Dance
: Undergraduate
: Essay
: English (U.S.)
: 3 pages/825 words
:MLA due in 9 hours  2 sources

 The guidelines for the project are as follows but the event I attended was different. I am attaching the guidelines of the original event along with the notes of the event I attended which is the senior dance along with its flow of events as well.  

The Lively Arts, Spring 2020

Dance Paper: due in section Feb. 12

Required Performance: Philadanco, 7:30, FAC Concert Hall,

FREE with TLA pass

Assignment: Discuss the performance of Philadanco in an essay relying on the terms, concepts, and history explored during our classes on dance, and in the Minton essay. Please also remember to include objective observations (Perception), subjective observations (Response), and interpretations of the performance, or some aspect of the performance.

Take good notes! You will be amazed how quickly details fade from your memory. Either take notes during the concert (no laptops or phones are allowed in the concert hall, so use a notebook), or jot down all your impressions and observations right after the show. Otherwise, your write-up will be vague and awkward.

Please be aware: This is a professional dance company on a national tour. The audience will be composed of all kinds of people from all over the Pioneer Valley (meaning: not just Lively Arts students). Please be conscientious about practicing good concert behavior. No phones whatsoever (we have had students get kicked out by FAC ushers for using their phones during shows). Don’t talk during the show. Don’t get up and leave in the middle of the show (unless it’s an emergency obviously). If you take notes, use pen and paper (not a computer or tablet or whatever). Etc.

Actual Requirements: This essay does NOT have to be a standard “five paragraph essay.” In fact you may structure this assignment in any way you like, so long as it follows the rules below. You could write it as though it were a short story—you could create a character and tell a story about them in which they experience this art. Or, you could write a review of the exhibit as though you are a newspaper critic. You could write in the form of a dialogue or screenplay. Feel free to explore these installations in writing however you like, so long as your paper adheres to the following standards:

· it needs to have a clear structure, with a meaningful flow of ideas from one section to another. Please do not write in the “stream-of-consciousness” style. Spend some time thinking about the craft of your writing. To do this well, it helps to begin with some notes—what will the skeleton of your paper be? How will it all hang together? Is there a main image or argument or theme you want your reader to come away with? Start with that, and let the rest of your ideas follow in a coherent way.

· It needs to spend some time actually describing the works, using specific language. Don’t be vague! Don’t just say “the art was nice” or “the art made me feel peaceful/mad/whatever.” What do you mean when you say these things? Be specific!

· Related to the previous rule: your paper needs to somehow spend time on each of the three modes of encountering art that are explained in the TLA Guide. You need to describe what you saw and heard (Perception), explore your own reactions to what you saw/heard (Response), and come up with some “bigger picture” things to say about those reactions (Interpretation).

· In addition, your paper needs to engage with some larger ideas from this class. We’ve already talked and read quite a bit about art, thoughts/thinking, the history of ideas, ways of being in the world, art and culture, politics, etc. What are some things you’ve learned or thought about during this class that you can apply to these artworks in some way? Talking about art (I mean, talking about art in a way that is interesting) means discussing your own feelings AS WELL AS bigger picture ideas. Your paper must do both, in some way.

Other required nuts-and-bolts:

· A minimum of three pages, 12 pt font, double spaced (roughly 800-1,000 words)

· spell-checked and read for errors and clarity—do not turn in something covered with obvious typos!! No excuses!! Also I suggest reading your paper out loud, because it helps you notice confusing or awkward sentences you’d miss otherwise.

· Give this piece of writing a title. Have fun with your titles! Don’t just call it “Paper #1,” What is your write-up really about? What’s your theme or point? What’s a creative title that can encompass the stuff you say in your paper?

The questions or things to think about listed below are intended to help you to organize your thoughts, but you do not have to answer them. They are just some additional tips in case you feel bewildered or overwhelmed during the performance. If you choose to take notes during the performance, please do so discreetly (using paper and pen, not a laptop or phone) so as not to distract other audience members.

Things to Think About or Notice

· How many people are on stage during each piece?

· How is the performance as a whole structured—are there individual pieces or is it one long piece? How many people are on stage at any given time?

· What kinds of relationships between dancers do you notice? Is everyone dancing alone? Are there paired dances (“duets”)? Group dances? If a group is dancing together, is each individual doing the same movements or are they all doing different stuff?

· Do I recognize any of the gestures the dancers use? Do I see high-fives, hugs, dance steps I recognize, or pantomimed “conversations” I can follow?

· Does the dance remind me of anything or make me think of anything?

· Does anything I see impress me? For example, are there any moments of sheer physical strength or dexterity that amaze me?

· Does there seem to be a narrative to a given dance (meaning: is the dance somehow telling a story)? If so, what is that narrative, and how is it conveyed using solely body movement?

· Or, does the dance seem to be more abstract, without a clear storyline? If a dance is abstract, what feelings or impressions does it convey, and how? What might I be meant to take away from this dance, or feel during it?

· What is going on with the lighting, the costumes, or any props that are present? What roles do each of these aspects play, in creating the dance performance as a whole?

· What kinds of relationships do I notice between the dance movements and the music that is playing? What is the music like?