MODULE 1: Why Dance?

ACCESS COURSE READINGS HERE

1. The Sense of the Past: Historiography and Dance

2. Embodying Difference: Issues in Dance and Cultural Studies

3. The Power of Dance and Its Social and Political Uses

4. The Dance in Ancient Greece

5. Plato’s Philosophy of Dance

Social/Community:

• Lindy Hop (American)

• Ballroom (American/Worldwide)

• Powwow (Native American)

• Street Dance (American/Worldwide)

Spiritual or Traditional:

• Yanomami (Brazil/Venezuela)

• Haka (New Zealand)

• Whirling Dervishes (Sufism, Turkey)

Storytelling:

• Kathak (Classical Indian form)

• Hula (Hawaii)

• Butoh (Contemporary Japanese form)

Entertainment:

• Competition Dance

• Contemporary/Experimental dance (all American)

Protest:

• Dance during Apartheid: Pantsula

• Jo’Artis Ratti: Krump

Caroline Fermin (Contemporary)

Think about your own history with dance. Think about your family history with dance. Think about social dance, dance at weddings, dances in fortnite, TikTok, dances you did with your friends at parties. How do you see movement/dance functioning inside your life? Is it a relief, a competition, a way to bond? What ways do you see dance having been present for you so far? Do you have any personal friends or family members for whom dance seems to be a regular and activated part of their personal history? Reflect on these questions in a two page written response.