Dance

1 term, non-solid 1 day/week 45 minutes, 1/4 credit

This one term class is designed for the dancer with movement background who wants to have private attention to improve technique to dance en pointe or in areas that the dancer finds they are struggling in. Lessons are scheduled once a week during a free period. A student may schedule this time as often as the class schedule allows and teacher availability exists. The instructor will approve students for a private lesson who will benefit most from this time of individual work. 

1 term, non-solid 2 days/week (Mon & Thurs or Tues & Fri), 1/2 credit

This course provides useful tools to the student to gain body awareness and develop a sense of longevity through reasonable goals. Students develop flexibility and proper alignment through somatic techniques that emphasize breathing and injury prevention. Stretching the body through dance exercises and movement combinations enhance coordination, balance, and muscle memory much like the Dance for Athletes course. Students will explore which somatic practices (yoga, Pilates, etc.,) work for their individual bodies while also learning to be aware of how they can prevent injuries in the future. This course meets 2 days a week.

1 term, non-solid 2 days/week (Mon & Thurs or Tues & Fri), 1/2 credit

Yoga is a movement-based course that focuses on breath to movement connectivity, proper alignment of the body in the yogic poses, practices of mindfulness and guided meditation. Students will learn about the foundational principles of Vinyasa Yoga and about its rich history embedded in Indian traditions and ritual experiences. The course will give students the tools to be able to ignite their breath to movement connection in order to find balance in the body. The goal for our students is that they will be able to develop their own Yoga movement sequence by the end of the term. This course follows the Culver mission of mind, body, and spirit, and engages and supports the students both mentally and physically.

2 terms, non-solid 2 days/week (Mon & Thurs or Tues & Fri), 1 credit

This course has been designed especially for young men and women involved in sports but those without a sports background and also those looking to gain flexibility, agility, and balance are also welcome. Using a blending of basic dance forms, students experience total body awareness and alignment as well as a new sense of the body’s potential by experiencing dance technique. Improved muscle control, balance, and flexibility, along with proper stretching techniques and injury prevention are sport-specific highlights. 

2 terms, non-solid 2 days/week (Mon & Thurs or Tues & Fri), 1 credit

This course continues the work begun in Dance for Athletes.  Students work on flexibility and agility through warm up center floor and then develop muscle memory by learning dance phrases that travel through space.  A unit on ballroom dance and dancing through the decades in America adds variety and socialization to the class since working in pairs or small groups occur.  The students also create their own movement studies to develop their personal ideas about dance in small groups and finally as soloists by the end of the second term.

2 terms, non-solid 2 days/week (Mon & Thurs or Tues & Fri), 1 credit

Students of any dance background would find  this course useful (No prior dance training is necessary). It introduces students to the basic movements of ballet, jazz, and modern dance. This is a technique class and concentrates on physical development and creative exploration of the body’s movement capabilities. Whether this be the first time stepping onto a dance floor or the student comes from a ballet/modern/jazz dance background, this class will help students with flexibility, creativity, and technique. 

2 terms, non-solid 2 days/week (Mon & Thurs or Tues & Fri), 1 credit

This course is meant to develop the basics from Dance Workshop 1 and go more in depth with ballet, jazz, and modern dance techniques. Students with any previous dance experience that want to delve into improvisation, dance composition, and technique will find this course extraordinarily useful. Pointe work is incorporated into the ballet curriculum, depending on the student's skill and developmental level. We will explore all aspects of modern and ballet movements whether that be neo-classical ballet or contemporary. 

1 term, solid, 1 credit

This course explores the history of Western theatrical dance from the courts of King Louis XIV to contemporary dance artists innovating the field today. It offers an overview of key artistic movements and traces the development of major forms and genres, considering them within their social, cultural and gendered contexts. Through in-class screenings, choreographic laboratories, and written assignments, students will refine their methods of movement observation, artistic analysis, and interpretation. Students will gain a deeper awareness of the technical nuances of dance and how it relates to their own choreographic process.

2 terms, non-solid 2 days/week (Mon & Thurs or Tues & Fri), 1 credit

This course focuses more on dance composition, methodology, and theory. Dance Composition teaches the Honoring/Concentrating Dance student to create choreography and learn how to compose dance scores. Ballet, Modern, and Contemporary dance are explored along with improvisation to develop the student’s repertoire so that they are able to create their own movements for their Honors/Concentration in Dance projects. Only Honoring or Concentrating students can take Dance Composition.

2 terms, non-solid 2 days/week (Mon & Thurs or Tues & Fri), 1 credit

Prerequisites: The students must be active in Culver’s dance program as a member of Dancevision for a minimum of 2 years prior to graduation. The students should be in good academic standing. The student must successfully complete the following courses: Honors Dance Composition, Honors Dance History and Honors Seminar: Dance. Demonstrates achievement as a performing dancer, choreographer, and rehearsal director.

After the appropriate course work has been accomplished, Honors candidates prepare two pieces of choreography to complete the Honors project. A solo and a group work, taught to their peers, performed during the Spring Honors Performance. All music selections and choreography will be approved by the Honors Faculty Advisor. The students will maintain a journal of their notes and reflections that will be handed in to their advisor throughout the creative process, finishing with a final paper reflecting on their Honors process and experience.

Honors Project

1. Solo choreography must be approximately 3 minutes in length. Group choreography must be approximately 4 minutes in length. Musical selections and choreography must display versatility in style, originality and only one piece of music may include vocals. Students must embrace a leadership role in creating movement for their peers and communicating choreographic expectations. Students must organize the production of their work (lighting design & staging). Student must accept some financial commitment for their costumes.