HISTORY OF DANCE

This course is part of the Bachelor's Degree Program in Conservation of Cultural Heritage and Performing Arts Management that offers an historic and artistic approach as working with cultural heritage requires an in-depth knowledge of the specific historical context. The specific goals of the course are: to provide a basic knowledge of Western dance history, particularly of the 19th-, 20th- and 21st-century, and of the workings of the various models of representation of a dance piece and of audience response. Reaching these goals will enable students to widen their knowledge in the field of performing arts and develop their critical skills. Specific terminology indispensable to understand the texts under scrutiny will be introduced and examined in class.

Students are invited to relate the contents of the course to their entire curriculum and, in particular, to situate dance history in the broader context of the history of performing and visual arts. Students are expected to be able to take notes in class and to express, in their required final paper, clear and well-argued points the contents of the course, using specific dance and performing arts terminology.

A good reading knowledge of English is required to understand some of the required texts and excerpts from the dance shows examined in class.

The course provides students with a general overview of the history of Western dance, particularly of the 19th-, 20th- and 21st-century, by way of the analysis of historical contexts, aesthetic theories, and dancing techniques. It also provides tools to understand the different models of staging a dance piece and of audience response. For students unable to attend the syllabus is the same and a meeting with the professor is necessary to agree upon the topic of the final paper.

Alessandro Pontremoli, Storia della danza. Dal Medioevo ai giorni nostri, Firenze, Le Lettere, 2002 (only chapters: VII-VIII-IX-X).

Selected essays and material, edited by Susanne Franco (for index and pdf see moodle: the password is provided via email by Prof. Franco).

The final exam consists in a paper of 15 pages (30.000 signs, spaces included) that will be discussed during the orals. The topic of the paper must be previously agreed with the professor. The paper must involve substantial coverage of the texts in the reading list and of a couple of additional volumes or four articles specifically related to the chosen topic. Cross-disciplinary observations will be particularly appreciated. The paper should be submitted as a word file in its draft version (containing the bibliography and a clear structure) about 15 days before the exam in order to be revised and approved by the professor. The final version should be submitted a week before the exam. To edit the paper the student should use the file “Norme per la stesura della tesi” (available in the section of moodle.unive.it dedicated to this class).

Lectures with screenings of images and videos. The course offers an e-learning platform (moodle.unive.it) where selected readings and the links to the videos presented and discussed during the classes

written and oral