Dance Appreciation 2303 is a general survey of dance forms designed to create an appreciation of the vocabulary, techniques, and purposes of the creative process. This course includes critical interpretation and evaluations of choreographic works and dance forms within cultural and historical contexts.

Credit Hours: 3

This is a 12-week course, so students should expect to commit at least 4-5 hours/week to this course during the semester.

Fall 2025:  This course will be delivered online via Blackboard (https://acconline.austincc.edu/). This section is fully asynchronous. In other words, you may complete all work on your own by the due dates, without any live class meetings. That said, I am available to answer any questions during my regularly scheduled office hours as well as via email.

MANDATORY ORIENTATION: Orientation materials can be found in the “Start Here – Orientation” section of the Blackboard course. Follow the instructions for the required actions. This is what you'll need to do the first week of class:

• Carefully READ the Course Syllabus and all its policies
• WATCH the Student Orientation Video
• COMPLETE the Blackboard Introduction Discussion Board by midnight, Wednesday, September 24, 2025

Faculty are required to certify your class attendance, and you may be withdrawn from the class if you do not complete the orientation actions by the established deadlines!!  See Start Here - Orientation on Blackboard!

TECHNOLOGY: In this course, all materials, assignments, and many activities can be found and completed online. Please make sure you have the hardware and internet capabilities to view materials and turn in assignments online. A tablet or laptop with good internet connection is recommended.

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS:  Discussion Board Posts/Comments, Reflections/Critiques

CREATIVE ASSIGNMENTS:  Video/Audio Discussion Posts, Make Slideshow, Conduct an Interview, Create Instagram-Style Posts, Organize a YouTube Playlist

COURSE LEVEL:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will: 

• Identify various forms of dance.
• Articulate the relationship between dances and the historical and cultural contexts from which they emerged.
• Express an informed personal reaction to dance forms.
• Critically analyze and write about dance using established methods of dance criticism.
• Evaluate the impact of dance on culture.

GENERAL ED:

Students completing this creative arts core curriculum course will meet the following objectives: 

• Communication Skills: Develop, interpret, and express ideas and information through written, oral, and visual communication that is adapted to purpose, structure, audience, and medium.
• Critical Thinking Skills: Gather, analyze, synthesize, evaluate and apply information for the purposes of innovation, inquiry, and creative thinking.
• Personal Responsibility: Identify and apply ethical principles and practices to decision-making by connecting choices, actions and consequences
• Social Responsibility: Analyze differences and commonalities among peoples, ideas, aesthetic traditions, and cultural practices to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities.
• Teamwork: Consider different points of view to work collaboratively and effectively in pursuit of a shared purpose or goal.

• Defining Dance:  Origins & Purpose
• Engaging with Dance (A Method for Critical Analysis)
• Elements of Dance
• Ritual Dance
• Social Dance
• Development of Ballet
• Dance and the Body
• Development of Modern and Contemporary Dance
• Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Tap
• Written Dance Critique

COURSE GRADE

This is how your course grade will be determined:

Monitor Your Progress:  Your assignment grades and weighted course grade may be checked on Blackboard throughout the semester. Please see or e-mail the instructor at any time if you have concerns or questions about your grade.

This is a ZTC (Zero Textbook Cost) section. In place of required textbooks, all textbook materials needed for the class will be available online to students free of charge. Students may print copies of the resources but will be responsible for printing costs.

Resources will include scholarly articles, essays, excerpts and chapters, which will be provided within each module on Blackboard. A curated selection of dance films, videos, podcasts, and other listening material will also be provided within each module on Blackboard. Students will be expected to access links to YouTube, Vimeo, and other public sources.

There is no required textbook.

Attendance/Class Participation

Though this section is a 12-week asynchronous course, all assignments, quizzes, the group project, and the paper have due dates. Regular and timely class participation in discussion boards and completion of work is expected of all students.  If participation or compliance with other course policies is unsatisfactory, the instructor may withdraw students from the class. Students should expect to commit at least 4-5 hours/week to this course during the semester. 

The student is responsible for communicating with their professor and completing all assignments or other activities designated by their professor.

Withdrawal Policy

It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that his or her name is removed from the rolls should they decide to withdraw from the class.  The instructor does, however, reserve the right to drop a student should he or she feel it is necessary.  If a student decides to withdraw, he or she should also verify that the withdrawal is recorded before the Final Withdrawal Date.  The Final Withdrawal Date for this semester is provided at this link.  The student is also strongly encouraged to keep any paperwork in case a problem arises.

Students are responsible for understanding the impact that withdrawal from a course may have on their financial aid, veterans’ benefits, and international student status.  Per state law, students enrolling for the first time in Fall 2007 or later at any public Texas college or university may not withdraw (receive a “W”) from more than six courses during their undergraduate college education. Some exemptions for good cause could allow a student to withdraw from a course without having it count toward this limit. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with an advisor when making decisions about course selection, course loads, and course withdrawals.”

Late Work Policy

Due dates are clearly stated in Blackboard Modules and the Gradebook. Students who are unable to complete work on time are encouraged to turn their work in late for partial credit. Late work will be penalized with a grade reduction.

Incompletes

Note that the completion date for unfinished work cannot be later than the withdrawal deadline for the following semester. 

All ACC Policies are accessible to students in our Blackboard course.