Syllabus for African Dance

Syllabus for African Dance MPADE-UE 1542. 002 Spring 2013 Contact hours: Wednesday, 1:30-3:30pm, studio 304 Education building Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions, Program in Dance Education New York University Instructor: Alfdaniels Mabingo Phone: 917-679-8119 E-mail: <[email protected] com> Consultation: By appointment —————————————– A survey course in East African dance with accompanying songs, music, and cultural contexts in which these dances originate. The course specifically offers knowledge and performance skills of traditional dance forms East Africa and methods for teaching these dances.
It offers critical analysis of how these dances interact with cultural, social, occupational, and religious aspects that contribute to creating them. Besides critical understanding and performance of these dances, the course equips students with skills to perform the music that accompanies them. Learning outcomes 1. Students will demonstrate proficiency in performing ethnic dances from selected cultures in East Africa. 2. Students will learn and perform vocal and instrumental music that accompanies ethnic dances from cultures in Uganda. 3.
Students will demonstrate techniques and methods of teaching ethnic dances from Ugandan cultures. 4. Students will acquire fundamental knowledge into critical analysis of how dances in East Africa interact with cultural aspects that participate in creating them. 5. Students will learn various techniques that are related to performance of various ethnic dances from cultures in Uganda. Students are expected to: a. Finish and present the assignments within the stipulated time. b. Actively participate in practical sessions and class discussion. Focus of selected readings and visual recordings ) Understanding the author’s message and use it as a point of departure for supplementary inquiries b) Establishing connections between the readings and visual recordings and the student’s class/practical experience c) Inspire students to learn the various dances Other important readings Adinku, W. O. (1995). African Dance Education in Ghana, Ghana, Accra: Universities Press. Aduonum, M. (2011). West African Dance in the United States University Curriculum, LAP Lambert Academic Publishing Nannyonga-Tamusuza, S. (2005. Baakisimba: Gender in Music and Dance of the Baganda People of Uganda.

London and New York: Routledge. Tieron, A. (1992). Doople: Eternal Law of African Dance – Choreography & Dance Studies, New York: Routledge * * Welsh, A. K. (1996). African Dance: An Artistic, Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press. Welsh, A. K. (2003). Umfundalai: An African Dance Technique, Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press Policies: * Assignment Formats: All assignments must be typewritten with at least a normal 12 pt font and double-spaced. Use a header and page numbers. Please hand in hard copies of assignments without folders.
Do not email them; Emailed copies will not be accepted. * Attendance: You are expected to attend every session of the course. One excused absence is permitted with a doctor’s note or other acceptable evidence. If you are going to be absent please send an email to the instructor. Additional absences will decrease the cumulative grade by one letter grade increment. An unexcused absence will decrease the cumulative grade by one letter grade increment. Please make arrangements with a peer to collect course materials for you and contact the peer after the session for updates on the session activities and assignments. Late arrivals/Early departures: Being on time and staying throughout the duration of the course is to be expected. Three late arrivals, three early departures, or any three combinations of late arrivals and/or early departures to/from class will equate to an absence. A late arrival or early departure of more than 15 minutes will be counted as an absence. * Late Assignments: Late assignments are reduced in letter grade increment. Assignments may be handed in up to one week late. Late assignments may not receive significant feedback.
Any assignments that are not complete at this time (one week late) will not receive a grade and will negatively affect your cumulative course grade. * Assignments Class attendance and participation20% Midterm paper25% Midterm performance25% Final performance30% Note: See the rubric for details about the requirements for each area of assignment * Grading: Letter Grade| Number Grade| Legend| A| 94-100| Exceptional| A-| 90-93| Excellent| B+| 87-89| Extremely Good| B| 84-86| Very Good| B-| 80-83| Good| C+| 77-79| Satisfactory| C| 74-76| Satisfactory| C-| 70-73| Nearing Satisfactory| D+| 67-69| Minimum Passing Grade|
D| 65-66| Minimum Passing Grade| F| 0-64| Failure| * Incomplete Grading: Incomplete grades are not a grading option. Under exceptional circumstances, such as those with a serious illness or other emergency, and at the discretion of the course instructor, an incomplete grade may be granted, based on the student’s performance throughout the course of the semester. * E-mail Communication with Instructor(s): Please keep your e-mails as succinct as possible. If you predict you will need to write more than one paragraph, it is an indication that you probably need to schedule a meeting rather than writing an e-mail. Special Accommodations: Any student attending NYU who needs an accommodation due to a chronic, psychological, visual, mobility and/or learning disability, or is Deaf or Hard of Hearing should register with the Moses Center for Students with Disabilities located at 726 Broadway, phone: 212. 998. 4980, or website address: www. nyu. edu/csd. * Please refrain from all cell phone use during class. * Please clean up after any food or drink. * Dress appropriately for the classes * Academic Integrity: Please be familiar with NYU Steinhardt policies: http://steinhardt. nyu. edu/policies/academic_integrity.