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Courses

Universities like Richmond take training students in theatre and dance seriously. With a larger number of regional theaters and performing arts venues in the United States than ever before, many of them connected to major universities, theatre and dance graduates are sometimes surprised to learn that they are employable. Students no longer need to choose between pursuing a four-year liberal arts degree and a professional career.

Students work year-round, producing a heavy schedule of performances for the University community and the City of Richmond at large.

Faculty members emphasize the fundamentals, starting students on basic exercises in movement, diction and voice. Classes progress quickly and students are expected to practice, practice, practice both in and outside of class. Participating in extracurricular programs and performances is expected of all majors and minors since it’s the single best way to practice the skills you learn in the classroom.

The department’s professional emphasis has resulted in numerous students entering the performing arts arena after graduation. Graduates have started their own theaters and dance companies and gone to work in New York and Los Angeles.

Theatre
THTR 115 Theatre Appreciation
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
An introduction to the role of actors, playwrights, directors, designers, and audiences in the highly collaborative art of theatre. Students learn to appreciate the artistic and intellectual processes of theatre artists and to use knowledge of historical forms and traditions in order to evaluate contemporary live theatre. Students will engage in creative projects in the classroom and interact with professional theatre artists via lab work on mainstage productions. Laboratory assignments with mainstage productions.

THTR 119 Broadway Musical Theatre
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
Survey of the Broadway musical theatre from its 19th century roots to the present day. Provides basic introduction to music theory and culminates with performance of original one-act musical(s) written and produced by class members. In addition to regular class meetings, weekly labs are held for rehearsals and presentation of special topics. (Same as Music 119.)

THTR 201 Stagecraft
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
Introduction to scene design and construction, lighting design and execution, scene painting, sound design, and properties in theory and practical applications. Laboratory hours required.

THTR 202 Scene Painting
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
Study of function of scenic artist in theory and practice. Hands-on approach to scene painting. Laboratory hours required.

THTR 203 Introduction to Light and Sound
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
Introduction to the technical aspects of lighting and sound design and roduction, and to the creative process required to make informed design choices. Laboratory hours required.

THTR 206 Introduction to Costume
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
Introduction to role of costume designer as collaborative artist in theatre process. Survey of historical implications for design. Basic skills of costume construction. Laboratory assignments with mainstage productions.

THTR 207 Text and Performance
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
Focuses on the fundamentals of script analysis and the characteristics of distinct theatrical genres. Reading of plays and examination of various productions to garner an understanding of the creative dimension of theatre making. Creative projects focus on: 1) imagined productions of the plays, both personal and culturally significant, and 2) embodied exploration of character and dramatic action.

THTR 208 Fundamentals of Design
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
Examines the creative art of design in developing theatre/dance productions and projects. The study of style and composition will provide a framework for the analysis of design within the context of performance. Methods for assembling a design portfolio to represent their research and creative projects. Special attention will be devoted to the role of research in relation to scenic, costume, lighting, and sound design in live performance.

THTR 210 Performing Diversity: A Cultural Odyssey
Units: 1
Description
Furthers understanding of minority groups in America by investigating their social condition from an experiential base. Participants will explore existing portraits and issues associated with minorities as well as connect with important notions on cultural diversity in America. Special importance will be placed on celebrating ethnic achievements and lifestyles. Plays, poetry, and other performance art forms (including cooking and dressing) will constitute significant class presentations.

THTR 212 Basics of Acting
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
Basic methods of analysis and performance techniques necessary to generate believable human behavior on stage. Study of roots (mind/body processes), not ends of acting (performance). Class exercises to develop and discipline actor's physical, vocal, and imaginative equipment. Laboratory assignments with major productions.

THTR 213 Fundamentals of Stage Makeup
Units: 1
Description
Art and application of theatrical makeup, realism to fantasy. Corrective makeup; specialty makeup (aging, scars, beards, animal faces). Laboratory assignments in conjunction with all major productions.

THTR 214 Acting for Social Change
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
A studio and seminar class inspired by African and European models in Theatre for Development, a specialized field of drama focused on social development and grounded in participatory procedure. The activity involves research, analysis, scenario building, and performance. Participants will be exposed to exercises in devising and performing work for impacting social transformation. The course will highlight issues within the immediate environment as well as the larger Richmond community, and practice will occur in both domains.

THTR 215 Physical Theatre: Actor as Creator
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
Introduces students to the contemporary approaches to theatre-making which focus on the body. Through a series of workshops & creative projects, students will learn techniques for generating original material, developing their spontaneity and creativity, and creating theatre that is personally meaningful and collectively engaging.

THTR 219 Basics of Ensemble Acting
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
Exploratory class which attempts to generate honest and spontaneous responses from the actor to performance and play creating circumstances. Major emphasis is placed on teamwork, the search for truth and attaining actual potential in the art of playing. With a view to synergizing theatre activity with communal responsibility participants are encouraged to draw on issues around them and nurture creative inspiration from societal needs. Improvisation, storytelling, and multiple role playing are primary mediums for advancing the experience.

THTR 229 Going Solo: The Politics of Identity in Contemporary Solo
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
Examines the development of solo performance from the 1970s to the present. Pays close attention to the ways solo practitioners use the body to highlight specific cultural, social, and political histories of marginalization encountered by the working class, people of color, women, lesbians, and gays. Engages with a multitude of genres including performance art, autobiographical forms, spoken word, stand-up comedy, and hip-hop based work.

THTR 239 Latinas/Latinos on Stage: From the Barrios to Broadway
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
Examines the evolving formation of Latina/o identity in Broadway and community productions as well as popular culture with special attention to issues of globalization, migration, and transculturation.

THTR 249 Documentary Theatre Project
Units: 1
Description
Explores different ways to tell complex historical narratives and how to use documentary performance in order to foster conversation about difficult issues with the goal of expanding the possibilities for social change. Conduct interviews, do archival research, and create, produce, and perform a docudrama.
Extended Description
Richmond has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the country, and this is a disease that disproportionately affects people of color. Richmond’s AIDS crisis is exacerbated by high concentrations of poverty and a lack of sex education in the public schools, as well as the opioid epidemic. For the past several years, we have been working on the subject of HIV in Richmond with an HIV-positive women’s support group. We have produced two docudramas, created a Valentine Museum exhibition in collaboration with our community partners, and even, during the pandemic, worked remotely with them on  a journal-making project. This fall, at the request of our HIV-affected community partners, we will be creating a docudrama that can be performed at theaters, churches, conferences, and other venues, as a means of opening up new conversations about a disease that continues to ravage communities of color. No theater experience is needed, just a commitment to using the arts as a vehicle for social awareness, public health education, and equity. 

THTR 301 Scene Design
Units: 1
Description
Artistic aspects of stage setting in theory and in practice. Consideration of mechanical perspective, watercolor sketching, color schemes, and history of period design. Stresses how the design process is inspired by the script and how the design of scenery is only part of the larger creative process called theatre. Laboratory hours required.
Prerequisite
course, course, course, course, or permission of instructor.

THTR 305 Sound Design
Units: 1
Description
Exploration of the field of sound design through "hands-on" experiences with the design process, as well as the use of various types of recording and editing equipment, software programs, and research protocols and materials used by sound designers to create the aural environment for a production.
Prerequisite
course, course, course, or permission of Instructor

THTR 307 Lighting Design
Units: 1
Description
Upper-level course in lighting design for the stage. Special emphasis on project-based, "hands on" learning with students implementing their own designs through analysis, research, creative and practical applications. Laboratory hours are required.
Prerequisite
course, course, course, course , or permission of Instructor.

THTR 308 Basic of Directing
Units: 1
Description
Principles and techniques of directing the realistic modern play. Case studies and scene work. One-act play prepared for production by each student. Laboratory assignments with major productions.
Prerequisite
course, course, course, course, or permission of Instructor.

THTR 309 Classical Theatre
Units: 1
Description
Survey of theatre history from ancient Greece to mid 18th-century Europe, with emphasis on representative plays, performance practices, and theories, as well as the cultural, economic, and political contexts from which they emerged. Lecture/discussion format.

THTR 310 Managing Performing Arts Organizations
Units: 1
Description
For those interested in managing and leading a performing arts organization, this course is a review of topics essential for successful management of a performing arts organization. Includes nonprofit and alternative organizational structure, organizational development and structure-- (management, board of directors, and staffing) , leadership and management styles, budget development and fiscal management, strategic planning, marketing and audience development, legals issues, and other related topics. (Same as Music 310.)

THTR 312 Special Topics
Units: 0.5-1
Description
Representative topics: acting for the camera, advanced courses in costume, directing, makeup, critical theory, directing, improvisation, makeup, performance theory, stage combat, documentary film making, voice and speech for the stage. Can be taken more than once for credit if topic varies.
Extended Description
THTR 312: Special Topics - Puppetry Arts: Design and Fabrication An exploration of the history of puppetry and its cultural impact through the design and fabrication of original puppets. Emphasis will be placed on stick and rod puppets and articulated bunraku style puppets.
Prerequisite
course , course, or permission of Instructor.

THTR 314 Theatre for Social Change II
Units: 1
Description
Designed to enable students to utilize and transfer the skills acquired in Theatre 214 into the larger community. Working in smaller groups, they are responsible for implementing and evaluating a theatre-centered project within the context of social and sustainable development. They will foster the creation of a play by community members on issues affecting their daily lives. Significant emphasis is given to cultivating an interaction with experts in related areas of concern towards galvanizing meaningful future growth in the selected community.

THTR 315 Independent Study
Units: 0.5-1
Description
Restriction: Prospectus must be submitted and approved prior to the end of advance registration. Does not count for theatre or dance minor.
Prerequisite
Permission of instructor.

THTR 319 Theatre History: Modern and Contemporary
Units: 1
Description
A survey of theatre history from mid 18th-century Europe to the present, with emphasis on representative plays, performance practices, and theories, as well as the cultural, economic, and political contexts from which they emerged. Lecture/discussion format.

THTR 320 Advanced Acting: Twentieth-Century Acting Styles and Theory
Units: 1
Description
An examination of the major theories that have shaped the discourse on, and practice of, the art of acting in the 20th century. Concentrated scene study class that explores relationship between 20th-century dramatic literature and acting techniques and theories that developed to meet demands of these plays. By preparing scenes from various modern genres of theatre, acting students examine techniques and research methods necessary to unlock performance elements of the most demanding dramas of the last 100 years.

THTR 321 History of Apparel
Units: 1
Description
Designed to give students a recognition/understanding of the evolution of clothing from the ancients to the 21st century. Beginning with the physiological and psychological reasons for clothing. Includes focus on the relationship of fashion to the social and political issues of the time period.

THTR 322 Costume Design
Units: 1
Description
Further exploration of various construction, patterning, design, research and rendering problems and the methods for solving them. Building on the techniques learned in the introductory course, students will gain a deeper understanding of the variety of methods used in problem solving, and how to know which approach is best suited to the needs of the script in question. The course will culminate in a public presentation of students' projects.
Prerequisite
course or permission of instructor.

THTR 325 Script Analysis
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSLT)
Description
Systematic approach to understanding and realizing the theatrical implications of play scripts. Script study as if in preparation for mounting production. Laboratory hours required.

THTR 328 Acting Shakespeare II
Units: 1
Description
Introduction to emotional, physical, and vocal techniques necessary for performing a Shakespearean play. Builds on work of Theatre 327 in providing students with analytical means and research methods necessary to make informed artistic decisions.
Prerequisite
THTR 327 with a minimum grade of D-

THTR 330 Practicum: Performance
Units: 0.25-1
Description
Understanding theatre arts through analysis of and participation in creative theatrical efforts. Forty hours work for .25 units of practicum credit. Includes research and written work appropriate to the theatrical activity involved. Four units maximum credit; 1.5 units maximum per semester. Does not count for theatre or dance major or minor.
Prerequisite
Permission of department.

THTR 331 Practicum: Direction/Choreography
Units: 0.25-1
Description
Understanding theatre arts through analysis of and participation in creative theatrical efforts. Forty hours work for .25 units of practicum credit. Includes research and written work appropriate to the theatrical activity involved. Four units maximum credit; 1.5 units maximum per semester. Does not count for theatre or dance major or minor.
Prerequisite
Permission of department.

THTR 332 Practicum: Stage Management
Units: 0.25-1
Description
Understanding theatre arts through analysis of and participation in creative theatrical efforts. Forty hours work for .25 units of practicum credit. Includes research and written work appropriate to the theatrical activity involved. Four units maximum credit; 1.5 units maximum per semester. Does not count for theatre or dance major or minor.
Prerequisite
Permission of department.

THTR 333 Practicum: Technical Crew
Units: 0.25-1
Description
Understanding theatre arts through analysis of and participation in creative theatrical efforts. Forty hours work for .25 units of practicum credit. Includes research and written work appropriate to the theatrical activity involved. Four units maximum credit; 1.5 units maximum per semester. Does not count for theatre or dance major or minor.
Prerequisite
Permission of department.

THTR 334 Practicum: Design
Units: 0.25-1
Description
Understanding theatre arts through analysis of and participation in creative theatrical efforts. Forty hours work for .25 units of practicum credit. Includes research and written work appropriate to the theatrical activity involved. Four units maximum credit; 1.5 units maximum per semester. Does not count for theatre or dance major or minor.
Prerequisite
Permission of department.

THTR 340 Practicum: Technical Theatre
Units: 0.25-1
Description
Understanding theatre arts through analysis of and participation in creative theatrical efforts. Forty hours work for .25 units of practicum credit. Includes research and written work appropriate to the theatrical activity involved. Four units maximum credit; 1.5 units maximum per semester. Does not count for theatre or dance major or minor.
Prerequisite
Permission of department.

THTR 341 Practicum: Costume/Makeup
Units: 0.25-1
Description
Understanding theatre arts through analysis of and participation in creative theatrical efforts. Forty hours work for .25 units of practicum credit. Includes research and written work appropriate to the theatrical activity involved. Four units maximum credit; 1.5 units maximum per semester. Does not count for theatre or dance major or minor.
Prerequisite
Permission of department.

THTR 342 Practicum: Other
Units: 0.25-1
Description
Understanding theatre arts through analysis of and participation in creative theatrical efforts. Forty hours work for .25 units of practicum credit. Includes research and written work appropriate to the theatrical activity involved. Four units maximum credit; 1.5 units maximum per semester. Does not count for theatre or dance major or minor.
Prerequisite
Permission of department.

THTR 343 Practicum: Lighting
Units: 0.25-1
Description
Understanding theatre arts through analysis of and participation in creative theatrical efforts. Forty hours work for .25 units of practicum credit. Includes research and written work appropriate to the theatrical activity involved. Four units maximum credit; 1.5 units maximum per semester. Does not count for theatre or dance major or minor.
Prerequisite
Permission of department.

THTR 345 Philanthropy in the Arts
Units: 1
Description
(See Music 345; same as Art 345.)
Prerequisite
course, course, or course or permission of instructor.

THTR 370 Staging Gender
Units: 1
Description
Study of selected plays and theatre productions with a focus on the representations of gender and gender relations. Readings in feminist, gender, and queer theory provide critical frameworks for analyzing representations of gender as well as representations of race and class as they intersect with gender. Culminates in a staged reading of a play.

THTR 380 Honors Thesis Preparation
Units: 1
Description
Research and preparation for honors thesis or project in theatre or dance.
Prerequisite
Acceptance in the department honors program.

THTR 388 Individual Internship
Units: 0.5-1
Description
Practical application of theatre and dance principles and skills in supervised, out-of-class environment. Does not count for theatre major or minor or dance minor. No more than 1.5 units of internship in any one department and 3.5 units of internship overall may be counted toward required degree units.
Prerequisite
Majors and minors only; faculty approval before beginning work.

THTR 399 Leadership in Production
Units: 0.5
Description
Majors-only course requiring a student to assume a position of significant responsibility (excluding performing) in one of the departments major productions. These positions include designing or assistant designing (costumes, lights, scenery, sound), assistant directing, dance captain, dramaturg, properties master, publicity manager (for the academic year), or stage manager. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory.
Prerequisite
Departmental approval.

THTR 406 Summer Undergraduate Research
Units: 0
Description
Documentation of the work of students who receive summer fellowships to conduct research [or produce a creative arts project] in the summer. The work must take place over a minimum of 6 weeks, the student must engage in the project full-time (at least 40 hours per week) during this period, and the student must be the recipient of a fellowship through the university. Graded S/U.
Prerequisite
Approval by a faculty mentor.

THTR 407 Collaboration and Production
Units: 1
Description
Requires students to form a production organization and produce a substantial play. The production will be staged at the beginning of the next semester and students will receive their final grade after successful completion. Students must select play, analyze material, provide requisite dramaturgical research, create a budget, design all visual elements, raise funds for and publicize the production, conduct rehearsals, and provide a thorough critique of the results.
Prerequisite
course, course, and course; or course, course, course,  or department approval.

THTR 425 Senior Thesis Capstone
Units: 1
Description
Seminar in which students engage under faculty supervision in individual research projects (scholarly and/or creative) in specific fields or forms of theatrical expression.
Prerequisite
course, course, and course; or course, course or course

THTR 481 Honors Thesis/Performance
Units: 1
Description
Research and writing honors thesis or realization (including rehearsals and all drawings) of a creative honors project in theatre or dance.
Prerequisite
Acceptance in the department honors program.

Dance
DANC 204 Hip-Hop Dance
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
Investigation of hip hop dance by examining the culture and politics that inspired the genre. Focuses on the foundations and origins of hip hop and street dance culture and the journey to current definitions of hip hop dance. Combined course in dance, theory, and creative practices for students of all levels of dance education.

DANC 205 Hip Hop Dance II
Units: 1
Description
Hip hop is a comprehensive term encompassing art, dance, music, literature, and politics. In this course, students will thoroughly investigate hip hop dance by examining the culture and politics that inspired the genre. Hip Hop Dance II is a continuation of Hip Hop Dance I and focuses on the foundations and origins of Hip Hop and street dance culture, and the journey to today's current definitions of hip hop dance. This is a combined course in dance, theory, and creative practices for students of intermediate and advanced levels of dance education.

DANC 210 Salsa Dance
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
Focuses on the fundamentals of Salsa dance steps and musical rhythms and the physical and social traditions of Afro-Caribbean culture. Creative projects will focus on individual and group projects designed to facilitate embodied exploration.

DANC 215 Dances of the African Diaspora
Units: 1
Description
Dances of the African Diaspora include a wide range of global, cultural dance and musical forms created and developed by the descendants of indigenous African people-groups who left or were taken from the continent, in particular, as a result of the trans-Atlantic human trafficking and enslavement of the Colonial period. The course will teach dance and musical forms from the African Diaspora through in-class, studio instruction and participation, demonstrations, and multimedia, revealing the distinctions of global African dance traditions as well as their commonalities as leading cultural identities within countries of the Americas, the Caribbean and the Iberian Peninsula.

DANC 238 Introduction to Contact Improvisation
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
The practice and exploration of contact improvisation, an improvised movement form that relies on partners in constant physical dialog and connection. Class is devoted to developing balance, strength, flexibility, trust, support, weight-sharing, risk-taking, play, and body awareness. The class is ideal for students pursuing dance, theater, biology, psychology, or anyone wanting a physical challenge.

DANC 248 Movement Improvisation
Units: 1
Description
Focus on unraveling habitual ways of moving to discover impromptu motion and new patterns in groups, duets, and alone. A range of contemporary theoretical, artistic, and ethnographic techniques from American and international improvisers will be explored for strategies, techniques, motivations, and process.

DANC 251 Contemporary Dance I
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
Explores organic ways of moving while maximizing circular forces, coordinating breath and movement, and working with gravity and momentum. Incorporates elements of Authentic Movement, Yoga, Bartenieff Fundamentals, Developmental Movement Technique, Flying Low, and Capoeira. Particular attention will be given to dynamic alignment imagery to facilitate efficient movement patterns. Students will be expected to learn choreographed exercises and phrases, to improvise, to create original material, and to work with partners. Includes `lab time` where students will investigate movement independently.

DANC 255 Composition
Units: 1
Description
Explores a variety of dance-making methodologies. Composition and performance of movement studies in group, duet, and solo forms for both concert dance and site-specific locations. Culminates in a public sharing of work created throughout the semester.
Prerequisite
course with a minimum grade of D-

DANC 256 Jazz Dance I
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
Introduction to jazz dance as an eclectic form of artistic expression with emphasis on rhythm and technique. Students are required to critique live dance concerts as well as conduct research on a relevant topic.

DANC 257 Ballet I
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
Introductory course in ballet as a theatrical art form. Study of basic ballet terminology, understanding of correct body placement, and a general knowledge of performing elementary ballet technique. Students are required to critique live dance concerts as well as conduct research on a relevant topic.

DANC 258 Writing from the Body: Words and Movement
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
Reflection on how one moves through the world and how experience gets articulated. Class is devoted to exercises that generate movement and writing, both used as gateways to the other.

DANC 259 Tap Dance I
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
Introduction to tap dance, a theatrical form of artistic expression with development of a movement vocabulary based on rhythms made with taps. Students are required to critique live dance concerts as well as conduct research on a relevant topic.

DANC 260 Modern Dance I
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSVP)
Description
Introduction to modern dance as a diverse form of expression with development of language of movement. Students are required to critique live dance concerts as well as conduct research on a relevant topic.

DANC 261 Jazz Dance II
Units: 1
Description
Continuation of beginning jazz, emphasizing intermediate technique, vocabulary, and style. Students are required to critique live dance concerts as well as conduct research on a relevant topic.
Prerequisite
Prior dance experience or permission of instructor.

DANC 263 Modern Dance II
Units: 1
Description
Continuation of beginning modern dance, emphasizing intermediate technique and development of an aesthetic vocabulary of contemporary modern dance. Students are required to critique live dance concerts as well as conduct research on a relevant topic.
Prerequisite
Prior dance experience or permission of instructor.

DANC 265 Contemporary Dance II
Units: 1
Description
Continuation of Contemporary Dance I. Students will deepen their knowledge of organic ways of moving while maximizing circular forces, coordinating breath and movement, and moving with an awareness of gravity and momentum. Students will engage in more complex movement patterns and will be expected to learn choreographed exercises and phrases, to improvise, to create original material, to work with partners and to investigate movement independently. Readings, written assignments, and videos will be assigned to enhance the understanding of principles of alignment, movement, and performance. Students will study key contemporary artists in the field.
Prerequisite
Prior dance experience or permission of instructor or previous contemporary technique.

DANC 266 Ballet II
Units: 1
Description
Continuation of beginning ballet, emphasizing intermediate technique and vocabulary. Students are required to critique live dance concerts as well as conduct research on a relevant topic.
Prerequisite
Previous ballet technique

DANC 306 University Dancers
Units: 0.5
Description
Technique, rehearsal, and performance of dance works choreographed by dance faculty, students, and visiting choreographers. May be repeated for credit.
Prerequisite
Audition or invitation of director.

DANC 312 Special Topics in Dance Technique
Units: 0.5-1
Description
Offered as-needed. Representative topics may include a range of non-traditional dance forms and practices: Improvisation, Release Technique, Flying Low, Breaking, Fusion, Physical Theatre, Viewpoints, Suzuki, or other contemporary movement techniques..
Extended Description
DANC 312: Special Topics–Dances of the African DiasporaFall 2023Instructor: Kevin LaMarr JonesDances of the African Diaspora include a wide range of global, cultural dance and musical forms created and developed by the descendants of indigenous African people groups who left or were taken from the continent, in particular, as a result of the trans-Atlantic human trafficking and enslavement of the Colonial period. The course will teach dance and musical forms from the African Diaspora through in-class, studio instruction and participation, demonstrations, and multimedia, revealing the distinctions of global African dance traditions as well as their commonalities as leading cultural identities within countries of the Americas, the Caribbean and the Iberian Peninsula. This course will count towards the Dance Major, Dance Minor, and/or Elective Credit, Department of Theatre & Dance; Course Attributes: Dance Major, Dance Minor, Elective.

DANC 315 Independent Study
Units: 0.5-1
Description
Restriction: Prospectus must be submitted and approved prior to the end of advance registration.

DANC 316 Repertory
Units: 0.5
Description
Students in the repertory class are members of University Dancers, and will spend the fall semester learning, rehearsing, and collaborating on a new piece of choreography by one of the University of Richmond's dance faculty or a guest artist.
Prerequisite
course with a minimum grade of D-

DANC 319 Collaborative Arts Lab: Dance, Humanities and Technology
Units: 1
Description
A creative research lab where students combine dance, theatre, and subject from humanities and/or science and technology as the foundation for creating and original dance theatre piece. The research-creative project to include a public performance with talk-back on process and discoveries.

DANC 320 Human Kinetics for Dance
Units: 1
Description
The science of human movement and knowledge of the skeletal and muscular structures which is a valuable tool in a dancer's growth. Focus on how the body functions and moves as the students develop an objective and realistic sense of their strengths and weakness. An approach that applies principles towards the anatomical analysis, assessment, function, preservation and enhancement of human movement.

DANC 322 Special Topics in Somantics
Units: 1
Description
Offered as needed. Representative topics may include: Special Topics in Kinetics, Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique, Pilates, Yoga, Physical Conditioning for Dancers and Athletes, or other body awareness and movement training.

DANC 330 Dance History/Theory I
Units: 1
Description
Study of Western theatrical dance from antiquity through the 19th century. Focus on the analysis of dance and movement practices within their cultural contexts. Ritual roots of early dance are examined along with social, political, and religious aspects of the rich array of dance practices and theories from pre-history to classical ballet of the late 19th century.

DANC 335 Dance Projects
Units: 1
Description
Continuation of DANC 255 Composition. Students develop a creative or research project culminating in a public presentation.
Prerequisite
course with a minimum grade of D-

DANC 340 Dance History/Theory II
Units: 1
Description
A study of Western theatrical dance from the early 20th-century Ballets Russes through the development of modern dance, jazz dance, musical theatre, hip-hop, and contemporary fusion forms.

DANC 350 Special Topics in Critical Inquiry
Units: 1
Description
Offered as needed. Representative topics include critical dance studies, historical dance studies, performance studies, and dance criticism.

DANC 356 Pointe and Variations
Units: 1
Description
For advanced ballet students to continue training in pointe work. Study of classical variations in a historical context and performance of these variations in an informal showing. Students are required to critique live dance concerts as well as conduct research on a relevant topic.
Prerequisite
Previous pointe work or permission of instructor 

DANC 361 Advanced Jazz Dance
Units: 1
Description
Continuation of intermediate jazz, emphasizing advanced technique, vocabulary, and style. Students are required to critique live dance concerts as well as conduct research on a relevant topic.
Prerequisite
Previous intermediate jazz technique

DANC 365 Advanced Contemporary Dance
Units: 1
Description
Continuation of Contemporary Dance II. Deepens knowledge of organic ways of moving while maximizing circular forces, coordinating breath and movement, and working with gravity and momentum. Engagement in advanced movement patterns and choreographed exercises and phrases, improvisation, to create original material, to work with partners and to investigate movement independently. Readings, written assignments, and videos will be assigned to enhance the understanding of principles of alignment, movement, and performance. Students will study key contemporary artists in the field.
Prerequisite
Previous intermediate contemporary technique

DANC 366 Advanced Ballet
Units: 1
Description
Continuation of intermediate ballet, emphasizing advanced technique and vocabulary. Students are required to critique live dance concerts as well as conduct research on a relevant topic.
Prerequisite
Previous intermediate ballet technique.

DANC 406 Summer Undergraduate Research
Units: 0
Description
Documentation of the work of students who receive summer fellowships to conduct research [or produce a creative arts project] in the summer. The work must take place over a minimum of 6 weeks, the student must engage in the project full-time (at least 40 hours per week) during this period, and the student must be the recipient of a fellowship through the university. Graded S/U.
Prerequisite
Approval by a faculty mentor.

DANC 407 Senior Thesis Capstone
Units: 1
Description
Builds on the foundations of Choreography I and Choreography II, as well as the other courses in the major. Student choreographer develops a fully produced work culminating in a public performance. Department of Theatre and Dance faculty co-mentor the student choreographer through the collaborative creative process, which includes developing a concept for the piece, making effective music choices, collaborating with designers (costume, lighting, sound and scenic), and working efficiently and creatively with dancers in rehearsal.
Prerequisite
course, course, or course