For this assignment, you will select a screen dance example of your choice (based on any
one of the topics/genres covered this semester and submit an essay analyzing this
example. You need to exclude The Gay divorcee, zimmer(2002), Stormy weather, Gene (2002), singin in the rain, set up, west side story, zhu and belgord, sommer (2002), pina, carbet, flash dance, and dodds(2009).
Format: 1000-1500 words.Times New Roman font, size 12, double-spaced. Include your name on the first page and insert page numbers. MLA format.
Task: Mention the title of your selection and identify the specific excerpt.
Criteria to include in your essay:
Summarize 1-2 dance scenes in the movie. Interpret a screen dance work within a social, historical, cultural, economic context.
Locate and critically evaluate sources of information on screen dance. Use outside sources to back up why the dances are portrayed in this way. Reviews? Critiques?
Appreciate how screen dance impacts people’s lived experience and the broader social world. Discuss personal connections and use sources to see how screen dance in general impacts audiences.
Articulate how the screen apparatus shapes dance in the dances you chose. How does the camera/editing shape the way we see dance? Why is this important in relation to how we see the body on screen.
What is expected:
Ability to contextualize: provide basic information about the chosen example (same as
Assignments 3 and 4) and situate the interpretation within a social, historical, cultural,
economic context (same as Assignment 4).
Ability to describe how the screen apparatus shapes dance (same as Assignments 3
and 4).
Ability to make an interpretation (same as Assignments 3 and 4) and situate it in
context (same as Assignment 4).
Ability to carry out a literature review: locate, cite, and critically evaluate at least one
scholarly source in your analysis. For the previous assignment, you could use any kind
of written source(s).
Clear organization, written expression, and citation:
Organization:
Since this is a full-length final essay, spend some time on organization!
Introduction- The opening paragraph would ideally include basic contextual
information about the chosen example.
Body- This would ideally be broken down into multiple paragraphs where you
would cover the description, interpretation, and literature review.
Conclusion-The final paragraph of closing statements would ideally include a
summary of findings.
Written expression: Proofread before submitting. Check spelling, syntax, grammar,
punctuation, and word count.
Include proper in-text citations in the essay and a list of sources/works cited at the end. This list is not included in the word
count. Make sure you cite your chosen screen dance example in this list.
