| |
Performing Arts - Upper Division |
| |
-
PERFA 197 - Special Study
Upper Division
Prerequisites
Permission of the chair and instructor required.
An independent study, internship or research course for students whose needs are not met by the regular course offerings of the department.
Course credits: Credit may vary
|
| |
-
PERFA 198 - Senior Project
Upper Division
Prerequisites
Completion of all lower-division major courses.
During their senior year, majors in dance, music or theatre, under the supervision of a faculty member, are required to develop a project that demonstrates their expertise and creativity. The project may take the form of a solo performance, involvement with a performing arts group off campus, a substantive research essay, or directing/choreographing a student production. A written proposal must be approved by the appropriate program director prior to registration for the academic year in which the project will occur.
Course credits: 1
|
Performing Arts - Dance |
| |
-
PERFA 070 - Commercial Dance Courses
Lower Division
Beginning through intermediate studio instruction in dance including Jazz, Tap, Hip-hop, Ballroom, and Social Dance.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 071 - Somatic Dance Courses
Lower Division
Beginning through intermediate studio instruction in Somatics, Yoga and Pilates.
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 072 - World Dance Courses
Lower Division
Beginning through intermediate studio instruction in non-Western traditions including but not limited to West African Dance, Ballet Folklorico (Mexican Folk Dance), Chinese Dance, and Latin Dances.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 075 - Modern/Contemporary Dance Courses
Lower Division
Beginning through intermediate studio instruction in Modern / Contemporary Dance. Also listed as Dance Company I, II, III, or IV.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 076 - Ballet Technique Courses
Lower Division
Beginning through intermediate studio instruction in Ballet and Pointe.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 077 - Technique Lab
Lower Division
Beginning through intermediate studio instruction in Contact Improvisation, Gaga, Improvisation, Partnering or Modern/Contemporary Dance in a workshop setting.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 080 - Dance Science
Lower Division
This course is an introductory overview of the basic principles of human anatomy and kinesiology and their applications within the context of dance training and practice. It will emphasize comprehension of the structure and function of the skeletal and muscular systems with an approach that is somatic and experiential. Basic Bartenieff Fundamentals will be studied as a framework for developing an embodied understanding of the structure and movement of the human body. Movement analysis, principles of conditioning and injury prevention, and basic nutrition will also be addressed.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 084 - Dance and Film
Lower Division
Dance and film have evolved as two separate art forms. What happens when the two art forms meet? This course will study the American Musicals on film, MTV, dance documentaries, and dances made for the camera. When we look at the big picture - a dance film - we will use the ‘Strand Model’ proposed by Choreological Studies as a tool to practice observational and basic analysis skills. In the course, students will also learn basic camera and editing skills to create their own dance videos.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis); CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 090 - Choreography I (.5) and Choreography I Lab (.5)
Lower Division
Concurrently
Students must enroll in both sections of PERFA 090 (Choreography I and Choreography I Lab).
This course begins the study of making dances while focusing on the solo and duet form. Students will learn the basic tools of choreography including: symmetry and asymmetry, phrasing, dynamics, rhythm, motivation, and music. Through intense use of structured improvisation, and movement assignments, students will discover further ways to generate movement and expand their own movement vocabulary. Students will learn to take risks and create challenges to enable experimentation and innovation.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 170 - Commercial Dance Courses
Upper Division
Intermediate through advanced studio instruction in dance including Jazz, Tap, Hip-hop, Ballroom, and Social Dance.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 171 - Somatic Dance Courses
Upper Division
Intermediate through advanced studio instruction in Somatics, Yoga and Pilates.
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 172 - World Dance Courses
Upper Division
Intermediate through advanced studio instruction in non-Western traditions including but not limited to West African Dance, Ballet Folklorico (Mexican Folk Dance), Chinese Dance, and Latin Dances.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 175 - Modern/Contemporary Dance Courses
Upper Division
Intermediate through advanced studio instruction in Modern / Contemporary Dance, also listed as Dance Company I, II, III, or IV.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 176 - Ballet Technique Courses
Upper Division
Intermediate through advanced studio instruction in Ballet and Pointe.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 177 - Technique Lab
Upper Division
Intermediate through advanced studio instruction in Contact Improvisation, Gaga, Improvisation, Partnering or Modern/Contemporary Dance in a workshop setting.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 180 - Laban and Bartenieff Movement Studies
Upper Division
Concurrently
This course must be taken concurrently with PERFA 180L .
Prerequisites
The prerequisite for this course is PERFA 080 Dance Science or the equivalent.
This course is an introduction to the theoretical system of Laban Movement Analysis that provides a framework for observing, describing and analyzing human movement patterns and understanding non-verbal actions and communication, as developed by movement pioneer Rudolph Laban. Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) is a comprehensive and holistic system that examines the fundamental elements and layers embedded in all patterns of human movement, providing a language for movement description and inquiry. The study of LMA, including the physical study of the Bartenieff Fundamentals exercises, not only increases awareness of the basic principles of human movement, but can also provide a connective framework for how we as embodied beings create and communicate knowledge.
Lecture and/or Lab Hours
The class has two parts: 1) lecture and discussion, 2) experiential lab.
Course credits: .5
|
| |
-
PERFA 180L - Laban and Bartenieff Movement Studies Lab
Upper Division
Concurrently
This course must be taken concurrently with PERFA 180 .
Prerequisites
The prerequisite for this course is PERFA 080 Dance Science or the equivalent.
In this class students will approach inquiry as a creative process through which cognitive and kinesthetic abilities continually and integrally evolve. Through observations, experiential explorations, class discussions, group projects/presentations, individual movement practice, and a final synthesis project, students will be immersed in the perspective on human movement that the LMA system provides, and the inquiries towards which it can be applied. The Laban systems of Body (Bartenieff movement studies), Effort, Shape, and Space will be the basis of the experience.
Lecture and/or Lab Hours
The class has two parts: 1) lecture and discussion, 2) experiential lab.
Course credits: .5
|
| |
-
PERFA 181 - Asian Dance in the Contemporary World
Upper Division
Classical dance is a significant symbol for contemporary Asian nation states and their diasporas. This course investigates the category of “classical dance” and its performative value as a concept. Students will examine the key sources upon which the dances are based; survey the histories of the forms that comprise the canon; and situate the revival, reconstruction, and institutionalization of classical dance as a symbol of national identity and heritage in four nations. The course also examines the relationship between dance, transformation, cultural exchange, colonialism, nationalism, religion, and social history.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis); GP - Global Perspectives
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 182 - Dance History I
Upper Division
This course examines the emergence of ballet as an art form in the West from its roots in Greek drama and theatre, to court dancing of the 16th and 17th centuries, the Romantic period of the 19th century, to the development of modern dance in the early 20th century. Students take a close look at the socio-political, historical, and feminist context of the history of dance. A lab fee is charged to cover the performances required for this class. This class is a requirement for Dance majors and minors.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis); CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 183 - Dance History II
Upper Division
This course examines the emergence and development of modern dance in the 20th Century in the United States and Europe. The class will study the early roots of modern dance, the subsequent generations of modern dance choreographers, the postmodern movement and contemporary forms in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. We will study significant choreographers, performers and companies, paying close attention to the role women played in the history of modern dance. We will draw from social, cultural and feminist theories of dance to construct a historical understanding of modern dance. This course is a requirement for Dance majors and minors.
Fee
A lab fee is charged to cover the performances required for this class.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 184 - Dance in Performance
Upper Division
Prerequisites
ENGL 005 .
This course examines dance from a critical and intersectional perspective through the lenses of power and privilege, using the medium to explore race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexuality, ability, age, etc. The class attends dance concerts around the Bay Area; the concerts are selected to engage with a variety of dance styles, venues, and ideas and the class dialogue about them is at the central work of the course. This course is writing intensive.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis); AD - American Diversity; WID - Writing in the Disciplines
Fee
A lab fee of $200 will cover the cost of concert tickets.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 185 - Dance Pedagogy
Upper Division
Prerequisites
PERFA 080 Dance Science.
Dance Pedagogy is the study of the art and instructional methods of teaching dance. The class will focus on teaching dance to students in grades 6-12. The course addresses curriculum writing, lesson planning, class structure, assessment/grading, and practice in dance pedagogy, including preparation of syllabi and studio teaching practice. Students will gain an understanding of how particular topics, problems, or issues within the dance curriculum are organized, represented and adapted to the diverse interests and abilities of learners, and presented in the dance studio/classroom.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CE - Community Engagement
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 190 - Choreography II
Upper Division
Prerequisites
PERFA 090 or a Jan Term Choreography class.
This course explores how to make group dances. Through intense use of improvisation, and movement assignments, students will discover further ways to generate movement and expand their own movement vocabulary. Students will be asked to take risks and create challenges to enable experimentation and innovation. The course will encourage the student to make conscious choices to clearly deliver their messages through dance. This course will also discuss the use of metaphor, music, and theme development.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 191 - Advanced Choreography
Upper Division
Prerequisites
PERFA 190 .
The advanced choreography class continues the study of how to make dances. Based on the basic design elements of dance making, the students will discover further choreographic strategies to create solo and group dances. Students will be asked to take risks and create challenges to enable experimentation and innovation. The subject matter for this course will vary depending on the professor. Possible topics of study include but are not limited to site-specific work, dance and video/film, Laban movement concepts.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 192 - Dance Company Rehearsal/ Repertory
Upper Division
This course prepares students for the annual spring dance concert through weekly rehearsals. Open to Saint Mary’s College Dance Company members only, the students will have the opportunity to learn new works created for the company and/or existing repertory pieces by current dance faculty and/or guest artists.
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit.
Additional Notes
Enrollment is by audition only.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 194 - Dance Production
Upper Division
Onstage and backstage preparation for the fall and spring dance concerts including all informal showings, technical and dress rehearsals, and final performances both on and off campus.
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit.
Course credits: 0.25
|
Performing Arts - Music |
| |
-
PERFA 010 - Introduction to Music: Rock to Bach:
Lower Division
Students in this class cultivate the ability to listen more deeply as we explore the evolution of classical music from its beginnings to modern times, eventually leading to jazz, blues and early rock developments. Students are exposed to more than three dozen composers.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis)
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 011 - Music Fundamentals
Lower Division
Students learn to read musical notation and study the basic construction of music through scales, key signatures, chords, and the relationship between melody and harmony.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis)
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 012 - Beginning and Intermediate Piano
Lower Division
We offer group instruction for guitar and piano. Open to music and non-music majors/minors for beginning and intermediate levels.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit every semester.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 012-01 & -02 - Beginning & Intermediate Piano
Lower Division
This course provides a basic through intermediate knowledge of the keyboard, music-reading skills, rhythmic development, and piano technique. Topics include transposition, improvisation, and composition. Class time is composed of group time and individual time and culminates with in-class performances of beginning-intermediate level repertoire.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Creative Practice
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 012-04 & -05 - Beginning & Intermediate Guitar
Lower Division
This course introduces students to fundamental-intermediate level guitar techniques with an emphasis on reading and performing as a soloist and in an ensemble. Classical and folk styles include basic single note melodies, scales, arpeggio patterns, and chords. Activities include some solo/ensemble performance, plus individualized repertoire depending on abilities.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Creative Practice
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 012-08 - Jazz Techniques
Lower Division
Prerequisites
Jan Term Jazz Choir.
On alternating semesters, this course engages either instrumentals or vocalists to learn about the theory (harmony and modes) and phrasing (articulation and style) that brings jazz to life, including how to swing, improvise, and play the blues. Typically offered for vocalists in the fall and instrumentalists in the spring.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Creative Practice
Additional Notes
Audition required.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 012-09 - Musical Theatre/Cabaret
Lower Division
For experienced singers, this is a study of the theatrical and dramatic delivery of solo Musical Theatre repertory, collaboratively taught by theater and vocal faculty.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Creative Practice
Term Offered
Offered in fall only.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 014 - World Music and Dance
Lower Division
A survey of music and dance from China, Japan, India, Indonesia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis); CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 018 - Lyric Diction
Lower Division
This course explores pronunciation and articulation that enables vocalists to articulate discernable and rhetorically expressive singing (and acting) in four different languages (English, German, Italian, and French). Study focuses on learning and utilizing The International Phonetic Alphabet (a universal phonetic alphabet) to express musical lyrics from classical solo or choral music.
Term Offered
Typically offered in the fall on odd-numbered years.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 019 - Performing Ensembles
Lower Division
All ensembles welcome people of all majors and minors (majoring or minoring in music is not required). Ensembles may be repeated for credit every semester.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 019-01 & 019-08 - Glee Club
Lower Division
Prerequisites
Suggested Beginning Piano, Vocal Science I and II, Extreme Musicianship, and Music Fundamentals.
This auditioned ensemble focuses on developing intermediate-advanced ensemble musicianship and artistry in performance of mostly a cappella choral arrangements in contemporary music styles (pop, jazz, funk, rock, etc.). Study includes vocal technique, diction, movement, rhythmic development, and the discernment of intervals, complex harmonies, and modes. Performs 6-8 times each semester on and off campus, participates in festivals and competitions, and tours regionally and internationally. Auditions occur the first week of fall semester, and the first week of spring if openings emerge.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 019-02 - Chamber Musicians
Lower Division
Concurrently
Concurrent enrollment in a section of PERFA 112 is required.
This course involves players of most orchestral instruments organized into a variety of small ensembles and includes a Liturgical Music Team option. Chamber ensembles require an audition, and range in size from duos to quintets, with each student playing one-on-a-part. The Liturgical Music Team is typically 10-15 singers (includes all skill levels) alongside 2-3 auditioned instrumentalists. Study focuses on developing technical, musical, and expressive skills as students also hone their ability to be communicative and responsive in small group settings. Ensembles meets 1-2.5 hours per week, performs 3-4 times each semester on campus.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 019-03 & 019-07 - Jazz Band
Lower Division
This widely acclaimed ensemble prepares charts from a variety of jazz styles with a focus on developing musicianship and artistry. The group performances 4-5 times each semester with some off campus activity including participating in festivals. Although non-audition, experience is preferred.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 019-04 - Orchestra
Lower Division
St. Mary’s students with experience on orchestral instruments are invited to play as part of the Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra-the resident chamber orchestra for the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. The orchestra performs the great canon of classical repertoire 2-3 times each semester. SMC students arrange carpools together to attend weekly, off-campus rehearsals. The orchestra presents 3-5 concerts at the Lesher and the beautiful El Campanil Theatre in Antioch.
Additional Notes
Admitted by audition.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 019-05 - Wind Symphony
Lower Division
St. Mary’s students who are experienced players of wind, brass, and percussion instruments are invited to play (and earn course credit) as part of the dynamic Diablo Wind Symphony, which is made up of 46 outstanding high school and college musicians in the area. SMC students arrange carpools together to attend weekly, off-campus rehearsals. The ensemble presents two concerts (at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, and the theaters of Los Medanos College and Campolindo High School ).
Additional Notes
Admitted by audition.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 019-06 - Chamber Singers
Lower Division
Concurrently
Concurrent enrollment in Glee Club required.
Prerequisites
Suggested Vocal Science I and II, Beginning and Intermediate Piano, Extreme Musicianship, and Music Fundamentals.
This ensemble focuses on developing advanced ensemble musicianship and artistry in performance, with classic choral repertoire spanning the centuries in a variety of languages. Study includes vocal technique, diction, movement, rhythmic development, and the discernment of intervals, complex harmonies, and modes. Performs 5-8 times each semester, participates in festivals and competitions, and occasionally tours regionally and internationally.
Additional Notes
Admitted by audition
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 019-09 - Sports Band
Lower Division
Concurrently
Concurrent enrollment in PERFA 112 , Private Music Instruction Lab is strongly encouraged.
This non-audition ensemble includes players of “pep band” instruments (e.g. winds, brass, percussion, guitar, bass, drums, etc.) and beyond, and welcomes students of all levels who have a passion for musically supporting athletic teams at SMC. Lead by an instructor, the group also developed and empowers students in leadership, and plays a wide variety of musical styles.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 019-11 - Vocal Science I
Lower Division
The level I course, based on Estill Voice Training, establishes exactly (anatomically) how to use your voice to emulate every musical style imaginable, from belting to gospel to opera, in a vocally healthy way! Prerequisite: ability to match pitch
Term Offered
Typically, level I is offered in the fall, and level II is offered in the spring.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 019-12 - Vocal Science II
Lower Division
Prerequisites
Vocal Science I
This level II course, based on Estill Voice Training, applies the fundamentals explored in Vocal Science I. Emphasizing vocally health in all singing, students explore ways to use a combination of anatomical engagement to create the specific recipes for six vocal qualities (from which further artistic exploration is nearly limitless).
Term Offered
Typically, level I is offered in the fall, while level II is offered in the spring.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 110 - Medieval and Renaissance Music
Upper Division
An examination of various aspects of music from the Middle Ages through the 16th century, with a focus on musical forms, vocal and instrumental technique, and performance contexts.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis)
Course credits: 0.5
|
| |
-
PERFA 111 - Music and Romanticism
Upper Division
The evolution of symphony, concerto, opera, solo repertoire, and other nineteenth-century musical developments are examined through the major works of Beethoven, Berlioz, Chopin, Brahms, Wagner, Mahler, Dvorak, and other composers. All the music is examined through the lens of Romanticism, a cultural movement that swept through the entire nineteenth century and informed all the art.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis)
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 112 - Private Music Instruction Lab
Upper Division
Concurrently
Concurrent enrollment in a performing ensemble (PERFA 019 ) is required.
Prerequisites
Prerequisite for piano and guitar lessons: completion of two semesters of group instruction (PERFA 012 ).
Private instruction is offered for most orchestral instruments, piano, guitar, bass, and drums (classical and jazz styles). Activity includes participation in a weekly music instruction lab plus weekly, individually scheduled private lessons.
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit every semester.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 113 - Jazz and Blues in America
Upper Division
An examination of the development of jazz and blues in the United States from 19th-century precursors to the present. Major artists and trends are studied through directed listening and analysis of the cultural context from which they arose.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis); AD - American Diversity
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 114 - Music Theory/Ear Training
Upper Division
Prerequisites
PERFA 011 or permission of instructor.
Students learn basic principles of harmony (chords) and voice-leading, improve their music-reading skills, learn how to notate simple melodies, and identify types of chords and intervals by ear. Ability to read music is required before enrolling in this class.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis)
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 114L - Sight Singing and Ear Training
Upper Division
Concurrently
Students must be concurrently enrolled in PERFA 114 .
Prerequisites
Prerequisite course is PERFA 011 Music Fundamentals, or the equivalent (students must have the ability to read music before enrolling in this class).
Study will be focused on learning to visually and aurally identify musical intervals to develop skills in music-reading. Class and homework activity will include analyzing and singing simple melodies with increasing difficulty (from beginning to intermediate levels).
Course credits: .25
|
| |
-
PERFA 115 - Music in Performance
Upper Division
Prerequisites
PERFA 001 .
This course emphasizes the history and aesthetics of music by attending live concerts throughout the Bay Area. Students hear music from all historical periods performed by outstanding orchestras, opera companies, chamber ensembles, and soloists in a variety of concert halls.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 116 - Keyboard Harmony
Upper Division
Prerequisites
Two semesters of PERFA 012 .
Oriented for music majors and other advanced musicians, Keyboard Harmony teaches students to apply their knowledge of music theory to the keyboard. They learn to play common chord progressions and accompaniment patterns in all twenty-four major and minor keys, and are introduced to open score reading (such as playing a choral or string quartet score), and learning to transpose easy melodies at sight into various keys.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 117 - Form and Analysis
Upper Division
Prerequisites
PERFA 114 .
Combines the study of chromatic harmony with analysis of scores to determine the unity of form and content in selected compositions: e.g., a Bach fugue, a Mozart concerto, a Brahms symphony, a 20th-century atonal work.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis)
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 117L - Sight Singing II
Upper Division
Concurrently
Students must be concurrently enrolled in PERFA 117 .
Prerequisites
PERFA 114 Music Theory/Ear-Training and PERFA 114L Sight Singing I.
Study will be focused on learning to visibility and aurally identify musical intervals to develop intermediate-advanced skills in music-reading. Class and homework activity will include analyzing and singing melodies with increasing difficulty (from intermediate to advanced levels).
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 118 - Twentieth-Century Composers
Upper Division
Students will become familiar with the 20th century’s most important classical music composers such as Stravinsky, Bartok, Copland, Debussy and Cage, as well as the music and aesthetics of living composers.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis); WID - Writing in the Disciplines
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 119 - Music and the Enlightenment
Upper Division
This course examines the evolution of opera, fugue, symphony, and other forms through the works of Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven and other composers. It explores how the intellectual and political values of the 17th and 18th centuries were conveyed through music.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis)
Course credits: 0.5
|
| |
-
PERFA 120 - Conducting
Upper Division
Prerequisites
PERFA 011 Music Fundamentals;one semester of PERFA 019 (performing ensemble; any section).
The study of conducting includes learning the basic gestural beat-patterns for various meters, tempi, cues, phrasing, cut-offs, and dynamic variance. The course also involves learning to analyze musical scores to determine the inherent characteristics (melody, harmony, form, texture, and rhythm) that inform performance decisions and one’s artistic vision.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 121 - Orchestration
Upper Division
Prerequisites
PERFA 114 .
Students become familiar with the ranges, functioning, and basic playing techniques of strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion, i.e. the standard instruments of the orchestra. They will acquire an understanding of the basic principles of blending, doubling, and highlighting, as well as comfort writing for transposing instruments. In addition, they will learn how to prepare professional quality scores and parts.
Course credits: 1
|
Performing Arts - Theatre |
| |
-
PERFA 030 - Foundations of Theatre I
Lower Division
Through this course, students acquire a solid foundational knowledge of theater history, theatre literature, and theatre theory, from the ancient Greeks through the end of the 18th century. While centered primarily on Western European theatre developments, the course also offers a look at important Asian theatre developments during the same timespan, such as Noh and Kabuki.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 033 - Acting I: Principles of Performance
Lower Division
An introduction to the theory, history, and styles of realistic acting with emphasis on personalization, script analysis and the dynamics of performance.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis); CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 035 - Theatre Masterpieces: Western Drama
Lower Division
Discussion and analysis of masterworks of dramatic literature. A global perspective, showcasing playwrights working in diverse styles, eras and genres, helps students discover the richness and complexity of the Western theatrical tradition, from the classical world to the present.
Repeatable
May be repeated as play selection varies.
Course credits: 0.5
|
| |
-
PERFA 036 - Theatre Masterpieces: Modern Drama
Lower Division
Discussion and analysis of masterworks of dramatic literature. This course focuses on the modern era in playwriting, beginning with the emergence of the style called realism in the 1880s. Students then encounter key playwrights of the 20th C., including those who challenged realism’s concern with “likeness to life” through such styles as Expressionism and Theatre of the Absurd.
Repeatable
May be repeated as play selection varies.
Course credits: 0.5
|
| |
-
PERFA 037 - Performance Lab
Lower Division
Introductory hands-on training in specific performance skills: for example, audition techniques, stage combat, clown and physical theatre or voice for the actor.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Repeatable
May be repeated as topic varies.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 042 - Introduction to Technical Theatre
Lower Division
This course is for students with little or no prior experience in technical theatre. In it, students learn the basics of the theatrical production process, including: roles of the production process; basics of tool use and scene shop safety; introduction to carpentry and stagecraft; basics of electrics, sound and costume/wardrobe; and fundamentals of working on a stage crew. In addition to weekly class meetings, students have assigned readings, and hands-on assignments to be completed during lab hours, addressing each of the areas noted above.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Course credits: 0.5
|
| |
-
PERFA 047 - Technical Theatre/Design Lab
Lower Division
Introductory hands-on training in specific technical theatre/design skills: for example, Lighting Lab, Scenic Painting, Stage Makeup, Historical Periods and Styles, and Professional Issues.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Repeatable
May be repeated as topic varies.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 050 - Theatre for Social Justice: Interactive Theatre
Lower Division
An introduction for actors and non-actors to the performance practice and underlying philosophy of the radical theatre-maker Augusto Boal. Through games, exercises, and performance projects, students will question and critique the dynamics of power, class, and privilege in contemporary society, and rehearse alternative actions aimed at social transformation. The course builds confidence and a sense of broader possibilities for improvisation, both on stage and in life.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis); CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice); TCG - The Common Good; CE - Community Engagement
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 060 - Special Topics in Performing Arts
Lower Division
Prerequisites
Although this upper-division class is open to all interested students without prerequisite, prior completion of PERFA 001 is strongly recommended.
Offered every other year, this course covers in depth a specific aspect of the performing arts only touched on in other classes. Rotating topics include such things as: African-American Dance, Great Composers, and Acting on Stage and Screen.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 061 - World Theatre Experience
Lower Division
The course explores theatrical and performance traditions from Asia, Africa, and South America-with a focus on the relationship between theatre and identity, the impacts of racism/colonialism/nationalism, and the specific social and artistic history of each culture. Students approach these topics from two perspectives: through the eyes of the artist (to see how they capture and convey the lived experience and core values of their culture); and through the eyes of the audience (who can discover in an artwork expressions of specific national identities and traditions.) Across the semester, students are encouraged to explore “difference” and to expand beyond the horizons of their own assumptions.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis); GP - Global Perspectives
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 130 - Foundations of Theatre II
Upper Division
Prerequisites
Foundations I [PERFA 030 ] or consent of instructor.
A continuation of the survey of major developments in theatre begun in Foundations I. This course pays special attention to the rise of modern theatre, contemporary forms of theatre and various performance theories. Weekly analysis of specific social, historical, and cultural components provides opportunities for students to develop and broaden their understanding of how theatre arises out of, and is embedded within, a given time period.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
SHCU - Social, Historical, and Cultural Understanding
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 132 - Play in Production
Upper Division
Quarter, half or full credit is available for participation in theatre mainstage productions and workshop projects as a performer. Open to all interested students; audition and consent of instructor are required to enroll.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Course credits: .25, .5 or 1.0
|
| |
-
PERFA 133 - Acting II: Characterization and Scene Study
Upper Division
Prerequisites
Acting I [PERFA 033 ] or consent of instructor.
A continuing exploration of the tools and techniques used to bring a character to life onstage. Emphasis is given to the development of the actor’s instrument- body, voice, emotion and imagination-while partner and ensemble exercises build toward the performance of scripted scenes.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis); CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 135 - Theatre in Performance: Bay Area Theatre
Upper Division
Prerequisites
ENGL 005 or equivalent.
A critical engagement with current theatre productions and practices. Students attend performances throughout the Bay Area, while studying the contributions made to each production by the playwright, director, designers and actors.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis)
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 136 - Theatre: Special Studies
Upper Division
Prerequisites
Foundations II [PERFA 130 ] or consent of instructor.
An intensive study of a selected era, genre or movement particularly rich in theatrical significance. Analysis, research and concentrated writing practice are key components of the course. Recent topics have included Modern Theories of Acting, Contemporary Women Playwrights and History of American Musical Theatre.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
WID - Writing in the Disciplines
Repeatable
May be repeated as content varies.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 137-1 - Acting III: Advanced Acting
Upper Division
Prerequisites
Acting I [PERFA 033 ] and Acting II [PERFA 133 ] or consent of instructor.
Students learn advanced performance skills through focused work on topics such as: Shakespearean scene study; heightened and stylized genres (contemporary tragedy, theatre of the absurd); and the challenges of period style.
Repeatable
May be repeated as topics vary.
Course credits: 0.5
|
| |
-
PERFA 137-2 - Acting III: Advanced Acting Lab
Upper Division
Acting III students co-enroll in this required lab.
Course credits: 0.5
|
| |
-
PERFA 138 - Portfolio Preparation
Upper Division
Through peer and faculty feedback, students receive assistance in preparing for their required portfolio review forum at the end of the senior year. Topics addressed include preparing an artist’s statement, organizing an e-portfolio, and crafting written reflections. Normally taken in the spring of the junior year, this course is a requirement both for theatre majors and theatre scholarship students, whether majors or minors.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 140 - Stage Management
Upper Division
Prerequisites
PERFA 042 .
A course in the responsibilities and functions of a stage manager, from the first rehearsal through opening night and beyond. Students develop the skills to run a show in an efficient and positive manner.
Course credits: 0.5
|
| |
-
PERFA 142 - Theatre Production Practicum
Upper Division
Prerequisites
Introduction to Technical Theatre [PERFA 042 ] (concurrent enrollment acceptable); or demonstrated production experience with permission of instructor.
Full or partial course credit is available for participation in the technical support of Performing Arts productions and events. Students will be introduced to elements of stage carpentry, lighting, wardrobe, marketing, or front of house. All enrolled students will also serve as members of the backstage crew for one or more Performing Arts productions. Required for majors and minors, but open to all interested students.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Course credits: .25, .5 or 1.0
|
| |
-
PERFA 143 - Production Management for Dance
Upper Division
In this course students are taught the basics of dance production from the point of view of producer and production manager. The main objective is to give choreographers the tools to produce their own concerts. From selecting a venue to writing a press release, students will not only fully produce and manage the fall dance concert but will also be prepared to put forward their own work after graduation. Open to all interested students.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 144 - Lighting Design for Dance
Upper Division
In this course students learn the basics of lighting technology and design for dance. The main objective of the course is to give choreographers a vocabulary for communicating with designers, stage managers, and production crews. By the end of the semester, students will be able to light the work of other choreographers as well as their own, and will develop all designs for the fall mainstage dance concert. Open to all interested students.
Course credits: 0.25
|
| |
-
PERFA 147 - Costume Design
Upper Division
Prerequisites
Masterpieces: Western Drama [PERFA 035 ] or Masterpieces: Modern Drama [PERFA 036 ] or permission of instructor.
A concentrated study of costume design for the theatre. Students in this course explore costume design as a visual language, comprised of character traits, color, silhouette and sociological cues. Special focus is placed on play analysis, concept development, and visual communication skills.
Course credits: 0.5
|
| |
-
PERFA 148 - Stage Lighting Design
Upper Division
Prerequisites
Introduction to Technical Theatre [PERFA 042 ].
A concentrated study of lighting for the theatre. Students in this course explore lighting design as a visual language, while also learning about the technology of stage lighting. Special focus is placed on the development of a design concept and a light plot through parallel processes.
Course credits: 0.5
|
| |
-
PERFA 149 - Scenic Design
Upper Division
Prerequisites
Masterpieces: Western Drama [PERFA 035 ] or Masterpieces: Modern Drama [PERFA 036 ] or permission of instructor
A concentrated study of scenic design for the theatre. Students dive deeply into the design process, taking a single play from concept to completed model during the semester. Special focus is placed on the creative process, visual research, model building, and development of the ground plan.
Course credits: 0.5
|
| |
-
PERFA 152 - Making Theatre: One Act Plays
Upper Division
This course creates opportunities to act, direct, dramaturg, design and/or serve as stage crew in an evening-length program of short plays. Students receive individual mentoring and production support, while working as part of a creative ensemble to bring a script from the page to public performance. For full-credit students, a weekly roundtable (with assigned readings and a research project) deepens the studio-based investigations of rehearsals. The course culminates in an annual festival of one-act plays, performed for a campus audience. Open to all interested students; an audition or interview is required.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice)
Course credits: 1.0 or .25
|
| |
-
PERFA 160 - Special Topics in Performing Arts
Upper Division
Prerequisites
Although this upper-division class is open to all interested students without prerequisite, prior completion of PERFA 001 is strongly recommended.
Offered every other year, this course covers in depth a specific aspect of the performing arts only touched on in other classes. Rotating topics include such things as: African-American Dance, Great Composers, and Acting on Stage and Screen.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 161 - Theatre and American Cultures (Multicultural Performance)
Upper Division
Prerequisites
Sophomore standing.
By studying the contributions of theatre and performance artists, this course addresses the shared cultural legacies of the United States. The theory of intersectionality is used to examine the ways that gender, sexual orientation, race, class, religious affiliation, and physical ability impact individual and collective identities. While increasing their awareness of major contemporary artists, students also use theoretical models from dance/movement/spoken work composition to explore family histories and individual experiences.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis); CP - Artistic Understanding (Creative Practice); AD - American Diversity
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PERFA 162 - Directing for the Stage
Upper Division
Prerequisites
Perceiving the Performing Arts [PERFA 001 ], Acting I [PERFA 033 ] or Foundations I [PERFA 030 ], or consent of instructor.
This course offers an experiential investigation of the art of directing for the stage. The focus is on the development of such skills as composition and the use of theatrical space; picturization and stage imagery; dramaturgy and historical research; and script analysis and textual interpretation. Students also gain experience in developing a production concept, casting, collaboration and communication, ensemble development, and the creation of “style.” The course asks students to think as directors and to bring diverse aspects of their own identities to the work.
Course credits: 1
|
Philosophy - Lower Division |
| |
-
PHIL 005 - Practical Logic
Lower Division
A course in the analysis and evaluation of everyday arguments. Recognition of patterns of argumentation, fallacies and ambiguities in English is stressed. This course aims primarily at refining and disciplining the student’s natural ability to think critically. May not be counted for major credit.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PHIL 010 - Plato and Philosophical Inquiry
Lower Division
Study of Plato’s Republicor of selected Platonic Dialogues with a view to such questions as: What is philosophy? What is the act of philosophical inquiry? What makes for a philosophical question, or for a philosophical answer?
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
TCG - The Common Good
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PHIL 011 - Aristotle and Philosophical Method
Lower Division
Study of selected texts of Aristotle with a view to such questions as: What are the objects and associated methods of philosophical inquiry? Are there distinct kinds or divisions of philosophy? In what sense or senses may philosophy qualify as science?
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
TCG - The Common Good
Course credits: 1
|
Philosophy - Upper Division |
| |
-
PHIL 110 - Philosophy of Religion
Upper Division
A phenomenological study of man that seeks to discover the essential structure of the human phenomenon of religion through its various manifestations. Consideration is given to the ultimate meaning of human existence and those common principles rooted in man that give rise to religion. The orientation of the course is philosophical and considers religion as involving both man and God.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
TE - Theological Explorations
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PHIL 111 - Philosophy of Art
Upper Division
An analysis of doing and making, of truth, good, beauty, the visible and invisible, of figure and finality, as these reveal the intellectual and spiritual universes disclosed by painters, sculptors, poets, etc.
Core Curriculum Designation(s)
AA - Artistic Understanding (Analysis)
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PHIL 113 - Contemporary Problems in Ethics
Upper Division
A study of the ethical aspects of such contemporary problems as personal freedom, personal rights, civil disobedience and situation ethics.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PHIL 114 - Philosophy of Law
Upper Division
A study of the philosophy of law from Sophocles’ Antigonethrough the great thinkers of the Middle Ages, giving particular attention to the notion of natural law of Thomas Aquinas.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PHIL 115 - Modern Legal Philosophy
Upper Division
The philosophy of law from Thomas Hobbes and John Locke to Marxism and contemporary legal positivism.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PHIL 116 - Political Philosophy
Upper Division
An investigation of the philosophical development of the notion of the “state,” “man’s relationship to the state,” and “forms of government.”
Course credits: 1
|
| |
-
PHIL 117 - Philosophy of Nature
Upper Division
Raises the question of the possibility of a knowledge of nature that is independent of the quantification and mathematical methods of the “physical” sciences.
Course credits: 1
|
| |
Page: 1 <- 2
| 3
| 4
| 5
| 6
| 7
| 8
| 9
| 10
| 11
| 12
|
Print this Page