Dance Appreciation Summer 2025 MDC

   Globalizations: Modern "Modern" dance is now over 100 years old, named in conjunction with the modern art movement. Often described as a "rebellion" against Ballet, Postmodern rebelled against Modern in turn, while Contemporary and Performance Art also trace roots back to this style.   *** Warmup Roll Down X-Rolls *** Modern with a capital "M" Martha Graham   Katherine Dunham Lester Horton Jose Limon  Questions: What are some of the similarities and differences between Ballet and classical Modern dance?  What foundational style do you prefer and why? *** Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Revelations   Question: What piece from Ailey's Revelations do you find most moving, and why?   Reading   Dancing Revelations: Alvin Ailey's Embodiment of African American Culture (DeFrantz 2006)   ***   Postmodern & Performance Art Trisha Brown   Rite of Spring (Pina Bausch)  Question: What are similarities and differences bet...

   Globalizations: Ballet As we move into Globalizations, we will be looking at some of the dance forms that have shaped performance - both on the concert stage and in popular culture - worldwide. "Globalization is the word used to describe the growing interdependence of the world’s economies, cultures, and populations, brought about by cross-border trade in goods and services, technology, and flows of investment, people, and information." - Peterson Institute for International Economics Ballet is linked with the so-called European "Age of Enlightenment" following the Renaissance, and has been spreading worldwide ever since. We will, however, also examine the traditional and folk roots of this now-classical dance style.     *** Warmup Who has seen the Nutcracker?  Positions of Ballet Pointe Shoes *** Origins: France {First Narrative}   Sun King: Louis XIV 2:10 - 4:40  The Origins of Ballet   Reading Kings of Dance   Apollo's Angels ...

   Diasporas: United States Today we look at Jazz as a key dance form with strong influence on other techniques.   *** Warmup  Isolations   *** Student Presentation:  Precolonial & African American History till 1900 African American History Timeline (Britannica)   *** Student Presentation: Pre-Jazz with a Dash of Tap   *** Student Presentation:  African American Cultural History 1900-1970   *** History of Jazz Dance   Trailer for Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance (2020) Reading History of Jazz   Interview with filmmaker K. Wong   Question: What are the historical roots of jazz dance, and why is it important to acknowledge them?  *** Eras & Examples Josephine Baker   Bob Fosse  Frank Hatchett  So You Think You Can Dance   *** Questions: 1. Which era of jazz dance do you find the most interesting and why? (Ex. 1920s a la Josephine Baker, 1960s a la Bob Fosse, etc.) Where do you see dis...

   Globalization(s): Hip Hop Arguably the most influential dance form of our time, with origins in the Bronx and practiced worldwide. *** Warmup Isolations   *** Origin Stories Readings Blood and Fire, with Occasional Music (Chang 2008) Making a Name (Chang 2008)   Class Leadership: Making a Name   Documentary  From Mambo to Hip Hop: A Bronx Tale (2008) History of Hip Hop in the Bronx How the Bronx Brought Breaking to the World    Question: What are the five elements of Hip Hop? ***  Forward  Reading Street to Stage (2017)     Discussion: Read assigned section with a partner and discuss - put notes on discussion board.   Rome & Jewels (Rennie Harris) Untitled (D. Sabela Grimes) Curate: Find a Hip Hop music video with dance that you think is amazing to share with the class.  (Nothing from the Step Up movies please!)   ***  Workshop Toprock Corkscrew Six Step  Baby Freeze   *** Additiona...

   Diasporas: Cuba Cuban dance is rich and varied - today, we'll look at Salsa in both national and international contexts, as well as workshop Rumba & Salsa basics.     *** Warmup Clap Son rhythm Isolations  *** Historical Timeline of Cuba Cuba Profile - Timeline (BBC) Precolonial & Colonial History   *** Student Analysis: Afro Cuban Traditional Dance Local Teacher: Marisol Blanco   *** Student Analysis: Rumba Engaging Tradition: History & Meaning of Rumba (Alliance for California Traditional Arts)      Additional resource: Rumba, passion & prejudice   *** Modern History of Cuba    *** Student Presentation: Salsa    *** Salsa  What is Salsa? (Izzy Sanabria) *** Student Analysis: Salsa Crossings Reading Salsa Crossings (Cindy Garcia 2013)   Discussion: Read one page as assigned. In a few sentences, summarize the most important information to share with your peers.  Question: How...

  Diasporas: Brazil From African, Indigenous American, and European influences, various dance and music traditions arose in Latin America. Brazil is home to Capoeira, a fight / dance / game, and Samba. We are moving into Diasporas:  di·as·po·ra /dīˈasp(ə)rə/ noun: diaspora; plural noun: diasporas     the dispersion or spread of a people from their original homeland.  - Oxford Languages     *** Warmup Parana E O Si Si Si *** Student Presentation: Brazilian Precolonial & Colonial History Brazil Profile - Timeline (BBC)   *** Student  Presentation: Afro Brazilian Traditional Dance   *** Student Presentation: Modern History of Brazil   *** Student Presentation: Samba   *** Samba Samba de Roda   Question: What is virtuosity in this dance form?   History of Samba and its African Roots Carnaval   *** Samba Workshop Basic rhythms & steps   *** Student Presentation: Capoeira    ***  Ca...

  Midterm Dance analysis assignment.  

  Homelands: Guatemala Overview from ancient to modern history of Guatemala, and the expansion of traditional dance into contemporary dance theater. *** Warmup Creative Movement *** Student Presentation: Precolonial History *** Ancient History: Mayan Civilization “In Mesoamerica, the classical period took place from 200 BCE - 1000 CE (Common Era) with the emergence of cities, social stratification, and the flowering of material culture. From 300-900 CE the Maya in Mesoamerica developed astrology, calendrics, math and writing.”  - Jorge Morejon, Ph.D.    Facts about the Ancient Maya   0:40 Geography 2:00 Olmecs 3:04 Calendars 4:33 Math 7:02 Religion 7:42 War 11:15 Collapse *** Student Presentation: Mayan Dance & Ball Game   ***   Xcaret - Pok-ta-Pok - Mayan ball game The Mesoamerican Ball Game  (Wilcox & Scarborough 1991   To Be Like Gods: Dance In Ancient Maya Civilization  (Looper 2010) Rulers are depicted in dance, on ...

  Homelands: Native North America Today we look at some of the complex history of Turtle Island (North America - attrib. Lenape ) and traditional and contemporary dance practices   Above: Choreography by Tanya Lukin Linklater at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art *** Warmup Land Acknowledgement: [We] acknowledge that we stand on the land of the Tequesta, Calusa, Miccosukee and Seminole peoples. We stand in solidarity with them and we honor and respect the ancestors, elders and descendants of these tribes.  - Miami Light Project   Dignity Practice ( Miakoda Taylor )   *** Natasha Oda, Miss Aloha Hula 2001    *** Student Presentation: Distant History    *** History America B.C. 0:00 - 6:18 Introduction & Creation Stories Beringia Land Bridge Theory 12:24 - 20:48 Ocean Arrival 28:00 - 32:00 Language Question: What event or cultural feature stood out to you from the video?   Tribal Nations Map ( Carapella 2013 ) Native America...

  Homelands: Thailand An overview of the regions of Thailand and various dance forms, including Classical (Central Thailand), Lanna (Northern Thailand), and Contemporary Southeast Asian dance.   *** Warmup Thai leg self massage   ***  Student Presentation: Distant History   ***  Ancient History Four Regions of Thailand History of Thailand     Historical Footage: 1910-1930 Siam   0:00 East vs. West (Orientalism) 16:00 Dance   ***  Student Presentation: Classical Thai Dance   *** Classical Dance (Central Thailand) How Traditional Dance Battle Masks Are Made In Thailand     ‘Khon’ - the beautiful and mesmerizing masked dance drama of Thailand Costume revival   ***  Student Presentation: Recent History & Lanna Renaissance   *** Lanna Kingdom & Renaissance Reading: What is Lanna? https://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/clg/our-city/history/what-is-lanna-how-lanna-became-the-identity-and-brand-it-is-tod...