THD 115-01 - World Dance Traditions

4 credits (Fall)

Introduction to Balinese Dance. Bali, Indonesia is home to diverse traditional and contemporary art-forms that are connected to social life and nature. Its preservation of culture is predicated on a vast history of cultural sharing around the world. In this class, students will learn the fundamentals of Balinese dance (tari dasar) while exploring the nuances of personal body movement and contextualizing cultural sensitivities. People will have a chance to learn how Balinese dance interacts with theater, popular media, and musical arts such as Gamelan. While Balinese dance is found in many sacred practices, it has also developed using creatively experimental processes. This course will collaborate with the Balinese Sound Ensemble to better understand the connection of movement and music. The end of the semester will culminate in a public sharing of our work and a dialogue of inter/intra-cultural dance practices.

Prerequisite: None.
Instructor: Putri