normally offered every semester. Staff.Concentrations.

DANC 270B. Studio Dance: Beginning Ballet.In this ballet technique course, students develop strong technique and enhance artistry through work on the traditional practice, style, vocabulary, and form of classical ballet. Recommended background: experience in dance. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. Normally offered every semester. Staff.Concentrations.

DANC 270C. Studio Dance: Modern Partnering.Contemporary partnering techniques, including contact improvisation skills, weight sharing, spatial and physical relationships, and personal responsibility, are combined with modern dance technique. Recommended background: sufficient experience in dance. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. Staff, C. Dilley.Concentrations.

DANC 270D. Studio Dance: Repertory Styles.This advanced modern technique course explores a variety of approaches to modern dance training and practice as experienced with different guest teachers throughout the semester. Recommended background: sufficient experience in dance. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. Staff.Concentrations.

DANC 270E. Studio Dance: Jazz. In this technique course, students address problems of 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. Enrollment limited to 25. Normally offered every semester. Staff.Concentrations.

DANC 270F. Studio Dance: Advanced Jazz Repertory.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. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. Staff.Concentrations.

DANC 270G. Studio Dance: Dance Ensemble.This intermediate/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: intermediate experience in dance and some modern training. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. Instructor permission is required. Normally offered every semester. Staff.Concentrations.

DANC 270H. Studio Dance: Intermediate/Advanced Ballet.In this ballet technique course, students strengthen their technique and enhance their artistry through the practice of classical ballet. This level is appropriate for intermediate or advanced ballet dancers who are already at ease with the ballet vocabulary. Recommended background: a solid experience in ballet technique. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. Normally offered every semester. Staff.Concentrations.

DANC 270I. Studio Dance: 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. Staff.Concentrations.

DANC 270J. Studio Dance: World Dance Forms.All cultures dance but the approach to dance varies greatly from place to place. Students will study a culturally specific dance form, learning the basic techniques, movement, and a dance or dance practices from that form. The form taught in any given semester will vary according to the expertise of the instructor. New course beginning Winter 2013. Open to first-year students. Offered with varying frequency. Staff, C. Dilley.Concentrations.

DN/TH 270T. Studio Dance: Movement for Theater.Movement skills for performers focusing on body conditioning (mechanics, strength, flexibility), dance steps commonly used in theater and musical theater, and character development through movement and stance. This course is valuable for actors, dancers, and musicians. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. Staff.Concentrations.

DN/TH 270U. Studio Dance: Alexander Technique.Introduction to the principles and practices of the Alexander Technique, a practice that is critical for actors, dancers, and musicians for freeing the body for maximum efficiency by identifying unwanted movement patterns and constrictions. Alexander Technique helps teach performers relaxed and efficient ways to work that enhance performance and avoid injury. Class work includes simple anatomy, developmental movement, monologue work, analysis of movement, analysis of tension, journaling, breathing, and relaxation techniques. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. Staff.Concentrations.

DN/TH 270V. Studio Dance: Movement for Actors.This course explores the dynamics and dimensions of movement in theatrical space for actors. Through exercises and techniques based on the work of Jacques LeCoq and Jerzy Grotowski, actors free themselves of limiting physical habits, develop trust in their instinctual reactions, and deepen their characterizations. Utilizing neutral mask, improvisation, and an experimental entry into the natural world, and other artistic forms, actors build physical breadth, intensity, and nuance as a cornerstones of a more complete embodiment of tragic and comedic performance. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. Staff.Concentrations.

DANC 271J. Studio Dance: World Dance Forms.All cultures dance but the approach to dance varies greatly from place to place. Students will study a culturally specific dance form, learning the basic techniques, movement, and a dance or dance practices from that form. The form taught in any given semester will vary according to the expertise of the instructor. New course beginning Winter 2013. Open to first-year students. Offered with varying frequency. Staff.Concentrations.

DN/TH 271U. Studio Dance: Alexander Technique.Introduction to the principles and practices of the Alexander Technique, a practice that is critical for actors, dancers, and musicians for freeing the body for maximum efficiency by identifying unwanted movement patterns and constrictions. Alexander Technique helps teach performers relaxed and efficient ways to work that enhance performance and avoid injury. Class work includes simple anatomy, developmental movement, monologue work, analysis of movement, analysis of tension, journaling, breathing, and relaxation techniques. Course crosslisted beginning Winter 2012. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. C. Dilley.Concentrations.

DN/TH 271V. Studio Dance: Movement for Actors.This course explores the dynamics and dimensions of movement in theatrical space for actors. Through exercises and techniques based on the work of Jacques LeCog and Jerzy Grotowski, actors will free themselves of limiting physical habits, develop trust in their instinctual reactions, and deepen their characterizations. Utilizing neutral mask, improvisation and an experimental entry into the natural world and other artistic forms, actors will build physical breadth, intensity, and nuance as a cornerstones of a more complete embodiment of tragic and comedic performance. New course beginning Winter 2012. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. M. Reidy.Concentrations.

DANC 272J. Studio Dance: World Dance Forms.All cultures dance but the approach to dance varies greatly from place to place. Students will study a culturally specific dance form, learning the basic techniques, movement, and a dance or dance practices from that form. The form taught in any given semester will vary according to the expertise of the instructor. New course beginning Winter 2013. Open to first-year students. Offered with varying frequency. Staff.Concentrations.

DN/TH 272U. Studio Dance: Alexander Technique.Introduction to the principles and practices of the Alexander Technique, a practice that is critical for actors, dancers, and musicians for freeing the body for maximum efficiency by identifying unwanted movement patterns and constrictions. Alexander Technique helps teach performers relaxed and efficient ways to work that enhance performance and avoid injury. Class work includes simple anatomy, developmental movement, monologue work, analysis of movement, analysis of tension, journaling, breathing, and relaxation techniques. Course crosslisted beginning Winter 2012. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. C. Dilley.Concentrations.

DN/TH 272V. Studio Dance: Movement for Actors.This course explores the dynamics and dimensions of movement in theatrical space for actors. Through exercises and techniques based on the work of Jacques LeCog and Jerzy Grotowski, actors will free themselves of limiting physical habits, develop trust in their instinctual reactions, and deepen their characterizations. Utilizing neutral mask, improvisation and an experimental entry into the natural world and other artistic forms, actors will build physical breadth, intensity, and nuance as a cornerstones of a more complete embodiment of tragic and comedic performance. New course beginning Winter 2012. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. M. Reidy.Concentrations.

DANC 273J. Studio Dance: World Dance Forms.All cultures dance but the approach to dance varies greatly from place to place. Students will study a culturally specific dance form, learning the basic techniques, movement, and a dance or dance practices from that form. The form taught in any given semester will vary according to the expertise of the instructor. New course beginning Winter 2013. Open to first-year students. Offered with varying frequency. Staff.Concentrations.

DN/TH 273U. Studio Dance: Alexander Technique.Introduction to the principles and practices of the Alexander Technique, a practice that is critical for actors, dancers, and musicians for freeing the body for maximum efficiency by identifying unwanted movement patterns and constrictions. Alexander Technique helps teach performers relaxed and efficient ways to work that enhance performance and avoid injury. Class work includes simple anatomy, developmental movement, monologue work, analysis of movement, analysis of tension, journaling, breathing, and relaxation techniques. Course crosslisted beginning Winter 2012. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. C. Dilley.Concentrations.

DN/TH 273V. Studio Dance: Movement for Actors.This course explores the dynamics and dimensions of movement in theatrical space for actors. Through exercises and techniques based on the work of Jacques LeCog and Jerzy Grotowski, actors will free themselves of limiting physical habits, develop trust in their instinctual reactions, and deepen their characterizations. Utilizing neutral mask, improvisation and an experimental entry into the natural world and other artistic forms, actors will build physical breadth, intensity, and nuance as a cornerstones of a more complete embodiment of tragic and comedic performance. New course beginning Winter 2012. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. M. Reidy.Concentrations.

DANC 274J. Studio Dance: World Dance Forms.All cultures dance but the approach to dance varies greatly from place to place. Students will study a culturally specific dance form, learning the basic techniques, movement, and a dance or dance practices from that form. The form taught in any given semester will vary according to the expertise of the instructor. New course beginning Winter 2013. Open to first-year students. Offered with varying frequency. Staff.Concentrations.

DN/TH 274U. Studio Dance: Alexander Technique.Introduction to the principles and practices of the Alexander Technique, a practice that is critical for actors, dancers, and musicians for freeing the body for maximum efficiency by identifying unwanted movement patterns and constrictions. Alexander Technique helps teach performers relaxed and efficient ways to work that enhance performance and avoid injury. Class work includes simple anatomy, developmental movement, monologue work, analysis of movement, analysis of tension, journaling, breathing, and relaxation techniques. Course crosslisted beginning Winter 2012. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. C. Dilley.Concentrations.

DN/TH 274V. Studio Dance: Movement for Actors.This course explores the dynamics and dimensions of movement in theatrical space for actors. Through exercises and techniques based on the work of Jacques LeCog and Jerzy Grotowski, actors will free themselves of limiting physical habits, develop trust in their instinctual reactions, and deepen their characterizations. Utilizing neutral mask, improvisation and an experimental entry into the natural world and other artistic forms, actors will build physical breadth, intensity, and nuance as a cornerstones of a more complete embodiment of tragic and comedic performance. New course beginning Winter 2012. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. M. Reidy.Concentrations.

DANC 275J. Studio Dance: World Dance Forms.All cultures dance but the approach to dance varies greatly from place to place. Students will study a culturally specific dance form, learning the basic techniques, movement, and a dance or dance practices from that form. The form taught in any given semester will vary according to the expertise of the instructor. New course beginning Winter 2013. Open to first-year students. Offered with varying frequency. Staff.Concentrations.

DANC 276J. Studio Dance: World Dance Forms.All cultures dance but the approach to dance varies greatly from place to place. Students will study a culturally specific dance form, learning the basic techniques, movement, and a dance or dance practices from that form. The form taught in any given semester will vary according to the expertise of the instructor. New course beginning Winter 2013. Open to first-year students. Offered with varying frequency. Staff.Concentrations.

DANC 277J. Studio Dance: World Dance Forms.All cultures dance but the approach to dance varies greatly from place to place. Students will study a culturally specific dance form, learning the basic techniques, movement, and a dance or dance practices from that form. The form taught in any given semester will vary according to the expertise of the instructor. New course beginning Winter 2013. Open to first-year students. Offered with varying frequency. Staff.Concentrations.

DANC 278J. Studio Dance: World Dance Forms.All cultures dance but the approach to dance varies greatly from place to place. Students will study a culturally specific dance form, learning the basic techniques, movement, and a dance or dance practices from that form. The form taught in any given semester will vary according to the expertise of the instructor. New course beginning Winter 2013. Open to first-year students. Offered with varying frequency. Staff.Concentrations.

DN/TH 290. Performance.Working under faculty direction, students perform major roles in departmental productions as actors, designers, or technicians. Two semesters of DN/TH 290 constitute one course credit. No more than one course credit may be earned through DN/TH 290. Department chair permission is required. Staff.Concentrations.

DANC 300. Bates Dance Festival.This course provides Bates dance students with the opportunity to participate in the Bates Dance Festival Professional Training Program. Full participation in the festival requires four daily courses including a technique course, a composition/creative process course or repertory course, an improvisation course, and an elective from among the festival's offerings in complementary studies. Festival courses are taught by leading scholars, artists, and practitioners in their fields. Students attend concerts, informal showings, discussions, and video presentations in addition to their courses. Renumbered course beginning Summer 2013 Enrollment limited to 10. Instructor permission is required. C. Dilley, R. Boggia.Concentrations.

DANC 340. Technique: The Body in Motion.Continued study and practice of modern dance technique, focusing on the physicality of movement and the structure of the human body. Prerequisite(s): DANC 240. C. Dilley.Concentrations.

DANC 351. Advanced 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. Prerequisite(s): DANC 251. R. Boggia.Concentrations.

DANC 360. Independent Study.Students, 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 course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study per semester. Normally offered every semester. Staff.Concentrations.

DANC 457. Senior Thesis.A substantial dance-related project, usually in the form of choreography. Students register for DANC 457 in the fall and DANC 458 in the winter semester. Normally offered every year. Staff.Concentrations.

DANC 457, 458. Senior Thesis.A substantial dance-related project, usually in the form of choreography. Students register for DANC 457 in the fall and DANC 458 in the winter semester. Normally offered every year. Staff.Concentrations.

DANC 458. Senior Thesis.A substantial dance-related project, usually in the form of choreography. Students register for DANC 457 in the fall and DANC 458 in the winter semester. Normally offered every year. Staff.Concentrations.

DN/ED s29A. Tour, Teach, Perform I.This course uses the diverse collective skills of the students in the class as base material for the creation of a theater/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 open to performers and would-be performers of all kinds. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 20. Normally offered every year. C. Dilley.Concentrations.

DN/ED s29B. Tour, Teach, Perform II.Continued study of the integration of dance and other arts for the purpose of producing a performance piece for elementary school children. Students participate in all aspects of creating the performance, encompassing a wide variety of topics and movement-based performance styles, and developing a creative movement workshop to be taught in the classrooms. This course is open to performers and would-be performers of all kinds. Prerequisite(s): DANC s29A. Enrollment limited to 6. Normally offered every year. C. Dilley.Concentrations.

DANC s30I. Bates Dance Festival 2013.This course provides Bates dance students with the opportunity to participate in the Bates Dance Festival Professional Training Program. Full participation in the festival requires four daily courses including a technique course, a composition/creative process course or repertory course, an improvisation course, and an elective from among the festival's offerings in complementary studies. Festival courses are taught by leading scholars, artists, and practitioners in their fields. Students attend concerts, informal showings, discussions, and video presentations in addition to their courses. Enrollment limited to 10. Instructor permission is required. N. Salmon.Concentrations.

DANC s50. Independent Study.Students, 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 course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study during a Short Term. Normally offered every year. Staff.Concentrations.