The Carthage College Dance Minor Curriculum: A Comprehensive Overview
Carthage College offers a vibrant and comprehensive dance minor program designed to provide students with a strong foundation in dance technique, theory, and choreography. The curriculum emphasizes interdisciplinary study, hands-on learning, and the development of critical thinking skills, preparing students for success in a variety of fields.
Dance Minor Requirements and Opportunities
The dance minor at Carthage College requires a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 24 credits. The curriculum includes a variety of courses, ranging from beginning technique classes to advanced choreography and repertory.
Students intending to minor in dance are encouraged to audition for a Carthage Dance Minor Scholarship. Awards are contingent upon the applicant’s acceptance as a Carthage student and enrollment as a dance minor in the upcoming academic year. An audition is not required for acceptance as a Dance Minor, though a scholarship/placement audition is required for scholarship consideration and for placement in technique courses. The scholarship dance audition typically consists of a ballet barre, two to three jazz progressions, a short modern/contemporary phrase, and an improvisation assignment. Ballet and jazz slippers are recommended. Scholarship candidates will receive notification by U. S. mail. All Theatre Department scholarships complement most other merit-based scholarships up to full tuition value.
Carthage provides numerous opportunities for dance students to engage with the broader dance community. Each year, Carthage dancers have opportunities to participate in two dance productions. The Fall Dance Concert features works by regional and national dance artist, dance minor faculty, and selected works by Carthage emerging choreographers. The annual spring production of “Away From The Mirror” features works by the dance minor’s emerging choreographers. This production provides a platform for dancers to develop dance works, share in the development of their own production, and engage in community discourse about their work. “Away From The Mirror” emphasizes the dance-making process. Works in the program are presented as drafts at different stages of development through a series of feedback showings leading up to the performances. Auditions for both the fall and spring dance productions are open to any Carthage dancer, regardless of their status as a dance minor.
The Carthage Dance Program is institutionally affiliated with the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO). NDEO promotes dance education in variety of sectors in the United States, including k-12 public schools, colleges and universities, and dance studios. Carthage’s NDEO Student Chapter promotes dance education on and off campus through activities that celebrate the role dance plays in our lives, including on campus workshops, dance camps for local youth, and field trips to see off campus performances in Chicago and Milwaukee.
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Carthage dancers attend the Wisconsin Dance Council Professional Development Conferences and the American College Dance Festival Conferences.
Core Dance Courses
The Dance Department offers a variety of courses to fulfill the dance minor requirements. Some dance minors require courses offered by other departments. Here's a detailed look at some of the core dance courses:
DNC 1041 / 1 credit Beginning Ballet: This course introduces fundamental ballet movements, including ballet positions and barre and center exercises. It is open to all students.
DNC 1043 / 1 credit Beginning Tap: This beginning-level course explores the history and traditions of Tap, an American Vernacular art form. Students learn exercises and progressions that culminate into longer phrases of choreography, guiding them to create their own rhythmic compositions and improvisations.
DNC 1044 / 1 credit Beginning Jazz: This course explores the history and expressions of Jazz dance. Exercises and progressions culminate into longer phrases of choreography, and students develop their own voice using jazz dance as a creative movement language.
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DNC 1047 / 1 credit Beginning Modern: This course integrates connections between fundamental movement principles and the historic, cultural, and physical language of Modernist Dance. Classes incorporate both floor and standing exercises that culminate into longer phrases of choreography.
DNC 1120 / 2 credits Dance Theory and Practices: This course surveys concert dance in America and establishes dance as a form of expression and creativity. Through readings, discussions, and practice, students experience a variety of dance forms and learn about the contexts from which they emerged.
DNC 2041 / 1 credit Ballet II: This course is a continuation of ballet instruction, focusing on floor combinations and beginning allegro and adagio.
DNC 2043 / 1 credit Tap II: Tap II is a continuation of tap technique instruction for students who have a foundation in tap technique. Students will further develop technical skills through classwork that includes progressions, stylized routines, and combinations that build on tap skills level I as well as reflect various stylistic and historical influences.
DNC 2044 / 1 credit Jazz II: This course is a continuation of Jazz dance exploring related concepts with more depth and acceleration. Exercises and progressions culminate into longer phrases of choreography, and students develop their own voice using jazz dance as a creative movement language.
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DNC 2047 / 1 credit Modern II: This course offers continued instruction movement inquiries that nurture connections between fundamental movement principles and the historic, cultural, and physical language of Modernist Dance. Classes incorporate both floor and standing exercises that culminate into longer phrases of choreography.
DNC 2060 / 2 credits Dance Theory and Composition: This course explores the creative process of dance making through reflection, exploration, and composition. Students explore a variety of approaches in dance composition and consider and discuss the concepts, choices, and craft of other dance makers.
DNC 2070 / 2 credits Dance Choreography and Repertory: This is a performance and choreography course that continues skills developed in applied dance technique, improvisation, and theory and composition courses.
DNC 3041 / 1 credit Ballet III: This course is a continuation and extension of the techniques learned in Ballet I and II, including application of more difficult elements of the ballet style. Each class will include barre, port de bras, center barre, adagio, petit allegro, grand allegro, and entournant. Discussions will include theory and history of ballet as it applies to the styles being studied. This course fulfills the general education requirement for Exercise and Sport Science experience and is a graded course.
DNC 3044 / 1 credit Jazz III: This course will build upon the technical foundation of Jazz I and Jazz II. Students will further develop jazz dance skills through class work that includes warm-up exercises, progressions, and combinations that progress beyond intermediate level skills and reflect specific stylistic and historical influences. This course fulfills the general education requirement for Exercise and Sport Science experience and is a graded course.
DNC 3050 / 4 credits Contemporary Concert Dance: This course is designed to deepen knowledge of contemporary concert dance. The course will thematically examine contemporary choreographic explorations and consider diverse perspectives.
The Carthage Dance Program and Theatre Department offer variable topics courses designed to enhance learning experiences through specific research inquiries. Variable topics courses allow students opportunities to study styles of dance not usually offered at Carthage while addressing specific skills that can prepare students interested in dance, theatre, musical theatre, and sports sciences for greater success in their fields of study.
Beyond the Classroom: Performance Groups and Guest Artists
Beyond the formal curriculum, Carthage offers several avenues for students to explore their passion for dance.
Carthage College Dance Team: The Carthage College Dance Team has an outstanding tradition of promoting school spirit and supporting Carthage athletic teams. Members of the Dance Team are talented in various styles of dance including jazz, hip hop, and pom. The dancers are dedicated, hard-working, and fun-loving. The Dance Team performs at all home football and basketball games, as well as special events.
Carthage Swing Society: Carthage Swing Society’s goal is to teach the East Coast Swing dancing style and provide an opportunity for students to experience social dancing on campus. For the past few years, Carthage Swing Society has provided a brief swing dancing lesson to students who attended Lambda Kappa’s Jazz Night.
Guest artists bring a variety of new styles and approaches to the Carthage learning environment. Their time with Carthage dancers offers concentrated opportunities for artistic growth and development while bridging the academic environment nurtured at Carthage with multiple professional dance communities.
Carthage dancers have taken root in the tradition of American modern dance through Legacy Works that have been developed by dance pioneers and shared through the Dancing Legacy’s Repertory Etudes Instructional Collection. Carthage dance productions have featured Robert Battle’s Battleworks Etude, the dynamic Parsons Etude by David Parsons, and Rainbow Etude based on Donald McKayle’s masterwork, Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder.
Carthage Core Curriculum and Graduation Requirements
To graduate from Carthage, students need 130 credits. The curriculum emphasizes interdisciplinary study, hands-on learning through research and other projects, writing in every major, and developing the critical thinking and reading skills necessary to excel in work and life.
About a third of courses will be core courses, common for all majors. Another third will be courses specific to the major. A maximum of 56 credits may be required in the major, with no more than 40 of these credits within any one department. A maximum of 56 credits in any one department may count toward graduation; however, 74 credits outside the major department are required to graduate. Minors are optional unless specified as a requirement for the major. Minors may be pursued through electives and through general requirements. The minor is a minimum of 20 credits and a maximum of 24 credits.
Carthage’s core curriculum includes:
- One (1) Intellectual Foundations Course
- One (1) or more wellness courses (at least 2 credits)
- One (1) Artistic Inquiries course (4 credits)
- One (1) Cultural Legacies course (4 credits)
- One (1) Scientific Exploration course (4 credits)
- Two (2) Global Language courses (8 credits)
- Four (4) Written Communication courses (16 credits)
- One (1) Oral Communication course (4 credits)
- One (1) Quantitative Reasoning course (4 credits)
- One (1) Religious Perspectives course
- One (1) Diverse Perspectives course
- One (1) International Perspectives course
- One (1) Interdisciplinary Perspectives course
All students must complete a senior thesis in order to graduate. This can take the form of a written thesis, laboratory research, art exhibit, music recital, or other significant and integrative experience appropriate to the major.
Dance Faculty
Carthage boasts a dedicated and experienced dance faculty. Here's a glimpse at some of the instructors:
- Ms. Laurenzi: Before beginning her chapter in Milwaukee, Ms. Laurenzi was awarded a full merit scholarship to train at Giordano Dance Chicago, later performing with Giordano II and Inaside Chicago Dance, among other Chicago artists. For seven years, Ms. In her hometown of Kenosha, Ms. Laurenzi presented work regularly and mentored local dance artists of all ages. Choreographing for many arts organizations every season, Ms. Since living in Milwaukee, Ms. Laurenzi has been able to perform the works of Daniel Burkholder, Simone Ferro, Marie Gillespie, Dani Kuepper, Deb Loewen, Jenni Reinke, Dan Schuchart, Dawn Springer, Christal Wagner, and Morgan Williams. Currently performing with Wild Space, DPMKE, and Hyperlocal; Ms. Laurenzi works to maintain an active performance calendar and connections with many artists in the dance community.
- Ms. Jenna Jozefowski: Ms. Jenna Jozefowski graduated from the University of Akron with a B.A. in Dance and a minor in business administration. Professionally, she has performed with Joel Hall Dancers II, RASA Dance Chicago, Chicago Dance Crash, and Chicago Tap Theatre. Ms. Jozefowski is a member of the Midwest Committee of the Cecchetti Council of America and currently holds a Grade IV Teacher’s Certificate. She has completed her iTap Teacher training as well as the Tap Teacher Training Program with American Tap Dance Foundation in NYC.
- Ms. Rebecca Crystal: Ms. Rebecca Crystal recently completed a Master of Dance Education program through the Royal Academy of Dance in London. She was awarded the Joan White Prize for her thesis research on creating engaging and meaningful experiences in the dance classroom. She holds a B.F.A. Ms. Crystal is also a dancer, choreographer, and co-director of the modern dance project Delve Dance Chicago. She taught dance full-time in Chicago Public Schools for three years and spent four summers on the dance faculty at Interlochen Arts Camp. She has presented her research at dance education conferences and delivered guest classes to high schools and colleges in the greater Chicago area.
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