World History of the Dance / Fall 2024

   I Unit: Medieval Times Theme: Dance   Introduction In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and transitioned into the  Medieval period, the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery.   II Learning Objectives   Understand the importance of the Middle Ages after the fall of the Roman Empire Explain the role of dance in upper and lower social classes in Medieval society Gain an awareness of the differences between profane and sacred dances across times Realize the impact of Catholicism on the syncretic festivals that emerged in the Americas  Experience the main steps of a Medieval dance scene     III Main Lesson     1 Middle Ages   Question 1 Which events are important during the Middle Ages?   2 Profane Dances   LINK The Decam...

   I Unit: Classic Period Elsewhere Theme: Mesoamerica, India & China   Introduction Often classical antiquity refers to a historical period spanning from the output of ancient Greek author Homer in the 8th century bce to the decline of the Roman Empire in the 5th century ce. Seldomly, do we refer to the classical period that took place in other parts of the world. Today's class focuses on the classical periods in Mesoamerica, India and China.    II Learning Objectives   Understand the importance of the classical period in other parts of the world Explain the meaning of the term "classical" and why it can be applied to the cultures of Mesoamerica, India and China Gain an awareness of the differences between these three classical cultures Realize the impact of the classical periods in these three areas of the world on their present cultures  Experience the main steps of the dances representative of these three cultures and their classical peri...

   I  Unit: Ancient Rome Theme: Pantomime Introduction In modern historiography, Ancient Rome refers to Roman civilization from the founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic and Roman Empire until the fall of the western empire. Ancient Rome gave to the Performing Arts its pantomime. Pantomime is a dramatic entertainment, originating in Roman mime, in which performers express meaning through gestures accompanied by music.   II Learning Objectives    Understand the impact the the Roman Empire had on religion Explain why new comedy was important within the context of Ancient Rome Gain an awareness about the connection  between Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece Experience the use of pantomime to tell a story    III Main Lesson   1  Ancient Rome (5:36 min.) Question 1  What was a main cultural...