Black Dance in America
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General
Course Long Title
Black Dance in America
Subject Code
DAIC
Course Number
580
School(s)
Academic Level
GR - Graduate
Description
"Black Dance in America: Movement, Culture, and Identity"
Course Description: This course offers an in-depth exploration of Black dance in America, tracing its historical development, cultural importance, and profound influence on contemporary dance forms. Through a blend of lecture, movement practice, discussion, and critical analysis, students will engage with the deep lineage of African diasporic movement traditions and their enduring impact on American dance. The course covers a range of styles and techniques, including African, Jazz, Tap, Hip-Hop, and Contemporary dance, grounding them within the context of socio-political movements and themes of resistance, resilience, and liberation.
Students will examine the work of pivotal Black choreographers and companies--such as Alvin Ailey, Katherine Dunham, Pearl Primus, Ronald K. Brown, Garth Fagan, Camille A. Brown, Bill T. Jones, and Rennie Harris--who have used dance as a powerful form of cultural expression and activism. Throughout the course, students will reflect on how Black dance traditions inform their own understanding of movement, while challenging culturally biased narratives within dance history. By considering Black dance as both an artistic practice and a force of social change, students will gain a nuanced appreciation of its role in shaping and expanding the landscape of American dance.
Course Description: This course offers an in-depth exploration of Black dance in America, tracing its historical development, cultural importance, and profound influence on contemporary dance forms. Through a blend of lecture, movement practice, discussion, and critical analysis, students will engage with the deep lineage of African diasporic movement traditions and their enduring impact on American dance. The course covers a range of styles and techniques, including African, Jazz, Tap, Hip-Hop, and Contemporary dance, grounding them within the context of socio-political movements and themes of resistance, resilience, and liberation.
Students will examine the work of pivotal Black choreographers and companies--such as Alvin Ailey, Katherine Dunham, Pearl Primus, Ronald K. Brown, Garth Fagan, Camille A. Brown, Bill T. Jones, and Rennie Harris--who have used dance as a powerful form of cultural expression and activism. Throughout the course, students will reflect on how Black dance traditions inform their own understanding of movement, while challenging culturally biased narratives within dance history. By considering Black dance as both an artistic practice and a force of social change, students will gain a nuanced appreciation of its role in shaping and expanding the landscape of American dance.