Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE DCS2005

 
TITLE Dance and Performance Theory

 
UM LEVEL 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 5

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Dance Studies

 
DESCRIPTION This study-unit is designed to develop understandings of dance by introducing a range of ways to experience it. A variety of philosophical and socio-cultural frameworks will be explored, examining how they can be applied to and understood within contemporary dance practice. Each framework provides a different method for experiencing choreography and performance, informing how you engage with and analyse dance. Through a series of seminars and workshops, and through viewing, reading and writing tasks, you will extend your perceptions of dance in its context as a contemporary cultural phenomenon, and raising questions about performance, processes and performativity. You will have the opportunity to select particular frameworks for detailed personal research and presentation through your assessments.

Study-Unit Aims:

- To inculcate broad understandings of a range of philosophical and socio-cultural frameworks as methodologies for constructing dance knowledge in theory and practice.
- To aid the appreciation, employment and critical evaluation these frameworks.
- To introduce a range of techniques within these frameworks to initiate and undertake the generation and analysis of data and information.
- To instill effective communication of information, arguments and analysis in logical written forms.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Demonstrate critical knowledge, both written and verbally, of a selected range of philosophical and socio-cultural frameworks as methodologies for constructing dance knowledge in theory and practice.
- Appreciate, employ and critically evaluate these frameworks.
- Use a range of given techniques within these frameworks to initiate and undertake the generation and analysis of data and information.
- Effectively communicate information, arguments and analysis in logical written forms.

2. Skills:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Describe, theorise, interpret and evaluate performance texts and performance events from a given range of critical perspectives use a range of techniques within these frameworks to initiate and undertake the generation and analysis of data and information.
- Effectively communicate information, arguments and analysis in logical written forms.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Main Texts:

- Chandler, Daniel. 2007. Semiotics the Basics sec. ed. (London and New York: Routledge).
- Giersdorf, Jens Richard and Wong, Yutian (Eds.) (2019). The Routledge Dance Studies Reader, Third Edition. (London: Routledge).
Manning, Susan, Ross, Janice, and Schneider, Rebecca (Eds.) (2020) Futures of Dance Studies. (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press).
- Goellner, Ellen W. and Jacqueline Shea Murphy. 1995. Bodies of the text: Dance as Theory, Literature as Dance (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press).

Supplementary Readings:

- Morris, Gay. 1996 Moving Words, Rewriting Dance (London & NY: Routledge).
- Pavis, Patrice. (ed) 1996. The Intercultural Performance Reader (Routledge).
- Phelan, Peggy. 2005. Twentieth Century Performance (Routledge).
- Schechner, Richard. 2007. Performance Studies: an Introduction, sec. ed. (Routledge).

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture and Tutorial

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Essay SEM2 Yes 100%

 
LECTURER/S Deborah Williams

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

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