ObjectivesThe Faculty of Fine Arts offers a Major in Contemporary Dance that emphasizes the discovery and development of the creative capacity and the technical potential of the individual student, the program seeks to develop choreographers with experience in performance. Students applying should have at least two years of experience in contemporary dance. The program is unique in its focus on choreography and the creative process supported by solid technical training. Performance is a crucial element in the program, and students are actively encouraged to collaborate, perform or to stage their own choreographies.
Academic titleBachelor of Fine Arts in Contemporary Dance
Course descriptionMajor in Contemporary Dance — 60 credits
Sample courses include:
* Creative Process
* Technique
* Choreography
* Sound and Silence for the Dancer
* Dance Traditions
* Practical Anatomy for the Moving Body.
Additional courses in Visual Arts or Design for the Theatre electives from the Faculty of Fine Arts and other faculties are also required.
DANC 201 Creative Process I (6 credits)
Prerequisite: Appropriate technique course (DANC 205 [210], 305 [310], or 405 [410], as determined by the Department) concurrently; enrolment in the Major in Contemporary Dance, or written permission of the Department. Introduction to the creative process in dance. Students learn to explore, observe, and structure ideas and movements through improvisations and specific exercises which cover such fundamentals as kinetics, rhythm and dynamics, spatial organization, perceptual skills, integration of acoustic, visual and verbal elements, and the use of technology as a creative tool. In addition to the regular studio hours, students must attend two hours of laboratory each week.
NOTE: Students who have received credit for DANC 200 may not take this course for credit.
DANC 205 Technique I (6 credits)
Prerequisite: Enrolment in the Major in Contemporary Dance, or written permission of the Department. Emphasis is placed on the proper alignment and placement of the body in stillness and in motion. Integration and execution of movement fundamentals and sequences are taught as a preparation for dance.
NOTE: Students who have received credit for DANC 210 may not take this course for credit.
DANC 211 Dance Traditions (3 credits)
A survey of the history of dance, including relations between modernism, post-modernism, and beyond. Support material may include slides and videos, and bibliographies of specific topics. The course is also designed to provide opportunities for personal and critical reflection and stimulation for contemplating ideas related to dance.
DANC 230 Sound and Silence for the Dancer (6 credits)
Prerequisite: Enrolment in the Major in Contemporary Dance, or written permission of the Department of Contemporary Dance. The basics of music theory through guided analytical text using singing, single line score reading and moving, including the study of rhythm, melody, harmony, tempi, dynamics, tone colour, and musical forms with emphasis on the fundamental understanding of rhythm, melody, and harmony physically and mentally.
DANC 240* Principles of Contemporary Dance (6 credits)
Prerequisite: Written permission of the Department of Contemporary Dance. A survey of technical skills, improvisation, and dance composition. Studio: four hours per week. Laboratory: two hours per week.
*Students enrolled in the Major in Contemporary Dance may not take this course for credit towards their degree program.
DANC 261 Summer Workshop in Dance I (3 credits)
Prerequisite: Written permission of the Department of Contemporary Dance. Sequences of studio sessions which may include body movement, improvisation, performance technique, and choreography. Studio: four hours per week. Laboratory: two hours per week.
NOTE: Students enrolled in the Major in Contemporary Dance may not take this course for credit towards their program requirements.
DANC 262 Summer Workshop in Dance II (3 credits)
Prerequisite: Written permission of the Department of Contemporary Dance. A continuation of DANC 261. Studio: four hours per week. Laboratory: two hours per week.
NOTE: Students enrolled in the Major in Contemporary Dance may not take this course for credit towards their program requirements.
DANC 301 Creative Process II (6 credits)
Prerequisite: Appropriate technique course (DANC 205 [210], 305 [310], or 405 [410], as determined by the Department) and DANC 320 concurrently; DANC 200 or 201; and enrolment in the Major in Contemporary Dance, or written permission of the Department. A continuation of DANC 200. Students further develop the practical and theoretical aspects of the creative process in dance and the elaboration of an individualized kinetic language. Methods of research and their application to concepts, themes, collaborations, projects, and the use of technology are evolved in studio and laboratories. In addition to the regular studio hours, students must attend two hours of laboratory each week.
NOTE: Students who have received credit for DANC 300 may not take this course for credit.
DANC 305 Technique II (6 credits)
Prerequisite: Enrolment in the Major in Contemporary Dance, or written permission of the Department. Emphasis is placed on the technical development of suppleness, strength, coordination, rhythm, and kinetic fundamentals. Loco-motor patterns, spatial relations, and phrasing are formulated into movement sequences to prepare the students for dance.
NOTE: Students who have received credit for DANC 310 may not take this course for credit.
DANC 320 Choreography I (6 credits)
Prerequisite: Appropriate technique course (DANC 205 [210], 305 [310], or 405 [410], as determined by the Department) and DANC 300 or 301 concurrently; enrolment in the Major in Contemporary Dance, or written permission of the Department. Choreography is the art of rendering a concept into the physical design of dance through movement and forms of notation. This course develops personal creativity and broadens the student’s physical and expressive potential into public performances. By organizing movement, space, and time into dances, students follow through the stages of originating ideas, developing themes, and rehearsing and performing choreographic creations. The course also explores the role that technology plays within both the choreographic and production processes. Practical exercises provide students with a working knowledge in the use of video, sound manipulation, and stage lighting.
DANC 330 Principles of Anatomy and Body Movement (6 credits)
Prerequisite: DANC 205 (210), and written permission of the Department of Contemporary Dance. A workshop of movement fundamentals based on the practical understanding of anatomy and dance technique. Studio: six hours per week.
DANC 350 Practical Anatomy for the Moving Body (3 credits)
An introduction to human anatomy in relation to movement and dance. The study of skeletal structure and the function of muscles and joints for proper alignment.
DANC 398 Special Topics in Dance (3 credits)
Prerequisite: Written permission of the Department of Contemporary Dance. Topics vary from year to year, taking into account the special aptitudes of instructors and students. Studio: six hours.
NOTE C/See §200.3
DANC 401 Creative Process III (6 credits)
Prerequisite: Appropriate technique class (DANC 205 [210], 305 [310], or 405 [410], as determined by the Department) and DANC 420 concurrently; enrolment in the Major in Contemporary Dance, or written permission of the Department. A continuation of DANC 301 (300). This course enables students to advance their creative process and practice as movement artists through kinetic exploration, improvisation, performance coaching, extended studio projects, and lab reports. Discussion of current artistic issues and cultural manifestations help students situate their own research within a diversity of contexts. Building on initial research carried out in DANC 301 (300), further exploration is conducted into the use of technology within the creative process. In addition to the regular studio hours, students must attend two hours of laboratory each week.
NOTE: Students who have received credit for DANC 400 may not take this course for credit.
DANC 405 Technique III (6 credits)
Prerequisite: Enrolment in the Major in Contemporary Dance, or written permission of the Department. Emphasis is placed on refining and consolidating the student’s practical understanding of kinetics in relation to placement, locomotion, movement patterns, dynamics, and phrasing. Students refine their perceptual and memory skills, and learn to integrate more complex movement notions to support interpretation in dance.
NOTE: Students who have received credit for DANC 410 may not take this course for credit.
DANC 420 Choreography II (6 credits)
Prerequisite: Appropriate technique class (DANC 205 [210], 305 [310], or 405 [410], as determined by the Department) and DANC 401 (400) or 405 (410) concurrently; enrolment in the Major in Contemporary Dance, or written permission of the Department. Building on initial research carried out in DANC 320, further exploration is conducted into the use of technology within the choregoraphic process as well as an examination of the role that it plays in all aspects of production. This course expands on various approaches to choreography through movement research, discussion and theory, extended studio assignments, rehearsal management, and production. Students also examine the role of the choreographer in social, political, and artistic contexts. Students are expected to produce work for public performance.
DANC 441 Independent Study I (3 credits)
Prerequisite: Written permission of the Department. Students who have completed advanced choreography courses or the equivalent have the opportunity of carrying out a project of independent study. Subject matter must deal with specific aspects of contemporary dance. Tutorials with the project advisor are mandatory.
NOTE A/See §200.3
DANC 442 Independent Study II (3 credits)
Prerequisite: Written permission of the Department of Contemporary Dance. A student repeating DANC 441 registers for credit under DANC 442.
NOTE A/See §200.3
DANC 499 Topics in Dance (6 credits)
Prerequisite: Written permission of the Department of Contemporary Dance. Advanced choreography where movement shares equal emphasis with all other arts developed into multi-media theatre. Studio: four hours per week. Practice laboratory: two hours per week. Rehearsal: four hours per week.