Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE DCS3024

 
TITLE Interpreting Dance

 
UM LEVEL 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 6

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Dance Studies

 
DESCRIPTION This unit introduces a variety of socio-cultural frameworks, examining how they can be applied to and understood within dance practice. Students will be introduced to ideas from gender studies and ethnicity, sociology and cultural studies, politics, culture and identity. Each framework provides a different method for viewing and experiencing choreography and performance, informing how you engage with and analyse dance. Through viewing, reading and writing tasks, you will extend your perceptions of dance in its context as a contemporary cultural phenomenon, raising questions about performance and its meanings in social context. You will analyse academic writing; view dance works using processes of interpretation and evaluation, develop your own opinions and learn how to support them. You will have the opportunity to select particular frameworks for detailed personal research and presentation through your assessment.

Study-Unit Aims:

- to inculcate broad understandings of a range of socio-cultural frameworks as methodologies for constructing dance knowledge in theory and practice;

- to aid the appreciation, employment and critical evaluation of these frameworks;

- to apply these frameworks to initiate and undertake the generation and analysis of data and information;

- to instil 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 understanding of a selected range of socio-cultural frameworks as methodologies for constructing dance knowledge in theory and practice;

- appreciate, employ and critically evaluate these frameworks;

- utilise 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 selected techniques within these frameworks to initiate and undertake the generation and analysis of data and information;

- communicate information, arguments and analysis in logical written forms.

Selected Readings:

Carter, A and J O’Shea (2010) The Routledge Dance Studies Reader (2nd edition) Routledge

Chazin-Bennahum J, (ed) (2005) Teaching Dance Studies New York and London: Routledge

Counsell, Colin and Laurie Wolf (eds) (2001) Performance Analysis: an Introductory Course Book, London & NY: Routledge

Goellner, Ellen W. and Jacqueline Shea Murphy, (1995) Bodies of the text: Dance as Theory, Literature as Dance New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press

Morris, Gay (1996) Moving Words, Rewriting Dance London & NY: Routledge

Pavis, Patrice, (2003) Analysing Performance: Theater, Dance and Film, University of Michigan

Schechner, Richard (2007) Performance Studies: an Introduction, 2nd edition, Routledge

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Independent Online Learning

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

 
LECTURER/S

 

 
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 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit