Course Description

Classical ballet examined through historical, social, political, and pedagogical contexts. Theory and practice of major ballet styles including historical figures, choreography, and foundations of training; also, current issues in reframing ballet training and performance, applied practice in vocabulary, stylistic nuances, and ballet pedagogy. Classroom and studio work.

Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students will do extra readings and will develop and write an in-depth research project/paper on one topic related to the course content, with a comprehensive review of primary research sources and demonstrating a mastery of the topic. From this research project, graduate students will prepare a research project presentation and submit a proposal for professional conference presentation.

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Athena Title

Contemporizing Ballet

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Prerequisite

Permission of department

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Semester Course Offered

Offered spring

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Grading System

A - F (Traditional)

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Course Objectives

At the end of this course, students should be able to: 1. Identify significant historical figures and choreographic works in ballet’s past and present. 2. Discuss the classical ballet ‘canon’ in historical, social, political, and pedagogical contexts. 3. Explain with physical demonstration the stylistic differences between classical and contemporary ballet. 4. Illustrate pedagogical issues in reframing the narrative of the ballet canon through a ballet class plan. 5. Construct a personal teaching philosophy.

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Topical Outline

• Unit 1 - Ballet Histories: Creating the 'Canon' • Defining the classical ballet 'canon' – histories of ballets and historical figures • Investigating specific ballets in historical, social, political, and pedagogical contexts as well as in content and style • Personal history in ballet
• Unit 2 - Contemporizing Ballet: Questions, Issues, and Contexts • Ballet then and now: 'dismantling the canon' • What works and what doesn’t • Identifying and understanding context then and now • Appropriation, acculturation, (mis)representation, gender binaries, and cultural identities in choreography, performance, and training • What changes are being made? What changes can we make?
• Unit 3 - Ballet Styles: Histories and Pedagogies • Philosophical and stylistic differences and vocabulary in the foundational teaching technique methods in major training schools/styles: French foundation, Italian-Cecchetti, Danish-Bournonville, Russian-Vaganova, British-Royal Ballet/Royal Academy of Dance, American-Balanchine • Ballet vocabulary/terminology • Framework for structuring a ballet class • Reframing the narrative of ballet in training and performance • Personal teaching philosophy; how does it advance ballet training?

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Syllabus

Select Faculty / Instructor to download syllabus:   Fusillo, Lisa

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