DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND DANCE

Chair: Penelope A. Hasekoester (936) 294-1330

The performing arts require the collaborative efforts of many talented individuals. Every dramatic, musical, or dance performance by an artist on stage or screen requires years of training and practice. Just as important to each performance are the individuals who work behind the scenes to make it happen. The playwrights, choreographers, stage make-up artists, costume designers, sound technicians, scene and lighting designers, stage managers, and directors all play vital roles in any theatrical effort. The Department of Theatre and Dance gives opportunities for all individuals who are interested in the performing arts to develop their talents and discover new skills.

Mission

The Department of Theatre and Dance at SHSU is committed to providing high quality performance, choreographic design, technical curricula of artistic and scholarly pursuits. Individual programs are sufficiently balanced and integrated to allow students to choose from a wide variety of theatre and dance related careers and prepare them to compete successfully in the chosen area of artistic, commercial or educational specialization.

DANCE PROGRAM

Coordinator: Jennifer Pontius (936) 294-1300

Faculty: Cindy Gratz, Dana Nicolay, Kista Tucker, Melissa Wynn

Website: http://www.shsu.edu/~dnc_www/

‘The Dance is the mother of the arts.’ — Curt Sachs

Dance is the most ephemeral and immediate of the arts. It exists in the moment of its performance and is then gone. To be successful, a dancer must learn to be totally focused in the moment of the dance. This requires extraordinary awareness, sensitivity, imagination, and discipline. A dancer must approach both his/herself and his/her field with curiosity, diligence, excitement, and honesty. In the process, the dancer finds a vibrant, energizing life of experiences, while developing skills, interests, and personal qualities that can lead to a variety of satisfying careers.

The Dance Program provides a supportive environment and a performance-oriented curriculum of sufficient scope and depth to allow graduates to discover this life. Through the exploration of movement as an expressive language, and the training of the body as the instrument of that language, the dance curriculum balances rational and intuitive qualities in the developing dance professional.

Courses such as ballet and modern dance technique, choreography, pedagogy, World Dance, and Dance History, give dance majors an awareness of the world that is both aesthetically sophisticated and academically sound.

Academic Programs

• BA in Dance
• BFA in Dance
• Teacher Certification

Admission to both the BA and the BFA is by audition only. One audition is held each semester. Teaching certification is available with either the BA or BFA in Dance through the College of Education. Certification with either the BA or BFA requires a designated 18-24 hour minor in preparation for a second teaching field.

The BFA curriculum is designed to lead to a performing career. BFA candidates must complete a minimum of 77 hours in Dance. The BA is more academically based and typically leads to a career in teaching. BA candidates must complete a minimum of 59 hours in Dance and must satisfy requirements for an official minor.

Highlights

The Dance Program is housed in spacious facilities that provide five large studios, a semiformal Dance Theater, costume construction and storage facilities, audio and video editing capabilities, a body conditioning studio and a dance library.

Career Opportunities

• dance performance
• dance education
• arts administration
• health-related professions

Suggested Minors

• Secondary teaching
• Business
• Theatre

Student Organizations

Chi Tau Epsilon, the prestigious national dance honor society, recognizes, supports, and promotes superior achievement in dance and in the performing arts. Membership in the society is recorded on the student’s transcript. Each year, Chi Tau Epsilon is an active student organization, sponsoring the student choreography showcase, Dances @ 8, conducting recruitment workshops for the dance program, and sponsoring community support activities including Adopt a Highway, food drives, and participation in the Special Olympics. Chi Tau Epsilon also awards annual scholarships for outstanding choreographic and academic achievement.

Scholarships

The Dance Program awards scholarships ranging from $500 to $1,500 per academic year. In addition the Mary Ella Montague Endowed Scholarship is awarded to the outstanding returning Dance major each year and the Kelley Barber Award is given annually to a Dance major for outstanding performance. Applications are available in the dance office.

Program Specific Requirements

BIO 245 & PHY 135/115 are required for all dance majors.

Curriculum

Required Courses for Major

All dance majors must repeat DNC 110 for four semesters. Bachelor of Arts Candidates must complete one semester each of DNC 333, 334, 430, and be registered in either ballet or modern technique every semester. Candidates for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree must be registered in both ballet and modern dance technique each semester after the freshman year. They must also complete at least two semesters each of DNC 430, 433, and 434. DNC 233, 234, 333, 334, 430, 433, and 434 are open only by audition or permission of the instructor. Candidates for the BA must complete requirements for a minor field of study to graduate. The BFA does not require a minor.

Major in Dance
Bachelor of Arts

Note: Students should use elective and/or minor hours to satisfy the 42 advanced hour requirement.

Major in Dance
Bachelor of Fine Arts

Dance Course Descriptions

DNC 110 Dance Workshop. This is a practical workshop in support of Dance Program concerts and activities. Duties include costume construction, backstage and front of house support, and audio/ video recording and dubbing. Special seminars in areas such as diet and health, auditioning and career opportunities and options are also addressed. Credit 1.

DNC 124 Folk Dance Forms. [DANC 1222] Dances indigenous to Europe, Mexico and the United States are studied in relation to their cultural derivations. Special consideration is given to dance as a cultural and recreational activity. Credit 2.

DNC 126 Theatre Dance Forms. Specific theatrical dance forms such as ballet, jazz, modern dance, and Hip Hop are studied in specially dedicated sections. Credit 2.

DNC 127 Improvisational Technique. This course explores concepts designed to employ movement and vocal skills that will enhance performance and creativity. Emphasis is on solo and group work that will help the student discover the diversity and range of the human instrument. Credit 2

DNC 172 Dance as Art. [DANC 2303] This course is a video survey of the vast range of theatrical dance that has taken place in the twentieth century. Forms and styles covered include ballet, modern/postmodern, jazz, musical theater, tap, contemporary dance, and dance for music video. Writing Enhanced. Credit 3.

DNC 176 Rhythmic Structure of Movement. [DANC 1301] A study is made of musical forms, rhythm and meter in relation to the needs of a dancer-choreographer. Credit 3.

DNC 232 Social and Folk Dance Forms. Social and folk dance forms of ethnic and social significance are studied and performed in relation to their cultural derivations and historical perspectives and their use in period theatrical/concert production. Special emphasis is placed upon the importance of ethnic art forms to contemporary society. Credit 3.

DNC 233 Beginning Ballet Technique. This is a ballet technique class designed for incoming dance majors. It presumes no former ballet training but requires well-developed movement skills. Students who are not dance-majors must have permission of instructor or program coordinator to register. Credit 3.

DNC 234 Beginning Modern Dance Technique. This is a modern dance technique class designed for incoming dance majors. It presumes no former modern dance training but requires well developed movement skills. Students who are not dance-majors must have permission of instructor or program coordinator to register. Credit 3.

DNC 272 History and Philosophy of Dance: 1700 to the Present. A chronological survey is made of the history of dance from the 1700’s to the modern period. Special emphasis is placed on the philosophic relationship of dance to the various cultural epochs. Writing Enhanced. Credit 3.

DNC 273 World Dance: Exploring Cultures. Through the Dance Experience. In this course, students re immersed in the dances of one world region for half a semester, and of another world region for the other half semester. Although comparisons between two cultures will become evident, the primary objective of the course is to expose the student to two different dance styles and to use dance analysis to identify and study cultural characteristics. Guest artists lead classes and demonstrations, which include live music, costumes, and terminology. Each time the course is offered, a different set of cultures is examined. Prerequisites: Junior level standing or permission of the instructor. Credit 3.

DNC 276 Choreography I. The student learns to analyze the various components of design and to create basic dance studies which demonstrate understanding of dance as a craft and as an art. Prerequisites: DNC 127 and 176. A minimum of intermediate standing in ballet or modern dance, or permission of the instructor is required to register for this course. Credit 3.

DNC 333 Intermediate Ballet Technique. This is an intermediate level ballet technique class which presumes substantial exposure to ballet dance training. Open by audition only. Prerequisite: DNC 233 or permission of the instructor. Credit 3.

DNC 334 Intermediate Modern Dance Technique. This is an intermediate level modern dance technique class which presumes substantial exposure to modern dance training. Open by audition only. Prerequisite: DNC 234 or permission of the instructor. Credit 3.

DNC 373 Laban Movement Analysis. This course provides an overview of Laban Movement Analysis emphasizing the areas of Body, Effort, Shape, Space, and components necessary to understand and support non verbal communication. Theory, supported by experiential activities, provides the student the opportunity to better understand human movement as well as a means of acquiring efficient, expressive movement. A brief history/application of LMA is included in the curriculum. Prerequisites PHY 135 and BIO 245. Credit 3.

DNC 374 Principles of Dance Technique. This course provides the student with an overview of the movement system emphasizing the subjective control experience in dance. Methods of tuning the system including body therapies, conditioning regimes, body awareness techniques, and dance training will be reviewed and compared. Prerequisites: PHY 135/115, BIO 245. Credit 3.

DNC 376 Choreography II. The student develops extended dance works which demonstrate advanced understanding of dance as a craft and as an art. Prerequisite: DNC 176, 276 and/or permission of the instructor. Credit 3.

DNC 430 Repertory. The student is involved in rehearsals in which dance works by faculty and guest artists, as well as the great masters of choreography, are staged or reconstructed in preparation for major dance program performances. Open by audition only. Credit 3.

DNC 433 Advanced Ballet Technique. This is a pre-professional level of ballet technique in which dancers will develop a high degree of technical ability and expressive range. Open by audition only. Prerequisite: DNC 333 or permission of the instructor. Credit 3.

DNC 434 Advanced Modern Dance Technique. This is a pre-professional level of modern dance technique in which dancers will develop a high degree of technical ability and expressive range in the modern dance idiom. Open by audition only. Prerequisite: DNC 334 or permission of the instructor. Credit 3.

DNC 472 Dance Criticism and Analysis. Students will view outstanding examples of choreography, read the works of major dance critics, and further develop the tools needed to critically analyze choreography. Emphasis is on writing informed, insightful, analyses of the form, content, and effectiveness of choreographic works. Writing Enhanced. Credit 3.

DNC 474 Dance Pedagogy. This course acquaints students in dance with methods for teaching ballet and modern dance technique, and examines the curriculum for dance established by the National Standards for Arts Education for Grades K-12. Students gain theoretical and practical experience, focusing on the use of anatomically correct and systematic approaches to developing dance skills. Class structure, design of exercises, effective communication with students, and selection of appropriate musical accompaniment are examined. Writing Enhanced. Credit 3.

DNC 476 Choreography III. The student develops extended solo, duet, and ensemble works for performance in formal and informal concerts presented by the Dance Program. Prerequisite: DNC 176, 276, 376 and/or permission of the instructor. Credit 3.

DNC 492 Seminar in Dance. Opportunities are offered for thorough study of a variety of topics which students may choose in dance. Such topics as Historical Period Dance, Ethno-cultural Studies, Choreographic Projects, et cetera, are illustrative. Credit 3.

DNC 493 Independent Study. Opportunities are offered for individual study of an approved problem in dance. Credit 3.