Dance theory and composition

Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 2 hours / session

This course will introduce students to the art and formal ideologies of contemporary dance. We will explore the aesthetic and technical underpinnings of contemporary dance composition. Basic compositional techniques will be discussed and practiced, with an emphasis on principles such as weight, space, time, effort, and shape. Principles of musicality will be considered and developed by each student. Working with each other as the raw material of the dance, students will develop short compositions that reveal their understanding of basic techniques. Hopefully, students will come to understand a range of compositional possibilities available to artists who work with the medium of the human body.

The class will be conducted as a workshop, with strength and coordination exercises leading to exploratory exercises in each class meeting. Selected viewing and reading exercises will augment classroom work. In addition, the class will attend at least two professional dance events in the Boston area.

This course will be an intermediate-level offering. Students with no dance background should take Introduction to Acting before enrolling. Students with dance background may petition the instructor to enroll.

There is no required text for this class.

At two or three intervals during the semester, each student will contribute movement to the warmup sequence of the class. The contribution could involve any of the following:

Each student will present four composition fragments over the course of the semester. The first will be performed in silence; the second with minimal rhythmic accompaniment; the third with music of the choreographer's choice; the fourth with music composed in collaboration with Akili Jamal Haynes, course musician. The first fragment will deal with the concept of time; the second with the concept of weight; the third with the concept of space; and the fourth will offer a synthesis of work from the entire semester.

Each student will keep a journal of her explorations in the class. The journal may include choreographic notes, drawings, literary ideas, or technical exercises. But it must include the following:

Grading will be determined by an assessment of class participation, the extent to which exercises are fully explored, and the achievement of self-imposed challenges set out for each student. There will be at least one performance event: an informal end-of-term showing of material.

Don't show me this again

This is one of over 2,200 courses on OCW. Find materials for this course in the pages linked along the left.

MIT OpenCourseWare is a free & open publication of material from thousands of MIT courses, covering the entire MIT curriculum.

No enrollment or registration. Freely browse and use OCW materials at your own pace. There's no signup, and no start or end dates.

Knowledge is your reward. Use OCW to guide your own life-long learning, or to teach others. We don't offer credit or certification for using OCW.

Made for sharing. Download files for later. Send to friends and colleagues. Modify, remix, and reuse (just remember to cite OCW as the source.)

Learn more at Get Started with MIT OpenCourseWare