Dance and Culture: Dancing Values

Comparison of various world dance forms with some contemporary and historical dances in the United States. The aim of this course is to bring the field of dance to life by showing a wide range of cultural, aesthetic, and historical worlds from which dance is born and which are created by dance. Students should obtain a fuller understanding of the field of dance and its relationship to other areas of the humanities and social sciences by investigating how dance is a carrier of cultural and aesthetic values across a wide spectrum of forms from around the globe and throughout history. Utilizing observation, discussions, participation in dance classes and writing about a variety of dance forms, the instructor will guide the students to a deeper understanding of dance as a cultural act.