Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2024 - CA 127 D100

History of Dance: From the 20th Century to the Present (3)

Class Number: 5428

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Dec 3, 2024: Tue, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    GOLDCORP

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Dec 9, 2024
    Mon, 12:00–3:00 p.m.
    GOLDCORP

  • Prerequisites:

    12 units.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Study of the development of modern dance and the reformation of the ballet from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. Emphasis will be placed on seminal dance artists and the impact their work has had upon the art form in western theatre dance. This course may be of particular interest to a range of students in departments across the University. Students with credit for CA (or FPA) 227 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course understands history as a moving force, one that animates dancing bodies and lives in the present moment. We focus on the “againness” of history, querying the idea of dance as ephemeral—a fleeting form that leaves no trace. Starting from this place and this time, we make connections between local trajectories and practices of dance and their wider, global histories. We learn about major moments and figures in dance history even as we trouble the western theatrical canon. We learn to recognize the power of official histories to occlude and to forget, and we work to situate the conditions of those occlusions and the lived consequences of those omissions.

Our study of dance history is rooted in broader conversations about the archive. Dedicated to an exploration of how history continues to move us, we experiment with different approaches to constructing dance histories. We position the body (each specific body) as an amalgamation of movement histories, and we consider how the historian is necessarily implicated in the stories they tell.

Students can expect to work across theory and practice to: i) explore a range of Dance History discourses, ii) practice articulating the effects and affects of performance events, iii) explore dance archives and experiment with alternate archival practices, iv) share research and feedback with peers. We will use dance history as a platform for the development of university research and writing skills, including active reading, note-taking, source selection, identification of research gaps, and peer-review and revision techniques.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

  • To understand dance practices as culturally, spatially, and historically specific.
  • To deepen a relationship with local expressions of dance histories and lineages and to understand how local expressions connect with broader, global histories.
  • To engage with questions around historiography and to put the Western Theatrical canon in a broader, critical context.
  • To observe links between formal choreographic choices, cultural context, and meaning-making.
  • To get comfortable with the verbal and written expression of dance-based ideas.
  • To read, summarize, and analyze dance scholarship, including accurate identification of key concepts, assertions, and interventions in the work.

  • To develop compelling research questions.
  • To make use of the SFU Library resources specific to a given topic.

Grading

  • Participation 15%
  • Low-Stakes Assignments 10%
  • Mid-Term Paper (written in-class) 20%
  • Pocket Histories Group Presentation 10%
  • Project Proposal & Source Summaries, format TBD 15%
  • Final Project, 3 options: 1. Research Paper, 2. Performative lecture (with written summary & sources), 3. Reconstruction of performance (with written analysis & sources) 30%

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

  • All course readings will be provided as PDFs via the course Canvas site.

 

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.