Dance Composition: An Interrelated Arts Approach helps students investigate dance movement from a multidisciplinary perspective – something no other dance text or package provides.

It is a text for college and university students studying dance composition, improvisation and integrated arts. It is also an excellent reference source for dance, physical education, music, theatre and art education students at the secondary school level.

This interactive package contains a book, music CD, and companion Web site with these features:

• 28 improvisational exercises that provide a perspective on the shared characteristics of the arts, leading to inspiration and motivation for dance making.
• 6 in-depth interviews and 24 arts connections that highlight artists in various disciplines and cultures from around the world.
• 3 independent dance projects that encompass numerous elements such as music, composition, story adaptation, costumes and props, artist’s statements and reflections on the creative process.

Exercises

The exercises examine traditional and contemporary art forms from around the world and explore ways to physically interpret what is seen, heard, spoken and expressed through movement experimentation. Through them, students observe a concept, explore it by working independently and watching others and reflect on it in group discussion. They are then able to create and present a choreographic work based on their explorations and reflections.
The choreography is discussed in a final group reflection and the student’s personal journal containing findings for future use is completed. The interviews and arts connections will expand a student’s vision and appreciation of artistic commonalities that exist among other disciplines such as dance, music, theatre and visual and literary arts.

Music CD

The music CD is bound into the book and contains original compositions that enrich dance exercises and movement exploration assignments. Created by percussionist and electro-acoustic composer Barry Prophet, the selections cover a range of styles and dynamics, including rhythmic percussion, jazz, world music, minimalist soundscapes and textural atmospheres.

Companion Website

Many of the illustrations and photographs in the book are also available on the companion Website. To help students and teachers incorporate technology into their creative output, this Website also provides access to music software, instructions on creating computer-assisted music, a journal entry handout for each activity, self-assessment handouts and rubrics.

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