Southern Utah University

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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Modern Dance III (Face-to-Face)

DANC 2360-01

Course: DANC 2360-01
Credits: 2
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: TA
CRN: 10925

Course Description

Entry level course for dance majors. Focus on laboratory investigation to develop technical proficiency and expand the student’s vocabulary of modern dance. (Spring) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Repeatable for Add’l Credit? Yes - Total Times: 3

Required Texts

The Modern Dance: Seven Statements of Belief by Selma Jeanne Cohen - Available for Free through Sherratt Library

Supplemental videos and readings will be posted to Canvas

Learning Outcomes

Student will be able to:

    1. execute an understanding of a variety of qualities of movement
    2. Demonstrate with greater accuracy locomotor combinations in a variety of rhythmical and spatial patterns
    3. With greater accuracy will integrate the knowledge of alignment into daily technical development
    4. Demonstrate an understanding of historical figures and their (the student's) own personal tie to these figures' movement vocabularies
    5. Demonstrate with greater accuracy the relationship of working from core-integrated movement

Course Requirements

Participation:  

This is a participatory class – attendance is required and recorded daily (see attendance policy below). Your participation (physical, cognitive, and creative) is essential for the most productive learning environment of the group. It is your responsibility to respect yourself, your peers, and the instructor by actively participating and invoking a willingness to grow.  
Active participation* in a dance class reflects the following: 

o Personal investment, willingness to take risks, applying focus and concentration, and wholistic engagement 
o Positive working demeanor, demonstrating empathy and respect for peers and the instructor 
o Feedback and corrections received and applied in a proactive and respectful manner 
o Working safely and effectively in class and supporting others in doing the same 
o An understanding that “on time” means to be properly attired (refer to “studio etiquette”) and prepared, even if this means early arrival and personalized warming practices

Participation will be self-reported quarterly. For the most part you will receive the grade for participation that you have given yourself. Discrepancies will be disputed and adjusted. Meetings may be requested if these discrepancies are vast or persist. 

Physical Contact Disclaimer: A potential component of this course is physical contact. At times, touch is the most effect way for the instructor to offer feedback and/or guidance. 
Please, if you are uncomfortable in any way or have any injuries, do not hesitate to discuss this with the instructor before or after class. 

*Instructor will notify a student if level of active participation becomes questionable. Making modifications in a timely manner will prevent impact on the student’s grade.  

Movement Understandings

We will move work to expand somatic awareness and dynamic complexity in your movement practice. While every class aims to refine your technique with embodied research, "grading" of movement understandings will happen often over the course of the semester. These opportunities to showcase your somatic tracking within modern dance will unfold inside of your journal and be graded on a rubric created by you to showcase personal progress. 

Heavy side-coaching/feedback will be provided throughout the "labs."

Written Assignments

I believe that more change happens in the body and technique when you are embodied, working both the mind and the body together. You will find that equal emphasis is given to both the written and movement evaluations. While most of your bodies explicit and led explorations will happen in class, your explicit and led (by written instruction) of your mental integration will be asked to happen outside of class. 

Written assignments will be released on canvas. These assignments  are meant to track the body's experience during each module and will include peer feedback, a progression tracking of your entire semester (really a portfolio of what you have done during each module), as well as a final reflection. 

Students will be expected and guided to creating a trajectory of evaluations for themselves. Evaluations will be heavily influenced by the student's needs, this serves as an affirmation for the work you are doing to set a technical rigor for yourself.  

Evaluation Reflections will include your own musings of your experience within each concept as well as ties to the module's reading. Be advised that these reflections must hold specificity to the concept, choreography, and your own personal shifts. 

Attendance of the Student Dance Concert is required and will have an accompanying Written Assignment.

Journals

Journals are mainly to become a resource for you. They will be graded by a perusal at the end of every module. Points for completing your quarterly Participation Self Evaluation will also live in this category. 

Course Outline

Concepts based on the following choreographers will be covered:
Jose Limon
Anna Sokolow
Erick Hawkins
DOnald McKayle
Alwin Nikolais
Pauline Koner
Paul Taylor

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

 I do not accept late work. That being said, I do NOT consider anything turned in before being graded Late, even if turned in after the due date. In an effort to find Equity by Design, this gives every student around 2-3 days to turn in the assignment without punishment. If you have extenuating circumstances, please email/speak with me prior to the due date. Make-up work will be posted on canvas should the need arise.  

Attendance Policy

This course is graded based on attendance. 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 
In addition to attendance, grades are contingent upon the completion and quality of all other course requirements as outlined by the professor. 

Illness:

Do not come to class if you test positive for Covid or are otherwise ill/symptomatic. Recover at home for brief illnesses. Note: Students who display symptoms of illness while in class will be asked to leave and may email the instructor to discuss possibly making up for the missed 
class. 

Tardiness:

If a student arrives to class more than 5 minutes late 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 with approval from the instructor and in some cases, a doctor’s note. 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.   

Religious Holidays and Class Attendance Policy: 

SUU TDAA recognizes the importance of religious expression in the lives of our community and therefore students may make arrangements to make up course work missed for religious holidays. Students will be allowed to complete required assignments after returning and religious holidays will NOT count toward the total of excused absences allowed in a given 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.