DNC 694A-002: Master's Project: Performance
Progress/Candidacy Project:Performance
3 Credits
Instructors: Clouser, Ernst, George, Hancock, Knosp, Lowe, Nielsen, Quinn, Watson Williams
This course is for graduate students in the School of Dance who are working towards their Progress Semester or Candidacy Semester requirements for the MFA in Dance with an option in performance. Students may first register for this course after they have completed the clearing requirements: DNC595A Teaching Methods of Dance, DNC596A Critical Issues in Dance and at least one semester of DNC591 Preceptorship.
Course Requirements and Objectives
The purpose of the course is for the student to design and implement a performance project for the Progress Semester or Candidacy Semester in accordance with the student’s individual focus and specific degree program objectives.
The student is required to have at least one faculty mentor for the Progress and Candidacy Projects. The student is strongly encouraged to select a different mentor for the Candidacy project. The faculty mentor and the student should consult at the beginning of the semester to determine a regular meeting time. While the faculty mentor will guide the project, each student is strongly encouraged to invite ALL faculty to assist in and give feedback during the progression of the project.
Course requirements include a written project proposal, to be approved by the faculty mentor, the performance project and a written self-evaluation of the project.
Students who would like their projects to be considered for formal concerts will be required participate in the concert auditions, which take place approximately 2-3 weeks prior to the performance. Students who would like their projects to be considered for Last Chance to Dance should contact the Artistic Director for that venue. Students whose work will not be shown in a formal concert venue must arrange a showing for the entire faculty. This may occur during faculty meetings on Fridays.
Procedure
A copy of the written proposal should be given to the faculty mentor and the Dance Graduate Advisor. The first draft of the proposal is due by 5:00 p.m. on the first Friday after the audition process in the semester in which the project is to be evaluated. The faculty mentor and Dance Graduate Advisor will give feedback to the student. The mentor may approve the proposal, conditionally approve the proposal with revisions or reject the proposal. If the proposal must be re-submitted, the student may only do so twice. If the proposal is rejected on the third submission, an entirely new proposal must be presented to the mentor. The faculty mentor should either approve the proposal or advise the student to submit the new proposal by the fourth week of the semester. Following approval of the proposal, the faculty mentor will sign the cover sheet of the final copy of the proposal and place it in the student’s file.
Studet Outcomes and Assessment
Student Outcomes
The student is expected to select a performance project that demonstrates artistic growth at the graduate level. For the Progress Project, the student should incorporate concepts and knowledge that they have acquired during the first semester of study. For the Candidacy Project, the student should incorporate concepts and knowledge that they have acquired from the Progress Project. Revising or recreating works that were performed prior to matriculation at the University of Arizona will not be approved.
Assessment
Grading for each project will be S, P, C, D or E. The student MUST receive a grade of S or P in order to pass the Progress or Candidacy Project. A grade of C, D or E will be an indication that the student is not making satisfactory academic progress. A student who is not making satisfactory academic progress will be required to attend a formal review of their academic and creative work by the Graduate Committee.
Grading will be done by the faculty mentor and will take into consideration feedback from the faculty. The faculty mentor will grade the project and base the grading on (1) whether, in their professional opinion, the student satisfied the evaluation criteria established for the project and (2) whether the student demonstrated a defensible self-critique through the written self-evaluation. The project will be graded as an incomplete until the student has met with the faculty mentor. Following the grading of the project, the faculty mentor will submit a grade using the Change of Grade Form.
Guidelines for the Written Proposal
Graduate students in the School of Dance should base the written project proposal on their individual design of study in performance. A sample proposal will be provided to assist you. The written proposal should follow these guidelines:
Cover Page: The cover page should include the title of the project, whether it is a Progress or Candidacy Semester project, the semester and year in which the project is to be completed and a signature line for the faculty mentor.
Introduction: The introduction should provide a brief description of the project and indicate the medium for evaluation (performance or faculty showing).
Purpose Statement:
As discussed in Critical Issues in Dance, the purpose statement:
- Indicates the purpose of your project
- Clearly articulates what will be studied
- Indicates the focus of analysis and interpretation, as well as the intended outcome of the project, should be stated in the purpose.
Example: The purpose of this project is to perform role of the female soloist in Paul Sanasardo’s seminal work, Metallics. Through this performance, I intend to identify and analyze the elements of performance that are necessary for one to be successful in performing this important work from the modern dance repertoire.
Problem Statements:
As discussed in Critical Issues in Dance, the problem statements:
- States what you will do in order to fulfill the purpose of your project
- Hones in on the specific aspects of the purpose of the project that will be subjected to in-depth study.
Example:
Who is Paul Sanasardo and why is he an important figure in the field of dance?
Why is Metallics considered an important work in the modern dance repertoire?
Why is it important to restage this work?
What is the function of the female soloist in this work?
What challenges does the performer face in mounting this work?
What are the elements of performance that are necessary to be successful in performing this work?
What does an analysis of these elements indicate about the art of performance in dance?
Assumptions:
Example: That this IS an important work in the modern dance repertoire that is worth restaging. That as a performer, that I have the skills to perform the work.
Source of Inspiration and motivation for this project:
What has inspired, influenced and/or motivated you to pursue this project?
Timeline
Concluding Paragraph: This paragraph should include a statement indicating the names of the faculty mentor.
Evaluation Criteria: The evaluation criteria should directly reflect the significant aspects of your proposal. It is helpful to ask yourself the question: What do you intend to learn from this experience?
Written Self-Evaluation
At the conclusion of the project, the student will write a self-evaluation of the project. In the self-evaluation, the student should discuss:
- The project in light of the evaluation criteria.
- Any problems that occurred in the process and how these problems were solved.
- The relevance of this project to their artistic growth. What is the relationship of this piece to your artistic growth? How do you think this work will influence your future work?
- The context in which your work may be viewed in the field of dance. Historically, what other works of choreography have been developed based on the intent, process, content, structure and/or music used in your project? This section provides you with an opportunity to discuss any research that you conducted in order to understand the place of your work within the larger body of work in the field of dance.
The student will give their self-evaluation to the faculty mentor by 5:00 p.m. the Friday of the first week of the semester following the project.