Welcome to dance class! I'm so excited to share my love of ballet, jazz/lyrical, and tap with you the next few weeks. The most important thing for you to do in this class is dance!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1soPkrhs2w
Have fun, bring a positive attitude, and practice a little on your own time, and everyone will have a great time!
Syllabus
News forum
This week, we will focus on learning foundational steps in ballet, jazz, and tap.
If you miss class, please refer to the content covered in the terminology book and try to Google for videos of the content. They should be easy to find.
Here is a link to some tap terminology: http://www.tapdancingresources.com/videos/steps/by-name.htm.
Beginning ballet class video: .
Critique #1
Please watch the videos below. Choose one piece to critique. Discuss what you liked about it, what impressed you, what disappointed you, and/or what you may have learned from it. Submit your 1-2 page, double-spaced writeup.
Coppelia (full length ballet): https://youtu.be/uE2fjFMag7E
Savion Glover performing an excerpt from Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk (an amazing Broadway show): https://youtu.be/0-2kUSSzKwI
A very short excerpt from Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk depicting trying to hail a cab in NYC: https://youtu.be/kLHUOV7f78k
Scene from a movie called Tap with some of the biggest tap legends (Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, Sammy Davis, Jr., Jimmy Slide, Bunny Briggs, there are more) that have ever lived: https://youtu.be/OsK8dWjDi_E
On a side note, reading Sammy Davis, Jr.'s autobiography was one of the most moving reads I've had. He discussed what he experienced before, during, and after the Civil Rights movement. Very powerful stuff.
We have been working on a dance in the "jazz" portion of the class, and we started a tap dance. Please check out the videos and practice.
Jazz Dance
Tap Dance
We started working on a tap dance. It's only a few counts so far, but it's a challenge.
right foot: Paradiddle, paradiddle, dig brush heel, paradiddle
left foot: Paradiddle, paradiddle, dig brush heel, paradiddle
right foot: cincinnati
left foot: cincinnati
right foot: brush heel, scuff heel
right foot: four count cramp roll, four count cramp roll, toe, toe, heel, heel
left foot: four count cramp roll, four count cramp roll, toe, toe, heel, heel
Videos
Our final week! I have had so much fun with you guys! Thank you for taking class with me! I hope to see you around campus =)
Final Assignment
You have two options:
1. Write a 5-page research paper discussing the history of a particular dancer (e.g., Sammy Davis, Jr.), style of dance (e.g., ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip hop), or a particular show (e.g., “Bring in da noise, bring in da funk”, “The Nutcracker”). The paper should be double-spaced and include references to articles/books. Pictures may be included where appropriate. Be sure to include why you chose the topic; why is it important to you, what impact did it have in your life (if any)? Also, include topics such as: how dance was influential in the person’s life? How has that person/style/show impacted others? How long has the show been running? How was it created? What was going on in the world when the person began dancing/style was created/show was first produced?
2. Choreograph a 1 minute piece in ballet, tap, or jazz. You can find choreography from elsewhere, but you need one minute of yourself performing it. You can work with others, but for every other person in the group, add 30 seconds (2 people = 1.5 minutes, 3 people = 2 minutes, etc.). You must have legitimate choreography. I don't mind a trendy step or two, but you need to show something that you have learned from class.
Video drop for Laura =)