History of Dance

Dance is a reflection of humanity: a viable and powerful form of expression and communication. Dance is used to support and/or challenge social/political views, ideas and values of individuals and of whole societies. It has even been an instrument of diplomacy: Romans found that a very detailed, exaggerated form of pantomime/dance was an excellent tool for spreading influence throughout the empire, while the court of France’s Louis XIV used dance to emphasize the Sun King’s power, and the New York City Ballet visited Russia during the Cold War in hopes of finding common ground through culture. Students will be given an overview of dance forms from around the world and throughout history. The interrelatedness and impact of dance on other art forms, as well as its role in society, will be particularly emphasized. Students will gain this knowledge through lectures, readings and viewing live dance performance and films.