Course Offerings

INTRODUCTION TO DANCE

This course is an introductory dance technique class which studies the following styles: latin, ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary, improvisation, composition, and analysis and critique for dance. Students spend the year studying technical skills and history associated with each style, they complete projects and critiques, and participate in additional master classes led by guest dance companies. Guest companies that have come to teach classes such as West African, Korean traditional dance, Bharatanatyam, contemporary, ballet, and jazz include Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Kalapriya Dance Chicago, South Chicago Dance Theatre, Ayodele Drum and Dance, Choomna Dance Company of Seoul South Korea, and Joffrey Ballet. The technical work of the school year culminates in a mandatory dance concert at the end of the school year where Kenwood Dance Department presents student choreographed and guest artist works in the Annual Dance Concert. Dance 1 is a prerequisite for all further dance courses (Dance II, III, and Dance Performance/KDP).

INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED DANCE

This course is an intermediate/advanced honors dance technique class which studies the following styles: latin, ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary, improvisation, composition, and analysis and critique for dance. Students spend the year studying technical skills and history associated with each style, they complete projects and critiques, and participate in additional master classes led by guest dance companies. Guest companies that have come to teach classes such as West African, Korean traditional dance, Bharatanatyam, contemporary, ballet, and jazz include Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Kalapriya Dance Chicago, South Chicago Dance Theatre, Ayodele Drum and Dance, Choomna Dance Company of Seoul South Korea, and Joffrey Ballet. The technical work of the school year culminates in a mandatory dance concert at the end of the school year where Kenwood Dance Department presents student choreographed and guest artist works in the Annual Dance Concert. Dance 1 (or 2, if leveling up to Dance 3) is a prerequisite for this course.

KENWOOD DANCE PROJECT

Dance Performance is an honors performance course associated with Kenwood Dance Project, an advanced multi-style dance performance ensemble. Students develop choreographic concepts, set choreography on their peers, reflect on their own work as choreographers and their experience as dancers in someone else's work, perform at dance festivals, work with guest artists/dance companies, as well as submit choreography for state/regional adjudication. Kenwood Dance Project (KDP) has been featured in the Regional High School Dance Festival, the Illinois High School Dance Festival, Dance Chicago at the Athenaeum Theatre, South Chicago Dance Festival, and Dance For Life: Next Generation. KDP has worked with choreographers from Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Kalapriya Dance Chicago, South Chicago Dance Theatre, Ayodele Drum and Dance, Choomna Dance Company of Seoul South Korea, Red Clay Dance Company, and Joffrey Ballet. Students in this class must have ample previous dance experience and exhibit advanced dance skills in multiple styles such as contemporary, modern, hip hop, and jazz. They must have the ability to attend all the dance performances both in and outside of school, and must audition to be part of the ensemble. Every performance and event is graded as part of the course. Dance I, II, or III is a pre-requisite for this course and students must successfully audition for the group. Auditions are always held in May the school year before for incoming 9-12th graders.