Welcome!

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Welcome to our Flipped Classroom Unit in Choreography. Throughout this unit of study, you will be exploring the Art of Choreography through lives of the great choreographers in the evolution of Dance. You will also be investigating a form of dance of your choice along with a specific choreographer that you would like to learn more about.

You can learn more about the artful creation of dance from some of the greatest choreographers because their work represents a variety of styles and dance techniques. Although we will be engaging in a number of activities that go along with this unit in class, there will also be a "hybrid" portion of our class taught through the Choreographers Wiki class wiki, and I am excited about the possibilities for your learning and development as a student of WCSPA.

Take a minute to look over the @Syllabus for this unit of study, and get an overview of the major assignments and overall themes that we will be exploring.

If you are new to Wikispaces, take a minute to explore the various tabs in our Choreographers Wiki, such as:
 * 1) Lesson 1: Dance Forms, where you will begin by researching one dance form, and create a Glogster Poster
 * 2) Lesson 2: Dance Detective, where you will research a choreographer from your dance form, collecting information and artifacts from the World Wide Web and specifically using Google as a search tool.
 * 3) Lesson 3: Digital Story - Choreographer Study, where you will create a Digital Story based upon the life and work of the choreographer you selected.
 * 4) Dance Forms: This page will house your Glogster Poster creations, and start a web of resources that you will create for later use for students based upon your research findings.
 * 5) Digital Stories: You will publish and share your Digital Stories with the class, and create a valuable resource for future WCSPA students and dance enthusiasts around the world.

=What is a Wiki?= Meaning, "Quick", a wiki is a web of pages and informative resources pertaining to a particular topic or area of interest. As a web-based communication and resource development tool, wiki's function in many ways like other web pages, with the ability to embed hyperlinks and content that is available on virtually any web interface. Similar, yet different to the familiar Wikipedia, the wiki attempts to create a conceptual web of content which is quick and easy to navigate.

Take a few minutes to become more familiar with the concept and nature of a Wiki, and feel free to look at the @Editing Instructions page to find out how you can use the Editing functions of our wiki as we move through course activities. Eventually, you will be assisting with building sections of this wiki for future use by WCSPA students, so it's important that you understand on some basic level how the wiki functions.

You are also welcome to explore our archives of Help and Tutorials, or peruse others contained in this list:

=Get Started with Google Docs!=

Much of your reflection and web research during this unit will go into a Google Doc, which I will use to monitor your progress and provide feedback on your work. If you are not familiar with Google Docs, they are a great way to share and collaborate, and to store your work "in the clouds" without taking up valuable space on your computer.

Check out the below video (produced by Google) about Google Docs and why it is a cool tool for businesses and for education.

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 * Introduction to Google Docs and Document or File Sharing in Google**

Step 1: Create a Google Account
Now, you are going to need to create your own Google Account, the below tutorial shows you how to do this. Even if you have your own Gmail or other Google account, your account for this class must be in the following format (create a new one if your existing address/username does not fit the format below:

Email address: YourLastName.YourFirstName@gmail (note, add numbers at the end of your name if your username is already taken) Username: YourFirstName YourLastName Password: You may create any password you would like.

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 * Creating a Google Account**

Step 2: Create a New Google Doc & Share with Teachers
Next, you will sign into your new Google Account and create a New Document to keep your work. You will also need to share your document with the instructors, and provide us with access to the CAN COMMENT.

1. Click Create - and Select New Document 2. Rename your document in the following format: LastName.FirstName.Notebook 3. Type into the document Your name - Entry #1 4. Click SHARE in the upper right corner 5. Please input into the Share / Invite addressee field the following email address: wygantmo@msu.edu. 6. To the right of the address field, select "Can Comment" from the drop down box 7. Click Share


 * NOTE: You will need to** set up your account in Google and create your Notebook FIRST** in order to get the invitation to the class wiki. Please do this FIRST before beginning your research so that you may access the wiki and all contents for the unit of study.

The below video tutorial shows you how to create a Google Doc and Share for collaboration: media type="custom" key="20580392"

Step 3: Create a Wikispaces Account and Join the Choreographers Wiki
Your last step in getting set up is to create an account in Wikispaces and join our wiki. Once you have created your Google Account and your Notebook and shared it with instructors, you will receive an invitation to the class wiki in your Gmail account. Click on the invitation and then CREATE AN ACCOUNT. The below video tutorial shows you how to set up an account and join our wiki. NOTE: Your username must follow the same format as your Gmail address. media type="custom" key="20580468"

= //What is CHOREOGRAPHY? Why study it?// =

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=How will it help me learn to DANCE? //What's the Point?//=


 * Choreography** is the [|art] of designing [|sequences] of movements in which [|motion], [|form] , or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the [|design] itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of [|dance notation].

The word //choreography// literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" (circular dance, see [|choreia] ) and "γραφή" (writing). A //**choreographer**// is one who creates choreographies.

The term choreography first appeared in the American English dictionary in the 1950s. [|[1]] Prior to this, movie credits used various terms to mean choreography, such as "ensembles staged by" [|[2]] and "dances staged by". [|[3]]

Choreography is used in (but not limited to) the fields of [|cheerleading], [|cinematography] , [|dance] , [|gymnastics] , [|fashion shows] , [|ice skating] , [|marching band] , [|show choir] , [|theatre] , and [|synchronized swimming].

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Although many ideas have been tossed around about what makes a choreographer great, like most art, dance is left to the beholder to decide what is beautiful, interesting, or valuable. Dance can often tell a story or just speak emotion through the movement of the human form, but there is so much more that goes into to DESIGN of choreography for the theatre or for any context. So, it is helpful to learn from the best, those who were innovative and creative designers of dance, who shaped their art form by daring to be different, or simply by trusting their instincts and their creative muse.======

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In looking at a variety of dance forms, you will be expected to approach each choreographer, video, or piece of information about style or form like a investigative detective, drawing upon your prior knowledge and experience while keeping an open mind. You should capitalize upon the basics of movement and choreography that you learned in your level one year, and build on those concepts as you gain new understanding.======

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Through your investigation and research into a choreographer within a specific dance style, you should always keep the following questions at the back of your mind and using them to decipher the most important elements of choreographic design in the body of work that your research uncovers:======

=Elements of Choreographic Design:=

Although many people have developed theories about the process of designing choreography, it is helpful to think about some of the elements which go into the sequencing of dance for a specific effect or purpose. Some of the elements which should be considered when thinking about Choreography and what it is, how to describe it, and how to think more critically have been articulated by the VCE Dance program in this document,

===__SPACE__ - How is it being used and manipulated? Are there low, mid, and high level movements going on? Are the dancers using all of the space or is it more economical? What kinds of "pictures" are being created? Is non-movement being used for effect?===

===__PATTERNS__ - How are patterns being created and manipulated through the dance? What is the result? Are there formations and patterns within the dance? What kinds of lines are being created? Are they flexible or direct?===

===__WEIGHT__ - Is the dancer giving in to or fighting against gravity? Would you define the movement as LIGHT or STRONG? Does it vary? What effect does that give for the meaning or statement that the movement is making?===

__TIME__ - Is the movement sudden or sustained? Does it vary?
===__MUSICALITY__ - How does the movement articulate and express the feeling and movement within the music? Is it demonstrative in any way? Does the movement speak about the character? What information is it giving about character?===

=Overview of Unit Lessons and Assignments:=

Your work during this unit of study is divided into three major "Lessons" (see the tabs at the lefthand column) which can be navigated to from any page in the wiki with the navigation bar at the left. The three major lessons within this unit each conclude with an assignment, and each assignment builds and connects with the next in order to foster deeper learning as we progress through the unit. An overview of each unit is provided in the Course Syllabus, which is also located as its own tab on the navigation bar.

In addition to looking over the syllabus for important dates and assignments, it would be good to look over each of the lessons to get a better idea of the assignments and how they relate to one another. Although you are familiar with our grading policy in WCSPA, you can also find information about Grading Policy in the syllabus, and our @Communication Policy is also easily access from the main tabs at the left in the navigation bar.

Lastly, this unit depends upon the active involvement of students in constructing meaningful content and projects, and making the most out of discussion forums for collaboration and the construction of knowledge. Like many other projects in WCSPA, you will get as much out of your participation in this unit as you put into it! So give it your all and it should be a great experience!

I have included a general discussion forum for this page, so if you have any questions related to general content on this page, feel free to click on the "Comment" bubble at the top right corner to post a question, comment or concern. Specific individual concerns should be directed to me according to the guidelines in the communication policy or via email, but if it's something you think applies generally to all students, please post it so that others may benefit from the response. I am still tweaking the online content of this unit, so your feedback will be helpful in making sure that students get the most out of this experience with as few problems as possible!

Now, if you're ready to get started exploring some of the the greatest choreographic legends in Dance, move on to @Lesson 1