Dance 111

DNCE 111: Dance Appreciation (GE)

Credit Hours: (3) Three hours lecture

Promotes understanding and appreciation of dance and its various roles in societies of past and present.

Note(s): General Education and Humanistic or Artistic Expression designated course.

Detailed Description of Content of Course

• Introduction: meaning(s) and purpose(s) of dance
• Brief history of dance, to include the relationship of dance to other art forms
• Study of the differing aesthetic and technical philosophies of selected choreographers, dancers, directors, companies, and countries
• Discussion of what to look for in various types of dance performances
• Attendance at dance performances in the vicinity of Radford
• Viewing of selected tapes and films which present dance in concert form

Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

Course material presented thorough lectures; class and group discussions; written and oral reports by students; illustrative videos, films, and slides; guest speakers; student logs to record observations as well as speculations about dance; and other appropriate devices.

Goals and Objectives of the Course

Students will experience and analyze ways in which the visual and performing arts reflect and communicate aspects of the human experience.

Students will be able to:                                                                                                                    

a. analyze works of art in terms of the medium's distinctive language and syntax

b. identify and explain how works of art express human values and experiences within specific historical, cultural, and social contexts

c. identify and explain how the visual and performing arts have been used as vehicles for influencing culture

d. evaluate works of art from the perspectives of aesthetic and critical criteria

Assessment Measures

Means of evaluating students' comprehension of course material may include objective exams, essay exams, papers, oral reports, informal writing, creative projects, class discussion, and class attendance. Exams, papers, and oral reports are designed to reflect students' grasp of ideas and relationships among elements covered in the course while informal writing, creative projects and class discussion encourage students to develop a personal understanding of dance as an art form, of its relationship to the other arts, and of its value as a human activity. This course is taught by several individuals, and so the exact assessment tools, how they are used, and the weight given to each of them may vary.

Other Course Information

Individual instructors may emphasize one aspect of this course over another depending upon his or her own background and particular interests. Ways of presenting specific details are as rich and diverse as the subject matter itself. Note also that the detailed description of course content does not necessarily prescribe this chronological order of topics.

Approval and Subsequent Reviews

Date Action Reviewed by
10-1-91 Revision Margaret T. Devaney, Chair
3-24-98 Review Margaret T. Devaney, Chair
3-29-99 Syllabus revised to New General Education Margaret T. Devaney, Chair

March 01, 2021