Academic Catalog

DANC 14: DANCE CONDITIONING

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Summer 2023
Units: 1
Hours: 3 laboratory per week (36 total per quarter)
Advisory: This course is included in the Ballet & Conditioning family of activity courses.
Degree & Credit Status: Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE: Area VII: Lifelong Learning
Transferable: CSU/UC
Grade Type: Letter Grade (Request for Pass/No Pass)
Repeatability: Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Identify fundamental steps and combinations with correct dance terminology and analyze musical phrasing.
  • Perform dance movement sequences and conditioning exercises while demonstrating correct body placement and positions and exhibiting flexibility, coordination and core strength.

Description

Introduction to the principles of dance and conditioning through floor work derived from various dance disciplines, including ballet, jazz, contemporary, and other psycho-physical disciplines. Topics may include body mechanics, muscle groups critical to dance, flexibility, alignment, self-assessment, dance injury prevention, and strengthening the mind-body-spirit connection.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:

  1. Identify their own habitual patterns of movements as a base for acquisition of dance technique
  2. Demonstrate correct body placement in everyday functioning and in specialized physical activities
  3. Demonstrate principles of mind-body continuum
  4. Apply body awareness and movement principles to dance technique
  5. Apply basic exercise physiology and nutrition to dance

Course Content

  1. Identify habitual patterns of movements as base for acquisition of dance technique
    1. Visualization and activation of kinetic awareness
    2. Seeing the self with the outer and inner eye/body assessment
    3. Feeling the body in relationship to the floor, space, wall, objects in the environment, and other people
    4. Body parts and their connection
  2. Demonstrate correct body placement in everyday lift and in specialized physical activities
    1. Development of maintaining the center
    2. Discuss alignment in relationship to efficient movement
    3. Discuss alignment in relationship to aesthetic movement
    4. Apply the use of center/off-center movement practice
  3. Demonstrate the principles of the body-mind continuum
    1. Demonstrate balance, relaxation, and alertness through mental and physical centering
    2. Recognize the body-mind connection
    3. Identify the relationship of body alignment and concentration
    4. Identify the relationship of body alignment and balance
    5. Define a state of physical relaxation and mental alertness
    6. Relaxation exercises
    7. Breathing techniques
  4. Apply body awareness and movement principles to dance techniques
    1. Identify rhythms of the human body
    2. Demonstrate and develop turnout out/outward rotation of the hip
    3. Analyze and practice elongated and passive lengthening, stretching, and strengthening exercises
  5. Apply basic exercise physiology and nutrition to dance
    1. Theories of anaerobic vs. aerobic exercise
    2. Development of cardiovascular endurance, strength conditioning, and overall flexibility
    3. Improving efficiency and body mechanics
    4. Nutritional fundamentals as they relate to specific demographics: youth, adults, professional dancers, males and females

Lab Content

  1. Demonstration and practice of dance conditioning exercises
  2. Demonstration and practice of basic center floor and barre exercises, including across the floor
  3. Demonstration and practice of proper body awareness and alignment

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

1. Leotards and tights or other exercise clothing which is form fitting and allows flexibility in moving.
2. Towel and/or exercise mat.
3. Dance studio facilities and audio set-up.
4. When taught as an online distance learning or hybrid section, students and faculty need ongoing and continuous internet and email access.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:

Periodic written examination and quiz covering terminology
Journal diary for daily progress and self-assessment and for depth of analysis
Evaluation of written paper on topic of student's choice for completeness, coherency, depth of understanding, and analysis of basic principles of dance conditioning

Method(s) of Instruction

Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:

Collaborative learning and small group exercises
Lecture presentations and classroom discussion using the language and vocabulary of dance
Laboratory and demonstration

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Ambrosia, Nora. Learning About Dance, 8th ed.. 2018.

Fahey, T., P. Insel, and W. Rothe. Fit and Well. 2011.

Although the Fahey, et al., text is older than the suggested "5 years or newer" standard, it remains a seminal text in this area of study.

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

  1. Written critique of a live dance performance
  2. Optional writing exercises based on recommended reading

Discipline(s)

Dance