Approved by Faculty Senate March 30, 2009
THAD 151-01 Tap Dance I (1 Cr.)
Spring Semester (1st half) 2008
Winona State University
Location: DBM Black Box Theater Time: TR 10-10:50am
Catalogue Description: A beginning level course concentrating on the history and rhythmic and stylistic techniques of tap dance. This course will emphasize the development and refinement of basic and fundamental skills, as well as deepen conceptual understandings in the style and movement principles of form. This course is grade only and may be repeated once for credit.
This course is designed to satisfy the University studies requirements in: Fine and Performing Arts, and includes requirements and learning activities that promote students’ abilities to:
a. explore the language, skills, and materials of an artistic discipline: Through the knowledge and practice of basic rhythmic styles and exercises, the student will experience tap dance as a form of expression with its own vocabulary, technique, musicality and purpose.Students will further explore the vocabulary and technique of various rhythmic sequences. Students will further develop body awareness through increasingly complex phrases, along with body positioning and weight shifts.
b. use methods of an arts practitioner to actively engage in creative process or interpretive performances: Students will practice tap exercises in every class session along with practicing tap theory in accordance with different dance combinations and exercises. Students create and will perform a version of Leonard Reed’s Shim Sham Shimmy and create an original tap sequence (30 seconds minimum, based on his/her rhythmic style and ability). Both will be performed as a final project.
c. to understand the cultural and gender contexts of artistic expression: Through video, lecture and discussion, students will be exposed to the history of tap dance as a culturally infused American art form, and will appreciate the diverse roles and artistic contributions of men and women throughout its evolution. Students will view tap styles that are products of different cultures and historical periods, providing a context for them to appreciate the roots of the discipline to which they are being exposed. Students will be introduced to such tap influences as the German and Shaker influence, Native American influence, Minstrel influence, Irish influence and Vaudeville influence.
d. engage in reflective analysis of their own work or interpretive performance and respond to the work of others: Students will view, discuss, and respond in written form to tap dance performed by the instructor and experienced through video. Students will also reflect upon and assess, in written form, their own creative process and product, as well as upon their experience performing in a group dance as the final project.
Course activities and assignments that address these Fine and Performing Arts Requirements will be identified in the syllabus by letter (a), (b), (c), (d)
COURSE OBJECTIVES
A. Student learners will further develop an appreciation for the fundamental rhythmic skills and techniques tap dance requires. (a,b,c,d).
B. Student learners will gain a deeper understanding of anatomical andmechanical principles of movement that support tap dance technique. (a)
C. Student learners will increase skill levels in performing beginning tap steps, combinations and turns while building a sense of groundedness, strength, coordination, and body awareness. They will, in addition, be introduced to more complex phrases toward the end of the semester and become more adept at reversing movement combinations. (a,b)
D. Student learners will be exposed to a wide range of jazz music from the 1900's to the present while further exploring concepts of syncopation, polyrhythms and theme and variations.(a,c)
E. Student learners will become more fluent with tap dance terminology and history in the context of jazz, ballet and modern dance styles.(a,c)
BASIC INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN AND METHODS (a,b,c,d)
2. Class consists of floor work, center work and across the floor sequences. (a)
3. As improvisation is a cornerstone in the development of personal creativity, it will be used in class to deepen the individual's response to music and movement phrasing. Student composition/creation of tap sequences and peer assessment of this creative work will also be integrated. (a,b,d)
4. Tap dance history will be integrated into movement demonstrations and musical accompaniment.We will view and discuss tap dance videotapes, when possible, representing diverse styles and applications of the form during the quarter.(a,c,d)
5. Students will be taught movement phrases that will build on one another throughout the course of the semester, culminating in a final dance. (a,c)
6. Students will be coached in the collaborative creation of a group dance. (a,b,d)
ASSESSMENT : COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION (a,b,c,d)
70%Class attendance, participation and quality of involvement.No more than 2 absences are permitted per semester (See attendance policy below) (a,b,c,d)
10%Midterm: 2 page – Typed and double spaced - report on an eminent tap dancer/choreographer. List special technical features or characteristics of that artist's style. Cite sources. (a,c,d) (due February 5)
10%Final: Choreographed tap dance study and performance of Leonard Reed’s Shim Sham Shimmy(due February 28)
5% Typed one-page response to Dancescape performance, with ticket stub (due by February 28)
5%Typed reflective self-assessment (due February 28) (a,d)
Dress
Students dance in movable clothing, tap shoes are required so please look to www.discountdance.com for shoes and other attire.
Dance Class Attendance Policy
Attendanceis mandatory.Absences will affect your grade in two ways:
1) It will affect the percentage of your grade designated for participation.
2) More than two (2) absences will lower your final grade by one letter for each excessive absence. An Excused Absence includes, for example, death in the family, or debilitating illness.
Tardiness:If you are more than ten minutes late to a dance class without having notified the instructor in advance you may not be allowed to participate in the class, and that class will be counted as an unexcused absence.Being late to class twice is equivalent to one unexcused absence. Make-Up Classesmay be made up where there are appropriate substitutes in the curriculum, at the discretion of the instructor.
Active Observation Without Participation:YOU are responsible for assessing your own state of health in consultation with their doctor.If you are unable to dance, you may actively observe class for up to two weeks without participating. (This may include notating movement phrases, drawing floor patterns, giving peer feedback, journalizing, etc.)
Injury Policy:Credit for all technique classes is contingent upon participation.If a student has or incurs an injury in the course of study resulting in a long term (over two weeks) lay off from dancing, it is the student's responsibility to consult with the teacher as to creative options in the learning process or withdrawal from the class.
Important Dates:
· February 12: no class - Assessment Day
· February 14-16: Required Performance, Dancescape, WSU Mainstage
· February 5: Midterm
· February 28: Final Projects
Here are some tips for your critiques:
There are certain elements to keep in mind when viewing a dance performance. It isn’t just about a response, but an analysis of details such as technique, tempo, space, choreography, and energy. Ask yourself the following questions:
· How are the dancers using the space?
· What is the feel/tone of the music?
· Is the choreography reliant on musicality and rhythm, or is it the opposite?
· Whose work does the choreography remind you of?
· Do you have a kinesthetic response to the dance piece (does it make you want to get up and dance)?
· Is the performance an ensemble piece of different dances and dancers, or does it tell a story?
· What are the technical strengths of the dancers? What are the weaknesses?
· Do the dancers possess the element of musicality and rhythm, and do they evoke feeling in their movements?
· Do the dancers convey artistry in their bodies and their faces?
· What did you like about the show? Why?
· What did you dislike about the show? Why?
These are not required for your critique, but they might give you some ideas for what to look for when going to a performance. You can love, hate, and/or dismay the performance you see, just make sure you tell me why!
**This syllabus is subject to change!
Creative Topics for Midterm:
Bill “Bojangles” Robinson
Savion Glover
The Nicholas Brothers
Ted Levy
Ernest Hogan
T.F. Grant
Ned Wayburn
John Bubbles
Gregory Hines
Gene Nelson
Donald O’Connor
Ruby Keeler
Leonard Reed
George Murphy
Ann Miller
Frances Nealy
Jimmy Slyde
Bibliography
Emery, Lynn Fauley,Black Dance in the U.S. from 1619 to 1970.Palo Alto, CA:National Press Books, 1972.
LaPointe-Crump, Janice.Discovering Jazz Dance:America's Energy and Soul.Dubuque, IA:William Brown Communications, Inc. 1992.
Kraines, Minda.Jump Into Jazz.Mt. View, CA:Mayfield, 1983.
Stearns, Marshall and Jean.Jazz Dance:The Story of American Vernacular Dance.
New York. NY:Schirmer Books, 1968.
Knowles, Mark. Tap Roots: The Early History of Tap Dancing. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland and Company, 2002.
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