Students

DANC220 – Dance Practice 1

2018 – S2 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Jon Burtt
Contact via email
10HA193C
Email for appointment
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
15cp at 100 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
Based in dance/movement principles this unit is structured around practices of embodied knowledge and application. Techniques will be introduced to explore the individual student's physical and creative capabilities and to develop an embodied practice of physical interaction with others. Students have opportunities to create their own performance work in group and self-devised contexts. Students will also articulate, describe and analyse dance/movement practices in written assessments. This unit suits both the experienced dancer and the novice.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Engage with the process of learning to absorb and apply dance and movement practices, and theories explored in the unit.
  • Apply critical, analytical and integrative thinking in the form of written work.
  • Develop and apply collaborative skills in practice-based work.
  • Develop and apply choreographic and performance skills in the creation and presentation of performance work.
  • Develop the ability to effectively articulate creative and embodied research in written and oral form.

General Assessment Information

General Assessment Information

Assessment:

Assessment tasks are aligned to the unit Learning Outcomes. Examples of assessments will be provided in class and posted in iLearn. Full rubrics for all assessments will be posted in iLearn.

Attendance:

In this unit it is imperative to attend all tutorials. Attendance is crucial to the learning process in both the theoretical and practice-based learning involved in this course and underpins the unit Learning Outcomes. ​

Independent Work:

Students are expected to work independently outside of scheduled tutorial times when they are working on all assessment tasks. DANC220 students will need to do their own reading of relevant texts and online materials outside of class time.

individual and Group Exercises:

Students are expected to work both independently and in groups for tutorials. Students in this unit must be willing to work within a group and to assume responsibility for the group's progress. Students are encouraged to wear comfortable training wear such as t-shirts/leotards and track pants/tights for practical exercises and workshops. 

Late submission of Technical Elements in Performance Assessments:

Please note that all technical elements such as sound and video files, lighting designs, props and/or other technical elements must be submitted no later than one week before the relevant performance date. Late submissions of technical elements will not be accepted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Duo performance task 15% No Week 5 in class
Creative practice blog 15% No Sunday 5pm weeks 8, 9 and 10
Research essay 40% No Sunday 5pm week 8
Group performance project 30% No in class week 12

Duo performance task

Due: Week 5 in class
Weighting: 15%

This performance task will be a 3 minute duo exploring students' application and understanding of practice-based classwork from the first four weeks of class. The purpose of this early performance task is to provide a platform to build on and to gain feedback early in the session. The performance will be assessed in terms of individual and group creative and technical development, and the content of the presentation. How well the duo is performed and the level to which the duo explores unit theme(s) in a coherent and engaging way will also be assessed. [Please note if there is an uneven number of students enrolled in the class there is also the potential for a trio group.] Participation and engagement in the creation, rehearsal and performance of the choreographed material will be assessed through the creation process and in live and video review of the performance with a 60% individual and 40% group weighting. Feedback will be given in class, and feedback and grades will be given in Turnitin.

Assessment criteria include:

a) Embodiment/engagement - Extent to which there is an embodiment of the technical, aesthetic and creative aspects of unit themes absorbed in the tutorials in the piece. Extent to which the student(s) challenge themselves physically. Extent of engagement with the process of learning to absorb and apply dance and movement practices, and theories explored in the unit.

LOs: 1

b) Choreography: Extent to which the student(s) work towards creating an innovative approach to the choreography - use of space, time, design. 

LOs: 4

c) Performance Protocols:  Level of confidence, clarity of form, well rehearsed. Extent to which the student(s) develop performance skills in the creation and presentation of the piece.

LOs: 1, 4

d) Creativity/Creative Process: Extent to which the student(s) challenge themselves creatively in their exploration of unit themes. Extend to which the student(s) collaborate effectively in the creative development of the piece.

LOs: 1, 3, 4

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Engage with the process of learning to absorb and apply dance and movement practices, and theories explored in the unit.
  • Develop and apply collaborative skills in practice-based work.
  • Develop and apply choreographic and performance skills in the creation and presentation of performance work.

Creative practice blog

Due: Sunday 5pm weeks 8, 9 and 10
Weighting: 15%

A series of creative blog posts (3 x 500 words or equivalent) from week 8 to week 10 in which students articulate an understanding of the creative process involved in their group project using a variety of approaches including: written - critical and embodied writing; and visual - diagrammatic, still image, collage.

The criteria for this assessment are:

a) Engagement: Extent to which the blog reveals how the student engages with the creative process in an open-minded and productive way and is able to communicate this engagement in written and visual forms in their blog posts. 

LOs: 1, 2

b) Content: Extent to which the critical writing follows correct academic protocols; extent to which the embodied writing communicates the lived experience of the creative process; extent to which the visual posts communicate non-verbal aspects of the creative process; how the creative process proceeded from thought to form; and how the ideas informing the work connected with unit content.

LOs: 2. 5

c) Contribution to group: Extent to which the blogs reveal how the student individually contributed to their creative group.

LOs: 3

Submission will be via turnitin by Sunday 5pm each week of weeks 8, 9 and 10. 

Feedback will be provided in class and on turnitin.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Engage with the process of learning to absorb and apply dance and movement practices, and theories explored in the unit.
  • Apply critical, analytical and integrative thinking in the form of written work.
  • Develop the ability to effectively articulate creative and embodied research in written and oral form.

Research essay

Due: Sunday 5pm week 8
Weighting: 40%

This 2000 word essay should explore the work of one modern or contemporary choreographer drawn from unit readings. The student will be required to research the background of the artist and their contribution to the dance form, and analyse a key work from the artist's repertoire. Students will be required to succinctly and clearly articulate their understanding of their topic discussing the implications of the artist's  work in relation to issues such as gender and sexuality, political and social issues, aesthetics, and the performing body. 

The writing and critical discourse in the essay will be assessed in terms of organisation, protocols, analytical thinking, and thematics, in particular, the relevance and coherence of their critical study of the topic; the level of understanding and integration of unit readings, themes, and discussions to support their research; evidence of an appropriate essay structure, and use of correct academic protocols and grammar.

The essay will be submitted via the Turnitin link on the iLearn page. Feedback and grades for this task will be provided in Turnitin.

The essay will be assessed on the following criteria:

a) Organisation/structure/relevance: 30% Extent to which there is a well-devised organization and structure that clearly articulates the student’s research, drawing on unit materials.

LOs: 1, 2, 5

b) Protocols:  30% Evidence of correct academic protocols, formatting, referencing, grammar, spelling. 

LOs: 2

c) Thinking and Understanding: 40% Extent to which self-regulated research is undertaken.  Extent to which critical analytical and integrative thinking is applied to the research. 

LOs: 1, 2, 5


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Engage with the process of learning to absorb and apply dance and movement practices, and theories explored in the unit.
  • Apply critical, analytical and integrative thinking in the form of written work.
  • Develop the ability to effectively articulate creative and embodied research in written and oral form.

Group performance project

Due: in class week 12
Weighting: 30%

The creation and performance component will be a group-devised work of 5-8 minutes using dance and movement as the basis for the choreographic and creative process. Students will be encouraged to engage with the inter-media aspects of the creative process, such as the use of self-devised video, sound, and lighting design. Assessment will be based on active participation in the creation process and on live and video review of the performance in week 12 with a 60% individual and 40% group weighting. Students will need to arrange and allocate extra time for the creation and rehearsal period with their group members. The group will be required to present a 5 minute oral presentation based on their creative blogs to present the ideas informing their creative project in week 10.

Feedback will be provided during the creative development in class, in the feedback session in week 13, and feedback and grades  via  Turnitin. 

Assessment criteria include:

a) Embodiment/engagement, 25%: Evidence of the group's embodiment of a coherent application and synthesis of class techniques.

LOs: 1

b) Choreography, 20%: Evidence that the individual and the group has worked towards creating an innovative approach to the choreography - use of space, time, individual and group movement style(s).

LOs: 4

c) Performance protocols, 20%: Evidence of confidence, clarity of form, that the piece is well rehearsed, and that the individual and the group have developed performance skills in the creation and presentation of the piece.

LOs: 1, 4

d) Creativity/creative process, 30%: Evidence that the individual and group have challenged themselves in their exploration of unit themes, and have collaborated effectively in the creative development of the piece. 

LOs: 1, 3, 4

e) Oral presentation, 5%: Extent to which the group clearly presented the ideas and creative process informing their project in the oral presentation. 

LOs: 5


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Engage with the process of learning to absorb and apply dance and movement practices, and theories explored in the unit.
  • Develop and apply collaborative skills in practice-based work.
  • Develop and apply choreographic and performance skills in the creation and presentation of performance work.
  • Develop the ability to effectively articulate creative and embodied research in written and oral form.

Delivery and Resources

Delivery:

Danc 220 classes are held in Building 10HA Room 184. Students must attend one of these classes: Tuesday 11am - 1pm  or  2pm - 4pm. Lectures and tutorials begin in week 1.

Technologies used and required:

This unit has an online presence in iLearn. You will need access to a computer and an internet connection. The unit iLearn page can be accessed at http://ilearn.mq.edu.au 

All relevant DANC220 online material will be uploaded to the unit iLearn page. This is your staring point for all information and should be consulted each week so you will be able to keep up to date with all unit online content and catch up with any notifications.

Unit Readings:

Required and recommended readings are available in iLearn through Library Multisearch link.

Assessment Submission, Grade and Feedback Delivery:

1. The Research Essay must be submitted via the Turnitin link on the DANC220 iLearn page by the relevant date, as indicated above. Feedback and grades for this assessment task will provided in the convenor's notes in Turnitin.

2. The Solo/Duo Performance assessment will be assessed by video and observational review by the convenor. Feedback will be provided in class, and feedback and grades will be provided in Turnitin.

3. The Creative Blogs via the Turnitin link on the DANC220 iLearn page by the relevant date as indicated above. Feedback and grades for the student's Creative Blog will be given in Turnitin in weeks 8, 9 and 10. 

4. The Group Performance assessment will be assessed by video and observational review by the convenor. Feedback will be provided in class, and feedback and grades will be provided in Turnitin.

4. Information on how to submit your assignment and access results and feedback from assignments using My Submissions in iLearn is available at http://mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/assignments.htm 

Referencing Style:

The referencing style for all written material where academic protocols are required must follow a recognised academic referencing style such as Chicago, Harvard, APA or MLA. If you are unsure of referencing styles please consult the library referencing resources at http://libguides.mq.edu.au/Referencing

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Late Submissions / Special Consideration

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests

MMCCS Session Re-mark Application

http://www.mq.edu.au/pubstatic/public/download/?id=167914

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Engage with the process of learning to absorb and apply dance and movement practices, and theories explored in the unit.
  • Develop and apply collaborative skills in practice-based work.
  • Develop and apply choreographic and performance skills in the creation and presentation of performance work.

Assessment tasks

  • Duo performance task
  • Group performance project

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Develop and apply collaborative skills in practice-based work.

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Engage with the process of learning to absorb and apply dance and movement practices, and theories explored in the unit.

Assessment tasks

  • Duo performance task
  • Creative practice blog
  • Research essay
  • Group performance project

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Engage with the process of learning to absorb and apply dance and movement practices, and theories explored in the unit.
  • Develop and apply collaborative skills in practice-based work.
  • Develop and apply choreographic and performance skills in the creation and presentation of performance work.

Assessment tasks

  • Duo performance task
  • Group performance project

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Engage with the process of learning to absorb and apply dance and movement practices, and theories explored in the unit.
  • Apply critical, analytical and integrative thinking in the form of written work.

Assessment tasks

  • Creative practice blog
  • Research essay

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Engage with the process of learning to absorb and apply dance and movement practices, and theories explored in the unit.
  • Apply critical, analytical and integrative thinking in the form of written work.
  • Develop and apply collaborative skills in practice-based work.
  • Develop and apply choreographic and performance skills in the creation and presentation of performance work.
  • Develop the ability to effectively articulate creative and embodied research in written and oral form.

Assessment tasks

  • Creative practice blog
  • Research essay

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Develop and apply collaborative skills in practice-based work.
  • Develop the ability to effectively articulate creative and embodied research in written and oral form.

Assessment tasks

  • Duo performance task
  • Creative practice blog
  • Group performance project

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Develop and apply collaborative skills in practice-based work.

Assessment tasks

  • Duo performance task
  • Group performance project