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Dance 370/271: Dance Production Activities

Production Schedules for all Department of Dance productions are posted on a bulletin board near 265 Meany Hall and on the Production Schedule page.

Dance Production Activities

Offered Autumn, Winter, & Spring Quarters 

Instructor: Peter Bracilano
Email: peterb5@uw.edu


Dance 370: Dance Performance Activities

(1-2 credits, Credit/No Credit only, add code required)

Participation in Dance 370 may be completed through performance in a Department of Dance concert production (Chamber Dance Company Concert, UW Dance Presents Concert, Dance Majors Concert, or MFA Concert)- 1 credit per production. 

Course Description:

This course is a practicum in which students participate in the preparation of dance works for public performance produced by the Department of Dance. Students work with faculty, graduate and/or undergraduate students in rehearsal studios and/or theaters to create new works, or reconstruct works of historical and cultural significance. 

General Requirements

  • PLAN AHEAD: Students should reach out to the dance advisor (danceadv@uw.edu) to receive instructions on how to appropriately enroll. Students are strongly encouraged to speak to the advisor early.
  • REQUIRED: Audition to perform in a Department of Dance production followed by permission of concert Artistic Director (DANCE 370 Instructor).
  • Department of Dance Production Season:
    AUTUMN: Chamber Dance Company Concert
    AUTUMN/WINTER: UW Dance Presents Concert
    WINTER: Dance Majors Concert
    SPRING: MFA Concert
  • Students must complete the requirements as described below to receive credit.  If you register for this course and do not complete the requirements by the end of the quarter in which you are registered, you will receive a grade of No Credit.

Student Learning Objectives: 

By the end of this course, students will demonstrate the ability to:

  • Perform in a public concert by developing skills through practical experience.
  • Sustain a multi-night run of a public performance by developing stamina and self-care practices.
  • Demonstrate collaborative skills by learning from and interacting with choreographers, performers, designers, and production crew.

 Course Requirements:

  • Arrive at all rehearsals in the appropriate attire warmed up and prepared to dance.
  • Learn all movement material during rehearsals and review material between rehearsals.
  • Listen to and work to incorporate director feedback.
  • Participate in all technical/dress rehearsals and performances as scheduled.
  • Engage all collaborators with respect.
  • Immediately report injury or illness to the choreographer and/or Artistic Director.

Assessments

Students are required to actively participate in all rehearsals, crew calls, and performances, as scheduled in order to receive a grade of Credit. 

Meeting Times and Locations

  • Rehearsal and production schedules will be determined by choreographers, the artistic director, and the production manager for each concert.
  • Refer to the production schedule.
  • We do NOT release students from technical rehearsals, dress rehearsals, or performances when conflicts exist. Students will need to work our scheduling conflicts with their instructors so that they can participate in scheduled technical rehearsals, dress rehearsals, and performances.

Dance 271: Dance Production Crew  

(1-3 credits, Credit/No Credit only, add code required)

Course Description

Students participate in the creation of a public performance event produced by the Department of Dance through supervised dance crew experience.  

General Requirements

  • PLAN AHEAD:Students should reach out to the dance advisor (danceadv@uw.edu) to discuss when they will satisfy this requirement and to receive instructions on how to appropriately enroll. Students are strongly encouraged to speak to the advisor early.
  • REQUIRED: Permission from department Production Manager, Peter Bracilano (peterb5@uw.edu) as well as the concert Artistic Director (DANCE 270 Instructor).
  • Department of Dance Production Season:
    AUTUMN: Chamber Dance Company Concert
    AUTUMN/WINTER: UW Dance Presents Concert
    WINTER: Dance Majors Concert
    SPRING: MFA Concert
  • Refer to the production schedule.
  • Students must complete the requirements as described below to receive credit.  If you register for this course and do not complete the requirements by the end of the quarter in which you are registered, you will receive a grade of No Credit.

Participation in Dance 271 may be completed in one of the following ways: 

  1.  Production Crew (also referred to as Show Crew)- 1 credit per production: Participation as stagehand, lighting operator, or sound operator for a Department of Dance production including participation at all technical rehearsals, dress rehearsals, performances, and strike for one Department of Dance production.  
  2. Stage Management - 2 credits per production: Requires special arrangement with the instructor; includes supervision of student Show Crew, and coordination of all technical production operations, including lighting, sound, scenic, properties, and costume changes, and other duties as assigned. You must actively participate in showings, studio rehearsals, all spacing rehearsals, technical rehearsals, dress rehearsals, performances, and strike for one Department of Dance production. 

Student learning goals

  • Recognize that dance performance is the result of a collaborative effort by many people, including choreographers, performers, designers, and production crew.
  • Develop fundamental skills in performance or production through practical experience.
  • Develop skills in working effectively and cooperatively as a member of a team through practical experience.
  • Develop skills to perform tasks efficiently, knowledgeably, and safely in order to ensure the technical success of productions.
  • Develop skills in effective leadership and/or communication through practical experience.

Recommended preparation

  • Production Crew: No prior experience necessary; all necessary skills are learned "on the job." 
  • Stage Management: Production Crew experience required; by special arrangement with instructor.

Class Assignments and Grading

Students are required to actively participate in all staging, tech, and dress rehearsals as well as crew calls and performances, as scheduled.  Expectations for student participation depending on whether a student is participating in production crew or stage management are presented below:

  • Production Crew: Assist with preparation of theater technical equipment, and/or operate lighting, sound, video or other production equipment, and/or assist with wardrobe maintenance and dressing of performers, and other duties as needed for all technical rehearsals, dress rehearsals and performances. For more on specific roles see the Frequently Asked Questions section below.
  • Stage Management: Supervise student Production Crew, and coordinate all technical production operations, including lighting, sound, scenic, properties, and costume changes, and other duties as assigned. 

Meeting Times and Locations

  • Production Crew & Stage Managers: as scheduled by the Production Manager.  See Production Schedules Link for dates and times of Crew calls.

*Please note: On the first day of technical rehearsal, after the first piece is finished, we will have a brief instruction on what the duties are and to assign duties.      


Frequently Asked Questions for Dance 271

What are the roles of the show crew and the expectations of each role?

  • Light board operator:  The light board operator runs the lighting board, which has been programmed prior to the show by the light designer, during the show.  The light board operator must follow the cues of the stage manager to hit the appropriate button at the appropriate time during the show.  The light board operator role requires the operator’s undivided attention during the entire performance and is most appropriate for someone who wants to be engaged in the minute-by-minute operation of the show. Because of the need to stay focused on the production, no cell phones, tablets, laptops or other devices are allowed in the light board operator booth.  
  • Sound board operator:  The sound board operator is basically doing the same thing as the light board operator in that they run the sound board, which has been programmed prior to the show by a sound operator or sound engineer, during performances. 
  • Stagehand/Backstage crew: The stagehands or backstage crew do various other jobs including setting up props, removing props from the stage, changing filters on the side lights, and other tasks to be determined by the stage manager and production manager.  

How am I selected for a particular role on the show crew?

If you have an interest in a particular role, please communicate that interest to the production manager by email, in person, Zoom, or during office hours as early in the quarter as possible.  You are welcome to let him know if you would prefer a more active or passive role for him to take into consideration when assigning roles.  The production manager also retains the right to assign roles to particular students based on students’ prior experience taking Dance 271, students’ prior experience participating in Department of Dance performances, or through random selection. 

What if I am interested in learning more about stage production?

You are welcome to communicate your interest to the production manager via email, in person, Zoom, or during office hours.  The production manager would be happy to talk to you about future options such as doing an independent study or repeating Dance 271 with more responsibilities. 

What about conflicts with other classes if I am enrolled in Dance 271?

We do NOT release students from these calls when conflicts exist.  Students will need to work our scheduling conflicts with their instructors so that they can participate in scheduled performance and crew activities.

We do not release students from technical rehearsals, dress rehearsals or performances because SHOW CREW job assignments, after training in the technical rehearsals, require continuity through the tech rehearsal, dress rehearsal and performance process.

All conflicts must be noted and approved by the instructor at the time you sign up for the crew assignment. 

What is the time commitment for Dance 271?

Most Department of Dance productions in the Studio Theatre average 36 hours for a Show Crew commitment. Participation on the SHOW CREW for Chamber Dance Company is closer to 40 hours.

The Chamber Dance Company concert commitment is longer because the load-in process is so short (compared to our Studio Theatre productions) that we feel that it is appropriate to require participation in the Sunday load-in within the context of this experience. 

Is there a specific number of hours I need to fulfill the credit for Dance 271?

There is not a specific minimum hour requirement for the Dance 271 production credit.

Like a performance credit, a production credit for participation on a SHOW CREW does not have a time based cut-off because participation in the process from technical rehearsals through the performances and the strike is the essence of the project. Show Crew are assigned specific tasks that must be completed at every performance, not just at however many performances occur before time runs out. 

If I take Dance 271 for 1 credit, does it require more time than other 1 credit courses?

We do work with a guideline that equates 1 credit to approximately 30 hours of work for the class.

A one credit class will theoretically consist of 3 hours of class + homework per week over a 10 week quarter, approximately 30 hour total. Because of scheduling we compress the workload of the 10 week quarter into the one to three week window that each production has in the theater. We do consciously try to limit a SHOW CREW commitment to approximately 30 hours, but do not release students until the end of the project.

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