To examine dance culture, we ask who dances, what is danced, when is it danced, why is it danced. We also pose the negative of these questions. The answers reveal the world view, institutions, nature of interpersonal relationships, aesthetics and morals, and other facets of a culture. We investigate the function of dance in society, including the religious and political dimensions. We also investigate how physical features specific to a dance tradition reinforce movement patterns associated with work habits.
Student examine their personal attitudes about dance and their own dance traditions.
We examine how culturally conditioned attitudes about dance, characteristic themes of particular groups, and specific movement vocabularies contribute to the larger context of American dance. The comments are not representative of the entire range of students' opinions. This course showed how dance was significant in Hopi Indian, Jewish, and African American cultures. It showed me that all of these cultures, while unique, were also American. It gave me a greater appreciation of dance, dancers, and choreographers.