COURSE: DANC 4450 Senior Seminar

SEMESTER: Fall 2005

COURSE TIMES: Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:00-1:50 p.m.

LOCATIONS: 3127 Dalton Center

INSTRUCTOR: Jane Baas, Associate Professor of Dance, 3123 Dalton Center

OFFICE PHONE: 387-5845--Please leave a detailed message if I'm not available and be sure to leave you phone number if you want me to call you back. Remember that we cannot return long distance calls, so please leave a local number. PLEASE DO NOT call the main office to leave me a message.

HOME PHONE: 628-4650 before 9:00 p.m., please.

EMAIL: jane.baas@wmich.edu (Best way to get a response quickly!)

WEBSITE: http://homepages.wmich.edu/~baas
Course information and schedule updates are posted on this site. Please check the site weekly. Do not use www when typing in the URL.

OFFICE HOURS: I’m normally on campus beginning at 7:45 a.m. You may sign up for a time to meet with me on the faculty appointment forms on the board in the main dance office. Simply write your name in 24 hours in advance to schedule an appointment, or just stop in if your business is brief.

REQUIRED TEXT: Readings will be distributed and/or announced and placed on reserve in the Maybee Music and Dance Library in Dalton Center.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: An exploration of current trends, literature and developments in dance in a seminar format. Students will discuss, compare and analyze ideas generated by assigned readings, as well as their work on capstone projects. Prerequisite: Senior standing.

COURSE GOAL: To prepare seniors for graduation and development of career goal planning.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1. To provide study and activities which expand the student's understanding of career options in the field of dance.

2. To provide opportunities to communicate with professionals in the field of dance.

3. To provide writing and research assignments which help prepare the student for life after graduation.

COURSE OVERVIEW:
Senior Seminar (1 credit hour) is a requirement for all senior dance majors. Seminar provides an exploration of current trends, literature and developments in dance in a seminar format. Students will discuss, compare, analyze and write about ideas generated by assigned readings, videos and other events which may arise. Discussion will also include individual concerns and capstone projects with an eye toward planning for the student's future in dance.

Early in the semester, students will be surveyed regarding planned capstone projects (for DANC 400 Practicum), career goals and other areas of interest. An assignment will center on the development of Career Targets and a City/Jobs Research Project (which should coincide with career goals and/or capstone projects). Students will take initiative in seeking related materials and, as possible, the instructor will assist in identifying resource materials and consultants to meet special interest areas. Students may elect to work in teams if their goals are similar, and will share their findings with all class members.

BFA students are required to meet with at least one technique instructor during the semester to discuss performance strengths and areas needing improvement; the instructor/s must sign a verification form to be turned to the 445 instructor no later than the last day of class. It is strongly recommended that BA students also seek out this opportunity, although it is not required and no form needs to be signed.

COURSE MOTTO:
Take responsibility for your own life in dance, now and in the future. Dig in and dig out what YOU need to know to do what YOU want to do. SHARE with the class – what you find of interest is probably of interest to others. Bring in articles, news, discoveries and we’ll discuss them.

COURSE SCHEDULE:
A “plan of attack” for the course is given as a separate handout. It serves as a map towards our destination – to help you best help yourself in exploring and evaluating the dance world as it is and where you hope to find your place in it. Side trips are always possible – indeed, sometimes inevitable. We may skip some planned stops in order to discover new points of common interest. We will want to take advantage of any visitors, both expected and unexpected. But we will not meander aimlessly – one way or another, the journey should take us to our goal.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND ASSIGNMENTS:
Late assignments will be accepted, however, the grade will be lowered ten points for each weekday the assignment is late. Papers must be presented in typed or computer-printed format with a clean, legible ribbon, double-spaced, and must have a title page.

Readings and attendance:
Short readings will be provided in a packet of “Reading Handouts” which must be returned to the instructor by the last class period of the semester. There are four different sets of handouts (some have different readings than others, so do not be concerned if yours is not exactly like someone else’s.) Do not write on these handouts, as they will be used by students in future classes. Failure to return these packets in excellent condition will result in a half a letter grade reduction for the final course grade.

All students will be expected to participate orally in each class. Daily participation will be assessed periodically throughout the semester based on the scale below. These scores will be tabulated to determine the course participation grade based on the published grading scale.

20 alert and contributing significantly and constructively to class discussion
10 present with minimal or no oral contributions
0 absent

Suggested Readings Related to Issues in Dance: (available in Maybee or in Jane’s collection). The readings by these authors have density and are, at times, convoluted upon first reading. You may have to re-read, several times, but the re-reading is worth it.

Adair, Christy. Women and Dance: Sylphs and Sirens. (1992)
Albright, Ann Cooper. Choreographing Difference: The Body and Identity in Contemporary Dance. (1997)

Suggested Readings Related to Advice and Career Assistance: (again, if it’s checked out in Maybee, see Jane)

Jones, Mark, Dancer’s Resource. (1999)
Luther, Judith. For the Working Artist (1991)
Mirault, Don. Dancing for a Living-Two. (1998)
Nagrin, Daniel. How to Dance Forever: Surviving Against the Odds. (1988)
Wolfram, Eric. Your Dance Resume.
Yate, Martin. Cover Letters That Knock ‘Em Dead. (1998)
Poor Dancer’s Almanac (several different book publications by Dance Theatre Workshop since the 1970s)

Recommended websites: (auditions, resumes, headshots, application letters, dance news, etc., etc. Please share with the class any other websites you may discover)
http://www.dancecollective.com
http://www.VoiceofDance.com
http://www.dancespirit.com
http://spider.hcob.wmich.edu/~bowman/case8.html
http://www.erinlamont.com/ (alum site)
http://www.reddleggdance.org/ (alum site)
http://www.brightbridge.net/sites/mcentire2/certification.htm (alum site)
http://url.co.nz/resources/dance.php
http://www.pattieobey.com/ (sample master teacher site)
http://www.villagevoice.com/dance/0416,dowling,52822,14.html
http://www.thepilatescenter.com
http://www.backstage.com -- AUDITIONS
http://www.answers4dancers.com -- AUDITIONS
http://www.craigslist.org -- jobs/apts
http://www.playbill.com -- lists of non-performing jobs that are in the arts
http://www.dance-conspiracy.org (alum site)
http://www.monster.com (jobs)
http://www.ontheboards.org (Seattle info)
http://www.exitspacedance.com (alum site)
http://www.decadancetheatre.com (alum site)
http://www.dance.net/europe.html (info on dance in Europe)
http://www.danceeurope.net (info on dance in Europe)
http://www.stilettoentertainment.com (cruise ship info)

Academic Honesty: You are responsible for making yourself aware of and understanding the policies and procedures in the Undergraduate (pp. 274-276) [Graduate (pp.25-27)] Catalog that pertain to Academic Honesty. These policies include cheating, fabrication, falsification and forgery, multiple submission, plagiarism, complicity and computer misuse. If there is reason to believe you have been involved in academic dishonesty, you will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. You will be given the opportunity to review the charge(s). If you believe you are not responsible, you will have the opportunity for a hearing. You should consult with me if you are uncertain about an issue of academic honesty prior to the submission of an assignment or test.

Students with Disabilities: Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the professor and the appropriate Disability Services office at the beginning of the semester.

DEPARTMENT POLICY FOR EVALUATION OF WRITING IN DANCE COURSES
Students are evaluated on their mastery of language arts skills. Each course will specify assignment requirements. The student who meets all course requirements should expect to receive a grade appropriate to his/her level of mastery.

An "A" student:
1. Demonstrates maturity and originality of thought reflected by the ability to analyze, synthesize and evaluate.
2. Sustains the development of a point or idea over the length of the assignment.
3. Uses organized paragraphs and transitional devices.
4. Makes conventional use of capitalization and punctuation.
5. Uses consistently the grammar, syntax and spelling of standard English, with particular attention to sentence structure and to agreement between subjects, verbs, pronouns and antecedents.

A "B" student's written work shows proficiency in four of the above criteria.
A "C" student's written work shows proficiency in three of the above criteria.
A "D" student's written work shows proficiency in two of the above criteria.
An "E" student fails to fulfill the requirements of the course regardless of his/her language arts skills.

EVALUATION:
The grading scale for coursework is shown below. The participation portion of the course grade will be based on several areas, including active participation and meaningful oral contributions. Borderline cases will have grades adjusted to the nearest grade on an individual basis.

Assignment
Mission assignment: 25 points
Historical heritage assignment: 25
Capstone survey form: 25
Blacks in Dance assignment: 25
Bio: 25
City/Job research project: 175
Final Job Application Project: 400
Daily Participation: 300
TOTAL: 1000

Grading Scale for the Course
950-100 = A
900-949 = BA
850-899 = B
800-849 = CB
750-799 = C
700-749 = DC
650-699 = D
Below 650 = E

The work of Professor Emeritus Wendy Cornish is gratefully acknowledged in the creation of this syllabus.