Syllabus
Dance Improvisation Syllabus
TERM: SPRING – 2026
JAN 12 – APR 27
University of Miami
Frost School of Music – Dance Program
DAN 190 – H (6763) / Dance Improvisation –
Meeting time: Monday and Wednesday/ 3:35 - 4:50 pm
Location: Wellness Center
Lecturer : Jorge L. Morejón, Ph.D.
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 11:20 PM – 12:20 PM / by appointment
Email: j.morejon@umiami.edu
Bulletin Description:
DAN 190 - R is an introduction to improvisational dance. The class is designed to enhance the student’s creative and physical awareness. The course facilitates the process of spontaneously creating movement. Every class the students develop their ability to improvise movement material through a variety of creative explorations including body mapping through levels, shapes and dynamics that enrich their movement vocabulary. Classroom activities include exercises and information on body alignment, muscular development, effective breathing, and relaxation techniques.
Pre-requisites: There is no prerequisite and the course welcomes students who have no previous experience in dance as well as those who do.
Course Objectives / Students will be able to:
1. Develop personal creativity and expression through movement.
2. Explore creative interaction through improvisational exercises and dances, including solo and group work.
3. Enhance a sense of body awareness, movement choices and dance vocabulary.
4. Expand range of movement options.
5. Improve strength, flexibility, endurance, balance, coordination and fluidity of movement.
6. Acknowledge the relationship between dance and music.
7. Acquire the habit of journaling.
8. Create and perform movement studies.
9. Engage in dance discussions.
10. Observe professional dancers in concert and discuss, in writing, the relationship between dance technique, training, performance and improvisation.
In addition, throughout this course, students will have the opportunity to improve their presentation skills, written communication, dance literacy, creativity, career development, and critical thinking.
Instructional Methodology: Lecture, dance/movement experiential in class, self-reflection journal,
Required text:
Taken by Surprise: A Dance Improvisation Reader, edited by Ann Cooper Albright, David Gere
Assignments:
Creative Project: Solo & Group Dance
Grading Breakdown:
Grading Policy:
Attendance 25%
Journal 10%
Paper 15%
Daily participation and effort 20%
Mid-term Quiz 5%
Creative Project/ Solo & Group Dance 25%
100%
Student Handbook
http://media.law.miami.edu/current-students/pdf/2015/student-handbook.pdf
Grading Scale
A - 4.00 - 100
A- 3.70 – 92.5
B+ - 3.30 – 82.5
B - 3.00 – 75.0
B- 2.70 – 67.5
C+ - 2.30 – 57.5
C - 2.00 – 50.0
C- 1.70 – 42.5
D - 1.00 - 25
F - 0.00
Attendance 25 %
You are expected to participate in class discussions by actively engaging the class material.
To participate you MUST come to class both ON TIME AND PREPARED BY:
Reading assigned material before class
Review your notes prior to class meetings
Bring questions or thoughts to contribute to the informed discussion.
JOURNAL:
Every class, the student will write a journal entry summarizing the content of the class and a response/reflection/critique of it. 10%
Self-Reflective Paper 15%
DAILY PARTICIPATION AND EFFORT 20%
Mid-Term Quiz 5%
CREATIVE PROJECT: TOTAL 25%
GROUP PIECE 15%
Create a group dance piece. The group decides the music of the piece or whether to use silence, environmental sound or spoken word.
SOLO PIECE 10%
Create a solo dance piece. The student decides the music of the piece or whether to use silence, environmental sound or spoken word.
DAN 190 - R CLASS SCHEDULE
JAN 12 – APR 27
Week 1 – 16 Topic/Activity ______
WEEK 1
Jan 12
Monday
Introductions. NAMES / THE CLASSICAL ELEMENTS
· First Group Phrase
Jan 14
Wednesday
WARM UP / Pedestrian Movement / Movement Rules
Movement Exploration Dance of the Elements (Wind, Water, Earth and Fire).
NAMES: A SOURCE OF DANCE STORIES
· First Solo Phrase
WEEK 2
Jan 19 Martin Luther King’s Day
Jan 21
Warm Up / Movement Exploration
Movement Concept / Personal and General Space
DANCE AS NARRATIVE
· 2nd Group Phrase
· Review Solo and Group Phrase
PRO-VERBAL DANCE / ANTHROPOMORPHIC EXPLORATION
· 2nd Solo Phrase
· Review 2 solo phrases and 2 group phrases
WEEK 3
Jan 26
Warm Up
Movement Exploration
BODY SHAPES IN DANCE/MOVEMENT IMPROVISATION
3rd Solo Phrase
3rd Group Phrase
Jan 28
Warm Up
Movement Exploration
DANCE OF EMOTIONS
· 4th Solo Phrase
· Review 4 solo phrases and 3 groups phrases
WEEK 4
Feb 2 Warm Up / Movement Exploration
THEME AND VARIATION
· 4th Group Phrase
Feb 4 Warm Up / Movement Exploration
DANCING AND DRAWING
· 5th Solo Phrase
· Review 5th solo phrase & 4th group phrase
WEEK 5
Feb 9
Warm Up
FIVE RHYTHMS: FLOW
· 5th Group Phrase
Feb 11
Warm Up
FIVE RHYTHMS: STACCATO
· 6th Solo Phrase
· Review 5 group phrases & 6 solo phrases
WEEK 6
Feb 16
Warm Up
FIVE RHYTHMS: CHAOS
7th Solo Phrase
Feb 18
Warm Up
FIVE RHYTHMS: LYRICAL
6th Group Phrase
Review 7 solo phrases & 6 group phrases
WEEK 7
Midterm Reporting Begins
Feb 23
Warm Up
FIVE RHYTHMS: STILLNESS
· 7th Group Phras
Feb 25
REVIEW
Mid-Term Quiz
· REVIEW OF ALL PHRASES
· (7 solo phrases / 7 Ensemble phrases)
WEEK 8
Mar 2 VISIT to the LOWE
Warm Up
Movement Exploration / the Aesthetic Response
VISUAL THINKING STRATEGIES
(Choose an art piece to draw movement)
We will introduce the students to the Lowe, and show have conversations about a select few works of art from the Lowe's collection. We will have a short VTS discussion and then ask them how they might create a movement in relation to the work based on those ideas discussed.
· Choose an art piece you would like to work with
· Aesthetic Response
· Improvise (Movement exploration based on your own chose art piece)
· Chose one movement you would like to give to your group
Mar 4 Warm Up
EVAN’S IMPROVISATIONAL METHODS: EXTERNALIZING
• 8th Solo phrase (Review 8 solo phrases)
• Review 8 ensemble phrases (including art based phrase)
EVAN’S IMPROVISATIONAL METHODS: ENACTING
• 9th Solo phrase
• Review all 9 solo and 8 ensemble phrases
SPRING RECESS (Mar 7 – 15)
WEEK 9
Mar 9 SPRING RECESS
Mar 11 SPRING RECES
Mar 18
Warm Up
EVAN’S IMPROVISATIONAL METHODS: REHEARSING
· Review all phrases (9 solo phrases and 9 ensemble phrases)
WEEK 11
Mar 23
Warm Up
OBSERVING PERSONAL OBJECT
After Observing personal object
Create 8 moves phrase.
Add new phrase to previous phrases.
· 10th Solo phrase
Mar 25
Warm Up
SITE SPECIFIC IMPROV
· 10th Ensemble phrase
REVIEW (10 solo phrases and 10 ensemble phrases)
WEEK 12
Apr 1
CREATING THE SCORE
· Review all phrases (10 solo / 10 ensemble)
WEEK 13
Apr 6
CHOOSING THE MUSIC
· Review all phrases (10 solo / 10 ensemble)
Apr 8
MATCH MUSIC AND DANCE FOR SOLO AND ENSEMBLE
USE TITLE AND SYNOPSIS TO JUSTIFY MOVEMENT CHOICES
· Review all phrases (10 solo / 10 ensemble)
WEEK 14
Apr 13
Turn in Program Rough Draft
Video: Interview with Julien Hamilton
Rehearsal of solo and ensemble
Apr 15
Rehearsal of Improvisational Solo and Ensembles Pieces
Program Second Rough draft.
Dance Improvisation Final
WEEK 15
Apr 20
Closing / Self-Reflective Paper Due
Apr 21 Pending Work
END OF THE SEMESTER
Apr 27
Monday
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APPENDIX
I.
Self-Reflective Paper 15% (Rubric)
The paper was originally intended to stimulate you to go and see a live dance performance and write a review about it. Because of the circumstances, you will write a two-page self-reflective paper in which you express how DAN 211 / Modern Improvisation has affected your ability to express yourself through your body as you use specific examples from class (online or not) to illustrate your points.
(Double spaced, Times New Roman, 12 font)
RUBRIC
(No emphasis on grammar or spelling, but on expression of ideas and feelings about dance, your experience and our class)
Organization: (2pts)
Introduction (What are you writing about?) (1)
Main Idea (The core of your paper (2)
Body (Three paragraphs / Support your idea) (1)
Conclusion (Re-state what you wrote about) (1)
Coherence (2 pts) [Does your paper make sense]
Content (2 pts) [Have you used ideas from class]
Integration (2 pts) [How well have you integrated experience with facts from the blog]
Authenticity(2 pts) [How honest is your paper based on your experience in class]
-----------------------------------------------
II.
SOLO DANCE PIECE 10% (RUBRIC)
REMEMBER:
Evaluation is based on completion of the work. There is no right or wrong.
The focus will be on your creativity and willingness to complete the assignment.
SOLO RUBRIC
Title and Synopsis (1)
(1.5 points per item)
· Fluency (number of movement ideas)
· Flexibility (variety of movement ideas)
· Originality (new or unusual movement ideas)
· Elaboration (adding detail to movement ideas)
· Quantity (generation of a lot of ideas)
· Recognizable dance improv. moves
------------------------------------------
III.
GROUP DANCE PIECE 15% (RUBRIC)
REMEMBER:
Evaluation is based on completion of the work. There is no right or wrong.
The focus will be on your creativity and willingness to complete the assignment.
GROUP RUBRIC
Title and Synopsis (3 points)
(2 points per item)
• Fluency (number of movement ideas)
• Flexibility (variety of movement ideas)
• Originality (new or unusual movement ideas)
• Elaboration (adding detail to movement ideas)
• Quantity (generation of a lot of ideas)
• Overall Group Cohesiveness
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IV.
In substitution of the Group Project
Research Paper (RUBRIC)
You will write a two-page paper in which you will choose a dance improvisation performance from TV, YouTube or others sources such as journals, books, magazines to reflect upon the dance using the elements of modern dance you have studied during the semester.
(Double spaced, Times New Roman, 12 font)
(No emphasis on grammar or spelling, but on expression of ideas and feelings about dance, your experience in class, and the secondary sources you choose to cite).
Title (1pt)
Organization (2pts)
Introduction (What are you writing about?) (1)
Main Idea (The core of your paper (1)
Body (Three paragraphs / Support your idea) (1)
Conclusion (Re-state what you wrote about) (1)
Coherence (2 pts) [Does your paper make sense]
Content (2pts) [Have you used ideas from class, from secondary sources?]
Integration (2 pts) [How well have you integrated experience in class with facts from secondary sources]
Authenticity (2 pts) [How honest is your paper based on your experience in class, your love for dance and your cited secondary sources; (You do not have to use secondary sources, but if you do, make sure you use proper citations and references]
ATENTION
In the event that the University of Miami’s campus closes unexpectedly for an extended period of time due to a hurricane, pandemic, or other emergency situation that prevents this course from meeting in person, students should be prepared to continue their learning remotely through Blackboard and other platforms.
Students are expected to check their UM email account and course Blackboard sites regularly for communications with me and the rest of the class, and to the extent feasible, continue participating in their courses from their off-campus location by the alternate means determined by me in coordination and agreement with you.
In the event that no internet or electricity is available, a course pack will be provided to students to continue working on their own until communication is restored and/or campus life is back to normal.
Source:
Syllabus. https://ministry-to-youth.com/products/syllabus
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