Women Rock: Dancing with the Erotic Feminine (DAN2021.01)

Erin Ellen Kelly, MFA Teaching Fellow

In this class, we will move with the sonic history of women in Rock n Roll, Blues, Punk, Pop and Dance music as a catalyst to explore erotic feminine archetype qualities.  We will dance hard with the music loud, flow eloquently with the ballads, then turn the music off and see where our movement impulses are at.  We will dance secular styles, explore floorwork, improvise and some days dance in heels. We will study the mythic and real women in history who have a bad reputation or “dark side,” to inspire expressive forms of movement. 

Each week, we will be working with a theme based playlist that coincides with historical women, mythical characters and archetypes such as Kali, the Siren, Persephone, Cleopatra, Mata Hari, Saint Mirabai, the Huntress, The Morrigan, Lilith, and Mary Magdalene, to name a few.  We will explore the space where sensation and qualities are felt yet not attached to emotional indulgence.  Music videos, documentaries, concert footage, interviews, and articles will be used for reference materials. Playlists will span the decades starting with the electric guitar songs of Memphis Minnie and Sister Rosetta Tharpe (late 30’s early 40’s) and move through time with a diverse range of rock genres and artists.  

Interpretations will be filtered through a recognizable “outsider” punk/pop culture lens; furthermore, we will reference more obscure musicians, bands and inspirations. This class is open to everyone, regardless of gender identification or ability, wanting to explore aspects of their feminine qualities in an open, free and fun way.


Learning Outcomes:



Delivery Method: Fully in-person
Corequisites: Dance / Drama Lab required for students enrolled in 4 or more credits in designated dance courses.
Course Level: 2000-level
Credits: 2
M/Th 3:40PM - 5:30PM (Full-term)
Maximum Enrollment: 20
Course Frequency: One time only

Categories: 2000 , All courses , Dance , Fully In-Person , Two Credit
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