Faculty Syllabus

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 credit hours. 3 lecture hours. This is a 16-week course. Students should expect to commit 3-6 hours/week to this course.

This course requires that students complete the following: 

•  Consistent online presence and participation 
•  Three (3) Quizzes
•  Four (4) Discussion Assignments  
• Three (3) Journals 
• Six (6) Assignments 
• Midterm Discussion Project
• Critical Response Paper

Unit 1 - Welcome to Dance Appreciation

Unit 2 - Engaging with Dance

Unit 3 - Elements of Dance

Unit 4 - Dance as Ritual: Ceremonial Dance

Unit 5 - Dance as Storytelling: Ballet

Unit 6 - Dance as Expression & Entertainment: Tap & Jazz

Unit 7 - Dance as Activism: Midterm

Unit 8 - Dance as Rule Breaking: Modern & Contemporary Dance

Unit 9 - Dance as Connection: Social Dance

Unit 10 - Dance on Screen, Then and Now

Unit 11 - Critical Review

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

Course Level – Student learning outcomes

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.

Program Level – Student learning outcomes

PSLO4: Students will demonstrate, through speaking and/or writing, the ability to clearly articulate aesthetic concerns in dance, including analysis of choreography. Assessment criteria include:

• Observations: Communication of relevant information and thorough observations.
•  Analysis: Descriptive analysis of choreography. 
• Evaluation: Clear articulation of aesthetic values.

General Ed Student learning outcomes

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.

Instructional Methodology 

This course will be delivered online (ONL) 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 office hours as well as via email.

Technology 

In this online course, all materials, assignments, and activities will be delivered and completed online. Please make sure you have the hardware and internet capabilities to complete an online course. A tablet or laptop with a secure internet connection is recommended. You will also need Google Docs or Microsoft Word.

Grading Breakdown

Grading Scale

Assignments are due at the posted deadline. Work submitted after the deadline will receive reduced credit: 1 point (1%) per day late. 

If a personal, medical, or family issue arises, please communicate with me as possible and we can work together to set a reasonable deadline extension.

All assignments are due at 11:59 pm. Please note that schedule changes may occur during the semester. Any changes will be announced in class and posted as a Blackboard Announcement.

Austin Community College values academic integrity in the educational process. Acts of academic dishonesty/misconduct undermine the learning process, present a disadvantage to students who earn credit honestly, and subvert the academic mission of the institution. The potential consequences of fraudulent credentials raise additional concerns for individuals and communities beyond campus who rely on institutions of higher learning to certify students' academic achievements and expect to benefit from the claimed knowledge and skills of their graduates. -ACC's Academic Integrity Process

ACC Generative AI Policy - Dance Department

• Introduction: In this course, the use of generative AI (GAI) technologies is strictly prohibited to preserve academic integrity and ensure the development of student competencies. Using generative AI tools to substantially complete any assignment is not permitted. Using instructive generative AI to assist, edit, review, etc. any written assignments is on a case-by-case basis and under SAS guidelines.

• Rationale: The prohibition is in place to encourage original thought, manual problem-solving skills, and to maintain equity in educational opportunities and assessments. In this section of "World Dance,"  the student's personal perspectives, opinions, and insights are explored and centered in written assignments. All writing must reflect these elements through the student's unique use of subjective writing in active voice with personal insight clearly provided, unless the assignment states otherwise.

• Definition of GAI: Generative AI refers to artificial intelligence systems that can generate text, images, or other content based on minimal input. This includes chatbots, image generation tools, and code assistants that require some form of text or visual input in order to generate an output. Alongside generative AI are instructive GAI systems and programs. These systems and applications include Grammarly, Quillbot, Packback, Microsoft WORD Editor. Some programs have less obvious GAI elements that may rely on automated tools that correct and rearrange all human-written sentences, thus removing the need for students to think critically, individually review and edit their own spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. alongside the traditional proofreading markers and suggestions. Further, these tools tend to edit and suggest text generations that are primarily objective and in passive voice, effectively eliminating the personal out of the content that a student is attempting to edit/proofread. However, these tools can also serve as examples of instructive AI that support student learning. This is where faculty discretion and SAS guidelines will come into play. GAI in the academic world is an ever-changing field with complexity for all involved; for more resources on the matter, see:

  • ACC's TLED GUIDE TO GENERATIVE AI

  • NYU's Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs)

  • TXST's Library Guide to Artificial Intelligence (AI).