Sample Workshops with students

I. Dance and Draw Workshop

A. Purpose: To feel and express the movement in a still shape.

B. Objectives:

1. Students will express a movement quality by moving or drawing

2. Students will create shapes that expresses a movement quality

3. Students will draw shapes in lines that express the same movement quality.

C. Activities:

1. Divide the class in half/ movers and “drawers”

2. Discuss movement qualities and ask for examples from the class. Show pictures of various qualities of line: rough/smooth, broken/flowing, explosive/sustained etc .

3. Practice moving and freezing to different pieces of music.

4. Give students a movement quality to express, play the music that matches this quality, and ask them to move, then freeze in a shape for 1 minute sustaining the feeling of the movement.

5. The “drawers” do a one-minute sketch in lines that match the mood.

6. Switch groups.

D. Evaluation: Students will discuss the process and how they could create a dance or a drawing from these shapes and sketches.

II. Repertory Workshops

A. Purpose: To learn a phrase/dance from historical Modern Dance Repertory

B. Objectives:

1. To understand the principles of movement of a specific choreographer

2. To apply his/her principles of movement

3. To learn and perform movement created by a famous choreographer using their intended principles of movement
   

C. Activities

1. Students will learn about the choreographer’s life and times

2. Students will warm up using movement that could have been done in this choreographer’s class.

3. Students will learn the choreographers dance or phrase using the principles emphasized by this artist.

4. Students will perform the dance or phrase in groups.
   

D. Evaluation: How do these principles of movement enhance your dancing? How can you use these when you take your dance classes or when you choreograph?