Sample Undergraduate outline:
DANC 102: A Survey of Jazz Dance from Streets to Stage
Email: Please use the CANVAS Inbox Office Hours:
Please email me with questions, or to set up a Zoom Conference CRNs
Spring: OLH 44281, OMH 44663, ONH 45907, OOH 46232
Course Mission We currently live in a time that values sampling, fusion, copying and “covers” of other works of art, rather than original content. This was also very true during the era of Motown, the 1920’s, and earlier, during the era of Minstrelsy. By constantly covering and reframing work, the original artists can get lost or go unrecognized (and unpaid).
While intentions to compliment through imitation may be good, Imitation without Representation quickly becomes Appropriation. This course hopes to fight back against that erosion by giving students a clear sense of the individuals, communities and social issues that create the context for Jazz Dance and the lineage of sub-styles that evolved from it, including: Tap, Lyrical, Pop (J-Pop, K-Pop..., Musical Theater and Hip Hop (Femme, House, Wacking...etc.), Circus/ Acrobatic Dance, Competition Dancing, and so on.
Discussion assignments, readings and papers are designed to help you evolve as an audience member and individual, not to force some archaic ideals upon your vision. One of the ways we will do this is by focusing on a universal dance vocabulary. This means identifying steps brought from Africa by slaves, seeing how they combined with other immigrant groups’ movements (e.g.: Irish step dancers, Middle Eastern belly dancers,) into American social dancing, Circus, Vaudeville and tap, and then became fused with classically trained European steps as they evolved onto concert/performance stages across the Chitlin Circuit, Vaudeville and Broadway. All of these styles and the lives and struggles of their creators make up Jazz Dancing, from the streets to the stage and back again.
Course Description Beginning with the mid-nineteenth century, the course will survey the evolution of jazz dance in musical theater onstage and in film, in particular focusing on the cultural and historical impact that Jazz dance had in the lives of women and minorities.
NOTE: This course is not activity-based and is not applicable to the specific area requirement in Physical Education for the Associate Degree. Student Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this course, a student will meet the following outcomes:
A. Describe and identify the physical characteristics and influences of multiple genres of jazz dance
B. Describe the cultural and historical transformations of jazz dances from their initial social and amateur performances into the highly produced forms of jazz dance in Musical Theater productions Requirements Technological Needs Each week, students will be assigned dance video to watch online. You will need sufficient internet access and a computer.
Peer Review Assignments don’t work properly on mobile devices, so you will need to complete them on a laptop/desktop in order to earn full points.
If you need any help with access to technology, please contact the district for tech support: https://smccdhelp.zendesk.com
Email Required: You are responsible for checking your school email on a regular basis.
If you would like to email me, please use the INBOX app within CANVAS, as it tracks our conversations for us both. Fall CRNs: OLH_ 11111, OMH_11111, ONH_11111. OLH_11111_OMH_11111_ONH_11111 Spring CRNs: OLH_111_OMH_11111_ONH_11111_OOH_11111
Summer CRN: OLH_ 55790
Instructor: Gary Ferguson (he/him) CANVAS URL:
http://smccd.instructure.com Prof. Gary’s Schedule: http://tinyurl.com/FergusonGDoorcard
If you have a preferred email address, log into your SMCCD email account and forward your mail to that preferred address. (Tech Support can help you with this, if you are unsure how to do it.)
Zoom Meetings Some Zoom Meetings are required to be synchronous (a.k.a live), but most can be watched after the fact, in your own time. It is highly recommended that you attend live, however, so that you get a sense of camaraderie with your peers, and can ask questions as they come up.
Zero Textbook This course is a Zero Cost Textbook Course; in other words, I have written all of the material or sourced it from the internet and library. Sharing people's work is an important part of academia, and citations are the way to show respect to the thinkers and writers who have come before us.
Announcement List This is where I check in with the class, update you on my grading process, and give hints on improving your grade. You will receive these updates by email, or you can find them all within CANVAS on the Announcements page. Class Assignment Timeline Students are responsible for keeping up with the assignment time-line. Each Module should take about five hours to complete, which encompasses both your in-class and homework/study hours. For each week, students should complete the readings, video assignments, Discussion assignments or quizzes, and any written assignments or exams listed for that week.
• Assignments are DUE by the “Due Date,” but can be turned in late until the “Available Until” date. o The “Available Until” date is final. • Discussions and Peer Reviews require you to submit your own work by Wednesday (Due Date), so that you can respond to your peers by the end of the week (Available Until Date).
• All Assignments, Quizzes and any Extra Credit must be turned in by the last day of instruction (before Final Exams begin), with the exception of items within the Final Module (i.e.: the Final Exam and surveys for course feedback, etc.)
Assignments and Evaluation Modules & Weekly Assignments – 50% Discussion, Quiz, Assignment and Peer Review participation is designed to be an engaging way for you to explore the ideas and themes in this course. By taking full advantage of this feedback and discussion, you should find that you develop deeper understanding of the cultural and socio-political context of this art form. Points will be assigned for the following: Description of phrases of choreography, citation of online articles/websites, references to time- points in the videos, thoughtful and creative interpretation of the artistic works, cohesive analysis of the historical and cultural context of the work, knowledge of the choreographer and inspiring works for each dance.
Modules – Navigating the Course This course is organized by Modules. Each Module should average 5 hours to complete reading, lecture and activity/homework time. The Modules view on CANVAS will show you the planned coursework in chronological order, and is the best starting point to navigate the course. • During the Fall & Spring Semesters, we cover ONE Module per week.
• During the Fall, we cover 1-2 Modules per week. Each Module contains some/all of the following: Pages All Pages in this course were written by Amber Steele; these pages function as lectures, including Video Watchlists. • Read all Pages • Watch all Video Watchlists • Reading any additional articles/links that are integrated into the pages, or linked to. Zoom Meetings/Recordings Zoom Meetings have an assigned time (it will be clear whether that meeting is required to be synchronous or can be watched in your own time).
• Participate in any Zoom lectures/live meetings synchronously, if possible (it’s much more fun!!!) • If you miss a Zoom Meeting, find it by date under Zoom (on the left menu in CANVAS), then Previous Meetings Discussions Your initial posts are due by the Due Date, and your responses to your peers' posts are due by the Available Until Date. Quizzes Quizzes & Exams are multiple-choice or short answer. Please use Mozilla Firefox, Chrome or Safari to take your quizzes & exams; the drag-and-drop questions do not work if you use Internet Explorer.
• Quizzes are designed to be learning reviews; you can re-take them to improve your grade. Many quizzes remain open for weeks – but check the “Available Until” date to be sure. Assignments An Assignment includes your submission of work, such as written essays, journals or media documentation. Assignments may also include a Peer Review process. This involves two parts: Peer Reviews Peer Review Assignments have strict deadlines, and cannot be completed late or made up. In an Assignment with Peer Reviews, most of the points are earned by completing the Reviews. You may need a desktop/laptop to complete your Peer Reviews, as they can be glitchy on a mobile device.
1) Submission must be entered *By the Due Date* to be assigned Peer Reviews
2) Peer Review return to the Assignment *After the Due Date* to review your peers *Before the Available Until Date.* Earn points by completing BOTH for each peer:
3) Rubric ratings from students don’t determine the grade, so *grade them strictly.*
4) Written Comments should be constructive, analytical feedback; not just fluffy compliments Midterm – 25% Multiple Choice or Short Answer Exam, time restricted. Students will demonstrate an understanding of major dancers and choreographers and how they were affected by the socio-political events of their era. Students should be able to identify different styles of dance and socio-political issues in relation to dances covered in the readings, Pages and Video
Watchlists. Final Exam – 25% Exams are only to be taken once, by yourself. There is a time limit. Make sure you have enough time, undisturbed, with good internet access, before beginning an Exam. This exam will cover the major names, pieces and historical contents that we have covered throughout the semester, largely focusing on the material covered in the Pages and Video Watchlists.
The majority of the questions will be multiple-choice, with some short answer or essay questions. Please use Mozilla Firefox to take your quizzes & exams; the drag-and-drop questions often do not work if you use Internet Explorer. Grading Plagiarism, cheating or paraphrasing others’ work will result not only in a failing grade, but also can result in the removal of all Extra Credit point assignments.
Course Evaluation To see how the total course evaluations are broken down by Assignments, please go to the Assignments page on CANVAS, and select "View by Type." This will show you the grade weight of each Category, and all assignments with their “Due” and “Available Until” dates. Your Grades & Feedback To see your grade, and feedback left on your work, go to the Grades page within Canvas.
Click on the Rubric, Comments and Title to see all forms of feedback. If you are confused by a grade, be sure to first review the comments from the instructor (and any peer review comments or rubrics), as I do my best to be transparent about the grading process. If you still don’t understand your grade, please copy your feedback comments into a CANVAS Inbox message to me, and I am happy to clarify. I’m Here to Help! My passion for dance is choreography that goes beyond entertainment; I see dance as an art form that can illuminate issues of social justice, by getting us to think more deeply about issues such as class, gender, race, sexism, relationships and community-building. I believe that dances of all styles and from all places have the ability to express a deeper message that strengthens our societies and communities.
I am not easily shocked by content, and love to see new movements! My goal is to teach you the background so that each student understands the roots, social issues and communities behind these American dance forms.
I am most excited when I see students become empassioned about art as a form of activism and expression that teaches other communities empathy and understanding. Jazz dance is about individuality, expression and freedom despite obstacles. Speak with respect for your peers (we will be covering some VERY touchy issues on race, gender and sexuality), but know that your voice and opinion are valued and WANTED in this course.
If you have a preferred name or pronoun, or other information you’d like me to know; please speak with me in person or send me an email. I’m here to support you! Students who wish to designate a preferred name should fill out the Change of Personal Information Form available online. Students who wish to update their email address should select the respective option under the section “Preferred First Name.” It is important to understand that designating a preferred name for use at the Colleges does NOT constitute a legal name change. A students' legal name will continue to be used on certain college documents, such as transcripts. Please let me know how to help you be the best student you can be! I am available for extra feedback on papers, to discuss accommodations, or for other questions. I strive to be a fair but challenging professor.
I am available by email, chat, video chat or phone, with prior arrangement, and I am frequently on-campus. In coordination with the DRC office [call (650) 738-4280], reasonable accommodations will be provided to eligible students with disabilities. The San Mateo County Community College District is committed to maintaining safe and caring college environments at Cañada College, College of San Mateo and Skyline College. The District has established policies and procedures regarding Sexual Misconduct, Harassment, and Assault.
A District website has also been developed which provides you with important information about sexual misconduct and sexual assault. http://smccd.edu/titleix/ To learn more about these issues and how you can help prevent them, you are encouraged to view the Not Anymore videos, which can be found on WebSMART under the Student Services link.
Click on: Not Anymore Video.