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THEATRE AND DANCE

Professors M.R. Withers, A.G. Wade, L.B. Jacobson

Associate Professors W.A. Pucilowsky, C.F. Gudenius, D.T.S. Burgess (Chair), J.I. Kanter, M.A. Buckley

Assistant Professor C.F. Gomez

Adjunct Professor A.C. Stokes

Professorial Lecturer K.Z. Keller

Bachelor of Arts with a major in theatre-The following requirements must be fulfilled:

1. The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.

2. Required courses in related areas-Three courses in dramatic literature and playwriting.

3. Required courses in the major-TrDa 1214, 2240, 1330, 2339 (3 credits), 3245- 46, 4275; 6 credits in design/technical theatre courses; 12 additional credits in approved upper-division TrDa courses.

Bachelor of Arts with a major in dance-The following requirements must be fulfilled:

1. The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.

2. Required courses in the major: 13 credit hours of courses in technique; 17 hours of courses in creative process/performance/theory; 3 hours of production design; 6 hours of electives. The department maintains a list of courses that fulfill these requirements.

Bachelor of Arts with a major in dramatic literature-The Department of Theatre and Dance and the Department of English offer an interdisciplinary major in dramatic literature. See Dramatic Literature .

Minor in Theatre-18 credit hours of theatre courses, including TrDa 3245- 46.

Minor in Dance-18 credit hours of dance courses, including no more than 9 hours from TrDa 1017, 1150- 71, 2160- 73, and 3174- 75, plus 3 hours from TrDa 2180, 2185, 2191, 3182, and 3186.

Special Honors-In addition to meeting the general requirements stated under University Regulations, candidates for graduation with Special Honors in Theatre or Dance must have a grade-point average of 3.4 in the major and complete TrDa 4599 with a grade of A. They must consult with a faculty advisor at the beginning of the second semester of the junior year to determine eligibility, area of study, and the director of the research or creative project.

With permission, a limited number of graduate courses in the department may be taken for credit toward an undergraduate degree. See the Graduate Programs Bulletin for course listings.

Note: Courses below the 1000s series are primarily for nonmajors.

1015 Understanding the Dance (3) Staff
  The art of dance-a lecture and experiential approach to its cultural importance, history, and creative processes. The contributions of the choreographer and dancer to society. Attendance at performances and presentations, and viewing video. Laboratory fee. (Fall and spring)
1017 Movement Awareness (3) Buckley and Staff
  An experiential dance movement class that examines human movement and its connection to dance. Somatic concepts of Alexander, Feldenkrais, Bartenieff, and Body/Mind/Centering. (Fall and spring)
1020 Women and the Creative Process (3) Buckley
  Consideration of questions of aesthetics and creativity through the study of art produced by women since the mid-20th century. The creation, meaning, and impact of work across the fields of visual art, dance, theatre, and music. (Fall)
1025 Understanding the Theatre (3) Gomez and Staff
  The art of the theatre; its literature, history, aesthetics, and mechanics. Contributions of the playwright, actor, director, and designer. Attendance at assigned theatrical performances. Laboratory fee. (Fall and spring)
1035 Theatre Production (3) Gomez and Staff
  Understanding of the basic elements of theatrical production (performance, technical and management) and the collaborative artist/artisan process through discussion, observation, and practical application. Laboratory fee. (Fall and spring)
1150 Beginning Ballet (1) Staff
  Introduction to classical ballet technique, including basic concepts of dynamic alignment, stretch, strength, and musicality. Laboratory fee.
1151 Beginning/Intermediate Ballet (1) Staff
1152 Beginning Modern/Postmodern Dance (1) Staff
  Introduction to modern dance technique inclusive of basic concepts of dynamic alignment, stretch, strength, improvisation and musicality. Laboratory fee.
1153 Beginning/Intermediate Modern/Postmodern Dance (1) Staff
1170-71 Intermediate Modern/Postmodern Dance (2 or 3 each) Burgess and Staff
  Recommended for students with previous dance experience in jazz, ballet, hip hop, modern, or other styles. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: TrDa 1170 to 1171, or permission of instructor. Laboratory fee.
1214 Introduction to Acting (3) Jacobson, Kanter, Wade, and Staff
  Basic techniques of concentration, imagination, improvisation, and character development. Laboratory fee. (Fall and spring)
1330 Basics of Production Design (3) Gudenius, Gomez, and Staff
  Basic elements of production design and technical execution. Laboratory required. Laboratory fee. (Fall and spring)
2160-61 Intermediate Ballet (2-2) Staff
  May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: TrDa 1151 to 2160, TrDa 2160 to 2161, or permission of instructor. Laboratory fee.
2162-63 Intermediate/Advanced Ballet (2-2) Staff
  May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: TrDa 2161 to 2162, TrDa 2162 to 2163, or permission of instructor. Laboratory fee.
2172-73 Intermediate/Advanced Modern/Postmodern Dance (2 or 3 each) Staff
  May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: TrDa 1171 to 2172, TrDa 2172 to 2173, or permission of instructor. Laboratory fee.
2179 Contact Improvisation (2) Staff
  A movement form that arises from the point of contact between partners who explore gravity, space, and timing in the spontaneous moment-to-moment exchange of the dance. Exploring the improvisational state of body/mind through the use of imagery, tuning the senses, mindfulness practices, and play. Laboratory fee.
2180 Movement Improvisation and Performance (3) Withers
  Exploring the body and its surroundings in movement, use of language, narrative, environments and contexts for creative expression, developing event and performance structures from improvisation. May be repeated for credit. Laboratory fee. (Spring)
2185 Trends in Performance Art (3) Withers
  Study of the theory and practice of contemporary performance art movements and artists; political and artistic activism; scripting and scoring to create performance works based on a single art discipline or interdisciplinary arts. Laboratory fee. (Fall)
2191 Dance History (3) Buckley
  The history of Western theatrical dance from the late 18th century to the present. The major choreographers and their dance works through readings, lectures, video, and discussion. (Spring)
2192 Repertory/Performance (1 or 2) Burgess, Withers
  Participation in the processes of learning and performing dance repertory or new dance works. Audition required. Laboratory required. May be repeated for credit. Laboratory fee. (Fall and spring)
2193-94 Dance Styles (arr.) Staff
  Forms of theatrical dance other than ballet or modern, including African dance, Angola Capoeira, music theatre, Spanish dance, world dance, Middle Eastern dance, and others. May be repeated for credit provided the topic differs. Laboratory fee.
2215 Introduction to Scene Study: Realism (3) Jacobson, Kanter, Wade
  Principles of role development, concentrating on 20th-century material. Prerequisite: TrDa 1214. Laboratory fee. (Fall and spring)
2216 Scene Study: Voice and Character (3) Jacobson and Staff
  The practice and application of voice production with reference to skeletal alignment, breathing, resonance, and articulation. Emphasis on the process of voice production and its application to performance through work on scenes and monologues. Prerequisite: TrDa 2215. Laboratory fee.
2240 Play Analysis (3) Stokes
  Same as Engl 2240.
2250 Dramatic Writing (3) Griffith
  Same as Engl 2250.
2339 Theatre Practicum (1) Gomez
  Participation in department mainstage productions in a production or management capacity under the supervision of a member of the faculty. Prerequisite: TrDa 1035 or 1330. May be repeated for credit. After completing for 3 credits, students may participate in a performance capacity for an additional 3 credits. Prerequisite: TrDa 1035 or 1330. Laboratory fee. (Fall and spring)
2910 Gender and Indian Classical Dance (3) Staff
  This history of Indian classical dance since the time of feudal, caste, and gender restraints. Indian dance technique training and discussion of texts and multimedia materials. Laboratory fee. (Spring)
3156 Dance in Community Settings (2-3) Burgess
  Examination of dance in Washington area communities. Students are required to site visit and engage with individuals and organizations that focus on dance as it pertains to performance, therapy, management, and education. Participation in activities with a dance artist/practitioner or with a producing/service organization is required. Laboratory fee. (Spring)
3174-75 Advanced Modern/Postmodern Dance (2 or 3 each) Staff
  May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: TrDa 2173 to 3174, TrDa 3174 to 3175, or permission of instructor. Laboratory fee.
3182-83 Dance Composition (1 to 3 each) Withers
  TrDa 3182: Problems in structural and conceptual aspects of constructing dances and shaping and forming movement materials. TrDa 3183: Emphasis on intention and content in making dances. Prerequisite: TrDa 2180; recommended: TrDa 2185. Laboratory fee. (Academic year)
3186 Dance Anatomy and Kinesiology (3) Burgess and Staff
  An experiential and theoretical approach to dynamic anatomy and kinesiology as they pertain to the dancer. The student is encouraged to reach full movement potential in relation to contemporary dance techniques, performance, and injury prevention. Laboratory fee. (Fall)
3220 Scene Study: Contemporary Text (3) Wade
  Principles of role development in the works of post-war playwrights to include both the genres of comedy and drama and the stylistic directions of realism and post-realism. Playwrights chosen may include Beckett, Pinter, Albee, Stoppard, Mamet, Labute, Norman, Simon, and Henley. Prerequisite: TrDa 2215. Laboratory fee.
3221 Scene Study: Classical Text (3) Wade
  Principles of role development in the works of pre-modern dramatists including Shakespeare and his contemporaries, the playwrights of the English Restoration, Molire, and other 17th- and 18th-century playwrights. Prerequisite: TrDa 2215. Laboratory fee.
3223 Physical Performance Skills (3) Staff
  Introduction to a variety of techniques needed by actors and performers, including mime, clowning, slapstick, mask work, and basic stage combat skills. Prerequisite: TrDa 2215. Laboratory fee.
3225 Stage Dialects (2) Jacobson
  Vocal production related to interpretation of specific texts. Focus on stage dialects and the interpretation of Shakespeare. Prerequisite: TrDa 2215. Laboratory fee.
3227 Scene Study: Acting for the Media (2) Wade
  Techniques of acting for the camera; analysis of film and television scripts from actor's point of view. Prerequisite: TrDa 2215. Laboratory required. Laboratory fee.
3229 Audition Techniques (3) Staff
  All aspects of the audition process: selection and rehearsal of audition monologues, handling of cold reading, etc. Prerequisite: TrDa 2215. Laboratory fee.
3240 Introduction to Dramaturgy (3) Kanter
  Fundamentals of classical and contemporary dramaturgical practice, including analyzing plays, doing research, supporting directors and actors in rehearsal, writing program notes, and leading post-show discussions. Same as Engl 3240. (Spring)
3245-46 History of the Theatre (3-3) Kanter, Stokes
  A dramaturg's approach to case studies of theatre in historical context. TrDa 3245: ancient Greece through the 17th century. TrDa 3246: the 18th century through the present. (Academic year)
3248 Theatre Criticism (3) Staff
  Discussion and witnessing of plays in performance, resulting in written criticism modeled on contemporary journalistic practices. Prerequisite: TrDa 3245 or 3246 or TrDa/Engl 2240. Laboratory fee. (Spring)
3250 Intermediate Dramatic Writing (3) Griffith, Stokes
  Same as Engl 3250.
3331 Introduction to Lighting (3) Gudenius
  Lecture (2 hours), laboratory (1 hour). Theories and practicum in lighting for theatre and dance. Laboratory fee. Prerequisite: TrDa 1330.
3332 Makeup Design (3) Staff
  Theory and practicum in the art of makeup design, including latex and crepe hair. Laboratory fee. Prerequisite: TrDa 1330.
3333 Stage Management (3) Gomez
  The role and function of the stage manager in theatrical production. The basic skills needed to begin work in stage management. Emphasis on organization, documentation, and dissemination of information. Prerequisite: TrDa 1330. Laboratory fee.
3335 Introduction to Scene Design (3) Gudenius
  Fundamental study of scenic design, including historic overview, basic drawing, and rendering techniques, through the use of various mediums and script analysis. Laboratory fee. Prerequisite: TrDa 1330.
3336 Introduction to Costuming (3) Staff
  History of fashion in Western civilization from ancient Greece to the 20th century. Fundamental study of costume construction through specific projects. Costume construction. Prerequisite: TrDa 1330. Laboratory fee.
4184 Choreographic Projects (1-3) Withers, Burgess
  Create a dance or a performance work of individual design, including casting, rehearsal procedures, staging aspects, and public presentation. Prerequisite: TrDa 3182; recommended: TrDa 1330, 2185. May be repeated for credit. Laboratory fee.
4275 Directing for the Theatre (3) Kanter
  Fundamentals of script analysis, staging, casting, and rehearsal techniques. Prerequisite: TrDa 1214, 1330; TrDa 2240/Engl 2240or 3240. Laboratory fee. (Fall)
4338 Scene Painting (3) Gomez
  The techniques and materials used in creating character in the various elements of set design. Methods include set preparation, coating, mixing, palette preparation, spraying, transfer, texturing, finishing, and wallpapering. Prerequisite: TrDa 1330. Laboratory fee.
4595 Selected Topics (1 to 3) Staff
  Topics of current interest in theatre or dance. Topics (and course fee, when charged) announced in the Schedule of Classes. May be repeated for credit provided the topic differs. Laboratory fee.
4596 Independent Study (1 to 6) Staff
  Independent research and special projects. Open to qualified juniors or seniors majoring or minoring in theatre or dance. Before students are permitted to register for TrDa 4596, they must submit a written proposal of the plan of study and obtain approval of the faculty member who is directing the study and the department chair.
4598 Internship (3 or 6) Staff
  Open to qualified seniors majoring or minoring in theatre or dance. Work placements with not-for-profit and commercial theatre and dance organizations for an approved number of hours per week. Admission requires departmental approval. May be taken for a maximum of 6 credits. (Fall and spring)
4599 Honors Thesis (3) Staff
  Directed research and/or creative project. Open to qualified seniors by permission. Arrangements must be made with a sponsoring faculty member in the department and applications must be completed early in the second semester of the junior year. (Fall and spring)
 

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© 2012 University Bulletin
The George Washington University All rights reserved.

Information in this bulletin is generally accurate as of fall 2011. The University reserves the right to change courses, programs, fees, and the academic calendar, or to make other changes deemed necessary or desirable, giving advance notice of change when possible.