Classes to Move You
From ballet and modern dance, to hip hop, jazz, tap, ballroom, and hula, we immerse our students in diverse movement traditions and techniques. We offer a diverse variety of dance technique classes that will get your body moving and engage your passion for dance. Whether you are just exploring dance for the first time or if you have been dancing your whole life, we have something for you. Check out our dance technique classes below!
D 101 Beginning Ballet - 3 cr
This course is an introduction at a beginning level to ballet technique, theory and performance. Course material includes introduction to the basic concepts of body alignment and technique in traditional ballet. Course emphasizes basic movement sequences, the accompanying French terminology, history, practice and performance.
D 102 Beginning Jazz Dance
This course is an introduction at a beginning level to jazz dance technique, theory and performance. Course material includes introduction to the basic concepts of body alignment and technique in the jazz dance style. Course focuses on consolidating skills in rhythmic awareness, accompanying terminology, history, practice and performance.
D 103 Beginning Modern Dance - 3 cr
This course is an introduction at a beginning level to contemporary dance technique, theory and performance. Course material includes introduction to the basic concepts of body alignment and technique in the contemporary dance style. Course focuses on consolidating skills in creative expression, accompanying terminology, history, practice and performance.
D 104 Beginning Tap Dance - 3 cr
This course is an introduction at a beginning level to tap dance technique, theory and performance. Course material includes introduction to the basic concepts of rhythmic awareness and technique in tap dance style. Course focuses on consolidating skills with steps and techniques, accompanying terminology, history, practice and performance.
D 177 Beginning Hip Hop - 3 cr
This course is an exploration of urban and street dance forms as they take shape in different locations around the world. Particular attention will be paid to the musical, corporeal, visual, spoken word, and literary manifestations that hip-hop wields to build specific cultural communities in given national and global contexts.
D 120 Introduction to Ballroom Dance - 3 cr
An introductory study of fundamental ballroom dance techniques. This course is intended to be a class for students who have little or no experience with ballroom dance. Students will experience dancing the Fox-Trot, Waltz, Swing, American Tango, Rumba, Samba, Merengue and the Cha-Cha. The class will cover the unique rhythm, timing, and style that characterize each dance and will emphasize proper techniques for both leading and following a partner. No previous dance training required.
D 170 World Dance: Salsa - 3 cr
This course is an exploration of the Salsa dance form as it takes shape in different locations throughout Latin America. Particular attention will be paid to the Cuban dance form Casino Rueda and how it supports cultural mores and values throughout the Latin diaspora.
D 171 World Dance: Hula - 3 cr
This course is an exploration of the Polynesian dance form hula which is performed throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Particular attention will be paid to hula ‘auana (modern hula) and how it supports contemporary cultural mores and values throughout the Hawaiian Islands.
D 172 World Dance: African - 3 cr
This course is an exploration of West African dance forms from Senegal and Guinea. Particular attention will be paid to how current iterations of ancient dances support contemporary cultural mores and values for the peoples of Senegal and Guinea, West Africa.
D 241 Awareness in Action: Listening to the Body - 3 cr
In the class Awareness In Action: Listening To The Body, students will learn about Somatics. Somatics is the field which studies the soma, which is the body as perceived from within, as opposed to the body as perceived by another. In this class students will learn about key contributors to the field of somatics and different somatic movement practices. Through the integration of somatics into dance training and daily life, students learn to listen to their bodies and become aware of habitual neuromuscular patterns. Once we engage in self awareness or somatic practices, we are able to acknowledge inefficient habitual movement patterns, muscular imbalances, and structural anatomical limitations that we may posses. As a result, students will expand options for new ways of moving, increase sensitivity and improve efficiency. When asked “what is somatics?” my general answer is the study of the self in the moment. It is a deep investigation of the self in many capacities and is based in movement. Participants often experience moments of deep reflection, relaxation, and body and self-awareness.
D 340 Conditioning for Dancers - 3 cr
Participation in physical conditioning and information on how to create an individualized conditioning program specifically designed for dancers.
D 250 Drumming for Dancers - 3 cr
Utilizes West African rhythms to develop the auditory skills for dancers to translate both oral and written drumming notation into kinesthetic expression. Dancers develop skills that directly inform and support dance technique, choreography and pedagogy.
D 330 Rhythmic Awareness - 3 cr
An exploration of the musical components of rhythm in relation to dance. Elements such as beat, meter and form are studied and developed in the context of movement and choreography. Also explored is the potential for collaboration between dancers and musicians and basic elements of rhythmic notation.
D 260 Dance Improvisation - 3 cr
Explorations to foster movement invention and spontaneity, including structured and open improvisations incorporating other media such as music, text and props. Concurrent registration in a dance technique class is strongly advised.
D 270 Dance Partnering - 2 cr
Provides fundamental skills for beginning and intermediate partnering work with an emphasis on personal safety and creativity. Based on biomechanical principles, students develop skills to facilitate partnering interactions utilizing learned partnering vocabulary and sequences.
D 277, 278, 279 Intermediate Hip Hop - 2 cr
Intermediate level Hip Hop dance blended with a commercial urban-inspired street-dance style to create fun and challenging choreography. D 277, D 278, and D 279 may be taken in any order.
D 280, 281, 282 Intermediate Modern Dance - 2 cr
Modern dance sequence emphasizing technique, body alignment and continued practice with creative expression and performance in the modern dance style. D 280, D 281, and D 282 may be taken in any order.
D 285, 286, 287 Intermediate Ballet Dance - 2 cr
Ballet sequence emphasizing alignment, technique, expanding movement vocabulary and performance skills. D 285, D 286, and D 287 may be taken in any order.
D 288, 289, 290 Intermediate Jazz Dance - 2 cr
Jazz dance sequence emphasizing body alignment, technique, body isolations, syncopated rhythms and performance. D 288, D 289, and D 290 may be taken in any order.
D 296, 297, 298 Intermediate Tap Dance- 2 cr
Tap dance sequence emphasizing steps, technique and longer, more complex rhythms in a variety of jazz styles. D 296, D 297, and D 298 may be taken in any order.
D 380, 381, 382 Pre-Advanced Modern Dance - 2 cr
Modern dance sequence emphasizing body alignment, technique, expanding movement vocabulary, improvisation skills, personal expression and performance. D 380, D 381, and D 382 can be taken in any order.
D 385, 386, 387 Pre-Advanced Ballet Dance- 2 cr
Ballet sequence emphasizing alignment and technique, including more complex adagio, petite and grande allegro combinations, with focus on performance skills. D 385, D 386, and D 387 may be taken in any order.
D 301, 302, 303 Point Technique
The introduction to pointe technique, emphasizing classical ballet vocabulary, historical perspectives, anatomy and prevention of pointe-related injuries.
D 450 Dance Repertory
Intermediate and advanced students have an opportunity to work with regionally and/or nationally renowned guest artists who set repertory works, historical works or create new work on WOU dance students. The piece will be performed in the annual dance concert at WOU and is often performed and adjudicated at the regional American College Dance Festival. By audition only.
D 480, 481, 482 Advanced Modern Dance - 2 cr
Modern dance sequence emphasizing body alignment, technique, expanding movement vocabulary, improvisation, personal expression and performance at a pre-professional level. D 480, D 481, and D 482 may be taken in any order.
D 485, 486, 487 Advanced Ballet Dance- 2 cr
Ballet sequence emphasizing alignment and technique, more complex adagio, petite and grande allegro combinations, with focus on performance skills at the pre-professional level. D 485, D 486, and D 487 may be taken in any order.
