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Southern Utah University

Fall Semester 2025

Dance History I (Face-to-Face)

DANC 3500-01

Course:	DANC 3500-01
Credits:	3
Term:	Fall Semester 2025
Department:	TA
CRN:	30598

Course Description

A theoretical, philosophical, and historical examination of the origination and function of dance in various cultures over time. (Fall - Odd Years) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): DANC 1520 and ENGL 2010 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C

Required Texts

Readings (i.e. articles, chapters for textbooks, and online resources) assigned by the instructor. Readings can be found in corresponding assignments on canvas. Required texts may vary by instructor.

Required Text
Milestones in Dance in the USA 1st Edition by Elizabeth McPherson (ISBN-10: ‎ 1032131020, ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1032131023)

Learning in Real Time
Learning is not a fixed, linear process. It evolves as students interact with new ideas, reflect on their experiences, and engage with the course material. This policy acknowledges that students' understanding, and interests may develop over time. As such, additional selected readings will be determined by student choice and be adjusted throughout the semester based on ongoing discussions, evolving interests, and feedback. This real-time learning approach ensures that the course remains relevant and responsive to their academic journey and allows for agency and autonomy.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

Discuss dance and history from a theoretical perspective.
Identify and compare the characteristics and aesthetics of culturally diverse dances.
Explain and analyze the primary functions of dance both globally and in a given society.
Evaluate the major historical, social, economic, and political developments that have shaped dance in various cultures, namely Western theatrical dances in their various forms.
Demonstrate cultural sensitivity through discussion and written work.
Recognize, identify, and explain how key individual dance artists have significantly influenced the evolution of dance as an art form.
Critically evaluate the historical and social impact of notable choreographic work and specific performances in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.
Discuss and analyze the significance of the African Diaspora in the formation of American dance.
Formulate a sense of their own dance lineage, value system, and functionality as it relates to today’s world and to broader course material.

Course Requirements

Assignment Breakdown
Participation
Physical, cognitive, and creative participation are an essential part of the course and include adherence to:

Introductory policies
Video policies
Attendance and late policies
Mutual respect
Applying feedback/Rewrites
Attention to subject matter retention.
On time completion of ALL assignments

Additionally, daily active participation in the course is expected and students will be assessed based on the following criteria:

Personal Responsibility
Engaging in lectures/discussions/viewings/assignments etc.
Knowledge and Cognition
Positive character and willingness to engage.

The instructor will notify a student if the level of active participation is not meeting the standard, becomes questionable, or drops. Students who actively modify their participation in a timely manner will prevent a negative effect on the participation evaluation at the end of the semester.

Journals 15%
Throughout the course students will submit 3 journal entries. The object of this assignment is to engage with the course material and critically expand upon the students’ knowledge on the subject. Students will be expected to fully participate and actively engage intellectually and cognitively with the material presented. A prompt for each of the journal entries will be given and students will submit their journal entries to the corresponding tab on Canvas. Feedback will be given, and the expectation is that students will absorb that feedback and apply it to the subsequent entries throughout the semester. Students who fail to address the prompt either in content or in formatting will be asked to rewrite the journal. Journals should be 500-700 words in MLA format and submitted on Canvas

Oral History Interview 15%
In order to truly recognize and understand the importance of oral histories in the dance field, students will have the opportunity to interview a dancer/dance teacher/choreographer/dance researcher of their choice. Ethics, copyright, and archiving will be practiced through this autonomous assignment which will assess the student’s ability to both interview a subject and demonstrate their ability to transcribe their results via a written report.

Students will be required to obtain a release form from their subject as well as complete and submit the following provided documents: Biographical Information and Log Sheet. The interview will follow the Oral History Protocol and questions should be prepared prior to the set interview date for a detailed scope and pointed topic. Student will submit all necessary paperwork and the interview via Canvas.

Presentations and Peer Responses 20%
Dance is not created in a vacuum and therefore it is important to recognize how the dance world was shaped by the events of the world and in the case of this timeline, in America. In this assignment, students will present a timeline of 3-5 poignant historical, social, political, cultural, anthropological, and/or economic events and relate them to the dance topic of their choice. The object of this assignment is to locate important dance events, choreographers, pieces, and/or advocacy movements around the historical, social, political, cultural, anthropological and/or economic events of the time so students develop an understanding that dance IS affected by events occurring in the world. Students who fail to connect their topic of study directly to the happenings in the world will be required to resubmit the assignment.

The presentation can make use of presentation software such as Google Slides, Prezi, or Power Point and share permissions by uploading a link to their presentation by the deadline.

Throughout the presentations fellow students who are not presenting should be actively engaged and will be required to share three key points they found most intriguing and why via padlet.

Final Paper 30%
Accompanying the presentation is a 2000–2500-page paper in MLA format with a more robust research element using 3-5 quotes cited with proper MLA format, and a works cited in MLA format with 7-10 sources which does NOT count towards the final word count. A rough draft of the paper and works cited will be due prior to the final draft submission to offer feedback to the student. Mini assignments throughout the semester such as a topic justification, thesis statement workshop, and peer consultation, will help to build towards the final paper.

Criteria Used for Assessing Final Grades
The following grading standards will be used in this class:

All assignments must be submitted in order to pass the course
Students must receive a C or higher for it to count towards their major/minor requirement
*Remember to review the attendance policy with respect to final grades

Grade Range
A 100 % to 94.0%
A- < 94.0 % to 90.0%
B+ < 90.0 % to 87.0%
B < 87.0 % to 84.0%
B- < 84.0 % to 80.0%
C+ < 80.0 % to 77.0%
C < 77.0 % to 74.0%
C- < 74.0 % to 70.0%
D+ < 70.0 % to 67.0%
D < 67.0 % to 64.0%
D- < 64.0 % to 61.0%
F < 61.0 % to 0.0%

Course Outline

Week 1: Cultural Connections Background Information

Defining Dance as Cultural Expression
Overview of Dance Genres in the U.S.
How does dance fit within our own dance histories and the institutions we are a part of?
Readings: Introduction of Milestones in Dance in the USA, and Chapter 1: Native American Dance and Engaged Resistance

Week 2 & 3: Global Dance History

Dance as Identity, Ritual, Resistance
The Intersection of Race, Gender, Class, and Power in Dance
How to Study Dance History
Key Figures and Institutions in U.S. Dance Development
Readings: Chapter 4: "Gendered Politics and the Female Dancing Body", Chapter 5: An Exploration of Inspiration, Imitation, and Cultural Appropriation in Dance in the USA, and Chapter 6: Dancing for Social Change in the 20th and 21st Centuries

Week 5 & 6: Ballet Dance History and the Diaspora of a Dance Form

Focus on influential developments from Italy to a global movement of ballet
European Influences and American Adaptations
Ballet Companies and Education in the U.S.
Reading: Chapter 2: An American Take on Ballet

Week 7 & 8: Modern & Post-Modern Developments in Dance

Pioneers, Modernists, and Post-Modernists
The Political and Social Themes in Modern Dance
Readings: Chapter 8: Postmodern Dance: Laboratory of Rupture, and Chapter 9: On Black Dance and Postmodern Representation from Black Power to Afro-Futurist Performance

Week 9 & 10: Jazz Dance History

Roots in African American Culture
Social, Vernacular, and Concert Jazz
Readings: Chapter 7: Challenging the Distinction Between Art and Entertainment Dance in Musical Theatre and Chapter 3: Black Women Keep the Tempo: The Impact of Black Women on Jazz and Tap Dance in the USA

Week 11: Tap Dance History

Minstrelsy, Vaudeville, and Broadway
Gene Kelly, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Savion Glover
Readings: Chapter 10: From the Serpentine to The Renegade: Milestones in Dance and Media Technology

Week 12: Hip Hop Dance History

Origins in the Bronx and Street Culture
From Cyphers to Stage and Screen
Reading: Student choice

Week 13: Contemporary Issues in Dance Practices

Fusion, Global Influences, and Technology
Institutional and Independent Artists Today
Dance and Activism: Dance as a Form of Protest and Empowerment
Focus on Disability, LGBTQ+, and Anti-Racism in Dance
Reading: Student choice

Week 14: Final Project Workshops

Student presentations
Peer feedback and critique
No Reading

Week 15: Final Research Paper and Course Wrap-Up

Dance in the 21st Century: Where Do We Go from Here?
Final Paper & Course Reflections Due
No Reading

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late/Missed Assignments
Students MUST complete all assignments in order to pass the course. Therefore, if an assignment is missed or turned in late, the student will be placed on the Incomplete List for the course and fail the assignment. Once the missed assignment is turned in, the student’s name will be removed from the Incomplete List. For every day an assignment is late, students will lose points for the assignments and if an assignment is 4 weeks late, the assignment will receive 0 points (extenuating circumstances will be considered on a case-by-case basis). Note: all students must submit all assignments so while no points will be accrued for work submitted beyond the 4 weeks late, students are still required to submit the material or will receive an incomplete for the course. The per day deduction depends on how many points the overall assignment is worth.

Extensions for Assignements
Students will ONLY be considered for an extension of an assignment through written emailed requests. Please note the request must come through at least 3 days prior to the assignment due date and will not necessarily be approved. This will be a case-by-case basis and will ONLY be considered under extenuating circumstances.

Make-up/Extra Credit Work
Make-up work and extra credit will only be considered under extenuating circumstances. Proper documentation will be required for these to be considered.

Repeat Credit Assignments
Students retaking this class for repeatable credit CANNOT submit assignments from previous semesters. If said student would like alternate resources to complete the assignment, please let the instructor know. The expectation is that students are furthering their knowledge from the previous semester and deepening their understanding of the material. If a student submits a previous assignment from a previous semester, they will be given a single opportunity to resubmit within 3 days of discovery.

Attendance Policy

SUU Dance Program Attendance Policy
Attendance is required for all classes unless excused by the instructor or for official university travel. A student is allotted three unexcused absences (for classes meeting two-days per week) or four unexcused absences (for classes meeting three-days per week). Following the allotted unexcused absences for a specific course, each additional unexcused absence will incur a half letter grade deduction from a student’s cumulative grade as outlined below:

0 additional unexcused absences: A
1 additional unexcused absence: A-
2 additional unexcused absences: B
3 additional unexcused absences: C+
4 additional unexcused absences: C-
5 additional unexcused absences: D

Taking care of oneself and time management should be a top priority. Please note these absences are meant to include any illnesses students incur, rest and recovery days, or mental health days needed. Long term illnesses or injury will require temporary accommodations with the Disability Resource Center on Campus and a meeting to set up a plan to move forward in the course.
In addition to attendance, grades are contingent upon the completion and quality of all other course requirements as outlined by the professor.

Tardiness
If a student arrives to class more than 5 minutes late, they will be marked tardy. In a studio based class- they will observe and complete an observation form to be handed in to the instructor at the end of class. Three instances of tardiness to a class will be counted as one unexcused absence and applied to the attendance grading policy.

Observation
If a student is unable to participate in a studio-based class due to an injury or otherwise, students are allowed to sit out and observe. They will fill out a hard copy observation form to be handed in to the instructor at the end of class (found in each dance studio’s sound cabinet). Students exceeding three observations will meet with the instructor to develop a plan moving forward.

AI Use Policy

Use of Al (artificial intelligence) writing programs (such as ChatGPT, Bing Al, and Claude) is allowed in this class and will not be policed. Please note that successfully writing a paper using Al will involve just as much (if not more) work as writing the paper without Al. Al cannot write the students' assignments for them.
Disclosure of Al-Assisted Writing:

For each assignment students will decide and disclose whether they have used Al writing tools (either in part or in whole). Concealing or lying about the use of Al will result in an a grade of incomplete and there will be no opportunity for re-submission.

Note:

For dance courses whether physical or theoretical AI is notoriously inaccurate.
The same minimum standards and rubrics will be in place for each assignment regardless of whether the student is using Al. Assignments that fail to meet the minimum standards specified with the use of AI will be marked as incomplete and students will be given three days to resubmit the paper, no further extension.
Al is prone to writing factually incorrect statements, inventing fake quotes from real sources, and inventing entirely fake sources – most of which are NOT Primary or secondary sources. It is the students' responsibility to double-check that any Al-assisted work submitted is free from these errors. Work containing factual errors, fictitious quotes, or sources will be marked as incomplete, and students will be given three days to resubmit the paper, no further extension.
Submitting more than one assignment with these types of errors will result in failing the class.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.

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