DANCE SAMPLE COURSE DESCRIPTION

"It was beyond what I could imagine. I learned so much and have been transformed into a more educated and well-rounded dancer."

"I discovered much more about myself as a dancer and about myself. The classes and performances pushed me mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially – exactly what I expected and wanted!"

"I feel a lot more confident in my body and abilities."

– Students, 2007

GS-EAST

The Dance program at Governor's School East serves as a laboratory and a venue for exploring new perspectives in contemporary dance techniques. The resulting investigations and experiences offer a broad yet critical lens through which dance can be viewed and interpreted. Through deep exploration in the philosophies, techniques, and technologies that shape modern dance, students are encouraged to observe, analyze, and challenge these concepts, both mentally and physically. Our goal is to foster creative expression and critical thinking when approaching dance as an artistic medium.

During the course of the six-week GSE session, the dancers participate in a variety of classes, workshops, and fieldtrips, in addition to attending performances at the American Dance Festival (ADF). The ADF is conveniently located 30 miles from the GSE campus and provides a unique opportunity for the students to see professional modern dance companies. The students typically attend two concerts each summer.

GS-WEST

Course Objectives

The focus of the Dance program at the North Carolina Governor's School West is the study, creation, experimentation, performance, and discussion of contemporary dance. Contemporary dance is the chosen style of movement for Governor's School West because it best embraces and expresses theories of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, which is the cornerstone of study for GSW. We focus on contemporary ideas in modern dance and the philosophies, techniques, and technologies that shape them. The students are encouraged to observe, analyze, and challenge these concepts, both mentally and physically. We aim to enable connections between kinesthetic expression and the world at large. Considerable emphasis is placed on the students' ability to work productively in a group setting and in collaboration with other dancers and artists. In addition to providing students with information to understand recent cultural history, this curriculum also includes current theories of improvisation and composition. The goal is to stimulate dancers to integrate their ideas and personal histories in creative development and to encourage in each student a better understanding of how her ideas and history (personal and global) impact and influence her and her role in society. While the students participate in both formal and informal performances, our focus is ultimately on the creative process as it embodies the mission of the dance program and the core principles of Governor's School.

Course Organization

The dance students meet twice per day. The morning class focuses on the study of contemporary dance technique for the purpose of strengthening and increasing the range of motion of the individual and learning various styles of contemporary dance techniques. It is also a process of viewing and critiquing oneself and others from a technical perspective. The afternoon class shifts the focus to individual and group creative processes. A supportive, challenging environment is continually explored as an important element in any setting focused on creation. Some processes begin with improvisations, which often give birth to fully choreographed pieces. However, the focus is not the final product, but the experimentation and education involved in the journey. GSW offers the opportunity for the dancers to perform their original works-in-progress every year. Under the direction of the faculty, students create their work completely with student-generated material and then perform it before the entire student body. Throughout the processes discussions are held on the concepts and issues that arise during the various stages of improvisation, composition, and performance. Communication is a critical element in every classroom and rehearsal experience. Because the focus on contemporary dance challenges the prior dance experiences of most of the students, questions naturally arise which can only be answered by a discussion of twentieth century theory.