Illinois State University s3

ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE – DANCE PROGRAM

Course Number: THE 305.00 – Adv. Modern Website: http://www.ilstu.edu/~ssemoni/ Credits: 2.0 hours Office Phone: 438-8021 Class Time: T/TH 10:30 – 12:00 pm Office Hours: T/TH 2:30-3:30 pm Room: Mc 104 Office: 201A Centennial West Instructor: Sara Semonis E-mail: [email protected]

TITLE: ADVANCED MODERN DANCE

PREREQUISITE: THE 205.00, Intermediate Modern Dance, or advanced placement

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Advanced modern dance technique; a progressive development of movement concepts and vocabulary from the intermediate level course, THE 205.00, Intermediate Modern Dance, with emphasis on virtuosity and versatility.

TEXT REQUIRED: NONE

COURSE OBJECTIVES: 1. To consistently apply correct alignment, strength, flexibility, and advanced technical skills towards all classroom work. 2. To use proper alignment and anatomical references within the class as a means towards becoming more fully aware of one’s own body and how it moves through space. 3. To demonstrate the ability to understand challenging movement sequences, while still maintaining a focus on details and proper execution. 4. To recognize/acknowledge stylistic individuality and how this effects one’s artistic expression. 5. To continue to increase the range and diversity of one’s movement vocabulary while demonstrating a strong focus on performance and quality of movement. 6. To explore in the areas of individual body awareness, self expression, and commitment with both the body and mind. 7. To practice the release of muscular tension in order to move in an efficient and safe manner. 8. To increase one’s critical facilities and perceptions through evaluation, discussion, and observation of dance. 9. To fully explore the compositional elements of dance (time, space, energy) through the use of improvisational and choreographic tasks. 10. To acknowledge areas of improvement through the use of self-correction, personal goal setting, and consideration of instructor feedback. 11. To dance with your WHOLE BEING every day of class, and to keep an OPEN MIND!

COURSE CONTENT/OUTLINE: The focus of this course is to increase the range and diversity of the students dance vocabulary to an advanced level of modern dance. Students are expected to consistently maintain and improve upon their technical skills, while approaching their art form with individuality and confidence in their self-expression. Complicated rhythms, uneven phrasing (i.e. mixed meter, etc.), dropping into gravity, inverted movement (upper body as support), initiating movement from various body parts, and changing the quality of the action, will be some of the concepts presented. Class structure will remain similar to that of previous modern classes (i.e. basic skill exercises, center combinations, locomotor phrases), with an additional emphasis on strengthening and stretching the entire body. Students are expected to use self-correction as a means to better understand their own facilities and to further develop their dance skills by the end of the semester. I. Technical Skills/Classroom Work A. Skill level/Advancement of Skills B. Artistic Expression/ “Whole Being” C. Improvement/Consistent Improvement D. Attitude/Approach to Learning E. Effort/Open to New Material F. Retention of Corrections/Consistency G. Encouraging a Positive Dance Atmosphere (for oneself and others)

II. Attendance and Participation A. Physically attending class B. “Mentally” attending class

III. Written Work A. Understanding one’s own facility/Self evaluation B. Acknowledging individuality in performance C. Applying prior knowledge to current dance training D. Mid-term conference with professor

EVALUATION AND STUDENT REQUIREMENTS:

60% Classroom Work (see Course Outline above) 20% Attendance and Participation (see Attendance below and above) 10% Practical Midterm – Video tape on October 5, View/Discuss on October 7, Self Evaluation and Midterm Conference during week of October 12 10% Practical Final- Video tape on December 2, Self Evaluation during week of November 30

GRADING SCALE: 100-90%=A; 89-80%=B; 79-70%=C; 69-60%=D; 59-0%=F

ATTENDANCE POLICY: Mandatory! Only two absences each semester are allowed before your grade is affected. After the second absence, each missed class will lower your Attendance grade by three percentage points (example-third absence=17/20%). Therefore, the fifth absence will result in a failing grade for the Attendance and Participation portion of the class and consequently, failure of the entire course. Excused absences will only be allowed for a University sanctioned activity providing a note from the sponsoring organization is presented to the professor one week prior to the event (excusing an absence is ultimately at the discretion of the instructor). Please speak with the instructor if you will be absent due to a death in the family, religions holiday, or serious injury (a doctor’s appointment will not be considered an excused absence). Communication with the professor concerning attendance will be the responsibility of the student.

Class will start promptly at 10:30 AM. If you arrive over 5 minutes late or leave class early, this will be considered an incomplete class (absence). If you are too ill to actively participate, an absence will be taken. Observations will only be accepted under extreme circumstances and will not generally be allowed. Make-up classes are allowed, but will be considered on an individual basis, providing they are approved by the instructor of both classes. NO MAKE-UP CLASSES WILL BE ALLOWED THE FIRST TWO WEEKS AND THE LAST TWO WEEKS OF CLASSES. ALL MAKE-UP CLASSES MUST BE COMPLETED WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF THE ORIGINAL ABSENCE. Approval of make-up classes is completely at the discretion of the professor.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION  Please turn all cellular devices off during class sessions. Be respectful of your teacher and fellow classmates. Please speak with your instructor if you have questions concerning this request.  No grades will be distributed via e-mail during the course of the semester (even at the request/ permission of the student). Every effort to present grades in a timely and appropriate manner will be made.  Students will be responsible to consistently check the instructor’s website for new information, schedule changes, etc. You will find this information at http://www.ilstu.edu/~ssemoni/ . Go to Teaching Page and THE 305 link.

Any student needing to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability should contact Disability Concerns at 350 Fell Hall, 438-5833 (voice), 438-8620 (TTY).

NICE TO SEE YOUR FACES AGAIN…LET’S GET DANCING!!!

(ALL INFORMATION ON THE SYLLABUS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITH ADVANCE NOTICE.)