One essay, 3000 words.

·         To deepen knowledge of the interplay of cultures, histories and politics in 21^st century dance production and practices.

·         To develop a complex understanding of theoretical models that investigate the politics of embodied practice as a strategy to analyse dance.

Knowledge and Understanding:

·         An advanced understanding of how socio-economic and political factors have affected not only dance production but also the politicisation and/or preservation of particular dance forms and practices.

·         A complex understanding of how particular practitioners and agencies determine policies and practices.

Cognitive/Intellectual Skills:

·         Ability to critique and synthesise existing theories of culture, history and politics and to apply them to dance practice.

·         Ability to assess disciplinary frameworks and expose their limitations and to construct arguments for alternative approaches.

·         Ability to situate specific dance forms and practices within particular cultural contexts and to articulate sophisticated and reasoned arguments for their ideological and aesthetic status.

Practical/Key/Research Skills:

·         Ability to locate and use a range of resources as a means to stimulate and support argument.

·         Ability to undertake self-directed research on selected topics and to demonstrate originality in problem-solving.

·         Ability to identify contradictions and problems when applying theoretical frameworks to movement practices and contexts.

Content:

·         The module addresses the concept of culture and its competing definitions, cultural histories, governance and the arts and the political context of particular dances and practices.  These multifarious approaches provide a means to examine the diversity of social frameworks in which the dancing body exists. 

·         The module provides research preparation and training in critiquing key concepts and texts, and in debating a range of ideas and issues during seminar discussions, student presentations, and in written form.  Students will be supported in developing appropriate methods and skills.

·         All students are required to make at least one 10-minute class presentation and to defend their chosen topic and/or presentation. 

Lecture, video analysis, seminar discussion, self-directed research.

Carter, Alexandra (2004) (ed) Rethinking Dance History: A reader.  London and New York : Routledge.

Frow, John.  (1995) Cultural Studies and Cultural Value.  Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Desmond, Jane, C (1997) (ed) Meaning in Motion: New Cultural Studies of Dance. Durham: Duke University Press.

Jenkins, Keith (1997) (ed) The Postmodern History Reader. London and New York : Routledge, 1997.