THEA 331 - Dances of South Asia

Credits: 4

This class will incorporate an exploration of the fundamentals of traditional South Asian dance with a comparative approach that enables students to develop an understanding of cultural differences between dance styles in South Asia and the West. Students will be introduced to various ways of presenting and performing South Asian dancing genres, including not only traditional formats, but also in modern settings. The class format will be divided equally between active physical learning of dance movements and discussion of assigned readings relating to such topics as dance-related history, costumes, artists, and art movements; dance as a marker of relationships within and among different cultures; and aspects of dance fusion between South Asia and the West. and spring.