Dance
Minor
Faculty and professional interests
Jennifer Smith, chair (on leave Fall 2012)
Dance theory and improvisation, somatic practice, contemporary dance technique
Raquel Cavalcanti
Somatic studies, Alexander technique and contemporary dance technique
Kathleen Ridlon
Contemporary dance technique, community outreach, arts education
The Knox College Dance Program immerses students both artistically and intellectually in the world of contemporary dance studies. Our course work covers all aspects of dance/movement studies, including classes in dance technique, dance theory, dance history, somatic practice, and performance, ensuring that students not only engage with dance through motion, but also examine dance through the lens of its historical, social political, and artistic context. The goal of the Dance Program is to encourage creative practice through the development of student choreography and performance while remaining mindful of how dance draws connections to the greater world.
Knox offers a minor in dance that can be fulfilled by any student, whether they want to continue studying dance at the professional level or simply explore personal expression through movement while pursuing other career paths. The dance minor's focus on aesthetic expression and technique complements any major within the liberal arts curriculum. Students who minor in dance graduate well prepared for advanced study in performance, choreography, design, dance education, and dance therapy, as well as many other career options.
Students pursuing the dance minor may participate in the Dance Ensemble or Choreography Workshop courses. Dance Ensemble is designed to create an experience similar to working in a professional dance company, while Choreography Workshop is a course that focuses on the artistic, administrative and technical work of producing dance professionally. Along with the academic program, there is an active student dance organization, the Terpsichore Dance Collective, which produces a concert every term.
Departmental Learning Goals
Students completing a Dance minor will:
- Demonstrate mastery in one or more areas of dance including, but not limited to technique, choreography, theory, history and production
- Demonstrate facility and ability to examine dance through the lens of its historical, social, political, and artistic context
- Formulate thematic concepts into an articulated and embodied, unified vision and translate dance principles and theory into the interrelated compositional elements of design, performance, and choreography as central to the creative process of knowing