Course Syllabus

Overview

This course introduces the student to various aspects of dance through movement and cultural contexts in order to understand the diverse opportunities and careers in the dance field. It is designed to work through the BYU-Idaho dance program as a preparation in developing skills necessary to join the dance community and job market as the student may wish to pursue. Dance 103 introduces dance vocabulary and basic research and writing skills. Connections are drawn between the individual, dance, faith, and society. Through critical reflection, analysis, and application of dance, the course prepares students as they gain necessary knowledge and skills to become an advocate for dance.

Requirements

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites to this course.

Required Resources

This course uses a low-cost, auto-access textbook. Read the Textbook Information module to learn how to access your textbook and how to opt out of this automatic purchase, if desired.

Resource Title and Description
(books, software, etc.)
Author or Provider Ed. and Vol. 13-Digit ISBN (if applicable)
Undergraduate Research in Dance: A Guide for Students
(comes with course; charged the first day of class)
Lynnette Young Overby, Jenny Olin Shanahan, Gregory Young 9781351052986

Structure

Course Outcomes

  1. The student will express a lexicon of dance movement vocabulary to analyze and articulate dance work.
  2. The student will demonstrate critical thinking, research, and writing skills in relation to the dance discipline.
  3. The student will articulate the complexities of dance influencing culture and culture influencing dance.
  4. The student will identify and experience numerous career possibilities within or related to dance.
  5. The student will develop a plan for his or her role (career ambition) in relation to dance as an advocate for dance as it contributes to society.

Major Assignments

The table below is meant to help you see the relevance of each major assignment as it pertains to the course outcomes (CO).

Major Assignment Description CO#
Reflections Reflect weekly about dance career questions CO1, CO2, CO3
Movement experiences Experience and reflect on different types of dance CO1, CO3
Critical Analysis Analyze research on different dance topics CO1, CO2, CO3
Career Explorations Research career options and interview experts CO4
Dance Panel Participate in panel exam with dance faculty CO4, CO5

Weekly Patterns

The table below displays typical weekly activities, due dates, and activity descriptions. 

Due Date* Learning Model Activity Title Description
Midweek Prepare Study Pages Weekly reading materials to prepare for assignments and understand the weekly topic.
Midweek Teach One Another Weekly Discussion Boards Weekly discussion about dance-specific topics.
End of week Prove Activity A variety of different activities to help you better understand your options as a dancer.

*Set your time zone within user preferences so the dates and times for course activities will display correctly for your time zone.

Learning Model

Students use the Learning model by doing the following:

  • Preparing through weekly readings
  • Teaching one another by weekly discussion
  • Pondering and proving through analysis and weekly reflections

Expectations

Workload

In this course, you should plan on spending 3–5 hours per week.

Group Work

You will sign up for a group in Week 12 to be ready for a final review activity in Week 13.

Late Work

As a sign of professionalism and respect, you should complete your work on time. However, your instructor has the discretion to accept late work or extend due dates as appropriate. 

Grading Scale

Letter Grade Percent
A 100% - 93%
A- 92% - 90%
B+ 89% - 87%
B 86% - 83%
B- 82% - 80%
C+ 79% - 77%
C 76% - 73%
C- 72% - 70%
D+ 69% - 67%
D 66% - 63%
D- 62% - 60%
F 59% and lower

University Policies

Students with Disabilities

Brigham Young University-Idaho is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Office (Links to an external site.) at (208) 496-9210 or visit their website and follow the Steps for Receiving Accommodations (Links to an external site.). Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with students and instructors by the Disability Services Office.

This course contains visual elements and activities. If you have a disability that prevents you from accessing or completing these course activities, please contact Disability Services.

This course includes required synchronous meetings. If you are currently registered with the Disability Services Office and need an interpreter or transcriber for these meetings, please contact the deaf and hard of hearing coordinator at (208) 496-9219.

Other University Policies

Student Honor and Other Policies

Please read through the document called University Policies (Links to an external site.). It gives important information about the following topics:

  • Student Honor
    • Academic Honesty
    • Student Conduct
      • Sexual Harassment
  • Student with Disabilities
  • Complaints and Grievances
  • Copyright Notice

Go to the Student Resources module to review further resources and information.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due