Philosophical Issues in Dance and Other Performing Arts
 

Description:

       Philosophical frameworks will support our consideration of a number of issues central to performing arts in general, and dance in particular, such as:  What makes an action an artistic performance?  How should we identify two performances of the same art work, for example Shakespeareís Hamlet or Martha Grahamís Appalachian Spring?  What would make a dance representational or non-representational?  Do dance and other performance arts have a more constitutive connection to the body than do other art forms?  What does it matter that a performance is "live"?  Is something lost when we sit home with a cd or dvd?   Examples from contemporary dance, performance art, music, and theater will be used throughout the course. 
 

Course Goals:

• To examine critically recent scholarship concerning aesthetic issues in the performing arts.
• To practice articulating abstract and complex ideas and arguments in writing and in speech.
• To develop and hone skills for philosophical analysis, including the clarification of concepts, and the critique and construction of arguments.

Reading Materials:  

Reading Packets are available for purchase from Ram's Copy Center, 4144 University Way NE; (206) 632-6630.
 

Requirements:

1) Students are expected to complete all required readings and attend class regularly.  The contents of readings and class discussions are intended to be complementary; they will overlap substantially but not completely.  Students are responsible for both contents.

2) There is an email distribution list [phil401_wi06@u.washington.edu] for this class.  All students in the course will be subscribed by the instructor.  The aim of this email list is to provide an easy means of communication concerning practical matters related to the course.  As a result, it will be assumed that students check their email accounts every day or two.  

3) There is an electronic discussion list for this class.  Students should post regularly their comments and questions regarding readings and lecture material.  Students are required to post brief comments once every two weeks; these comments may continue class discussion, raise questions with respect to readings, or develop lines of thought presented in other students' postings.  This assignment should not be overly burdensome:  think honestly and creatively rather than worry about producing something that approximates a polished essay.  

4) Three written assignments will be required.  Each must address specific questions assigned by the instructor and distributed approximately a week before the assignment is due.   Proper documentation is required on all written work.  Plagiarism will not be tolerated.  

Late essay policy:  Essays will not be accepted after the due date except in cases of documented emergency or prior arrangement with the instructor, i.e. if you don't speak with me beforehand, no extension will be granted. 

5) One critical commentary (maximum of 750 words) on a live performance (dance, drama, music, performance art) is required.  
 

Grading:

  

Written assignment 1	25%
Written assignment 2	25%
Written assignment 3	25%
Commentary	10%
Participation/Discussion	15%
TOTAL	100%

 Last Updated:1/8/06