Dance (DAN)

Explores a practice of moving more easily, skillfully, and flexibly, to enhance clarity and self-expression for performing artists. The course promotes a culture of awareness, acceptance and exploration that heightens creativity. This course will explore movement puzzles with guided awareness for improving performance capabilities and reducing injury and repetitive strain often experienced by artists.

Introduces basic concepts and skills of hip hop and how it is fused with athleticism. This course will cover the progression of the hip hop dance genre beginning with foundational hip hop vocabulary. The history and culture of this genre are examined. This is a beginning level course.

Includes a continuing study of hip hop dance movement and cultural concepts and focuses on advancing technique work and proficiency. This course expands and deepens understanding of vocabulary, choreography, styles of the dance, history, and current trends.

Introduces basic concepts and skills of modern dance. Focuses on technique work to improve alignment and increase strength, flexibility, endurance, coordination, rhythm and spatial awareness. Explores dance as a tool for communication and dance as an art form. This is a beginning level course. May be repeated for no more than three credits.

Includes a continuing study of modern dance movement concepts. Focuses on advancing technique work and proficiency. Expands and deepens understanding of alignment, strength, flexibility, endurance, coordination, rhythm and spatial awareness. Improvisation may be included. This course is for students who have successfully completed Modern I or have previous dance training. This course may be repeated up to two times for credit.

Builds on intermediate skills with more advanced and complex modern dance movement concepts and technique. Expands and deepens understanding of alignment, strength, flexibility, endurance, coordination, rhythm, spatial awareness, dynamics and improvisation. This course is for students who have successfully completed DAN 112: Modern II. This course may be repeated up to two times for credit.

Builds on intermediate/advanced skills with complex technique work and experimentation and emphasis on quality of movement style. Expands and deepens understanding of alignment, strength, flexibility, endurance, coordination, rhythm, spatial awareness, dynamics and improvisation. This course is for students who have successfully completed DAN 113: Modern III and are at an intermediate/advanced level. This course may be repeated up to two times for credit.

Introduces the beginning dancer to popular Salsa steps and dance combinations. This course includes basic partnering concepts and techniques. Dancers will explore rhythm, proper body alignment and music recognition. A partner is not required for this course.

Continues Salsa I with an increased knowledge of Salsa dance. This course focuses on Salsa dancing in groups of couples with frequent partner exchanges. Dancers learn a more in-depth study of Salsa dance concepts and techniques. A partner is not required for this course.

Introduces the basic techniques and vocabulary of jazz dance and the basic elements of dance. Focuses on movement oriented dance, comprised of warm-up exercises, center combinations, traveling combinations and cool down.

Continues Jazz I with an increased knowledge of jazz dance. Enables the student to work at an intermediate level with a basic understanding of body alignment, balance and musicality.

Builds on skills learned in DAN 122 and incorporates work at an intermediate/advanced level. Expands on jazz dance technique through more challenging movement combinations. Requires knowledge of the learned basics in dance.

Builds on skills learned in DAN 123 and incorporates work at a more advanced level. Emphasizes more challenging movement combinations and performance techniques.

Introduces and allows discovery, experience, analyzation, and evaluation of different genres of dance, including but not limited to, music, choreography, costuming, history, and culture. This is a statewide Guaranteed Transfer course in the GT-AH1 category.

Introduces the basic techniques of ballet, which are built upon knowledge of ballet terminology, fundamental exercises, and the basic elements of dance. Focuses on movement-oriented dance, comprised of stretching, barre warm-up exercises, simple Terre ¿ Terre and jumping steps, and basic extended positions. May be repeated for a maximum of three credits.

Continues Ballet I and emphasizes ballet terminology, fundamental exercises and the basic elements of dance. Focuses on an intermediate level within the basic structure of the ballet class.

Builds on Ballet II at an intermediate/advanced level. Continues learning within the basic structure of a ballet class while increasing the level of skills through more experience with challenging movement combinations.

Consists of traditional and contemporary ballet technique with focus on correct body alignment and kinesiology for an increased physical performance. This is not a pointe class.

Introduces the basic terminology, techniques and routines of several dances from a specific country or region. Focuses on the music, costumes and customs related to the dances they study. Partners are not required. May be repeated for a maximum of three credits.

Continues Dance 141 with focus on regional dances, customs and rhythms. Partners are not required. May be repeated for a maximum of three credits.

Introduces basic tap dance movements and techniques. The shuffle, ball change, brush, flap heel drop, stomp, and stamp step are covered.

Continues with the concepts introduced in Tap I including more advanced versions of time steps, drawbacks, and bomber shays. Introduces wings and syncopated pull-backs. Focuses on intricate rhythm patterns.

Examines Western & non-Western dance as an expression of cultural value throughout history from early Renaissance dance through present day dance trends. Attention is given to social, political, economic, environmental, racial and gender effects as it pertains to the historical development of dance forms within societies. Explores how our cultural lens shifts our perception of movement, the body, and our values. This is a statewide Guaranteed Transfer course in the GT-AH1 category.

Presents belly dance - the oldest dance form known to humankind and a celebration of life! Emphasizes developing balance and enables the student to perform a belly dance and learn the history of belly dance and costuming techniques.

Continues Belly Dance 1 (DAN 151) with emphasis on coordination and balance and additional techniques. Includes costume design.

Includes creative problem-solving and choreographic exercises to explore the basic elements of dance. The course introduces improvisation and focuses on devleoping skills in inventing and structuring movement to create original works of choreography.

Furthers the study of choreographic methods including group work and developing ideas in creating site specific pieces, while continuing to cultivate individual movement style and invention.

Includes the ability to rehearse and perform original choreography for performance after selection through audition. Expands and deepens understanding of a professional company atmosphere while focusing on technique. Improvisation may be included. This course may be repeated up to two times for credit.

Includes the ability to rehearse and perform original choreography at an advanced level for performance after selection through audition. Expands and deepens understanding of a professional company atmosphere while focusing on advancing technique and utilizing improvisation in performance. This course may be repeated up to two times for credit.

Introduces students to dance within the context of musical theatre. Enables the student to practice non-verbal communication and expressive movement techniques.

Continues Dance 224 with more emphasis on performance.

Continues Belly Dance II (DAN 152) with emphasis on coordination, balance and additional techniques. Includes costume design, fitness, and the emphasis of learning advanced dance techniques to perform professionally.

Introduces and develops the skills necessary for learning how to teach dance to children through adults. Fundamental movement principles and the goals/values of dance in education will be examined. Lectures, readings and laboratory teaching experiences will be followed by observation and feedback sessions on practical teaching and lesson planning.

Analyzes, discusses and traces the history of Dance for Camera/Screendance including musicals, art-films and commercial media. Students will get hands-on-training in using the video camera as a two-dimensional stage, progressing to creating their own Dances for Camera. This class will require students to watch and analyze dance media, read and apply historical information discussed in creating their own screen dances, and be actively engaged in class discussions and feedback sessions.

To be determined by the individual instructor. A Course Description will be developed for each course and documented within the course syllabus. Refer to the SFCC Style Guide for Course Description, Required Course Learning Outcome, and Topical Outline guidelines.