DAN 190-H / Improvisation / Spring 2026

    Guest Teacher Yael Schweitzer Intro   Sensing: Connecting with your body, with your breath, with the space.   Moving:   A)Walking around the room and make a stop to face another person.   B) Warm Up (In Mettler's language it is Tunning Up and Tunning In).   Individuation   Stretching, different body parts, try to see what is true for your at this movement, feel free to use the floor. Try to open eyes as looking to your body parts and then try with eyes closed. Some people are twisting and bending, so let us add that to your exploration. Try to see what kind of movement are coming out for you, if you are trying something you have not tried before.     Try rolls  with your hands, your neck, your body in general, with eyes closed and eyes open. It is OK to just enjoy this movement. Sense different body parts as you roll. Now will go into undulating. Give more movement to it to transition into swinging. Try to swing all bod...

  Unit: 5 Rhythms Theme: Flow   I Introduction Dance Improvisation can emanate from meditative states. Today, we will explore the influence that the 5 Rhythms movement system created by Gabrielle Roth had on dance improvisation. The idea is to transcend your immediate mind state and enter a state of body surrendering. II   Learning Objectives   Understand the ideas behind the 5 rhythms Explain the sensations generated as a result of flow Gain awareness of the use of embodied movement-meditation in letting go Experience solo and group dance dancing flow Reflect on the creative process at the end of the process    III  Main Lesson  1  WARM UP Stretching   Music for warm-up   2 Silvija Tomcik dancing 5 Rhythms wave (Official)    Question 1 After seeing Silvia Tomcik dance, what do you perceive is the main aspect of her dance?    3 5Rhythms Lucia Horan & Douglas Drummond  Question 2 What is the nature of...

     I  Unit: Assessment  Theme: Mid-Term Quiz   Introduction Every semester I assess your understanding of the content covered so far. Just right before the progress report's dead line, you test your own abilities to retain some of the themes we have learned and experienced together.   Today's quiz evaluates how efficient I have been in communicating ideas about Improvisation based on your responses to the questions below.   II Objectives Understand the nature of self-assessment Make sense of the various concepts explored in class Gather an awareness of assessment that is conducive to further learning Experience what is like to put into practice the content learned in class  III Discussion Questions 1. How do you think this class has (so far) helped you become a better dance-improvisation mover, dancer, performer?  Book: Taken by Surprise 2. Click on the link above. Go to the introduction on page xiii, and read the first two ...

    Unit: Multi-Modal Theme: Dancing and Drawing   I Introduction Dance Improvisation can also derive from other art modalities.Today, we will explore the influence that drawing has on dance that emerges from stream of consciousness creativity. It is a kind of aesthetic response to art, but in this case, the dancer's own art. II   Learning Objectives   Understand the inter-modal process (drawing, music, dance). Explain the sensations generated as a result of the work Gain awareness of the use of drawing to generate movement vocabulary Experience solo improv when responding to the piece Reflect on the creative process at the end of the process   III   Warm Up Stretching   IV Main Lesson 1 Link: Dancing and Drawing by Auriea Harvey   "While I was not able to explore a structural representational style I would like to employ, due to reasons of time, I still feel what this exercise provided me with is a visceral approach to starting a drawi...

        Unit: Partnering Theme: Waltz, Polka, Tango, Salsa   I Introduction   Dance partnering is dancing performed by two or more dancers that strive to achieve a harmony of coordinated movements. Typically, the technique used for a particular dance style is generally focused on either communication between partners or physical support of one partner by the other   II Learning Objectives  Understand the importance of the relationship in partnering Explain how achieving partnering depends on the harmony of coordinated movements.  Gain awareness of the importance that free-form dances have when deciding and communicating the sequence of figures to be danced. Experience the role of partnering in social dances Reflect on the work done in class III Main Lesson 1 Warm Up Alignment  Stretching   2 Waltz ...

    Unit: The Movement Theme: Aesthetic Response   I Introduction The aesthetic response is based on an exercise I experienced at the European Graduate School. The dancer places him/herself in front of the art piece to embody the qualities of the piece and give it voice. In our class we will do the same to generate movement. The response will allow the dancer to find ways to express the voice of the art piece in dance. II   Learning Objectives   Understand the aesthetic response process. Explain the sensations generated as a result of the work Gain awareness of the use of art to generate movement vocabulary Experience solo improv when responding to the piece Reflect on the creative process at the end of the process   III  Main Lesson 1 Warm Up Stretching  Body Storming Finding rhythm with each other ....  2   Read the Article Aesthetic Emotions: The Emotional Effect of Beauty   Question  2. After reading the  article...

    Unit: The Movement Theme: Theme and Variation   I Introduction When improvising, it is possible to use a motif to derive a variety of movement choices. This is an easy and creative way to expand on one movement idea or dancing image or movement metaphor and never stop dancing due to lack of movement. II   Learning Objectives   Understand the connection between themes and variations Explain the creative process involved in the emergence of a motif Gain awareness of the use of movement to expand on the motif Experience ensemble movement when integrating all the created phrases Reflect on the creative process at the end of the process   III Warm Up  Stretching   IV  Main Lesson    Review Elements Name Story Narrative (Riots) Anthropomorphic  Body Shapes Emotions  Concepts: To-go phrase Score  Question 1 Out of all the different ideas listed above, which one has given you the greater amount of ...