68 courses with the subject DANC, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
DANC 001AIntroduction to Dance Studies: Bodies, Power and Resistance1
In this course we will use the themes of power and resistance as a lens to focus on the ways in which gender, race, class, sexuality, ethnicity, and politics affect dance creation, performance, and participation. Through critical analysis of sources such as written texts, videos, and live performances, students will learn to view dance critically and to write about dance in context. We will watch and read about different styles of theatrical and social dance in a wide range of historical periods ranging from hip hop to court ballet. Video examples of dance genres and particular dance works mentioned in assigned texts will be viewed in class. Humanities. 1 credit.
How does dance create meaning beyond physical fitness and form? In this course we will study dance through philosophical, cultural, historical, and aesthetic lenses. Through critical analysis of sources such as written texts, videos, and live performances, students will learn to view dance critically and to write about dance in context. We will watch and read about a broad range of theatrical and social dance, such as ballet, hip hop, and Chinese folk dance. From time to time, we will explore the course’s topics through movement workshops. No movement experience is necessary. Humanities. 1 credit.
DANC 002AFYS: Ballet and Modern Dance in Europe and the USA, 1789-19601
This first year seminar examines the history of ballet and modern dance in Europe and North America from 1789 to the late twentieth century in context with concurrent social and political developments. Using sources including film, text, and performance, we will study the works of choreographers including George Balanchine, Katherine Dunham, Martha Graham, and Marius Petipa. Enrolled students are eligible to apply for the Spring ‘27 embedded study trip to Paris. Humanities. Writing course. 1 credit. Fall 2026. McCarty.
MUSI 002C and ASAM 002 In this course we will examine the origins of Taiko drumming in Japan and consider how the tradition has developed in North America over the past four decades. We will discuss the role of Taiko drumming in the Asian American Movement, explore different styles of contemporary Taiko in Asian America, and gain basic drumming competency. Through the integration of academic and performance study we will consider and experience Taiko drumming as a prominent and dynamic Asian American performing art. Open to all students without prerequisite. No prior performance or musical background is required. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA, Lang Engaged Scholarship
What is art and what constitutes action? The course will explore these questions in two ways: First, we will look at the interconnections between culture, art, and community through rigorous intellectual inquiry by orienting students to some key ideas through selected readings. Second, we will engage in situated experiential learning with local and international arts communities. Our areas of foci include local (Philadelphia) and international (South Asia). Both approaches (intellectual and experiential) will explore themes on art and civic engagement. Class requirements include readings, video viewings, class discussions, attending symposiums, and exhibitions, and doing a final project based on the readings/discussions and field experiences. This course is open to all students. This course fulfills a prerequisite requirement for dance majors and minors. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for PEAC, ESCH, GLBL-core
What does it mean for a group of bodies to move as one? When did this become a valued element of ensemble dancing in western theatrical dance? In this course, students will examine mass dancing as an idea, through theories of the chorus and the mass, as well as in practice, through viewings of mass dancing ranging in contexts ranging from the corps de ballet to the chorus line to the flashmob. Humanities. 1 credit.
This course will explore how you might use dance to tell a story, express an emotion, respond to music or sound, or make a political statement, just to name a few possibilities. Students will use movement assignments as a way to challenge their ideas about texture and rhythm, experiment with improvisation as a way of generating material, and engage with a research-based approach to choreography. This course will feature special guest artists.
All are welcome, including students with dance experience, and those without any movement experience whatsoever.
Corequisite
Course in dance technique, taiko, or movement techniques with instructor’s permission. Humanities. 1 credit. Fall 2026. Gerdes. Spring 2027. Zhao. Fall 2027 Staff. Spring 2028 Staff. Catalog chapter: Dance Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/dance-program Access the class schedule to search for sections.
DANC 011ADance Production Practicum
By individual arrangement with the dance faculty for rehearsal and performance of work in conjuction with dance program courses; DANC 012 , DANC 092 , or DANC 094 . P.E.
This course focuses on developing an individual practice and approach based on their interests and questions. This course emphasizes the creative process, how our choreographic practice happens in relation to technology and ways to expand our notions of dance making. We engage in interdisciplinary practices involving new media and look closely at different artists and their processes. Students will expand their ideas of choreography through participating in compositional exercises including video shooting and framing, discussions and critical feedback sessions while creating choreography of their own. Students share bi-weekly regarding their practices and a final performance for the public is required. Students with whom the choreographer works and who commit to 3 hours weekly, may receive PE credit under DANC 011A . Dance Production Practicum.
A course in dance technique must be taken concurrently. Humanities. 1 credit. Fall 2026. Moss-Thorne. Spring 2027. Small. Fall 2027 Staff. Spring 2028 Staff. Catalog chapter: Dance Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/dance-program Access the class schedule to search for sections.
DANC 015Choreographing Chineseness in Sinophone Spaces.1
In the wake of American anti-Chinese sentiment surrounding the Covid-19 global pandemic as well as political conflict in Hong Kong and Taiwan, it is important to ask: What does “Chinese” signify? This course considers performance in Sinophone contexts outside of Mainland China in order to examine plural and persistent notions of Chineseness. By reading analyses of and viewing videos of bodily performances-ranging from traditional Chinese opera, to Broadway musicals, to contemporary dance-students will investigate how choreography provides a lens for thinking through the ways in which Chineseness is represented, stereotyped, and even contested. This course fulfills a requirement for Dance majors and minors. Open to all students. Humanities. 1 credit.
This course surveys dance studies research methods including cultural studies perspectives, historical inquiry, phenomenological approaches, ethnographic strategies, and choreographic analysis. Through reading, writing, and discussion, students will pay close attention to the complex relationship between dance and words and the ethical and cultural concerns of the dance researcher. Over the course of the semester, students will complete their own research project based on a dance topic of their interest. This course fulfills a requirement for Dance majors and minors. Open to all students. Humanities. 1 credit.
DANC 019East Asian Performing Arts on the Intercultural Stage1
(Cross-listed as THEA 009D ) In the wake of American anti-Chinese sentiment surrounding the COVID-19 global pandemic as well as political turmoil in Hong Kong and Taiwan, it is important to ask: What does “Chinese” signify? The label of Chinese has often been ascribed to bodily features and behaviors as grounds for social exclusion or inclusion, both in the US and in Asia. This course considers embodied Chinese performance from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Asian America in order to examine plural notions of Chineseness. As a hybrid course, taught in the seminar room and the dance studio, students will learn Chinese classical dance, Han folk dance, ethnic minority folk dance, and martial arts forms. As we explore the fundamental movements of these forms, we will also investigate the role they have played in China’s nation-building projects and have functioned in diaspora to create feelings of community belonging. Moreover, we will consider how these symbols of Chineseness get produced and consumed in global markets. In addition, reading analyses of historical Yellow Face performance and viewing videos of Asian American performances-ranging from Vaudeville, to Broadway musicals, to contemporary dance-students will investigate how dance provides a lens for thinking through the ways in which Chineseness is represented, stereotyped, and even contested. Assignments will include an ethnographic assignment of Chinatown and a final research paper.
( EDUC 020 ) This course will explore both the theory and practice of dance education from an interdisciplinary perspective. Students will become familiar with the socio-political, historical, and philosophical underpinnings of dance education in the United States. In addition, the course will investigate research on teaching multiple dance genres across cultures. An emphasis will be placed on culturally responsive and antiracist pedagogies via student-centered experiential learning. Assignments will include reading, writing lesson plans, peer teaching, and a final research project based on students’ individual interests. A community-based fieldwork component will give students an opportunity to develop, teach, and assess a workshop for school-aged populations. Through this course, dance majors can learn about teaching dance in a variety of academic, studio, K-12, and community settings. Educational studies majors can learn how to integrate movement into the K-12 STEM or Language Arts classrooms. Students from any major can learn how to think critically about creating equitable educational spaces and how to approach learners holistically as embodied agents. No dance experience necessary. Humanities. 1 credit. Spring 2027. Gerdes.
(Cross-listed as THEA 011B , CPLT 021 ) How do we define performance in early modern Europe? This course explores multi-genre traditions through forms including court ballet, comedy-ballet, opera, bourgeois drama, and ballet d’action in order to raise questions that are equally relevant for us today: How do we study something that is fleeting? What is the relationship between “text” and performance? This course explores the hybrid genres of dance, mime, music, and drama from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in order to analyze their present relevance as “art.” Artists and theorists studied will include Angiolini, Diderot, Noverre, Molière, Garrick, Goldoni, Sulzer, Weaver, and others, with a view on developing a transnational understanding of theater and dance in France, Germany, Italy, and England. Special attention will be paid to cross-casting (drag) and Orientalism. A version of this course has been offered in the past as a First-Year Seminar, Dance 002. If you have taken Dance 002, you are not able to enroll in DANC 021. This course fulfills a requirement for Dance majors and minors. Open to all students. Humanities. Writing course. 1 credit. Eligible for GLBL-paired, FRST
DANC 022Ballet and Modern Dance in Europe and the USA, 1789-19601
(Cross-listed as MUSI 026 ) This survey examines the history of ballet and modern dance in Europe and North America from 1789 to the late twentieth century in context with concurrent social and political developments. Using sources including film, text, and performance, we will study the works of choreographers including George Balanchine, Katherine Dunham, Martha Graham, and Marius Petipa. Enrolled students are eligible to apply for the Spring ‘27 embedded study trip to Paris. *Please note that students who have taken the first year seminar DANC 002A are unable to enroll in this course. Humanities. Writing course. 1 credit. Eligible for GLBL-Paired Spring 2027. McCarty.
This course interrogates issues surrounding twenty-first-century movement-based performance including cultural hybridity and the relationship between movement and text. Using aesthetic theory and methodologies developed by performance studies and dance studies, we will ask what gets performed, where, and why. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for INTP
DANC 023ADefying categorization: Contemporary dance and sign language performance1
(Cross-listed as LING 091 ) This course interrogates issues surrounding late twentieth and twenty-first-century movement-based performance focusing on dance, storytelling, and sign poetry including cultural hybridity and the relationship between movement and text. We will address materials in Euro/American contexts and Asian contexts. Jumping off from the history of aesthetics and methodologies developed by performance studies and dance studies, as well as sociological distinctions of in-group/out-group, we will ask what gets performed, where, and why. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for INTP.
(Cross-listed as ANTH 020J ) How do we locate competing claims of globalization, place-ness, and hybridization of cultural identity in a single frame? Dance offers an unconventional but powerful frame for studying such competing claims of identity formation. This course will explore the interrelated themes of performance, gender, personhood, and migration in the context of diasporic experiences. By focusing on specific dance forms from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, we will examine the trajectories of the global and the local in constructing identity and difference. Students will engage with theories on nationalism, transnationalism, and globalization, as well as embodiment and experience. Broadly, the course will investigate the interlocking structures of aesthetics and politics, economics and culture, and history and power, all of which inform and continue to reshape these cultures and their dance forms. The primary goal for this course is to develop an understanding of cross-cultural identity and difference through the study of dance in contemporary society. The readings will introduce students to the constructed nature of cultural traditions and the contested nature of cultural identities. The writing goals are to teach students how to read critically and write within the disciplines of Anthropology, Dance/Culture Studies, Black Studies, and Global Studies. This course is eligible for credit towards a major or minor in Black Studies. This is a reading and writing intensive course. Humanities. Writing course. 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA, BLST, GSST, GLBL-Core, ASAM Fall 2026. Gerdes.
This course examines 18th- and 19th-century ballet as it traveled between Europe, North, and South America between 1764 and 1914 with special attention to three areas: empire, touring, and migration. Students will use sources including videos of modern productions, text-based and visual primary sources, and secondary sources to study some of the major choreographic works of the 19th century, choreographers, and their lineages through attention to the various case studies, including adaptation to popular stages and new venues. Attention will also be paid to works now considered to be “minor” works but which reveal information about 19th-century performance especially in North and South American contexts. Specific areas of focus will include: theatrical performances in the French Caribbean colonies and the subsequent resettlement of French performers in the United States following the Haitian Revolution; the transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil and the subsequent establishment of Italian ballet in Rio de Janeiro, via Lisbon; and touring between Europe and the Americas. This course also focuses in part on developing a corpus of material through digital archives and mapping the movement of dancers, teachers, and/or theatrical works via digital humanities methods. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for GLBL-core.
What does it mean for a group of bodies to move as one? When did this become a valued element of ensemble dancing in western theatrical dance? In this course, students will examine mass dancing as an idea, through theories of the chorus and the mass, as well as in practice, through viewings of mass dancing ranging in contexts ranging from the corps de ballet to the chorus line to the flashmob. Humanities. 1 credit Eligible for INTP
(Cross-listed as RELG 042 ) By locating the sacred in the experiences of ecstatic dance and music, the course will specifically examine the evolution of Bhakti (Hindu) and Sufi religious practices from ritual to performance art. By exploring the sacred in relation to social processes of culture and their transformations, it will connect the sacred not only to history, tradition, ritual, spirituality and subjectivity but also to national identity, commodity and tourism in contemporary culture. This is a reading and writing intensive course. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA, GSST
FMST 047 and GSST 022 What does it mean to be moved? To see movement on screen? This advanced undergraduate course looks at filmic representations of dance throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Treating dance on film as more than just a spectacle of entertainment or mere affirmation of cultural identity and history, we will develop critical toolkits for understanding how the politics of race (primarily Black and Asian diasporic) and gender shape interpretations of dance on film. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for FMST, GSST, BLST, ASAM, ESCH
Contemporary Modern I is an introductory dance course designed for movers of all backgrounds who are curious about contemporary modern dance techniques. No previous dance experience required. Students are encouraged to explore their capacity for movement through fundamentals, improvisation, and phrase work evoking new ways of thinking, moving, problem-solving and multitasking. If taken for academic credit, concert attendance and two papers are required. Graded CR/NC. 0.5 credit or P.E. Fall 2026. Zhao. Spring 2027. McCarty. Fall 2027 Staff. Spring 2028 Staff.
DANC 043. Dance Technique: African Diaspora dance traditions l is an exploration of African Diaspora dance and drum traditions through kinesthetic engagement and selected philosophical and aesthetic perspectives. This course will explore selected dance and drum traditions and their associated cultural functions as a way to enter an embodied dialogue in African Diaspora dance traditions. Primary focus will be placed on dance and drum traditions from the Mali Empire, Haiti, Brazil and the United States. The Philadelphia African Diaspora dance and drum community is part of this rich legacy for over 60 years, while, the Swarthmore College Dance Department commemorates 30 years of African Diaspora dance and drum traditions. Join us and be part of the legacy. Students enrolled in DANC 043 are required to write several detailed journals, a dance concert analysis and a short final reflection paper. Open to all students. Graded CR/NC. 0.5 credit or P.E. Eligible for BLST Fall 2026. Osayande. Spring 2027. Osayande. Fall 2027 Staff. Spring 2028 Staff.
This course is available to all tappers, from beginning to advanced. Such forms as soft-shoe, waltz-clog, stage tap, and “hoofin” will be explored. There will be research and discussions of renowned tap dancers. Opportunities for discovering historical facts about tap will be made throughout the course. If taken for academic credit, concert performance and two short papers are required. Graded CR/NC. 0.5 credit or P.E. Spring 2027. Williams. Spring 2028 Staff.
This course is meant to provide students with a consistent opportunity to develop a more conscious connection with their minds, bodies and spirits through the ancient, traditional Vedic practice of Hatha Yoga. This ancient methodology is designed to balance the polarity in all aspects of the human experience creating a deep sense of inner peace and presence. Each class includes a short lesson on yogic philosophy to provide students with a deeper understanding of what yoga is; including its aims, practices, and the results of regular practice. Following that there is a physical practice which includes asana (Yogic postures), pranayama (yogic breathing techniques) and meditation (mindfulness focus and concentration). Students will acquire a practical knowledge of body alignment, experience the regenerative effect of the physical and mental relaxation that hatha yoga practices produce and a deep understanding of ancient philosophy which underpins all yogic practices. These teaching provide a foundational and practical approach for a healthy lifestyle that can reach well beyond the college experience and can play a significant role in coping with the challenges of life. If taken for academic credit, three short papers are required. Students are required to supply their own yoga mats. Graded CR/NC. 0.5 credit or P.E. Fall 2026. Chirmule. Spring 2027. Chirmule. Fall 2027 Staff. Spring 2028 Staff.
We will engage in a practice-oriented approach to Kathak dance, a classical/concert dance form from the north and east India. The dance form is a confluence of musicality and embodied expressivity that uses gestures and movements within precise metrics of time cycles. Our focus will be on learning rhythmic patterns and vocalization with live tabla (percussion), breath, and fluid arm movements. We will explore simple footwork and gait or a style of walking in Kathak called “gat” and learn about the melody-rhythmic cycles of “sam”. It will also include expressing ideas through emotional intent (or “bhava-rasa”). We will explore how improvisation works within the Kathak form making it adaptable to various modalities of fusion and hybridity, a prime example of this hybrid modality stemming from Kathak is the Bollywood freestyle. Open to all students. No prior dance experience is required. Graded CR/NC. 0.5 credit or P.E. Eligible for ISLM, ASIA Spring 2027. Chakravorty. Fall 2027 Staff. Spring 2028 Staff.
This course provides a critical introduction to the study and practice of Kalbeliya dance, presently recognized as a form of Indian “folk” dance and as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. This dance form was conceptualized and developed by women from the Kalbeliya community of Rajasthan, India, from the 1980s onwards. We will begin with footwork and hand movements and proceed to chakris (turns). In tandem, we will learn about the community’s music practices and ask questions about the dance’s aesthetics and history. 0.5 credit or P.E.
Intensive study of special topics falling outside the regular dance technique offerings. Topics may include Alexander technique, contact improvisation, jazz, Pilates, and musical theater dance. If taken for academic credit, concert attendance and one or two short papers are required. 0.5 credit or P.E.
This course is an invitation into the spontaneous movement form known as improvisation. Participants will broaden an awareness of themselves and others through creative play, guided movement explorations, online viewing assignments, class discussion, and journaling. This course aims to awaken and develop expressive and physical skills needed to react and make decisions in the moment. We will challenge preconceived notions and assumptions about movement creation, using material generated by participants to unlock new ways of engaging with dance. Ideal for any students with an interest in exploring performance, transformation, and the immediate moment. No previous dance experience is required. If taken for academic credit, two short papers are required. Graded CR/NC. 0.5 credit or P.E.
The various sections of this course offer opportunities for study of repertory and performance practice. Students are required to perform in at least one scheduled dance concert during the semester. Three hours per week. A course in dance technique should be taken concurrently.
DANC 049ARepertory/Ensemble: Contemporary Modern Dance
Contemporary Modern Repertory/Ensemble is a performance course that investigates ideas in contemporary modern dance. Students will take part in a directed creative process, generating original material through guided improvisation and composition exercises. The work will be presented at the end of the semester in the Swarthmore Dance Concert. If taken for academic credit, a final reflection paper and acting as an assigned rehearsal assistant at times are required. Graded CR/NC.
Concurrently taking DANC 050 Modern II, DANC 060 Modern III, DANC053 African II, or DANC061 Ballet III. 0.5 credit or P.E. Spring 2027. Zhao. Spring 2028 Staff. Catalog chapter: Dance Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/dance-program Access the class schedule to search for sections.
DANC 049BRepertory/Ensemble: Tap
Open to students with some tap experience, this class draws on the tradition of rhythm tap known as “hoofin’.” A new dance is made each semester, working with the varying levels of skill present in the student ensemble. Students will be expected to attend additional ensemble rehearsals. A dance technique course taken concurrently is highly recommended. Graded CR/NC. 0.5 credit or P.E. Fall 2026. Williams. Fall 2027 Staff.
In this course, students will take part in weekly rehearsals as active members of a collaborative creative process resulting in choreography that will be performed in the Spring Dance Concert on the LPAC concert stage. Students will be expected to attend additional ensemble rehearsals. Live drumming will accompany this course with some opportunity to drum within the dance choreography. Students will be expected to conduct outside research for the development of the piece, keep a weekly journal and write a reflective analysis about the development of the work. The course is geared toward intermediate/advanced dancers with performance experience. May be taken more than once for credit, but course credit can only apply once towards Dance major / minor requirements. Graded CR/NC.
DANC 043 African Diaspora Traditions I or DANC 053 African Diaspora Traditions II. 0.5 credit or P.E. Eligible for BLST Spring 2027. Osayande. Spring 2028 Staff. Catalog chapter: Dance Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/dance-program Access the class schedule to search for sections.
DANC 049DRepertory/Ensemble: Taiko
Taiko is an energetic neo-folk drumming art stemming from Japan and its postwar diaspora. Emphasizing choreographic, embodied approaches to Taiko, as an ensemble we learn contemporary and folk-based repertory from Japan and the international Taiko community, culminating in end-of-semester performances. Through Taiko, we hone intense physicality and musicianship, perseverance, mindfulness, cooperation, responsibility, creativity, and an appreciation for Japanese and Asian American cultures. Pre/Co-Requisite: DANC 057 Taiko I taken prior or concurrently (with instructor approval). A dance technique course outside of Taiko I, taken concurrently, is highly encouraged but not necessary. Pre-registration is not guaranteed acceptance into the course; auditions may be run at the first scheduled class.
DANC 057 Taiko I taken prior or concurrently (with instructor approval). A dance technique course outside of Taiko I, taken concurrently, is highly encouraged but not necessary. Pre-registration is not guaranteed acceptance into the course; auditions may be run at the first scheduled class. For students in Classes of 2024, 2025, 2026: Only for those who have already taken DANC049D, Taiko I is encouraged but not considered a
DANC 049ERepertory/Ensemble: Ballet
Students in this course will be exposed to contemporary ballet, neo-classical ballet and classical ballet. Classical ballet technique will be interpreted in various ways with regards to musicality, line, weight sharing, dynamics and artistic expression. Students will utilize their classical training as a foundation for exploring nuances of phrasing, changes in balance, risk taking and collaborating with fellow dancers to see how far the movements can be stretched. The resulting work will be presented in the Spring Dance Concert. Additional optional performance opportunities may be offered. If taking this course for 0.5 academic credit 1-2 short papers will be required. Graded CR/NC.
1 ballet studio practice course. 0.5 credit or P.E. Spring 2027. Moss-Thorne. Spring 2028 Staff. Catalog chapter: Dance Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/dance-program Access the class schedule to search for sections.
DANC 049FRepertory/Ensemble: Kathak
This is a moderate level technique course on Kathak. We will work on teen tala or metrical scale of sixteen beats to learn complex rhythmical structures called bols. The various patterns of bols such as tukra, tehai and paran will also be explored. The two aspects of Kathak technique nrtta (abstract movement) and nritya (expressive gestures) will be used for a final composition. The final composition will be presented in a scheduled student dance concert. A dance technique course taken concurrently is highly recommended. Graded CR/NC.
DANC 046 or prior knowledge of any classical Indian dance forms. 0.5 credit or P.E. Eligible for ASIA, ISLM Spring 2027. Chakravorty. Fall 2027 Staff. Catalog chapter: Dance Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/dance-program Access the class schedule to search for sections.
DANC 049HRepertory/Ensemble: Movement Theater Workshop1
(Cross-listed as THEA 008 ) This course will invite students to explore tools and strategies that activate and engage the body as source and resource for creating and exploring meaning, connection, and artistic expression. Uses movement (pedestrian, gestural, cultural/habitual, and codified), text (spoken/written), imagery and theater tools, along with healing centered practices, students will investigate how sensing and noticing can be a pathway to empower the imagination and expression of the body. Class explorations, experiments, and performances, will invite students to deepen their awareness of the body and movement as essential parts of both the creative and performance process.
THEA 002A, any dance course 040 to 044, or consent of the instructor. Humanities. 1 credit. Catalog chapter: Dance Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/dance-program Access the class schedule to search for sections.
DANC 049KRepertory/Ensemble: Hip-Hop0.5
We will delve into the art of storytelling, an African tradition and staple in Hip Hop Culture, using multiple dance forms under the Hip Hop Dance umbrella. Together, we will explore our range of artistry using codified techniques and freedoms of self-expression. Together, we will trailblaze what it means to make Street Dance Theater! GRADED CR/NC 0.5 credit. Fall 2026. Clark. Fall 2027 Staff.
Kalbeliya dance is now recognized as a form of Indian “folk” dance and as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. This dance form was conceptualized and developed by women from the Kalbeliya community of Rajasthan, India, from the 1980s onwards. We will build on movement fundamentals (including footwork, hand movements, and chakris/turns), develop our skills of improvisation, and start engaging with moderate level aspects of the technique (such as jhukna/arching). We will play with two modes of composition used in Rajasthani dance-making: abstract rhythmic movements, and lyrical gestures. The collectively created composition will be performed at a scheduled student dance concert. A dance technique course taken concurrently is highly recommended. Graded CR/NC. 0.5 credit or P.E.
The intermediate class bridges between Contemporary Modern I & III. Contemporary Modern II develops more dance vocabulary including stretching, strengthening exercises, alignment, movement phrases, performance quality, creativity, etc. This course also cultivates students’ spatial awareness, the relationship of time, space and effort (energy), and the connection between body, mind and spirit through physical practice. If taken for academic credit, concert attendance and two papers are required. Graded CR/NC.
DANC 040 or permission from instructor. 0.5 credit or P.E. Fall 2026. McCarty. Spring 2027. Zhao. Fall 2027 Staff. Spring 2028 Staff. Catalog chapter: Dance Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/dance-program Access the class schedule to search for sections.
DANC 051Ballet II
Intermediate-level course building on skills developed in Ballet I. Additional vocabulary and increased center work will be introduced with a focus on building stamina, increasing technical proficiency, and refining performance quality. If taken for academic credit, concert attendance, two short papers, and a vocabulary test are required. Graded CR/NC.
DANC 041 or permission from instructor. 0.5 credit or P.E. Fall 2026. McCarty. Spring 2027. McCarty. Fall 2027 Staff. Spring 2028 Staff. Catalog chapter: Dance Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/dance-program Access the class schedule to search for sections.
DANC 051BBallet II/III
Intermediate/advanced level course building on skills developed in Ballet I and Ballet II. Additional vocabulary and increased center work will be introduced with a focus on building stamina, increasing technical proficiency, and refining performance quality. If taken for academic credit, concert attendance, two short papers, and a vocabulary test are required. This course is designed for students with Ballet II or Ballet III placement who have taken at least one semester of Ballet II.
GLBL 052 Dance in China encompasses various practices and traditions. This course provides comprehensive training in the foundational techniques, aesthetics, and cultural contexts of Chinese Classical and Folk dances. Students will be introduced to two distinct Chinese dance forms: Chinese xì qǔ Classical Dance (中国戏曲古典舞) and a selected Chinese Folk Dance (中国民族民间舞) from Han and minority ethnic dances. Throughout the semester, students will develop technical skills and awareness in 身韵/shēn yùn (the integration of physical form and inner circular flow), gestural and facial expression, physical strength, and rhythmic precision while examining the significant philosophical concepts influenced by Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, as well as traditional rituals and ceremonies. This studio-based course consists of readings, video viewing/analysis, discussion, and reflective writing in addition to physical training. If taken for academic credit, two short papers are required. Open to all students. No prior experience in dance is required; however, commitment to regular practice and reflective engagement is expected. Graded CR/NC Humanities. 0.5 credit or P.E. Eligible for ASIA, ASAM, GLBL paired Fall 2026. Zhao.
African dance II encourages experienced students to expand their understanding and technical execution of African Diaspora dance forms. The course will use Neo-traditional African Dance vocabularies from the Mali Empire, Haiti, Brazil and the United States to enhance students’ visceral and intellectual understanding of African Diaspora dance traditions. Opportunities for students to perform on and off campus during the semester will be offered. Students who take African Dance II should be prepared to explore and access their own choreographic voice through movement studies. The Philadelphia African Diaspora dance and drum community is part of this rich legacy for over 60 years, while, the Swarthmore College Dance Department commemorates 30 years of African Diaspora dance and drum traditions. Join us, be part of the legacy. Students enrolled in DANC 053 are required to write several detailed journals, a dance concert analysis and a short final reflection paper. Graded CR/NC.
DANC 043. African Diaspora Traditions I or at consultation and discretion of instructor. 0.5 credit or P.E. Eligible for BLST Fall 2026. Osayande. Spring 2027. Osayande. Fall 2027 Staff. Spring 2028 Staff. Catalog chapter: Dance Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/dance-program Access the class schedule to search for sections.
DANC 054Hip Hop I
This course is an introduction to Hip Hop and street dance culture. There will be a strong focus on the movement technique, foundation and aesthetic of each style including: Hip Hop Social, House, and Locking. It’s origins and it’s contributions to the culture at large. Students will be encouraged to find their personal artistic voice within the technique to develop basic improvisational skills within each style. The goal of this course is to understand Hip Hop dance and culture more clearly as it relates to their body and individual journey. If taken for academic credit, three short papers are required. Graded CR/NC 0.5 credit or P.E. Fall 2026. Clark. Spring 2027. Clark. Fall 2027 Staff. Spring 2028 Staff.
DANC 056Tabla:The Drums of North India and Pakistan
This course is a study of tabla history and playing techniques. Students will be introduced to the basic syllables/language of the drums and hand placement followed by complex phrases and compositions. The course contains an introduction to basic rhythms and compositions such as Paishkar, Kaida, Reala, Gat tora, and Tukra. Students enrolled for academic credit are required to write two short papers. Graded CR/NC. 0.5 credit or P.E. Spring 2027. Bhatti. Spring 2028 Staff.
Taiko I introduces us to Taiko drumming, an energetic neo-folk art stemming from Japan and its postwar diaspora. Taiko emphasizes drumming as choreographic and embodied. Through games, drills, and repertory excerpts focused on kata/form and upper-lower body coordination, we will simultaneously cultivate physical and musical skills grounded in Japanese and international Taiko culture and history. Possible video viewing and performance attendance. 2 PE or .5 academic credit (2 short papers) Graded CR/NC.
This course offers students an immersive somatic experience. Taught from a Pilates perspective, each class will guide the students through a physical practice focusing on core strength, stability, breath work, mind-body practices, a posture clinic and experiential anatomy exercise. The course will be supplemented by professional guests practicing forms such as Tai Chi, Yoga Nidra, and the Franklin method. The aim is to teach Movement for Wellness from various entry points to create the potential for understanding our bodies, and how and why they move. All bodies and levels of experience welcome! Graded CR/NC 0.5 credit
This intermediate-advanced level contemporary modern dance course builds on skills developed in Contemporary Modern I & II. Additional vocabulary and increased floor work, including inversions, will be introduced with a focus on building stamina, increasing technical proficiency, and refining performance quality. Students will engage with movement material in class and observe professional and student dance concerts, and dance on screen projects during the semester to deepen their relationship to dance. If taken for academic credit, concert attendance and two papers are required. Graded CR/NC.
DANC 050 or permission from instructor. 0.5 credit or P.E. Fall 2026. Zhao. Spring 2027. Staff. Fall 2027 Staff. Spring 2028 Staff. Catalog chapter: Dance Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/dance-program Access the class schedule to search for sections.
DANC 061Ballet III
Advanced-level course building on skills developed in Ballet II and requiring a strong background in ballet technique. Challenges students to grasp advanced movement sequences with a high level of technical proficiency and performance quality. If taken for academic credit, concert attendance and two short papers are required. Graded CR/NC.
DANC 051 or DANC 051A or permission from instructor. 0.5 credit or P.E. Fall 2026. Moss-Thorne. Spring 2027. Chipman-Bloom. Fall 2027 Staff. Spring 2028 Staff. Catalog chapter: Dance Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/dance-program Access the class schedule to search for sections.
DANC 063West African Drumming
This course is a study of West African drumming history and techniques from the continent of Africa as well as the African diaspora. Students will concentrate on at least two musical forms per semester from a variety of drumming styles and their corresponding techniques from the Anlo-Ewe, Afro-Cuban, and Mende cultural traditions. The course contains learning the various rhythms of each instrument, songs, and lead drum phrases for each particular musical ensemble. Students will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge of West African drumming and singing techniques on traditional instruments while being immersed in the aesthetics and foundational aspects of West African music/dance and culture. This includes polyrhythms, call and response, repetition, and improvisation. All students are required to keep a journal. A writing assignment will be required to students enrolled for academic credit. Graded CR/NC 0.5 credit or P.E. credit Fall 2026. Rast.
Course introducing or developing ballet pointe technique and partnering skills, and improving overall strength and conditioning. Class includes barre work, center work, pointe technique, and basic partnering with a focus on artistry, musicality, strength, and stamina. Possible performance opportunity in the end of semester dance concert. If taken for academic credit, a short paper is required. Graded CR/NC.
Previous pointe work or instructor permission required.
Corequisite
Students must be concurrently enrolled in a ballet class. 0.5 credit or P.E. Fall 2026. Chipman-Bloom. Spring 2027. Chipman-Bloom. Catalog chapter: Dance Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/dance-program Access the class schedule to search for sections.
DANC 077BAnthropology of Performance1
(Cross-listed as ANTH 077B) This course will introduce various approaches to the study of visual anthropology as it relates to movement, body, culture, and power. It will examine theoretical approaches ranging from semiotics of the body, communication theory, and phenomenology to the more recent approaches drawing on performance, postcolonial, post-structural, and feminist theories. It will also examine how anthropological issues in dance or performance are closely tied to issues of modernity, regional and national identity, gender, and politics. Various ethnographies and literature from dance studies, media and film studies, and feminist studies will be included in the course material. It will also require students to view videos to engage in visual analysis. Humanities. Writing course. 1 credit.
(Cross-listed as ANTH 079B) This course will explore the shifts in sexuality and gender constructions of Indian women from national to transnational symbols through the dance sequences in Bollywood. We will examine the place of erotic in reconstructing gender and sexuality from past notions of romantic love to desires for commodity. The primary focus will be centered on approaches to the body from anthropology and sociology to performance, dance, and film and media studies. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA, FMST, GSST, ASAM Spring 2027. Chakravorty.
Recent shifts in the representation of the “erotic” in Bollywood dances have transformed the past representations of gender and sexuality in Bollywood cinema. The course will explore the shifts in sexuality and gender constructions from national to transnational symbols through the songs and dances (item numbers) in Bollywood cinema and its most visible media platform, T.V Reality Shows. We will explore this through viewing and analyzing select screen performances in three parts: First, we will examine the place of the erotic in reconstructing gender and sexuality from past notions of romantic love (associated with ghazal songs or classical and folk dances) to desires for commodity. Second, we will explore the aesthetic shifts from the traditional song and dance repertoire to trendy MTV-inspired moves. We will examine how transnational images of commodity production intersect with sexuality, desire, spirituality, and modernity in these screen dances. This course will explore the song and dance sequences through video-viewing and studio work (with a Bollywood choreographer) as well as reading a few key texts. The list of videos will be included in the final syllabus. This is a half semester course begining the second half of the semester. 0.5 Credit. Eligible for ASIA, GSST, ASAM, FMST
Available on an individual or group basis, this course offers students an opportunity to do special work with performance or compositional emphasis in areas not covered by the regular curriculum. Students will meet with supervising faculty on a weekly basis and present performances and/or written reports to the faculty supervisor, as appropriate. Interested students must submit a short written proposal to the Program’s Administrative Coordinator prior to the preregistration period. This proposal will be presented to the Program Chair and faculty for approval and permission to register. Students with whom the student choreographer works and who commit to 3 hours rehearsal time weekly, may receive PE credit under DANC 011A Dance Production Practicum. The project culminates in a public performance. 0.5 - 1 credit. Fall 2026. Staff. Spring 2027. Staff. Fall 2027 Staff. Spring 2028 Staff.
Available on an individual or group basis, this course offers students an opportunity to do special work with theoretical or historical emphasis in areas not covered by the regular curriculum. Students will meet with a faculty supervisor weekly and present written reports to the faculty supervisor. Interested students must submit a short written proposal to the Program’s Administrative Coordinator prior to the preregistration period. This proposal will be presented to the Program Chair and faculty for approval and permission to register. 1 credit. Fall 2026. Staff. Spring 2027. Staff. Fall 2027 Staff. Spring 2028 Staff.
Intended for seniors pursuing the special major or the major in course or honors, this project is designed by the student in consultation with a dance faculty adviser. The major part of the semester is spent conducting independent rehearsals in conjunction with weekly meetings under an adviser’s supervision. The project culminates in a public presentation and the student’s written documentation of the process and the result. An oral response to the performance and to the documentation follows in which the student, the adviser, and several other members of the faculty participate. In the case of honors majors, this also involves external examiners. Proposals for such projects must be submitted to the dance faculty for approval during the semester preceding enrollment. Students with whom the choreographer works and who commit to 3 hours weekly, may receive PE credit under DANC 011A . Dance Production Practicum.
Previous or concurrent enrollment in an advanced-level technique course or demonstration of advanced-level technique. 1 credit. Fall 2026. Staff. Spring 2027. Staff. Fall 2027 Staff. Spring 2028 Staff. Catalog chapter: Dance Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/dance-program Access the class schedule to search for sections.
DANC 095Senior Thesis1
Intended for senior majors or minors, the thesis is designed by the student in consultation with a dance faculty adviser. The major part of the semester is spent conducting independent research in conjunction with weekly tutorial meetings under an adviser’s supervision. The final paper is read by a committee of faculty members or, in the case of honors majors, by external examiners who then meet with the student for evaluation of its contents. Proposals for a thesis must be submitted to the dance faculty for approval during the semester preceding enrollment. 1 credits. Fall 2026. Staff. Spring 2027. Staff. Fall 2027 Staff. Spring 2028 Staff.
Intended for senior majors or minors, the thesis is designed by the student in consultation with a dance faculty adviser. The major part of the semester is spent conducting independent research in conjunction with weekly tutorial meetings under an adviser’s supervision. The final paper is read by a committee of faculty members or, in the case of honors majors, by external examiners who then meet with the student for evaluation of its contents. Proposals for a thesis must be submitted to the dance faculty for approval during the semester preceding enrollment. 1 credits.
How does research inform and deepen the process of dance-making, allowing choreographers to articulate and advocate an artistic vision with clarity? This seminar provides students the environment to cultivate an individualized creative process centered upon critical inquiry and research. Within this process, students interrogate and explore implications of concepts and terms such as ‘tradition/contemporaneity’, ‘abstraction/representation’, ‘practice-as-research’, ‘production’ – and ‘choreography’ itself – in turn situating their respective processes within social and cultural contexts. Through this examination of dance works and creative methodologies, students are encouraged to self-reflectively and purposefully consider how they might want to work. Each student can approach the course through diverse points of interest - whether focusing on a specific dance form or choreographer; or dance’s interdisciplinary intersections with theater, text, music, visual art, media, or technology; somatic practices; site-specificity; or sociocultural and identity studies. Meeting in both the classroom and studio, students engage in assigned and self-directed reading and viewings, peer feedback and discussion, and written assignments. Emphasis is placed on editing and revision as essential to both choreography and writing. How does research inform and deepen the process of dance-making, allowing choreographers to articulate and advocate an artistic vision with clarity? This seminar provides students the environment to cultivate an individualized creative process centered upon critical inquiry and research. Within this process, students interrogate and explore implications of concepts and terms such as ‘tradition/contemporaneity’, ‘abstraction/representation’, ‘practice-as-research’, ‘production’ – and ‘choreography’ itself – in turn situating their respective processes within social and cultural contexts. Through this examination of dance works and creative methodologies, students are encouraged to self-reflectively and purposefully consider how they might want to work. Each student can approach the course through diverse points of interest - whether focusing on a specific dance form or choreographer; or dance’s interdisciplinary intersections with theater, text, music, visual art, media, or technology; somatic practices; site-specificity; or sociocultural and identity studies. Meeting in both the classroom and studio, students engage in assigned and self-directed reading and viewings, peer feedback and discussion, and written assignments. Emphasis is placed on editing and revision as essential to both choreography and writing. Double-graded seminar. Registration for BOTH SECTIONS, A and B, is required for Honors students. Non-Honors students may elect to sign up for 1 section.
DANC012 Dance Lab II and at least one dance studies course. Humanities. 2 credits. Catalog chapter: Dance Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/dance Access the class schedule to search for sections.
DANC 116Dance and Memory2
This honors seminar examines how dance and memory intersect through the practice, preservation, and remembrance of embodied performance. Theoretical discussions and applied activities will explore the following questions: How do dancers record and transmit their kinesthetic knowledge? How does the dancing body act as a repository of cultural knowledge and trouble understandings of “the archive”? How does the remembrance of dance, through live reenactment, restagings, oral traditions, and museum exhibitions, (re)shape our understandings of cultural history, embodied politics, authorship, and the metaphysics of dance itself? Discussions will center debates from dance studies as well as scholarship from theorists in performance studies, cultural studies, history, and philosophy, including: Rebecca Schneider, Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, Diana Taylor, Jamie A. Lee, Joseph Roach, Saidiya Hartman, and others. Double-graded seminar. Registration for BOTH SECTIONS, A and B, is required for Honors students. Non-Honors students may elect to sign up for section A for 1 credit.
One Dance Studies Course or Instructor Permission Humanities. 2 credits. Catalog chapter: Dance Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/dance Access the class schedule to search for sections.
DANC 117Embodying Space and Place2
By recognizing the relationship between the spatial, the cultural, and the socio-political, this honors seminar explores the following questions: How are places experienced and felt in the body? How does embodied performance represent and shape various scales of space: from the local to the global? How have dance and choreography intervened in geopolitical conflict? Space theorists will include a range of political geographers, architects, and cultural scholars: Arjun Appadurai, Henri Lefebvre, Setha Low, Doreen Massey, Juhani Pallasmaa, Edward Soja, and Yi-fu Tuan. Video viewings will include site-specific dance, staged dance, and dance forms practiced for community-building purposes. By foregrounding recent dance studies research, we will examine the important role both social dance and performance play in experiencing, understanding, and framing the local, national, transnational, and global scales of space. Double-graded seminar. Registration for BOTH SECTIONS, A and B, is required for Honors students. Non-Honors students may elect to sign up for 1 section for 1 credit.
One Dance Studies course. Humanities. 2 credits. Catalog chapter: Dance Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/dance Access the class schedule to search for sections.
DANC 119East Asian Performing Arts on the Intercultural Stage1
In the wake of American anti-Chinese sentiment surrounding the COVID-19 global pandemic as well as political turmoil in Hong Kong and Taiwan, it is important to ask: What does “Chinese” signify? The label of Chinese has often been ascribed to bodily features and behaviors as grounds for social exclusion or inclusion, both in the US and in Asia. This course considers embodied Chinese performance from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Asian America in order to examine plural notions of Chineseness. As a hybrid course, taught in the seminar room and the dance studio, students will learn Chinese classical dance, Han folk dance, ethnic minority folk dance, and martial arts forms. As we explore the fundamental movements of these forms, we will also investigate the role they have played in China’s nation-building projects and have functioned in diaspora to create feelings of community belonging. Moreover, we will consider how these symbols of Chineseness get produced and consumed in global markets. In addition, reading analyses of historical Yellow Face performance and viewing videos of Asian American performances-ranging from Vaudeville, to Broadway musicals, to contemporary dance-students will investigate how dance provides a lens for thinking through the ways in which Chineseness is represented, stereotyped, and even contested. Assignments will include an ethnographic assignment of Chinatown and a final research paper.
