95893 - Theories and Practices of Dance (1) (LM)

Academic Year 2022/2023

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Music and Theatre Studies (cod. 8837)

    Also valid for Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Music and Theatre Studies (cod. 8837)

Course contents

The first part of the course will be dedicated to bringing together some theories of dance created by choreographers active in the twentieth century, and then to analyze some examples of the performances result of such theories. In particular, we will focus on fundamental elements, such as the language of movement and the processes of choreographic creation. The examples will also be drawn from the field of video dance, which will trace the path through time, reaching the latest experiences of augmented reality and virtual reality.

The second part of the course, with a more practical approach, will be developed by studying some of the themes touched on in the first part and analysing some specific case studies from the field of video dance, especially some sectors will be explored (music videos, fashion movies, animation). This analysis will be useful to provide elements to be used in the realization of the written work that will be carried out by students, individually or in small working groups.

The lessons will be complemented by a short practical workshop, not mandatory, held by an choreographer working in the relationship between dance and virtual reality, and by meetings with experts in the field.

The aim of the course is therefore to offer useful coordinates in the panorama of the theories and practices of theatrical dance in the twentieth century and today; to allow to acquire historical, critical and aesthetic skills around videodance, intended as a field of artistic creation but also as an instrument of testimony and documentation; to develop and exercise skills of analysis of the choreic show and the drafting of a scientific text.

 

Practical information

The lessons will start on Wednesday, September 21, 2022 and will end by October 28 for those who will take the course from 6 credits, while for those who will take the course from 12 credits will end by December 16.

The only first part of the course (from 21 September to 28 October 2022) corresponds to the 6 cfu course (30 hours), the whole of the first and second part of the course (from 21 September to 16 December 2022) corresponds to the 12 cfu course (60 hours).

The lessons will take place at the headquarters of the Department of Arts of Via Barberia 4, according to the following schedule:

Wednesday, 9,00-11,00
Thursday, 11,00-13,00
Friday, 11,00-13,00

Readings/Bibliography

6 cfu course

To take the 6 cfu exam you must study the two texts listed below, taking care to view a good selection of examples of entertainment or video dance creations mentioned in the same texts.

1) Elena Randi, Il corpo pensato. Teorie della danza nel Novecento, Dino Audino, Roma 2020

2) Alessandro Amaducci, Screendance. Sperimentazioni visive intorno al corpo tra film, video e computer grafica, Edizioni Kaplan, Torino 2020

 

12 cfu course

In order to take the 12 cfu exam, it is necessary to study the two volumes listed below in point 1 and in point 2, as well as the collection of essays listed in point 3, taking care to view a good selection of the examples of entertainment or video dance creations mentioned in the same texts; in addition, a written report, as referred to in point 4, shall be drawn up.

1) Elena Randi, Il corpo pensato. Teorie della danza nel Novecento, Dino Audino, Roma 2020

2) Alessandro Amaducci, Screendance. Sperimentazioni visive intorno al corpo tra film, video e computer grafica, Edizioni Kaplan, Torino 2020

3) The reader

3) The reader Analizzare la danza. Antologia di letture per il corso di Teorie e pratiche della danza. a.a 2022-2023, edited by Elena Cervellati (on Virtuale):

01_Sherrill Dodd, On Watching Screendance, in «The International Journal of Screendance», n. 10, 2019, pp. 141-145, online: https://screendancejournal.org/index.php/screendance/article/view/6726

02_Anne Ubersfeld, Il lavoro dello spettatore, in Id., Leggere lo spettacolo, Carocci, Roma 2008, pp. 235-253

03_Sally Banes, On your fingertips: writing dance criticism, in Id., Writing dancing in the age of postmodernism, Wesleyan University Press, Middletown c1994, pp. 24-43

04_Dora Levano, La critica e la nuova danza in Italia. Alcune riflessioni sugli anni Ottanta e un’ipotesi di ricerca attuale, in «Danza e ricerca. Laboratorio di studi, scritture, visioni», n. 6, 2015, pp. 47-57

05_Elena Cervellati, Danza/poesia/voce. La ricerca intercodice di Valeria Magli, in «Biblioteca teatrale», n. 134, luglio-dicembre 2020, pp. 167-181

06_Giulia Romanini, Danza e paesaggio. “Die Klage der Kaiserin” di Pina Bausch, in «Ricerche di S/Confine», dossier Agire il paesaggio. Teatri, pensieri, politiche del “luogo”, 2013, pp. 91-107, online: www.ricerchedisconfine.info

07_Arianna Novaga, La fotografia live istant come dispositivo costruttivo di “booty Looting” di Wim Vanderkeybus, in «Sciami/Ricerche. Webzine semestrale di Teatro, Video e Suono», n. 4, 2017, pp. 17-42, online: https://webzine.sciami.com/fotografia-dispositivo-booty-looting-vanderkeybus/

08_Lucrezia Ottoboni, Odissī, una tradizione in transizione. Il case-study “Indian Odissi Classical Dance || Ed Sheeran – Shape of You”, in «Danza e ricerca. Laboratorio di studi, scritture, visioni», n. 10, 2018, pp. 217-238, online: https://danzaericerca.unibo.it/article/view/8754

4) The preparation will be completed by a written paper, the content of which, however to be agreed with the teacher, will focus on a theme connected to the macro-area of "dance on the screen". The paper must have a length of 5-10 pages, be complete with a bibliography and a videography and follow the editorial rules available among the materials on the "Virtual" online platform. Attending students will be able to present their work during the lessons; non-attending students must deliver the paper at least one week before the exam date and must be able to orally illustrate its content during the exam.

Bibliographical variations are possible, in accord with the professor.

Teaching methods

Lessons will be supported by commented view of the videos and pictures, as well as by meetings with artists and, possibly, attending at live performances. The active participation of the attending students will be solicited suggesting readings and discussions.

Assessment methods

The students’ learning outcomes on the course’s themes will be verified through an interview concerning the recommended bibliography and through a conversation about the written paper.

It will be assessed as excellent the performance of those students achieving an organic vision of the course contents, the use of a proper specific language, the originality of the reflection as well as the familiarity with the tolls for analyzing the course’s themes.

It will be assessed as discrete the performance of those students showing mostly mechanical or mnemonic knowledge of the subject, not articulated synthesis and analysis capabilities, a correct but not always appropriate language, as well as a scholastic study of the course’s themes. It will be assessed as barely sufficient the performance of those students showing learning gaps, inappropriate language, lack of knowledge of the discipline. It will be assessed as insufficient the performance of those students showing learning gaps, inappropriate language, no orientation within the recommended bibliography and inability to analyze the course’s themes.

Teaching tools

Visual documentation through projections of fixed and moving images.

Office hours

See the website of Elena Cervellati

SDGs

Quality education Gender equality

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.