​Dance History

Nijinsky, José Limon, Dionysus, Alvin Ailey, Martha Graham, Petipa, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Bill T. Jones, Jacob's Pillow, Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, "Revelations", "Rite of Spring", "Swan Lake", ballet, modern dance, jazz dance, musical theatre, and more.

Dance History and Appreciation is a 3-unit comprehensive survey course covering the origins of dance and its gradual development into a theatrical form in Western civilization. Dance includes religion and ritual in many cultures. The course explores dance as an emerging art form from the 16th to 20th centuries. Emphasis is placed on the concert dance heritage of Europe and the United States. Students also study theatrical dance as a reflection of cultural attitudes and its relation to other art forms.

The course includes lectures, readings, videos, guest speakers, and discussion. History serves as a foundation for the development of the student's aesthetic awareness and ability to make critical assessment of dance. Both general and enriched honors sections are available. Students in all majors find this course to be a stimulating introduction to viewing dance and learning history.

Degree requirements and transfer credit: Dance History and Appreciation fulfills general education requirements in Humanities for the Associate of Arts degree, for the University of California and the California State University transfer, and for the SAC dance major requirements.