DAN
490/590
Dance
Accompaniment
Fall '04
Christian
Cherry
Gerlinger
Annex 169
Office Hours: M/W 2-3 or by appt.
phone:
6-5951
cerise@darkwing.uoregon.edu
Overview/Course
Content
The DAN 4/590 course is a sister course taught concurrently with 4/591 Teaching Dance. It will act as the music portion of the 4/591 course. Its purpose is to devote concerted teaching and student study time to the element of music in the dance studio. Through time the relationship of music and dance has changed considerably. Our purpose is to study the inter-relationship of these art forms with attention to pedagogy. Particular attention will be given to the development of musical vocabulary, its judicious use by the dance teacher and to communication with the dance musician in the studio. Further attention will be given to forms and styles of music as they relate to dance.
The
course will pinpoint issues in working with live musicians in the studio.
Students will be asked to learn specific vocabulary and to use it in
thecourse
of their practice teaching. Meters, phrasing and subdivision are key concepts.
The power of form and style will be considered. There will be reading and
some writing on specific topics within pedagogy. Reading will be quizzed
and discussed. All written assignments must be word-processed and written
with clarity of thought.
Grading
Grading
will be based on class participation and the development of musical skills
for teaching (80%). This is development is evidenced in practice teaching,
the use of terminology, in movement content of the phrases you develop
and in your participation in discussions. The quality of your work on assignments
will also be assessed (20%). A separate grade will be given to you for
4/591.
Some
Advice on Pedagogy
Musical
skills are hard to develop in a short amount of time. You must try to make
change in your personal style of presenting material to a class. For many
of you, music comes easily, for others not so, Some will have to unlearn
things first. Be patient with yourselves and trust that with concerted
effort, you can use music to your great advantage. It will be a difficult
but rewarding path of investigation. Now is the time to make mistakes.
In many cases, a small change will make a big difference. Observe the interaction
and successes or failures of your own teachers. See how they treat situations
they face. Make a clear decision about your own style and its effectiveness.
What things do you do well; what things do you do not so well? Above all,
be honest with yourself and with the class as they are your best sources
of information.