Introduction to Theatre & Dance Studies (ENG)

How does the act of looking implicate the spectator in relationships of power? How does theatre as role play enable performers to play with social identities? And what is the role of the body in contemporary dance and performance art? These and other questions are the focus of this course, which provides an introduction to the history, theory and analysis of western theatre and dance in the 20th and 21st century. The course uses a broad definition of ‘theatre’: it highlights a wide spectrum of theatre genres, ranging from text-based theatre and dance to musicals, stand-up comedy and performance art. The course is structured around a number of core theoretical concepts in theatre studies, including performativity, theatricality and dramaturgy. These concepts are applied to the analysis of texts and performances from a range of genres and traditions. The lectures explain the theoretical concepts and their historical context, while the seminars devote time to the ‘close reading’ of theoretical texts, and teach students how to make a dramaturgical analysis of a theatre performance. A dramaturgical analysis focuses on three dramaturgical levels of a performance: a. the composition principles used to organise the relationship between performer and audience; b. the way in which the viewer is addressed or positioned through these principles; and c. the relationship between the performance and society at large as well as the artistic tradition(s) and vocabularies it draws upon.

The course also connects students with the professional field through performance visits, post-show discussions with performers, and a dramaturgical workshop.

This course is part of Core Profile 2 of Media and Culture in English and builds on the historical and theoretical knowledge gained in Core Profile 1. It further develops students’ academic skills, with a particular focus on analytical competencies.

Disclaimer about the course title: while dance plays an important role in this course, we also devote ample attention to other forms of theatre. The ratio between theatre and dance is therefore not 50/50. Theatre is used in this course as an overarching term.