Dance
Edward R. Murrow high school offers a variety of dance classes. Students can take enroll in Dance Ensemble. This includes Introduction to Dance and then students can select more advanced dance classes.
Edward R Murrow PE, Health & Dance Dept. presents Year Two MILE Projects. These are some of the projects prepared by second-year MILE students; these projects would have been the blueprints for Dance Ensemble numbers this past May. Due to COVID, Dance Ensemble was canceled but students still worked hard to complete their projects and met every week throughout the semester. Robert Elstein has edited their work for you to enjoy. You can even learn the African Sunnu Wedding Dance!
Dance
INTRODUCTION TO DANCE
Students audition for this class sometime in December. Students explore diverse genres of dance, such as Folk Dance, Irish Dance, Ballet Workout, Jazz, and Modern. It is a sampling of dance styles and the class culminates in performance in Murrow's annual concert. Students who demonstrate proficiency in this class are invited to proceed to Theatre Movement, Jazz Dance, Modern Dance, or Latin, and to be a participant in the professional-track program.
MODERN DANCE
Students will explore the styles and techniques of various modern dance choreographers, (Graham, Humphrey, Horton, Ailey, Cunningham, Dunham) through warm up and combinations. They will be able to recognize the differences in styles and methods of past modern choreographers. Students will also experiment with improvisational, movement exploration, dance making and performance skills.
LATIN DANCE
Learn the most popular social dances in New York City. Dance your way to the next party with Salsa, Tango, Merengue and Bachata.
PHYSICAL MOVEMENT
This class is designed for Screened Theater Juniors and is an introduction to Physical Theater. Students explore ideas of Meyerhold, Michael Chekhov, Jacques le Coq, Growtowski, and Anne Bogart through practical applications. Students also experience various styles of theater, including melodrama, tragedy, comedy and Commedia dell'Arte. The study of classic and modern texts, using the body as a space of ‘knowing,’ are covered as well.
THEATRE MOVEMENT 1
This introductory course focuses upon the body as the source of creativity. This course explores various exercises and methodologies for encouraging appropriate alignment and execution of basic dance steps within a performance context.
THEATRE MOVEMENT II (Prerequisite PDTM1)
This class follows Theatre Movement I. It provides ways to explore active imagination through physical action. Students develop and create characters through movement and gesture. This class combines physical theatre techniques with theater dance.
ADVANCED DANCE CLASS
Advanced Dance Class is offered during 0 Band. This is a one-year seminar class that focuses on Classical Dance and Modern Dance (Horton technique). This course is only for dancers with serious, previous training (either in or outside of Murrow). It is ideal for the dancer who is interested in a progressive training program in dance, has aspirations of studying Dance in college, has already satisfactorily completed all previous skill levels, or meets the prerequisite standard as determined by the instructor.
DANCE ENSEMBLE/CHOREOGRAPHY
This level is this department’s highest skill level for dance. While your technical skill is good and your aesthetic is informed, you are also now at a place from which you can re-examine your current understanding and deepen the meaning of technique, skill, performance, and expression that distinguish the artist from the technician. In this course, each student submits proposals and creates choreography that is performed in an annual dance concert.
DANCE HISTORY AND LITERACY: EDUCATION BROADENING MODULES
(Regents Track)
YEAR I: This is a lecture course in dance history. The first semester will cover the history of ballet and modern dance, while the second semester focuses upon Latin Dance and the influence of African and Afro-Cuban dance forms on Contemporary American Dance. Reading and analysis of videos and photographs will be assigned throughout the semester. In-studio projects will guide our discussion about form, content and critical analysis.
YEAR II: This lecture course explores Labanotation, dance criticism, and dance physiology. This course is designed upon Brenda Pugh McCutchen’s ideas in Teaching Dance as Art in Education (2006). She identifies four fundamental cornerstones for learning in dance: Cornerstone 1 - Dancing and performing; Cornerstone 2 - Creating and composing; Cornerstone 3 - Knowing history; culture and context; and Cornerstone 4 - Analyzing and critiquing. Building from this structure, McCutchen defines dance literacy as, “the ability to function in each dance cornerstone as dancer, critic, historian-anthropologist and choreographer.” Students embark upon their own research and create a thoughtful exit project.
Students audition for this class sometime in December. Students explore diverse genres of dance, such as Folk Dance, Irish Dance, Ballet Workout, Jazz, and Modern. It is a sampling of dance styles and the class culminates in performance in Murrow's annual concert. Students who demonstrate proficiency in this class are invited to proceed to Theatre Movement, Jazz Dance, Modern Dance, or Latin, and to be a participant in the professional-track program.
MODERN DANCE
Students will explore the styles and techniques of various modern dance choreographers, (Graham, Humphrey, Horton, Ailey, Cunningham, Dunham) through warm up and combinations. They will be able to recognize the differences in styles and methods of past modern choreographers. Students will also experiment with improvisational, movement exploration, dance making and performance skills.
LATIN DANCE
Learn the most popular social dances in New York City. Dance your way to the next party with Salsa, Tango, Merengue and Bachata.
PHYSICAL MOVEMENT
This class is designed for Screened Theater Juniors and is an introduction to Physical Theater. Students explore ideas of Meyerhold, Michael Chekhov, Jacques le Coq, Growtowski, and Anne Bogart through practical applications. Students also experience various styles of theater, including melodrama, tragedy, comedy and Commedia dell'Arte. The study of classic and modern texts, using the body as a space of ‘knowing,’ are covered as well.
THEATRE MOVEMENT 1
This introductory course focuses upon the body as the source of creativity. This course explores various exercises and methodologies for encouraging appropriate alignment and execution of basic dance steps within a performance context.
THEATRE MOVEMENT II (Prerequisite PDTM1)
This class follows Theatre Movement I. It provides ways to explore active imagination through physical action. Students develop and create characters through movement and gesture. This class combines physical theatre techniques with theater dance.
ADVANCED DANCE CLASS
Advanced Dance Class is offered during 0 Band. This is a one-year seminar class that focuses on Classical Dance and Modern Dance (Horton technique). This course is only for dancers with serious, previous training (either in or outside of Murrow). It is ideal for the dancer who is interested in a progressive training program in dance, has aspirations of studying Dance in college, has already satisfactorily completed all previous skill levels, or meets the prerequisite standard as determined by the instructor.
DANCE ENSEMBLE/CHOREOGRAPHY
This level is this department’s highest skill level for dance. While your technical skill is good and your aesthetic is informed, you are also now at a place from which you can re-examine your current understanding and deepen the meaning of technique, skill, performance, and expression that distinguish the artist from the technician. In this course, each student submits proposals and creates choreography that is performed in an annual dance concert.
DANCE HISTORY AND LITERACY: EDUCATION BROADENING MODULES
(Regents Track)
YEAR I: This is a lecture course in dance history. The first semester will cover the history of ballet and modern dance, while the second semester focuses upon Latin Dance and the influence of African and Afro-Cuban dance forms on Contemporary American Dance. Reading and analysis of videos and photographs will be assigned throughout the semester. In-studio projects will guide our discussion about form, content and critical analysis.
YEAR II: This lecture course explores Labanotation, dance criticism, and dance physiology. This course is designed upon Brenda Pugh McCutchen’s ideas in Teaching Dance as Art in Education (2006). She identifies four fundamental cornerstones for learning in dance: Cornerstone 1 - Dancing and performing; Cornerstone 2 - Creating and composing; Cornerstone 3 - Knowing history; culture and context; and Cornerstone 4 - Analyzing and critiquing. Building from this structure, McCutchen defines dance literacy as, “the ability to function in each dance cornerstone as dancer, critic, historian-anthropologist and choreographer.” Students embark upon their own research and create a thoughtful exit project.
