Dance: Contemporary: Intermediate (A)

About DNCE 2100 A

Intermediate level applied practice in contemporary dance. Emphasis on technical training, working toward expanded body awareness and strength, as well as compositional exploration. Reading, writing, and attending live performances required. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: DNCE 1100 or Instructor permission.

Notes

Prereq: DNCE 1100, or instructor permission PACE students with permission and override.

Section Description

This intermediate-level course engages contemporary movement as an art form, a practice, and a mode of performance. Students will explore a diverse range of dance approaches that support both rigorous and playful investigation of the body as an instrument for movement, thinking, and making. The course prioritizes the body in motion, cultivating strength, endurance, range of motion, efficiency, and coordination. Through structured exercises and exploratory practices, students will develop a grounded awareness of space, time, intention, and presence. Movement will be examined from multiple perspectives—practitioner, creator, and observer—encouraging students to expand how they experience, interpret, and generate contemporary dance. As students deepen their technical and creative capacities, they will situate their work within broader contexts of contemporary dance while cultivating their own sense of expression, curiosity, and agency. The class includes focused beginning–intermediate-level technique alongside critical engagement with theoretical questions relevant to the dancer, explored through discussion, performance viewings, readings, and writing.

Section Expectation

This course is fully studio-based, emphasizing embodied practice, critical discourse, weekly readings and written responses, and regular engagement with both live and recorded performance. Students should expect to spend approximately 2–4 hours per week on coursework outside of class, with additional time required for presentations and final projects. All assigned readings will be provided as PDFs via Brightspace.

Evaluation

Evaluations for this course is cumulative and based on attendance, active participation, and completion of all formal assignments: readings, writings, and performance viewings, as well as class presentations.

Grading Rubric:
50% Active Class Participation
20% Talking Points to Readings and Performances
20% Essay #1, 2
10% Presentations

Important Dates

Courses may be cancelled due to low enrollment. Show your interest by enrolling.

Resources

• Parking
• PACE Course Pricing
• Textbooks