Senate Document Number 4200S

Date of Senate Approval 3/02/00

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

APC Document 37:  Adding Minor in Dance

Add: On page 117, the following before Minor in Health Promotion

Minor in Dance
20 hours including: DAN 130, 137, 138, 237, 238, 315, 316, 331, and 8 additional hours chosen from the electives listed below, to include at least 3 hours at the 300-400 level. Students are encouraged to take courses from more than one of the three elective areas to complete the minor requirements.

Technique Electives:

DAN 139 Jazz Styles (1)

HF 131 Tai Chi (1)

HF 132 Yoga (1)

Related Arts Electives:
DRAM 103 Voice Production Lab (1)

DRAM 105 Theater Workshop (1)

DRAM 111 Introduction to Acting I (3)

DRAM 121 Elements of Production I (3)

DRAM 216 Musical Theatre Workshop (3)

MUSC 101 Class Piano I (2)

MUSC 103 Class Guitar I (2)

MUSC 105 Class Voice I (2)

MUSC 216 Musical Theatre Workshop (3)

Dance in Context Electives:

DAN 341 Teaching Dance (3)

DAN 345 Research in Dance (3)

HF 322 Kinesiology (3)

MCOM 380 Media Aesthetics (3)

Add: On pg 118, the following before the description for HF 120:

Courses in Dance
130 African Dance (1)
Traditional dances of Ghana, Ivory Coast, Guinea, South Africa, West Africa and Haiti. Course will include the healing traditions and expressive movements that are unique to Africa's dance heritage. Fall and Spring.

137 Modern Dance I (1)
Introduction to three of the major techniques of Modern Dance as a way to compare and contrast the aesthetic possibilities of concert dance. Emphasis will be on individual exploration of movement as a way of understanding one's physical, social, intellectual, emotional and spiritual dimensions. No previous dance training is necessary for Modern I. Fall and Spring.

138 Ballet I (1)
A gentle introduction to ballet through technical instruction, anatomical and aesthetic foundation, and elementary vocabulary. Particularly suited for non-dancers interested in developing flexibility and strength while exploring personal issues related to perfection. No previous training expected. Fall and Spring.

139 Jazz Styles (1)
Historical survey of vernacular dance in the U.S. starting with the African Dance roots of Jazz Dance and continuing through the study of the major social dances of the '20's through hip hop and concert Jazz dance. See Department Chair.

237 Modern Dance II (2)
Integrated study of the major techniques of Modern Dance. Functional alignment, strength, flexibility and aesthetic design will be emphasized. Students will prepare and present one independent research project. Prerequisite: previous training in modern forms. Fall and Spring.

238 Ballet II (2)
An intermediate level ballet technique course. Class will include a thorough barre and sequences in center and across the floor. The goal will be to increase the student's core strength, musicality and ease of movement. Students may choose to work en pointe. Familiarity with the basic vocabulary of ballet is assumed. Fall and Spring.

315 Workshop in Dance (ARTS 315) (1)
An introduction to movement as an expressive medium. Classes will include guided exploration of the elements, strategies and techniques used in creating dance as a fine art. Fall and Spring.

316 Workshop in Dance II (2)
In-class workshops will explore more extensive strategies for choreographic invention including the use of voice, the integration of text with movement, the use of props, and the development of a personal movement vocabulary. The class will include a number of assignments over the first weeks but will then be concerned with realizing the projects. Prerequisite: DAN 315. Spring.

331 Dance History (2)
Historical survey of dance from ancient roots to contemporary concert and street forms. Class will analyze the role dance has played in serving the culture from which it springs. Spring.

341 Teaching Dance (3)
A survey of methods and materials used in teaching dance to students of various ages and backgrounds explored through research and practical experience. Students will be expected to assist in either DAN 130, 237, or 238 in addition to completing six hours of service learning in a community setting. Not part of a licensure program. Prerequisites: DAN 237, 238. See Department Chair.

345 Research in Dance (3)
Students will be guided as they research one dance topic in depth. Research may take the form of choreography, dance film or video, academic research or some combination of presentations. Students will present on-going research in weekly class discussion sessions. Pre-requisite: DAN 331. See Department Chair.

171-3, 271-3, 371-3, 471-3 Special Topics in Dance (1-3)
Courses not otherwise included in the catalog listing but for which there may be special needs. May be repeated for credit as subject matter changes. See Department Chair.

Impact: As the premier Liberal Arts college in the UNC system, it is unfortunate that our arts focus has not included the art of dance. For its size, there is an inordinate level of dance activity in the Asheville area, yet this university has been slow to embrace the potential of this art form as a way of knowing, a way of learning and a way of sharing. We are losing qualified undergraduate candidates to schools that can foster this dimension in their lives. In terms of impact to the university as a whole, the implementation of this minor will enhance our liberal arts foundation and will allow us to be more competitive in attracting students with an interest in Dance.

As impacts specific departments, no new courses would be added in any departments other than Health and Fitness in order to accommodate the requirements of the major. There was unanimous agreement at the Spring '99 meeting of the chairs of Drama, Health and Fitness, and Music, that an increased enrollment in the cross-listed classes will be a positive outcome. After consultation with the Chair of Mass Communications, only those courses which could easily and gladly accommodate students from outside the department are included in the minor.

Technically, five new courses will be created in Health and Fitness. Both to distinguish this curriculum from the fitness classes and for funding reasons, they will bear a DAN prefix. In fact, three of these "new" courses have already been offered under other names or mildly different circumstances. The new courses that will be added are:

DAN 237 Modern II
DAN 238 Ballet II
DAN 316 Workshop in Dance II
DAN 331 Dance History
DAN 341 Teaching Dance
DAN 345 Research in Dance

Rationale
Description of proposed new program
This minor is designed for students who wish to develop their skills and knowledge because of a personal interest in Dance, and for those who wish to enhance their career opportunities through acquiring a particular expertise in Dance. Enhancement of career possibilities incorporating Dance exists for those majoring in education, music, drama, management, sociology and psychology among others. Career directions include dance education, performance, production, studio or company management, public relations, choreography, interdisciplinary arts, physical and psychological therapy.

Objectives
The Dance Minor will enable students to:
1. Acquire and refine the technical skills necessary for them to realize the broadest possible range of movement options;

2. Develop their own capacity for expression through Dance and apply principles of the creative process to other aspects in their lives including: original thought, presentation of self, effective collaboration, and problem-solving skills;

3. Understand the connections among the various fields of study involved with Dance production such as music, visual art, and physical development;

4. Acquire experience as teachers, performers, choreographers or a combination of these three;

5. Prepare for advanced study in Dance and other related arts.

Consistent with UNCA Mission
Excerpts from the UNCA Mission statement will be cited to avoid reprinting the entire statement:

Para 1: The University also provides selected pre-professional programs which are solidly grounded in the liberal arts.

Para 2: It aims to develop men and women of broad perspective who think critically and creatively and who communicate effectively.

Para 3: It promotes understanding of the connections among the traditional disciplines of the liberal arts through interdisciplinary studies and integrates these areas of inquiry with programs that prepare students for meaningful careers and professions.

Para 4: It fosters scholarly and creative activities by faculty and students alike.

Para 6: The ultimate aim of the university is to provide students with the best possible opportunity to acquire the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to pursue their goals, to find meaning in their lives and to take their places as contributing citizens of a changing society.

The body's wisdom informs the whole organism. A balanced human being exists, not as a shell housing an all-important brain and subsidiary organs and tissues, but as a physically, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually balanced creature. Graduates of our Liberal Arts curriculum will have been asked to consider this integration academically, and will have been required to explore their personal solution to achieving this integration physically. In the course of such exploration, many students come to dance for the first time; many other students return to dance as a familiar haven for such integration.

Those who are beginning their relationship with movement arts find that they are asked to learn in a new way. The risks involved with learning kinesthetically lead students to become aware of their personal learning styles, their enculturated notions of physicality, and their capacities for expression. For many students, dance, as a way of knowing, is also a way of informing their other academic pursuits. They are asked to work cooperatively and non-competitively. They are encouraged to trust their instincts and to follow their solutions based on sensation. They are asked to explore several solutions to the same problem and to continuously reconsider their own capacities for risk-taking. They are also asked to share their solutions, focusing on the primacy of the creative process. The courses in the proposed Dance Minor require critical and creative thinking, and will develop a breadth of perspective in the students.

Because there is a kinship among the arts, it might well be presumed that a Dance Minor would complement a major in one of the other expressive arts. What is notable about UNCA's dance population is that, over the past three years, over two thirds of the dance students come from departments other than fine or performing arts. It appears that students are taking these dance classes, not because they can see a good fit with an existing interest in a related art, but because they are interested in developing a dimension to their lives that is not nourished by their other academic pursuits.

At the very least, graduates with a Minor in Dance will be able to demonstrate to a potential employer that they are individuals whose lives have dimension beyond the specific domain of a particular major. Careers in Psychology, Sociology, Art, Cultural Anthropology, Literature, Arts Management, Fund-raising, and the Entertainment Industry are all served by an applicant who has a demonstrated understanding of the arts and the process of artistic creation. Graduates who intend to pursue careers in the movement arts will be recognized for their understanding of "body ways" as they apply for advanced studies in health careers, dance therapy, leisure studies, or specialized physical training.

At present, students who elect to broaden their association with the movement arts do so without any official recognition of their investigation. In keeping with the mission to promote understanding of the connections among the traditional disciplines, the creation of the Dance Minor will encourage exploration of the diversity available in this art form. The creative process used by a choreographer has much to offer the creative writer, the student working in Management, and the Environmental Scientist, as well as many others. The sequence memory developed in a technique class (Ballet, Modern, Jazz, African) is a skill applicable in any lab setting. The historical awareness of the ways in which Dance has served and continues to serve the needs and interests of cultures throughout human history provides insight into the Humanities. The creation of the Dance Minor would make it possible to honor and guide students who wish to explore these connections in further depth.

When the NCUR conference was held here at UNCA, several schools brought dance scholars who presented their research on the stage at Lipinsky Auditorium. UNCA had nothing to offer on that program, not because our students are inept, but because, in spite of being the premier Liberal Arts school in the system, we have done little to acknowledge the validity of this particular art's place in a liberal education. UNCA is losing undergraduate candidates who hold this passion or even this interest. With the recent addition of African Dance and upper level courses in Modern and Ballet, we are improving our ability to compete. The creation of a Minor in Dance will acknowledge that Dance at UNCA is fostered here as a scholarly and creative activity and students who have an interest will be acknowledged for their efforts.