DANC 1010 - Dance Appreciation

Credits: 3

Description: Students investigate fundamental aspects of dance as a cultural and artistic practice - its organizational principles, purpose, function, and aesthetic features. They consider how dance has developed differently in different cultures and how societal perceptions of ‘the body’ within a culture impact the types of dances that develop in it. Students examine the purposes of dancing, including ritual, political, social, and theatrical. By discussing sociocultural attitudes about dance, and through exposure to classical and contemporary dance traditions, students develop a vocabulary for describing and interpreting dance and an understanding of the art form’s significance and development in a variety of contexts. Although most course activities do not involve the physical practicing of dance, one physical participation assignment is included so students have an opportunity to practically apply their knowledge.

General Studies: Arts and Humanities