Welcome to Dance

Instructor Info:
Madeline Yentsch
[email protected]

Course Overview

Hello, and welcome to dance class!! I can’t wait to learn and grow with you throughout this school year! In this class, we will be covering a variety of different dance forms and will be focusing on student’s development of contextual and technical knowledge of dance through individual and collaborative efforts. Students will be exposed to many types of dance such as African, Ballet, Modern, Jazz, and Hip Hop, and will be able to develop dance works based on these dance forms.

Course Materials
Each student will need:

1. A black basic leotard
2.Nude or flesh-colored tights
3. A composition or spiral notebook
4.Hair ties (if necessary)

Procedure

Every class will start with students coming into the classroom and leaving their shoes and backpacks in the outdoor hallway. You will then have 3 minutes to go change in the hallway bathrooms. It is CRUCIAL that you only take 3 minutes to get changed, to reduce wasted class time. If one individual student is late changing 3 times, then you will be put on a three-week long probation, meaning that you will not be allowed to dress out for three weeks. After changing, students will have five minutes to fill out their daily reflective journal prompt, or work on their daily notes. Students will then be lead through a warmup, and across the floor exercises before moving to their daily task or assignment.

Conduct and Participation

Your participation is CRUCIAL in this class. Students must come to every class ready to dance and work. This includes being properly dressed for dance. Each student must dress out to avoid having points taken off their participation grade. Each student is given one grace day of forgetting their dance clothes. After that, each time that student forgets to dress out 5 points will be taken away from their participation grade. NOT HAVING A HAIR TIE COUNTS AS NOT BEING DRESSED OUT!

Students will not be allowed to have or use their cell phone and other restricted electronic devices during class. Students must leave their phones in the cubbies near the whiteboard. If I see a student with their cellphone in class, I will confiscate it until the end of the day. There is absolutely NO food or drink (except water in a sealed bottle) allowed in the dance room. In addition, students are not allowed to chew gum during class.

Students must all be respectful and courteous to both their peers and their instructor. Dance is an art form that can sometimes be scary, uncomfortable, or vulnerable. Because of this, it’s very important that we are respectful and supportive of our peers. If there are issues with student contact, you will be sent to the office.

Dress Code

Each student will need a black basic leotard and tights for formal in class assessments and performances. Girls and boys with long hair must have their hair back and away from their face at all times. Students must wear clothes that they are comfortable moving in. Yoga pants will be allowed, however cotton leggings are NOT proper dancewear. Regular fitting or tight fitting t-shirts are acceptable. Baggy T-shirts are NOT acceptable for class. Boys must wear long jogger pants. Gym shorts and/or Basketball shorts are NOT permitted. Any student that violates the dress code rules will be graded as if they did not dress out.

Grading

Students will be graded on the following:

Class Participation: 50%
Choreography Projects/Tests: 25%
Journal and Notes: 25%
If you have any questions, feel free to reach me at my email stated above.