DRA 199 - Musical Theatre Dance

Credits: 3
Lecture Hours: 45
Lab Hours: 0
Practicum Hours: 0
Work Experience: 0
Course Type: General

This course provides students with fundamental training and experience in dance styles used in musical theatre. Time will be given to the essential history of styles taught, noted choreographers, and discussion of the physical principles common to all forms of dance. Students will learn and perform choreography in class.
Competencies

Distinguish effective choreography in relation to its capacity to forward a story.
1. Examine effective examples of choreographed movement within the canon of musical theatre that deepen an audience’s understanding of principal characters or forward plot.
2. Determine moments of choreographed movement within the canon of musical theatre that do not deepen an audience’s understanding of principal characters or forward plot.
3. Establish a consistent use of terminology fundamental to effective acting.
4. Correlate effective musical theatre dance to effective fundamental acting.
Characterize the essential style of any learned choreography.
1. Break down terminology specific to all styles of musical theatre dance.
2. Classify terminology specific to learned styles of musical theatre dance.
3. Demonstrate an ability to consistently discern learned styles of musical theatre dance upon seeing musical theatre choreography.
Perform select measures of musical theatre choreography.
1. Integrate musical theatre dance choreography into movement that can be believed as truthful behavior.
2. Incorporate an ability to perform musical theatre dance choreography in a manner that forwards a story.
Integrate audition-length choreography into an effective performance in a truncated time frame, in order to replicate a dance call.
1. Demonstrate an ability to quickly integrate choreography into effective musical theatre storytelling through movement.
2. Perform musical theatre dance choreography as believable truthful behavior.
Produce research on relevant choreography that is widely accepted in the industry as effective.
1. Analyze assigned choreographer or dance style.
2. Organize research into an effective product as it relates to contemporary musical theatre dance practices.
Assess one’s own growth as a performer who forwards story through movement.
1. Evaluate the effectiveness of one’s own work as it relates to an effective portrayal of truthful behavior within imaginary circumstances specific to musical theatre choreography.
2. Develop an ability to constructively receive feedback.

Competencies Revised Date: 2020