Like many Ohio State students, Megan Shaw needed a general education curriculum course and was searching for one that was interesting and different.
Shaw, a sophomore in human nutrition and food management, studied ballet as a youth and decided to look into dance classes to fulfill her visual performing arts requirement.
“It was the perfect fit for me because I got to sit and learn and watch the thing I love and miss – dance,” Shaw said.
Earning a GEC can be a daunting task for students. Finding a class that is different and enjoyable, instead of a quick find on BuckeyeLink, is hard to come by. There is a solution in the department of dance.
At OSU, the department of dance offers four different, five-credit hour GEC classes and an array of two-credit electives to choose from. Whether it is needing to fulfill a visual performing arts requirement or filling in some elective credits, the department of dance has a class to offer.
The four GECs, which require no classroom dancing, include Dance 161 (Dance & Theater 1945-Present), Dance 200 (From Swan Lake to Hip Hop – The Riches of Concert Dance History), Dance 357 (Dance in Popular Culture) and Dance H367.01 (Writing about Dance).
Dance 161 and 200 will fulfill a visual performing arts requirement. Dance H367.01 is a honors second-level writing course and Dance 357 is a visual performing arts course that focuses on the cultures, ideas and social diversity in the United States.
“The class was entertaining and intriguing. Watching all of the dances on video helped pull everything together that we were learning about in lecture,” said Shaw, who took Dance 200. “The class broadened my interests in dancing more than what I already knew.”
Susan Van Pelt Petry, departmental interim chair, said Dance H367.01 is a great class for students interested in “keen perception of human behavior,” such as those studying law, psychology or medicine. Watching dance and then writing about what you saw helps “develop a good eye,” she said.
The department also offers actual dance classes that count as electives.
“We have a commitment to serve the community… it’s our responsibility to teach dance,” Petry said.
Currently, ballet, pointe, hip-hop, jazz, tap, modern, tai-chi and capoeira elective classes are offered for two credits each. Petry said these classes offer fun, relaxation, exercise and will engage your mind, body and spirit.
Designed to teach from the non-dancer to the experienced, these classes are “great for all levels,” said graduate dance student Karen Ivy, who also teaches Jazz 2 this quarter.
Petry said not to be discouraged from taking these classes, even if you have no experience. Ballet, jazz and modern is offered in three levels. Entrance into the pointe class is based on experience while the hip-hop, tai-chi and capoeira are open to all. “Total beginners should take level one… the 201’s are great for beginners,” she said.
Beginners should not worry that their grade depends solely on their dancing ability, because it relies more on “participation and progress,” said dance graduate student Sarah Hixon, who currently teaches Tap 1. Just like other academic classes, students can boost their grades with homework assignments.
“Each class requires different written work. Sometimes this work is keeping a journal of your class experiences, vocabulary tests, or writing papers in response to dance you watch,” Hixon said.
For Ivy’s class, students are required to see and write about either a dance, theatrical or musical performance during the quarter.
Not only do students watch performances, they do one of their own as well.
“Dancers will usually work in groups during class, learning how to dance with other people. At the end of the quarter, many students choose to participate in an informal presentation of their skills and everyone always has a great time,” Hixon said.
Even if students are not dancers, Petry said the electives are good for people who want to understand movement, such as those going into physical therapy work, doctors, psychologists.”
As for the advanced dancer, Hixon said “the intermediate and advanced-level elective classes will challenge those who already have a dance background.”
Sibley Ruggles, a junior in speech and hearing science and an experienced dancer, has taken Jazz 3 and Tap 2 just to keep up with her skills.
“The dance classes I have taken at OSU proved to be extremely interesting and beneficial. The variety of teachers has allowed me to experience dance styles which I had previously not been taught,” Ruggles said.
If taking a dance elective seems like the easy way out, Hixon stresses that it is not.
“Anybody who has taken dance knows that it is far from easy, and involves a lot of intellectual and physical work,” Hixon said. Dance is experiential, so attendance and participation are crucial to success in class. Outside written work helps students have a deeper understanding of the style, form, or context of the dance they are studying.”
Erika Gee can be reached at [email protected].
