Course Information: Register for 3700A. Dance Accompaniment (1 Credit hour) Meets once a week for 45 min. dance class and a 30 min. technique lesson. It is recommended that this course be taken twice to expose the student to all styles of dance.
Prereq: Keyboard Musicianship II (or performance equivalence), Music Theory II, Sophomore status in good standing, permission from advisor/instructor.
Required text: Rhythmical Analysis for Dance & Musicians; Kaplan, Robert.
Course Description: This course is designed to prepare the student to competently and properly accompany dance classes of the prominent styles.
Objectives
- To expose the student to the various styles of dance through observation and musical participation.
- To let the student create their own sound, setup, and musical personality as an accompanist.
- To discuss and demonstrate the different impacts music has on dance and dancers.
- To give the student a basic ability in musical composition.
- To provide live demonstration & give critical feedback.
- To have an open forum for discussion of dance accompaniment.
- To use text and research in the teaching of the history of dance accompaniment.
- To teach musical technique for hand drums, drum set, electronic music, and basic piano.
- To expose the student to live and recorded dance performances.
Outcomes
The student shall be able to:
- Provide acceptable music for dance classes.
- Improvise at a basic level on both piano and percussion in various meters.
- Have knowledge of dance accompanists and composers.
- Understand basic dance terminology.
- Understand the role and relationship of music and dance.
- Present a rhythm exercise for the dancers.
- Write a short composition for a dance piece.
- Discuss and analyze dance pieces.
Assessment
- The student will accompany portions of various classes.
This portion will be graded by dance instructor and myself.
This portion will be graded partially on musical technique.
- One two page written review on a live dance performance of professional quality.
- A 10-20 minute rhythm exercise presented in class.
Grading break down
- Live accompaniment 50%
- Rhythm exercise 15%
- Written review 25%
- Attendance 10%
Attendance Policy
Students will be allowed two excused absences.