Dance: Movement & Improvisation

Guided exploration in dance elements for the creative development of personal movement vocabulary, spontaneous group interaction, as well as overall individual and environmental awareness.

Open to Degree and PACE students

This course offers a guided exploration of improvised dance to foster the creative development of personal movement vocabulary, encourage spontaneous group interaction, and promote overall individual and ensemble awareness.

This class is open to anyone interested in movement and improvisation as a form of artistic expression and creativity. It introduces students to improvisational dance scores through various activities, including practice, reading, writing, attending performances, and in-class showings. Students in this course will explore authentic movement practices, contact improvisation, Laban's BESS system, and Anna Halprin's RSVP method, among other techniques related to improvisation. Most importantly, students will gain an understanding of the significance of improvisation in the postmodern era. The learning journey will begin with developing individual improvisational skills and progress to creating duo, trio, and group improvisational presentations. All classes will be movement-based, and students will explore new possibilities for embodiment through their bodies, including strength, stamina, balance, fluidity, and body/spatial awareness.

Journal writing Creative research presentation Weekly readings Discussion posts Class participation