African Dance III

Course Description

Advanced study of complex rhythms of African dance. The class will connect traditional songs, dances, and music with the culture and use those elements in choreography. Prerequisite: School of Dance technique placement at 300 or 400 level. Ineligible students will be withdrawn; enrollment priority given to dance majors; Notes: May be repeated for credit.

Syllabus

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

  • Promptly grasp class exercises and combinations including warm-up exercises
  • Fully integrate foot patterns, torso and upper body sequences and the nuances of each dance learned
  • Demonstrate (through dancing) the formal connections between specific musical accompaniment and movements of each dance learned
  • Demonstrate through dancing a refined sense of initiation and articulation of movement including but not limited to “3 point flexion”
  • Demonstrate a deep exploration of the qualitative aspects of movement sequences with a projection of energy while dancing

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure Percentage/Points
Midterm 40%
Final 40%
Class Participation 15%
Attendance 5%

Grading Scale

Percentage Letter Grade
95% - 100%A
91% - 94%A
88% - 90%B+
85% - 87%B
81% - 84%B
78% - 80%C+
75% - 77%C
71% - 74%C
68% - 70%D+
65% - 67%D
62% - 64%D
0% - 61%F

Attendance/Participation:

Attendance is worth 5% of the final grade as part of the course component breakdown.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

No course materials are required.

Scholarly Perspectives

This course engages diverse scholarly perspectives to develop critical thinking, analysis, and debate and inclusion of a reading does not imply endorsement.