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Production Project

  • Module code: DC6002
  • Year: 2018/9
  • Level: 6
  • Credits: 30
  • Pre-requisites: Successful completion of level 5 or equivalent
  • Co-requisites: None

Summary

This core module for full field students, is designed to take students through the process of making a dance production, from initial conception to final performance. The focus of the module is to give students the experience of being in a ‘company' and of working closely with a professional choreographer. In the early part of the module, lectures will focus on the making / devising process of the lecturer / guest choreographer and the practical processes of creating a production, researching subject matter, setting movement material and improvising with movement ideas. Thereafter, groups will work with their choreographer both in class time and during independent study hours to create, rehearse and produce a full-scale dance-based production. Performances will take place in a theatre setting and will be open to the wider university and public.

Aims

  • Actively engage students in the creative decision making process necessary to take a dance production from first rehearsal to final performance.
  • Encourage students to apply critical and theoretical thinking to the practical process.
  • Develop practical skills in the devising, rehearsal and performance processes.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this module students will be able to:
  • Demonstrate ability to identify the various intellectual and creative choices that need to be made in order to produce a full dance production.
  • Demonstrate the capacity to take responsibility for your own role within the production and to act professionally in relation to it.
  • Work effectively in an ensemble-based production context.
  • Reflect critically and in depth upon the process of creating the production and your own role within it.

Curriculum content

Will vary depending on the particular production, but will include:

  • Researching content related to the subject matter or theme of the dance.
  • Researching techniques and methodologies of dance making / choreography.
  • Rehearsal, production and performance methods.
  • Taking responsibility for safe practice in the studio.
  • Learning and practising the role created by the student.
  • Contributing to the creation of movement through improvisation or response to tasks and exercises.  
  • Creative collaboration with other dancers and/or members of the production team.
  • Documenting the process through detailed and reflective writing.

Teaching and learning strategy

Teaching strategies will depend on the individual choreographers making the work, but initially might include: learning movement phrases, improvisation to create movement material, researching different choreographic methods, responding to tasks and improvising with ideas, words or music.

A number of key skills are addressed as part of this module. In particular students will develop self awareness (taking responsibility for rehearsing part), interpersonal (working with peers / choreographer and accepting, responding to feedback from choreographer), creativity (working with and developing ideas presented by the choreographer).

Breakdown of Teaching and Learning Hours

Definitive UNISTATS Category Indicative Description Hours
Scheduled learning and teaching Lecture / seminar 6 hours
Scheduled learning and teaching Practical 184 hours
Guided independent study Independent study 110 hours
Total (number of credits x 10) 300

Assessment strategy

The devising period / rehearsal process will be continuously assessed and will amount to 50% of the overall mark. The assessment of the performance is 50% of overall mark. 

Mapping of Learning Outcomes to Assessment Strategy (Indicative)

Learning Outcome Assessment Strategy
Demonstrate ability to identify the various intellectual and creative choices that need to be made in order to produce a full dance production. Continuous assessment during the creative process.
Demonstrate the capacity to take responsibility for your own role within the production and act professionally in relation to it. Continuous assessment during the creative process. Summative in the performance.
Work effectively in an ensemble-based production context. Continuous assessment during the creative process. Summative in the performance.
Reflect critically and in depth upon the process of creating the production and your own role within it. Continuous assessment during the creative process.

Elements of Assessment

Description of Assessment Definitive UNISTATS Categories Percentage
Coursework Continuous Assessment 50
PRC Performance 50
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

Dean, P. (2002). Production Management: making shows happen, a practical guide. Ramsbury: Crowood Press

Schlaich, J. and Dupont, B. (1988). Dance, The Art of Production. Princeton NJ: Princeton Book Company

Bibliography recommended reading

Carter, A. (1998). The Routledge Dance Studies Reader. Oxon: Routledge

Goodall, J. (2008). Stage Presence. London: Routledge

Huxley, M & Witts, N. (1996). The Twentieth-Century Performance Reader. London: Routledge

Newman, B. (1982). Striking a Balance: dancers talking about dancing. London: Elm Tree

Preston-Dunlop, V. (2002). Dance and the Performative: a choreological perspective - Laban and beyond. London: Verve

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