We Are the Movers and Shakers: The History of Percussive Dance in America

3 units

This course focuses upon the rich history of movement and sound in American Dance, from the Colonial Era to the present day. African, Latin American, Native American, and European dance forms and their interactions are explored. We also study distinctly American forms such as clogging, stepping, and tap dancing. Much of percussive dance evolved from the people, and we examine the relationships between percussive dance and social and political movements: peaceful protest and Native American dance; police brutality/Jim Crow/Japanese internment and tap dance; creating a protective enclave or safe space for expression in African American step dance; and community building/intergenerational dance in Appalachian clogging. This is not a movement technique class, but students learn some basic body rhythms or dance movements in order to comprehend and contextualize the performances discussed in class. Students may also be required to attend a dance or music performance.