This course serves as an introduction to dance studies at Bennington College. It is intended for students new to Bennington who have a serious interest in dance, as well as those with a desire to deeply explore movement and embodied practice as an artistic form, whether or not you have previous dance experience. Through a broad range of cultural and artistic perspectives, we will encounter many possible approaches to dance, including aspects of embodiment (through technique, physical and somatic practice, improvisation and more) and performance (methods of making performance, engaging in creative process and feedback, and thinking critically about historical and cultural contexts within the field of dance). Students will engage with written and artistic work from multiple aesthetic and cultural points of view.
Movement practices and improvisational structures will inform and expand our physical toolkit in developing and performing our artistic work and gaining awareness and resources in caring for our bodies. Additionally, we will be attentive to our own learning processes—recognizing patterns, heightening awareness of observation, and discovering new and expansive ways of moving and thinking. Students’ experiments will be regularly drafted, shared, viewed, discussed and edited, opening up conversations about how we relate to technique, structure, organization, and disorganization. Collaborative and solo projects will be developed throughout the term and the course will conclude with a required showing of students’ original work in the Last Chance Dance Concert at the end of the term.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will:
• gain an introductory understanding of contemporary topics and practices in the field of dance that incorporates critical analyses and cultural context into our understanding of dance forms.
• explore approaches to dance technique, structure, improvisation and performance from a broad range of cultural, historic and artistic perspectives.
• develop self-directed learning strategies, such as recognizing patterns, heightening awareness of observation, and practicing intention and agency in selecting effective movement options.
• build familiarity with multiple somatic practices and awareness.
• develop and perform their own work.
• gain confidence in different ways of providing and receiving feedback on their creative work.
Delivery Method: Fully in-person
Corequisites: Dance or Drama lab assignment if students sign up for 4 or more credits in designated dance courses; attendance at Dance Workshop on Thursday evenings.
Course Level: 2000-level
Credits: 4
M/Th 3:40PM - 5:30PM (Full-term)
Maximum Enrollment: 20
Course Frequency: Once a year
Categories: 2000 , All courses , Dance , Four Credit , Fully In-Person
Tags: choreography , dance , embodiment , improvisation , somatic practices , technique