Dance

The NMH Dance Program advocates dance as an academic discipline and important mode of communication. The curriculum of each course infuses the practice of dance technique with the history of dance as well as the scientific foundations of movement. The NMH Dance Program offers students the opportunity to experience dance as a physical activity, as an art form, as a language, and as an academic discipline. All courses fulfill the PE requirement for the term in which they are taken. Participation in one of the dance companies fulfills the athletic requirement for a team sport. In addition to the courses for academic credit, the dance program offers cocurricular courses in ballet, tap, jazz, and modern dance, as well as private lessons. There are two performing dance companies: a senior company and a junior company.

Dance courses fulfill either the PE requirement or the cocurricular requirement for the term in which they are taken, but not both requirements. If a student's Dance class is their PE class, then they must enroll in another cocurricular to meet the cocurricular requirement.

The Dance companies, because they fulfill the athletic requirement, also fulfill the cocurricular requirement for the term in which they are taken.

Related Info

Related Courses

Cocurricular Auditioned Groups

DAN 002 NMH Dance Company

DAN 005 Junior Dance Company

Auditioned groups that offer advanced instruction in modern dance and jazz techniques with emphasis on the development of the creative process through student choreography. The groups share three major concerts a year, as well as performing for fall Family Days.

Cocurricular Options

DAN 003 Intermediate Jazz Dance Workshop

DAN 004 Jazz Dance Workshop

DAN 009 Beginning Modern Dance

DAN 010 Intermediate Ballet Workshop

DAN 019 Beginning Ballet Workshop

DAN 022 Jazz Tap Workshop

DAN 028 Dance for Athletes

DAN XXX Private Lessons are offered once a week, for a charge of $37 per lesson. The dance program arranges the instructor to work with the individual students.

DAN 113 Modern and Jazz Dance Fundamentals

Credit:

Half credit

Prerequisite:

None

The fundamentals of jazz and modern dance are taught within a framework that emphasizes learning the anatomy of the moving body and the history of the two genres in the art form. Blending improvisation techniques and set movement combinations with basic jazz-dance vocabulary, dancers will be encouraged to explore expression, dynamics, and rhythmic patterns.

DAN 315 Dance History & Composition: Moving Through 20th Century Concert Dance

Credit:

Half credit

Prerequisite:

Previous dance training, permission of instructor.

How does one create a dance? How did choreographers like Martha Graham and Alvin Ailey choreograph? How can choreography be used to express the history and experience of an individual? Through improvisational exercises, readings, and video viewing, compositional concepts will be introduced and explored within the context of 20th century dance history. While investigating choreographers of the past and drawing from their wisdom, students will compose and perform their own body work to reflect their own histories and individuality.