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Dance Making 3: Creation and Collaboration

  • Module code: DC6006
  • Year: 2018/9
  • Level: 6
  • Credits: 30
  • Pre-requisites: Successful completion of Level 5 Dance Making 2 or equivalent
  • Co-requisites: None

Summary

This module is designed to develop new skills whilst allowing students to capitalise on existing skills in the process of conceiving, devising and delivering a creative outcome.

The module introduces students to collaborative approaches to creative practice. The collaborative approach will be explored in two different areas: choreographic practice and collaboration with different fields (e.g drama, film, music). In terms of choreographic practice, students will be able to select the nature of their role within the choreographic process and explore ideas embedded in didactic and democratic models of collaboration (Butterworth, 2009). The module enables students to collaborate with a creative from a different field (e.g drama, film, music) in the conception, creation and delivery of a creative outcome (e.g. dance on screen, choreography and composition, physical theatre).

Aims

  • To investigate different models and facets of collaboration between those involved in the performance industry.
  • To extend students' knowledge and understanding of the theories, methods and approaches embedded in creative collaborations and interdisciplinary practices.
  • To develop students' understanding of the potential of visual, spatial, kinetic and creative elements of performance in order to creatively and imaginatively conceive, devise and deliver a performance/creative outcome.     

Learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate a sound knowledge and understanding of the theories, methods and approaches embedded in creative collaborations and interdisciplinary practices.
  • Demonstrate the ability to collaborate between those involved in the performance industry (eg.music, drama, film)
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the visual, spatial and kinetic and creative elements of performance.
  • Demonstrate ability to conceive, devise and deliver a performance or creative outcome.

Curriculum content

  • Collaboration
  • Practical, dance-based exercises exploring aspects of music including, genre, style, instrumental tone, orchestration, rhythmic structure, melody, mood and theme
  • Historical models of relating music to dance, eg, influence of Dalcroze music analysis on modern dance; Ruth St Dennis' music ‘visualisation'; forms and genres where dance and music have developed in an integral relationship (Afro-Cuban dance, hip hop, Flamenco)
  • Historical models of collaboration between choreographers and composers, eg, Stravinsky and Nijinsky, John Cage and Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham and Louis Horst
  • Contemporary models of collaboration between choreographer and composers, eg, Mark Morris and Zakir Hussain (Kolam, 2002), Wayne McGregor and Scanner (Nemesis, 2002), Michael Keegan-Dolan and Philip Feeney (The Bull, 2005), Philip Chambon and Christopher Bruce (Swansong, 1987)
  • Shared workshops with composers exploring different strategies of collaboration
  • Collaborative creation of a performance to original music
  • Methods and protocol for collaborating with designers, lighting designers, producers, venue management, publicist
  • Historical perspective (looking in particular at the influence of Wagner's concept of "total theatre" on practitioners such as Laban, Artaud and Grotowski)
  • How these practitioners have themselves influenced contemporary physical theatre practice such as that of Peter Brook, Steven Berkoff, Robert Wilson and Pina Bausch.
  • Critical discussions of seminal physical theatre productions
  • Workshop explorations of methods and techniques employed by physical theatre practitioners and companies.
  • Small group work (during independent study time) where students apply their theoretical learning to the creative development of a physical interpretation of a dramatic text.
  • Exercises in the extended exploration and development of ideas
  • Creation of choreographies with trios, quartets, quintets and sextets
  • Historical models of creative hybrids
  • Appropriation of cultural property
  • Respectful innovation and boundary breaking
  • Offerings from sport, music and art
  • Physical Theatre/Choreography
  • Hybridity

Teaching and learning strategy

This module is delivered in a weekly 3 hour session for all of the first teaching block and part of the second. Students will then work independently and have the opportunity to receive feed-forwards to assist in the shaping of their summative assessment piece.

Workshops and seminars will provide a forum to learn and experiment with skills and theories that will assist in the creation of a production. The module will highlight areas of existing knowledge and introduce new skills, namely: Advanced Physical Theatre, Choreography and Composition, Collaboration and Hybridity.

Working in small groups students will conceive, devise, promote and perform a piece of Dance Theatre. Students will be able to decide on the type and scale of the company they are emulating; this will inform how defined the roles are. For example in a small-scale touring company the role of choreographer and producer might be combined. Roles might include: choreographer, dramaturg, performer, producer, promoter, technician/logistics, manager, and designer. To encourage the building of industry links and networking, students will need to recruit to roles for which they don't feel qualified.

As much as possible, the production of this piece of performance should emulate a "real world" production scenario.

The preparation and delivery of the summative assessments for this module will particularly develop the following key skills: Self Awareness: 1) Take responsibility for own learning and plan for and record own personal development, 2) Organise self effectively, agreeing and setting realistic targets, accessing support where appropriate and managing time to achieve and recognise own academic strengths and weaknesses, reflect on performance and progress and respond to feedback, 3) Work effectively with limited supervision in unfamiliar contexts. Interpersonal: 1) Work well with others in a group or team. 2) Work flexibly and respond to change. 3) Give, accept and respond to constructive feedback Communication: 1) Actively listen and respond appropriately to ideas of others 

Breakdown of Teaching and Learning Hours

Definitive UNISTATS Category Indicative Description Hours
Scheduled learning and teaching Workshop 37
Scheduled learning and teaching Seminar 5
Guided independent study Rehearsals 258
Total (number of credits x 10) 300

Assessment strategy

The summative assessment for this module falls into two categories: performance and an essay.

The focus of the assessment is the creative outcome. The work presented will assess how well the students have integrated the various elements specific to the area selected by the students (dance on screen film, choreographic work, physical theatre piece).

The essay will provide the students with the opportunity engage with the theoretical aspects embedded in the creative and collaborative aspects of their practice. Students will contextualise the practice/process undertaken in relation to the theories and approaches explored in the module and present an evaluation of the effectiveness of their approach and practice.

The formative assessment will take place in workshops, sharing of work in progress, student presentations and specific tasks such as creating a production plan. The formative assessments will provide an opportunity for students to receive feedback on formative assessment tasks.

Mapping of Learning Outcomes to Assessment Strategy (Indicative)

Learning Outcome Assessment Strategy
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the theories, methods and approaches embedded in collaborative creative practices and interdisciplinary practices. Essay Performance/creative outcome
Demonstrate ability to collaborate between those involved in the performance industry (music, drama, film) engaging in a project with a specialised outcome (dance on screen, physical theatre, choreography and composition). Essay Performance/creative outcome
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the visual, spatial and kinetic and creative elements of performance. Performance/creative outcome
Demonstrate ability to conceive, devise and deliver a performance or creative outcome Performance/creative outcome Essay

Elements of Assessment

Description of Assessment Definitive UNISTATS Categories Percentage
PRC A performance or creative outcome 65
Coursework Essay (2000 words) 35
Total (to equal 100%) 100%

Achieving a pass

It IS NOT a requirement that any major assessment category is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.

Bibliography core texts

  • Smith-Autard, Jacqueline (2004), Dance Composition, London: A & C Black
  • Teck K (1994) Ear Training for the body: a dancer's guide to music, Princeton NJ: Princeton Book Co
  • Cross, Robert (2004) Steven Berkoff and the Theatre of Self-Performance, Manchester: Manchester University Press

Bibliography recommended reading

Carter, A & O'Shea, J (eds) (2010). The Routledge Dance Studies Reader. Abingdon: Routledge

Teck K (1994) Ear Training for the body: a dancer's guide to music, Princeton NJ: Princeton Book Co

Werbner, P. & Modood, T. (eds) (1997) Debating Cultural Hybridity: Multi-Cultural Identities and the Politics of Anti-Racism London and New Jersey: Zed Books

Bremser  M (1999) Fifty Contemporary Choreographers: A Reference Guide, London: Routledge

Ingles E (2000) Bakst: the art of theatre and dance, London: Dance Books

Lavender L (1996) Dancers Talking Dance: Critical Evaluation in the Choreography Class, Leeds: Human Kinetics Europe Ltd

Roseman, Janet Lynn (2001) Dance Masters: interviews with legends of dance, London: Routledge

Acocella J(1993), Mark Morris, New York: Farrar, Strauss Giroux

Fernandes,Ciane (2001) Pina Bausch and the Wuppertal Dance Theater : the aesthetics of repetition and transformation, New York: Peter Lang

Grotowski, Jerzy (1975) Towards a Poor Theatre, London: Methuen

Huxley, Michael and Witts, Noel (eds) (1996) The Twentieth Century Performance Reader London: Routledge

Innes, Christopher (1993) Avant Garde Theatre 1892 – 1992, London: Routledge

Mitter, Shomit (1992) Systems of Rehearsal: Stanislavsky, Brecht, Grotowski and Brook, London:Routledge

Murray, Simon (2003) Jacques Lecoq, London: Routledge

Roose-Evans, James (1984) Experimental Theatre: from Stanislavski to Peter Brook, London: Routledge and Kegan Paul

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