The dance program at Reed emphasizes the Western modern dance tradition because it provides a conceptual framework for investigating many forms of dance and because it allows students to understand current advances in the field. This tradition challenges students to learn and create new movement vocabularies. It also encourages students to find new perspectives by which to see, question, understand, and evaluate the expressive possibilities of the human body moving in space and time. In addition, it offers a valuable adjunct to the Reed student's knowledge of Western humanities.

Reed dance courses emphasize choreography, but do so from a variety of perspectives--those of the historian, critic, theorist, performer, and anthropologist, as well as that of the choreographer. Our classes combine several activities that are mutually reinforcing. Through technique, choreography, writing, viewing, reading, and discussion, students accrue a variety of tools for understanding how dances are made. Students are encouraged to draw connections between choreography and analogous processes in other disciplines such as writing, music composition, and the creation of visual art and theater. Our goal is to give students a broad base of knowledge to apply to the specific area of interest they eventually pursue.

All classes are open to majors and non-majors. The department offers students at all levels of experience and interest opportunities to choreograph, to perform, to participate in residencies with visiting artists, and to interact closely with faculty members. Independent study projects are frequently undertaken by students whose particular area of interest is not covered in the regular curriculum. The program allows students to combine pursuits by tailoring interdisciplinary programs of study for each person. In the established interdisciplinary major in dance-theater, students typically work on a creative thesis project. Students have developed ad hoc majors in dance-Spanish, dance-Russian, dance-psychology, and dance-history. Theses for these students have most often been research oriented.

 

Carla Mann - Contemporary performance, choreography, improvisation.
Patricia Wong - Choreography, twentieth-century dance, dance and technology.