Course Description for Grad School

I am almost half way through

my first semester of Graduate School.

I am attending the University of Arizona's

School of Dance.

My MFA is focused in choreography.

There are 6 grad students in my class this year.

Here are the classes I am taking

and a description.

Teaching Methods:

Learning how to appropriately teach beginning

level dance students in ballet, modern, and jazz.

Also how to communicate and work with

a live accompanist for each of these genres.

Preceptorship for Teaching Methods:

I am observing a beginning level modern class

taught by a fellow grad student.

I will be teaching that same modern class

at the end of the semester.

Preceptorship for Dance 100:

Dance 100 is a basic intro to dance class

listed as a Gen Ed Fine Arts credit.

All the first year grads are preceptoring the class.

I have been assigned 35 students that I am "teaching"

and grading through out the semester.
I also will be giving the lectures on "World Dance"

when we reach that portion of the syllabus.

Critical Issues in Dance:

This is a dance research class with a fancy title.

This semester our papers have to relate

technology and dance in the educational setting.

Our papers will be published online.

Grad Forum:

This is a weekly meeting Friday mornings

at 8am (so early!)

with all the grad students and a professor.

Currently we are building our

professional level CV's.

Ballet 400 and 300:

The only technique classes I am taking

this semester are Advanced Ballet

and Int/Advanced Ballet.

I am getting back into top ballet shape,

then next semester I will also take modern and jazz.

Institute:

This class is a religious course I am taking

that my church,

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, offers.

I had the time so I enrolled.

We are studying the Old Testament.

I am thoroughly enjoying my classes

and I am motivated to go to school

because all I am studying is dance,

which is what I love almost as much as my husband.

I'll go more into detail in future blogs.