Life as a Modern Dancer

Category: College Courses: Resources

  • Resources on Site-Specific Dance for College Courses (Updated April 2023)

    The author in Natural Settings (2016) I originally made this list back in Winter 2021 after seeing several Facebook posts from colleagues one week, seeking resources for courses exploring site-specific dance. I thought I would make a post to share a few of my favorites here. Please add yours in the comments section below as well! Thank…

  • Resource/Reading List: For a Somatics Course (Updated December 2023)

    Design by Claire Calalo Berry of Flourish and Frost From Blog Director Jill Randall: Each August, December and June, I love connecting with college professors as they prepare their syllabi and course materials. Today I want to share resources from the blog for a Somatics Course.   Somatic Writing Series In Spring 2021, nine dancers…

  • A New Journal for Your College-Level Technique Course This Semester (Free to Download)

    From Blog Director Jill Randall: Over the years, it has been really fun to create these journals for undergraduate level and graduate level technique courses. Today I share the 4th iteration. This one is meant to be a co-learning experience — where students and professors alike write in a journal each week as part of…

  • Reading List: For an Undergraduate Course on Modern Dance/Contemporary Dance History

     Eddie Martinez. Photo: Donata Wenders. From Blog Director Jill Randall: As we continue to evolve and shape the conversation about dance history and lineage, I would like to offer a few readings from the blog to support your course from a few different angles.  Over the past 8 years, the Artist Profile has been the…

  • For Undergraduate and Graduate Improvisation Courses: Readings and Prompts (Updated December 2023)

    Melecio Estrella. Photo by Jessica Swanson. Read Melecio's essay here. From Blog Director Jill Randall: Hello! Today I am pleased to share 10 essays about improvisational practices and performances, plus 52 prompts for exercises and explorations. Depending on your department, these resources could work in an undergraduate or graduate level course. I look forward to…

  • A Free and Downloadable Journal to Use in Technique Courses This Fall, Whether in Person or Online

    From Blog Director Jill Randall: In light of many college departments teaching distance courses or online courses in Fall 2020, I created a third journal option to use in a technique course this coming semester. Thank you to colleagues Adriane Fang (University of Maryland) and Nina Haft (Cal State East Bay) for their help shaping…

  • From Blog Director Jill Randall: Reaching Out to College Dance Professors

    Photo: Tony Nguyen Crafting and Choreographing the Online/Distance Learning Experience for Undergraduate and Graduate Dance Courses   Dear dance professors near and far, I am thinking of you this week and thank you for the huge hurdles you have tackled to take your dance courses online very quickly this spring. Thank you for your time…

  • For a Dance Education Course: A Reading List (UPDATED August 2019)

    This topic is one of my great passions — so much so that I am creating three different reading lists here, based on what course or courses you might offer at your college or university. The lists can be used for: dance for children, teaching dance to middle school and high school students, and a…

  • For a Senior Seminar Course: A Reading List (Updated July 2020)

    Black Bodies Sonata – Kayla Farris and Nik Owens. Screen shot image from the film by Deborah Corrales and Kayla Farrish. From Blog Director Jill Randall: This is one of my favorite lists to create each year and very close to my heart. These 56 posts hope to inspire and share through various artists' personal…

  • For a Graduate Level Choreography Class: A Reading List (Updated July 2019)

    Nia Love. Photo by Ciceley Fullylove. From Blog Director Jill Randall: This reading list includes blog posts in four categories: The Choreographic Moment, Studio Practice/Studio Time, Artist Profiles, and Previews/Reviews. Please find below 35 short pieces for your students to read throughout the semester. As your group makes, tinkers, and explores over the course of…