Course Syllabus
Course: DANC 1100
Division: Fine Arts, Comm, and New Media
Department: Dance
Title: Ballet I
Semester Approved: Spring 2022
Five-Year Review Semester: Fall 2026
End Semester: Fall 2027
Catalog Description: This course introduces students to the theory and practice of a beginning classical ballet technique. It emphasizes discipline, posture, alignment, balance and muscular control neccessary for the execution of basic ballet barre and center exercises. Movement is presented by means of demonstration, description and exploration. This course is repeatable for credit.
Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 2; Lecture: 2; Lab: 1
Repeatable: Yes. May be repeated once for credit.
Justification: Ballet technique is the foundation of Western European dance aesthetic and remains an important component of successful dance training. The analysis of physical movement and structure along with ballet dance vocabulary and quick assimilation of dance movement develop mental and physical dexterity. Self-observation through the use of recording devices and choreographic prompts refine self-knowledge and sharpen critical thinking skills. This course is required for all Dance Majors, and fills a credit requirement at four-year universities.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Students will acquire beginning-level ballet technique skills. Students will be evaluated on their basic knowledge of ballet barre and center exercises through regular in-class instructor and peer feedback.
Students will develop critical thinking skills through observation and analysis of personal movement habits while displaying increased ability in areas of flexibility, strength, musicality, coordination, proprioception and endurance. During their Midterm Exam, students will self-evaluate (via written critiques) their ballet technique through observation of their own classroom movement habits (as recorded on a mobile device).
Students will become familiar with the basic history of ballet and its contribution to the Western European dance forms. For their Final Exam, students will create a short ballet-based dance work. In preparation to their Final, students will be shown examples of diverse ballet works followed by a discussion of their contribution to ballet history.
Students will analyze the relevance/application of ballet technique to a dance concert performance. Students will submit a written critique of the Snow College Dance Concert and choreograph their own basic ballet dance for the end of the semester in class performance.
Content:
Each class will consist of three essential components: warm-up, ballet exercises at the barre/center and cool down. Ballet exercises will emphasize proper alignment, balance, musicality and the use of turn out. In addition to the above, basic anatomy and physiology will be discussed as they apply to movement and help develop solutions to balance, turn-out and other dance issues. Finally, through observation and written critiques students will further refine their critical thinking skills and develop a further appreciation for concert dance.
This class welcomes movers of all abilities, backgrounds and body types. While ballet is a traditional Western European form of dance, we will be examining the issues of inclusivity and colonialism as they apply to the history of ballet through classroom discussion and observation of diverse ballet dancers and choreographers.
Key Performance Indicators:
Attendance and class conduct 60 to 65%
Technical progress 20 to 25%
Midterm practical (self-evaluation) 5 to 10%
Final project (creating a short ballet work) 5 to 10%
Snow College Dance Concert critique 5 to 10%
Representative Text and/or Supplies:
Video materials as found in YouTube
Pedagogy Statement:
Each class consists of a warm-up followed by ballet barre/center/across the floor exercises and a cool-down.
This class welcomes movers of all abilities, backgrounds and body types. While ballet is a traditional Western European form of dance, we will be examining the issues of inclusivity as they apply to the history of ballet through classroom discussion and observation of diverse ballet dancers and choreographers in preparation for our Final project.
Instructional Mediums:
Lecture/Lab
Maximum Class Size: 25
Optimum Class Size: 15
