Investigate the role dance plays and has played in informing and acknowledging social trends in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Connections are made between dance and immigration, industry, politics, fashion, social change, class and gender, nationalism, education and popular culture. Dance both perpetuates and challenges social and cultural issues of power, class, gender, sexual orientation, and age, and acts as a mirror of our society. We will study popular perceptions of dance, dance in Hollywood, and dance as a reflection of social change, dance as social ritual, dance and contemporary notions of the “Impossible Body.” You will not be dancing in the course, but will learn through lecture, discussion and film/videotape viewing. Note: This course fulfills the Arts (GA) requirement for students under GenEd and Arts (AR) for students under Core.
Students cannot receive credit for this course if they have successfully completed Dance 0931.