Class Schedules

In a process of studied spectatorship, students in this first-year course will acquire the vocabularies of the field to critically articulate their individual reactions to dance and theater performances. With the support of seminal readings in dance and theater criticism, students will write reviews and essays that give special consideration to issues of representation, socio-historical context, and artistic expression. Whether in film or live, we will view dance and theater performances presented at professional venues in the Twin Cities such as the Walker Arts Center, the Guthrie, Penumbra Theatre, Mixed Blood, Northrop Auditorium, and Cowles Center. This course is typically reserved for incoming first-years and not open to returning students. Students can not receive credit for both 105 and THDA 110.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This is a survey course that welcomes majors and non-majors alike. Students are exposed to a variety of modern contemporary dance and theatre pieces, screenings, plays, essays, and criticism to explore the intersections of performance and identity from a historical perspective. Assignments include attending screenings and/or performances; script analyses and close readings; individual research; short written projects and a final paper. This course is typically reserved for returning students and not open to incoming first-years. Students can not receive credit for both 110 and THDA 105.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

An introduction to the fundamentals of fully embodied playing of the human voice in spoken performance, firmly based on the methods of Arthur Lessac, augmented with techniques from Linklater and Rodenburg. Students learn elements of elocution: communication awareness, breath support, healthy voice production, resonance, projection, posture, speech articulation, American English pronunciation, and expressive vocal delivery, applicable in any venue, including virtual spaces. Essential for performers and useful for anyone choosing a career such as law, teaching, politics, leadership, etc., that requires public speaking. This is a physical, highly energized, experiential, interactive, performance-based lab course. Consistent practice outside of class hours is mandatory. The semester culminates with a solo performance of oration and poetry. No previous experience required. Online only.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course is designed to explore the art and craft of dramatic writing. Students will complete weekly reading assignments and writing exercises that will culminate in the writing of a one-act play. Students will engage in a rigorous development process which will include in-class feedback sessions and script revision. The ultimate goal of the course is for each student to develop a consistent, challenging and rewarding individual creating writing practice.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WC

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

The unique qualities of dance as an art, a form of expression, and a mode of communication present fascinating opportunities for designers. The bodies of dancers exist in a dynamic relationship with visual and sound environments, and in this way designers can play crucial roles in helping dancers communicate with their audiences and heightening the sensory impact of a performance. In this course, we will examine the design elements (scenery, costume, light, sound, and projection design) of a variety of dance performances with an emphasis on contemporary productions. Prior experience with dance or performance design is helpful, but not required.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

The camera has a way of capturing truth in an unflinching way. The acting techniques needed to be able to communicate honestly and authentically are magnified when acting for the camera. This class will explore your authentic truth for both drama and comedy while building acting skills uniquely required for film and video. You will develop critical response techniques that will enable you to give constructive feedback to yourself and your classmates. You will learn basic editing and filming techniques and vocabulary, as you get comfortable in front and behind the camera while you mostly self-tape. With most of the theater industry turning to video content, this class will give you a strong foundation to succeed in any of the various film and video platforms.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course grounds students in the technical and construction practices of performance-making: materials and their sources and histories; conventional and contemporary technologies and techniques; quantitative methods for calculating and assessing drawings for execution. Classroom instruction and a weekly studio/drafting lab allow students to learn and apply knowledge through working with materials. Students in this course also provide support to mainstage construction projects, further extending their learning in the course.

General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q1

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This laboratory course offers intensive training in making theatre from action . Based on the teaching of Jacques Lecoq and his school of physical theatre training in Paris, work will focus on the observation, re-creation and transposition of daily life to create a theatre that is at once playful, emotional and creative. Course work will include an examination of the natural world and all its movements, our relationship with space and time, and object manipulation. We will use improvisation, games and exercises to develop physical and creative skills with which to create original work. Applied analyses of professional productions are required, as are written analyses of course work and individual progress. The goal of the course is to encourage curiosity and exploration to engage the student as creator, designer, and performer. Prerequisite(s): THDA 120 or other performance training strongly encouraged.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

Diary, investigative journalism, lyric essay, memoir – through these and other forms, writers of creative nonfiction propose -- essayer, to try -- worlds for the page based in fact and real events. In theater, solo performance functions similarly to CNF: worlds arrive onstage through the voice, body, chosen props and life stories of the performer themself. In this course, we will explore the "fourth genre" of the essay, creative nonfiction. As a workshop community, we will read and discuss a variety of essay forms and essai, write essays. We will also read solo performance texts as essays, and as documents of performance -- analyzing how live performance requires similar, and wholly different, strategies for reaching audiences. From this cross-genre investigation, you will write and embody your own creative nonfiction performance for a final class performance festival. Performing experience is helpful but not required; permission of instructor is required, an e'mail stating your interest is most welcome.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course examines and recounts the origins, history, and the regional, national, and global reach of the Hip Hop culture. This phenomenal culture change was born in the neighborhoods of Kingston, South Bronx, and Los Angeles, among many others. In this course, we will explore the five elements of Hip Hop history: b-boy/b-girl dance, graffiti, DJ-ing, MC (writing), and Knowledge. During the module, local artists will visit, sharing skills like beatboxing and classic scratching (within COVID-19 guidelines). At the end of the module, students will create and perform their own original work.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

The course explores scenic design in traditional theatrical buildings and alternative sites. Students will learn how to bridge script analysis and visual research, deepen their knowledge of spatial composition, acquire drafting skills, and practice design conceptualization with reference to historical and contemporary practices. The course outcome is a design portfolio, the collection of the various course projects each student will create during the semester. Prerequisite(s): THDA 232 or THDA 235 recommended, but not required. Students with a background in studio art or design are welcome to enroll.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course - a mixture of lecture, discussion, study of dramatic texts, writing exercises and in-class analysis of student writing - is intended to reinforce and build upon the skills developed in Playwriting. Topics will include dramatic structure, conflict, characterization, language/dialogue, as well as how to analyze your own work, give and receive feedback and techniques for rewriting. Students will engage in a rigorous development process which will culminate in the writing of a one act play.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

The course is a survey of French plays from the 1970s to the present. We will study a variety of works published in Francophone Europe or Québec, and that take place in many areas of the world. We will examine three main topics: the act of writing and performing while living in exile, the idea of the Other on the stage, and the development of colonial and post-colonial subjects in French theater. The form of each play varies widely, from classical French dramatic techniques to minimalist contemporary staging and characterization. We will explore together blocking and staging techniques as well as performance theory, in addition to literary and cultural analyses of the plays. The course will develop your French oral expression, and will develop writing skills in French, with a journal, a scene-blocking assignment, and a creative writing assignment. The course is taught in French and counts toward the French major or minor. The pre-requisite is one French course at the 300-level or permission of the instructor. This course would satisfy the "Theater and/or Dance Criticism" requirement for the Theater and Dance Major.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WC

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

Find expression and embodiment through the practice of movement improvisation. This course is open to students at all levels of ability who have a desire to move and a willingness to explore in a non-competitive environment. Students learn to fall, roll and work with gravity in relation to themselves and others. The class includes an introduction to contact improvisation, the "art-sport" developed by Steve Paxton in 1972. This course brings balance to mind and body through physical awareness. May be repeated for credit. S/N grading only.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

Dances of the African Diaspora II deepens the students engagement with selected dance forms from the African diaspora, especially those coming from West Africa and that emerged in the Caribbean and the Americas. The course is physically rigorous and emphasizes community building. A drummer accompanies the class, so students experience the fundamental connection between drums and dance as they learn the histories, techniques, and characteristics of Diasporic movement forms. Assignments include movement projects developed in class and presentations. May be repeated for credit. S/N grading only. Prerequisite(s): THDA 21 or permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This beginning/advanced beginning level course builds on skills introduced in Modern Dance I. It is a joyous and demanding exploration of the theory, technique, and terminology of modern dance as a performing art. Students engage fully with their bodies and minds as they deepen their strength, sense of rhythm, alignment, flexibility, and coordination. An emphasis is placed on the joy of moving in an expressive and highly physical manner. May be repeated for credit. S/N grading only.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

The purpose of this technique class is to allow the intermediate to advanced modern dance student to explore and discover themselves as an articulate and expressive mover. Classwork places specific emphasis on alignment, power, momentum, articulation, clarity of intent, musicality and stamina. Class consists of in-place warm-ups, center exercises and a range of dance phrases. May be repeated for credit.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This is a beginning ballet class designed for students who have never had ballet before. The goal is to demonstrate fundamental understanding and execution of basic ballet technique and to develop a foundation in movement that will carry over and support any other style of dance or physical practice. It will include barre and center work, across-the-floor combinations, and stretching and strengthening practices. Correct alignment, coordination, and body mechanics will be emphasized. May be repeated for credit. S/N grading only.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This is an intermediate ballet class and is geared for students who have developed proficient skills at the barre and in the center. Center will include pirouettes, adage, beats, and more complex combinations. Students will develop a more advanced vocabulary while continuing to focus on placement, alignment, flexibility, strength, and fluidity and connection of movement. The refinement of technical skills and performance skills with longer combinations will be emphasized. May be repeated for credit.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Macalester's Brown Spirits Dance Ensemble engages the techniques and histories of selected dance forms from the African diaspora, especially those coming from West African and that emerged in the Caribbean and the Americas. Brown Spirits Dance Ensemble performs in Theatre and Dance Department concerts, as well as Macalester events such as Africa Week, Black History Month, and Family Fest. Completion of African-based Movement I and/or II is recommended. Two credits awarded at the end of the semester. Four credits of fine arts general distribution may be earned after two consecutive semesters of this ensemble. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Ensemble is by audition/permission of instructor only.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Students are involved in production as actors, assistant choreographers or choreographers, assistant directors or directors, assistant designers or designers, dramaturgs and playwrights. Two credits awarded at the end of the semester. May be repeated for credit.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Students are involved in set, costume, lighting and sound engineering and construction, and running crew. Two credits awarded at the end of the semester. May be repeated for credit.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Reading Plays: Latinx and Latin American Theater guides students in close readings of dramatic literature, in particular of plays that are typically left out of the traditional theatrical canon. This edition of the course will focus on texts by Latinx and Latin American playwrights. Students will learn about the socio-historical context of each play, and in-class exercises will introduce them to the foundation of script analysis: they will examine the play’s given circumstances, dialogue, dramatic action, characters, and style. Students will read a new play every week; examples of titles the course may explore are: Information for Foreigners (Griselda Gambarro, Argentina); Symphony Dream (Diogo Liberano, Brazil); Death and the Maiden (Ariel Dorfman, Chile); Fefu and her Friends (Maria Irene Fornes, Cuba/United States); The Sanchez Huerta Girl Killed Herself (Claudia Ríos, Mexico); Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter (Mario Vargas Llosa, Peru); Marisol (José Rivera, United States/Puerto Rico). Texts are in translation, if desired the instructor may be able provide a copy of Latin American plays in either Portuguese or Spanish. Assignments include weekly in-class writing exercises and short critical papers.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP
Internationalism OR U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course introduces students to the practice and history of selected dance forms from the African diaspora, especially those coming from West Africa, and that emerged in the Caribbean, and the Americas. Students will learn foundational characteristics and techniques, and engage in readings, films, documentaries, and videos. Some of the materials we will review in this course are Dance Black America directed by D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, Dance in America: Free to Dance produced by Madison Davis Lacy/Thirteen; and select chapters from: Hot Feet and Social Change: African Dance and Diaspora Communities edited by Kariamu Welsh, Esailama Diouf, and Yvonne Daniel; and Katherine Dunham: Dance and the African Diaspora by Joanna Dee Das. A drummer will accompany the class, so students experience the fundamental connection between the drums/music and dance--when we connect to the rhythms of the music through our bodies, we connect to the internal drum of our heartbeat, which helps to ground us. Especially during the pandemic, when maintaining health, wellness, and a sense of balance have become a priority, since we are having to spend too many hours in front of computer screens. Class discussions about the readings, documentaries, and embodied practices will add to the course’s community-building aspect. Students will write weekly response papers in which they will articulate their questions and understandings about the origins, traditions, and artistic developments connected to these rich diasporic dance forms. All levels of experience are welcome, please contact the instructor with any questions. This course may count as a Tier II course for the African Studies concentration. Please contact the concentration's director for approval.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP
Internationalism OR U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course will provide the student with an introduction to the creative and technical process of sound design in contemporary entertainment. Through lecture, demonstration, and projects, students will learn the aesthetic of sound design, the basic science of sound, audio software, and the process of collaboration. Students will acquire the skills to analyze and research a script; to edit, manipulate, and program sound files; and to present and defend design projects.

General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q1

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

In this course, first-year students critically attend live dance and theater performances in the exciting arts scene of the Twin Cities, and articulate their individual reactions by writing reviews, responses, and essays. In this process of studied spectatorship, students acquire the vocabularies of the field. Readings include seminal texts in dance and theatre criticism, as well as manifestos and scholarly articles. We will attend dance and theater performances at professional venues such as the Walker Arts Center, the Guthrie, Penumbra Theatre, Mixed Blood, Northrop Auditorium, and Cowles Center. This course is typically reserved for incoming first-years and not open to returning students.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

In this course, first-year students critically attend live dance and theater performances in the exciting arts scene of the Twin Cities, and articulate their individual reactions by writing reviews, responses, and essays. In this process of studied spectatorship, students acquire the vocabularies of the field. Readings include seminal texts in dance and theatre criticism, as well as manifestos and scholarly articles. We will attend dance and theater performances at professional venues such as the Walker Arts Center, the Guthrie, Penumbra Theatre, Mixed Blood, Northrop Auditorium, and Cowles Center. This course is typically reserved for incoming first-years and not open to returning students.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course focuses on key 20th century contemporary choreographers across four continents, including LIN Hwai-min, Pina Bausch, Akram Khan, and Ohad Naharin, among others. We examine the international impact of their work as well the cultural contexts in which they thrived, or are thriving, as artists. We compare their creative processes, aesthetics and philosophies. We examine the political, social, and spiritual power of their artistic lives and bodies of work, with special attention to issues of race and gender.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course introduces students to the art of acting. They will acquire fundamental acting skills and engage in  artistic experimentation. Students will learn how to create a repeatable score of psychophysical actions, script analysis, use the body/voice as the actor's performing instrument; explore internal (memory, impulses, and so forth) and external (the other actors, the environment, objects, and so forth) stimuli as creative sources; rediscover of play and imagination; and develop work ethics and discipline. Students in this course will engage in physical activity and be required to spend 3-5 hours in rehearsals outside of scheduled class time.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course grounds students in the technical and construction practices of performance-making: materials and their sources and histories; conventional and contemporary technologies and techniques; quantitative methods for calculating and assessing drawings for execution. A balance of lecture and hands-on studio time allow students to learn and apply knowledge through working with materials. Students in this course also may provide support to mainstage performance projects, further extending their learning in the course. Department provides course materials.

General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q1

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course grounds students in the technical and construction practices of performance-making: materials and their sources and histories; conventional and contemporary technologies and techniques; quantitative methods for calculating and assessing drawings for execution. A balance of lecture and hands-on studio time allow students to learn and apply knowledge through working with materials. Students in this course also may provide support to mainstage performance projects, further extending their learning in the course. Department provides course materials.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

In this co-taught, interdisciplinary First Year Course, students will learn about the revolutionary potential of design and how it can transform their lives and their communities. Participants will discover the design field’s history and theoretical underpinnings as well as how to make socially-meaningful designs through hands-on projects. Throughout the course, we will investigate the processes and practices of design as well as the effects that design has on society, culture, and the environment. Some of our key topics will include issues of gender and race; consumption, social responsibility, and globalization; and politics and activism. The course will take advantage of campus resources including the new Studio Art and Theater facilities, the Idea Lab, the Digital Resource Center, and the Entrepreneurship Office. We will also connect with local designers who will open their studios to us and join us in creative discussions. This course will be co-taught by faculty from three different departments: Julia Chadaga (Russian Studies), Joanna Inglot (Art and Art History), and Mina Kinukawa (Theater and Dance). Each section will cover the same material and meet at the same time. Students will have opportunities to work with all three professors, occasionally meet up with students in the other sections, and take local field trips together if health and safety conditions allow. All of the participating departments will allow the course to count for a major or minor. No previous experience with design is required, and all are welcome.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

Scenography is the creation of imagined spaces for performance. In this course we will study the fundamentals of scenography holistically, including scenic, lighting, costume, sound, and projection design. Students will develop the ability to analyze and critique elements of performance design, articulate design ideas through written and verbal means, and complete a design project from textual analysis to tangible objects. This course is a prerequisite for intermediate and advanced design courses in Theater and Dance. Department provides course materials.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course is designed to explore the art and craft of dramatic writing. Students will complete weekly reading assignments and exercises that will culminate in the writing of a one-act play. Students will engage in a rigorous development process which will include in-class feedback sessions and script revision. The ultimate goal over the course semester is for each student to develop a consistent, challenging and rewarding individual creative writing practice.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WC

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course is designed to explore the art and craft of dramatic writing. Students will complete weekly reading assignments and exercises that will culminate in the writing of a one-act play. Students will engage in a rigorous development process which will include in-class feedback sessions and script revision. The ultimate goal over the course semester is for each student to develop a consistent, challenging and rewarding individual creative writing practice.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WC

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

Students in this class will engage with costume design as both generative and collaborative artists. They will learn to conceptualize costumes for theater and dance productions drawing from a multitude of inspirations including the fine arts, costume/fashion history, music, literature, film, opera, and textiles. Class meetings will include discussions about readings and visual literacy, as well as conversations with guest speakers. The course lab will be dedicated to sketching or field trips to museums. Students will engage with both traditional and devised methods of developing characters and silhouettes to develop their unique vision for theatrical and dance productions. Registration for corresponding lab required. THDA235, Fundamentals of Scenography or a course in Studio Art recommended.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

Students in this class will engage with costume design as both generative and collaborative artists. They will learn to conceptualize costumes for theater and dance productions drawing from a multitude of inspirations including the fine arts, costume/fashion history, music, literature, film, opera, and textiles. Class meetings will include discussions about readings and visual literacy, as well as conversations with guest speakers. The course lab will be dedicated to sketching or field trips to museums. Students will engage with both traditional and devised methods of developing characters and silhouettes to develop their unique vision for theatrical and dance productions.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course teaches the concepts and practical application of digital media in contemporary performance. Students will gain fluency performing with digital arts and creating multimedia designs through a combination of classroom instruction and weekly Performance Labs. Class sessions include lectures, discussions, tutorials, and hands-on performing with video cameras, projectors, and audio-video software. In Performance Labs and term projects students will create and perform original short pieces that stage their digital designs.Topics include: Intersection of Dramaturgy and Technology in Digital Design; Experimental and Multimedia Performance Techniques; Cueing Video and Sound for Contemporary Performance/Theatre/Dance; Projection Mapping; Live Video Feeds. Prerequisite(s): THDA 235 and one of the following: THDA 125; THDA 145; THDA 232; THDA 255; THDA 285; or THDA 375. Students who have completed production courses in art/technology/performance such as MSCT323, Fundamentals of Video Production or ART233, Photography 1 are welcome to contact the Professor directly for permission to enroll.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course prepares advanced theater students to direct public performances, and thus focuses on the acquisition of skills such as text analysis, dynamic storytelling, stage composition, and communication (with designers, actors, stage managers, and production team). Students will choose a scene from a play proposed by the instructor, research style and aesthetic, run auditions, cast the scene, facilitate a rehearsal process, and stage a live performance. They will also learn best collaborative practices, since the class unfolds in conversation with the Acting Approaches course (THDA360) and culminates in public performances at the Huber-Seikaly Theater. Prerequisite(s): THDA 120 and THDA 235, or permission of the instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

In the different editions of this course, students have an opportunity to approach the acting method of masters such as Stanislavsky, Bertolt Brecht, Jacques Lecoq, Grotowski, and so forth. The course includes consideration of style and genre. The course also focuses on the development of collaborative skills: students will partner with those in THDA 350, Directing for the Stage to create public performances in the Huber-Seikaly Theater. May be repeated for credit. THDA120, Acting recommended.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This is a reading and writing intensive course that engages theories from the fields of aesthetics and cultural studies to support each student's in-depth research into a topic of their choice. Discussions examine how particular uses of the body, space, and narrative intersect to inform our experience of "performance," broadly defined, and engage the interplay between real and fictional in both artistic productions and performative social contexts. Students may pursue archival and library research, analysis of live performance, and analysis of documents of various kinds, including visual materials. Required for Theater and Dance majors, open to Dance, Theater, and Performance Design and Technologies minors.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

Dances of the African Diaspora I introduces students to selected dance forms from the African diaspora, especially those coming from West Africa and that emerged in the Caribbean and the Americas. The course is physically rigorous and emphasizes community building. A drummer accompanies the class, so students experience the fundamental connection between drums and dance as they learn the histories, techniques, and characteristics of Diasporic movement forms. Assignments include movement projects developed in class and presentations. All are welcome. May be repeated for credit. S/N grading only.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This introductory level course explores the theory, technique, and terminology of modern dance as a performing art. Students engage fully with their bodies and minds as they deepen their strength, sense of rhythm, flexibility, and coordination. The course develops skills in inversions, floorwork, and balance based in a deepening awareness of alignment. May be repeated for credit. S/N grading only.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This intermediate to advanced level technique course values expression, precision, and stamina. Students develop an understanding of how to use tiny muscles hidden within large muscles as they practice complex movement phrases on the ground, in the center, and across the floor. They learn a range of turns, jumps and movement sequences that build strength and agility. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite(s): THDA41 or THDA42 or permission of instructor

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This is a beginning ballet class designed for students who have never had ballet before. The goal is to demonstrate fundamental understanding and execution of basic ballet technique and to develop a foundation in movement that will carry over and support any other style of dance or physical practice. It will include barre and center work, across-the-floor combinations, and stretching and strengthening practices. Correct alignment, coordination, and body mechanics will be emphasized. May be repeated for credit. S/N grading only.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This ballet class is for students with some experience in ballet. This class will continue to build on ballet barre and center work and increase skill and vocabulary. Flexibility, strength, placement, alignment, fluidity and connection of movement will be emphasized. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite(s): THDA 51 or permission of instructor

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Macalester's Brown Spirits Dance Ensemble engages the techniques and histories of selected dance forms from the African diaspora, especially those coming from West Africa and that emerged in the Caribbean and the Americas. Brown Spirits Dance Ensemble performs in Theater and Dance Department concerts, as well as Macalester events such as Africa Week, Black History Month, and Family Fest. Completion of African-based Movement I and/or II is recommended. Two credits awarded at the end of the semester. Four credits of fine arts general distribution may be earned after two consecutive semesters of this ensemble. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Ensemble is by audition/permission of instructor only.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Students are involved in Theater and Dance Department productions as actors or dancers in student-led pieces. Performance Practice in Student Projects is the appropriate course when students will not work under direct supervision of a faculty member, but are part of a student director's or student choreographer's work in an Honors production or Dance Concert. Two credits awarded at the end of the semester. May be repeated for credit.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Students are involved in production as actors or dancers, assistant choreographers or choreographers, assistant directors or directors, assistant designers or designers, dramaturgs and playwrights. Two credits awarded at the end of the semester. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor required; please contact the Theater and Dance Department directly for audition and registration information

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Students are involved in set, costume, lighting and sound engineering and construction, and running crew. Two credits awarded at the end of the semester. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor required; please see instructor to be added to registration roster

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials