Marymount Manhattan College/ Spring 2021/ DANC 309

Ethics/Aesthetics/Gender in Performing Art History

Instructor: Catherine Cabeen
ccabeen@mmm.edu
Class Meetings: T/Th 5:50-7:11

Land Acknowledgement:
As we investigate the wonder and complexity of our physical, emotional, and cultural bodies, it
is important to acknowledge our interconnection with the Earth and the history of the land we
inhabit. In Manhattan, we dance on land that was originally inhabited by the Lenape people.
We honor indigenous people of the past, present, and future in order to fully acknowledge the
complexity of human relations and our responsibility as stewards of the land we inhabit.
Please take a moment to find out the name(s) of the indigenous people whose land you
currently inhabit: https://native-land.ca/

Course Description:
This course explores the intersection of ethics and aesthetics in 20th and 21st century
performing art history as it relates to the formation and understanding of gender.  This course
identifies various ethical dilemmas that come up in the complicated relationships that exist
between power and the formation of a subject and object, which infuse both gender relations
and the performing arts.  The course pays particular attention to how ideas of beauty and moral
righteousness often become conflated and how various female artists, queer artists, and artists
of color have created work that stands in direct opposition to these cultural norms and
expectations. 

Goals and Learning Outcomes for the Course:

 Students will identify the intersections, and controversies, of ethical and
aesthetic issues in various contexts ranging from personal practices to cultural
productions.
 Students will analyze and articulate multiple perspectives on ethical and
aesthetic issues particularly as they relate to gender representation and
performance.
 Students will construct arguments that are grounded in ethical and other
analytical or scholarly perspectives in support of their own judgements.
 Students will demonstrate knowledge of how people participate in and are
influenced by cultural production.
 Students will recognize and articulate their own contribution to the production,
consumption, and reproduction of culture

ZOOM LINK:
https://marymount.zoom.us/j/95963858426
Zoom Etiquette:
This is a discussion-based class. Please plan on having your camera on for classes.
We will be moving and engaging in embodied practices in many classes, but all of these
practices can be done in any clothing. Please try to take class in a space where you have a bit of
space to move around.

Grading:
Attendance and Participation 15%
Reading Responses
Moral Compass Performance 10%
Gender Self Analysis 10%
Dance/Music/Theater/Film Discussion Board 10%
Drag Photo Shoot/Presentation 10%
Eco-Feminist Art Proposal 10% 15%
Art Funding Research Project 5%
Final Presentation 30%

Required Readings:
All required Readings will be uploaded to Blackboard in the Content Section/Readings Folder.

Assignments:
 Attendance and Participation: Your active engagement in class discussions and
movement practices is essential to your success in this course. Please come to class on
time and ready to participate by having completed the assigned readings and viewings.
o Completing the Reading Responses associated with each Reading will help you to
participate fully, and to keep track of the essential components of each reading.
o Plan to have your zoom camera on for class.
 Moral Compass Performances: What is your “moral compass” and how do you enact it in
the world? This in-class presentation asks you to think deeply about what it means to
you to be a “good person.” What are the “rules you live by,” “ethical framework,” or
principles you try to enact to live a “good life”? Who or what do you feel a responsibility
for?
o Journal on the above prompts and then complete the assignment in one of the
four ways listed below. However you decide to share your thoughts, you will
have 2-3 minutes to do so.
 Draw your moral compass and share the illustration with the class.
 Share a brief talk about how you enact your ethics in the world through
everyday activities, and speak about these actions as Performance.
 Write a poem or create a 2-minute dance or a monolog about your moral
compass, and perform it for the class.
 Create an interactive experience to share with your peers that illustrates
your moral compass.
 o Due 2/11
 Gender Self Analysis: How do you perform your gender? What daily rituals do you
engage in, in order to present yourself to the world as a good/beautiful _________
(whatever gender you identify as). How have these rituals changed over your lifetime?
When you get dressed up for a special occasion, how do you modify your appearance?
How does your gender impact your relationships (with friends, family, intimate partners,
teachers, etc)? Are these questions you have thought a lot about, or think about
regularly, or are they actions that have felt unconscious? Have you ever been
misgendered? How did it make you feel?
o Answer these questions in 500-600 words
o Email to Cabeen by class time on 2/18
 Dance/Music/Theater/Film Discussion Board: Due to COVID-19, many artists have been
shifting their primary medium of expression from live performance to film and video.
During this time, what have you seen that moved you, particularly in relation to the
themes of this course; gender representation, ethical value, and/or aesthetic value? You
may choose a piece that moved you in a positive way, or a work that angered or upset
you. How did the artist(s) bridge the space between live art and film in order to create a
moving piece for the time we are in… or were you moved by the work because it
reminded you of the power of live performance that we all miss so much?
o Please share a link to the work you are interested in on the discussion board,
with a brief (100-200 word) explanation of what moved you in the work. What
kind(s) of gender representation are present? Argue for the work’s ethical
and/or aesthetic value. Also note how the work successfully translated to film (or
why it was unsuccessful in this regard).
o Also look at two or more of your peer’s contributions, and comment on the
thread with your take on the work. Do you agree or disagree that the work in
question does, or does not, have ethical and/or aesthetic value?
o Please submit your link, your explanation of why you chose to share that piece,
and 2 comments to peers’ posts, to the Blackboard Discussion Board before class
on 3/4.
 Drag Photo Shoot/Presentation: We have been talking about the wide range of
embodied expressions that “drag” can refer to. What does it mean to you personally to
dress in drag? Whatever gender you identify as on a daily basis, needs to be either
disrupted or amplified for this assignment in which you will create a photograph
yourself in drag, as an alter-ego.
o Who is deep inside you who wants to come out and express themselves, OR who
would you never dare to be, or want to be? What is this character’s gender,
style, name, occupation, agenda, likes and dislikes etc. Make the character
specific.
o Gather this character’s costume, make-up, and hair. Think about their posture;
how would they sit/stand? How would they move? Where would they want to
be photographed? (a neutral portrait background is fine, but if an environment
you have access to will help your characterization, go for it.)
 o Transform yourself into this character and have a photoshoot.
o In-class we will Introduce our drag characters by sharing the best shot of our
photo shoot, a bit about this character, and how we felt becoming them, in a 2-3
minute presentation.
o DUE in class 3/25
 Environmental Art Proposals: This assignment asks you to imagine an Environmental Art
Project through a feminist lens, and write a proposal for the project. This could be a
dance, theater, or musical performance, an installation or work of visual art, a line of
sustainable fashion… any medium that inspires you.
o When you are able to be outside, listen to the environment. Breath. Notice the
texture and temperature of the air. Tune into the texture of the earth beneath
your feet. Observe the natural light and shadows. Is there water nearby or
humidity in the air? Is there movement here?
o Use this experience of being outdoors to inform your art proposal.
o Write about what you want to create in 500-600 words.
o Include clear visual descriptions in your proposal.
o Due 4/15
o Use this as a guide;
 1- the name of your art project (make this interesting).
 2- a section here that explains to the reader exactly what you are
trying to say - and why (think of Suzanne Lacy’s Domestic Abuse
cars- what was she trying to draw attention to? Why?)
 3- then a detailed description of the art component - what you
would make- where it would be exhibited - what you intend for the
audience’s reaction to the piece to be.
 You can add other details- expand on your ideas - let your
imagination go wild - you have absolutely no expense account!
 And for the second component of the assignment: 
I would like you to include a sketch of your proposal (look at
Amanda William’s proposal for the Public sculpture, or consider Maya
Linn’s simple drawing of her proposal for the Vietnam war memorial).
This is an important part of the assignment. Your grade will not be
based on artistic talent but on good, organized, strong visual thinking.
 Art Funding Research Project: In small groups you will be assigned an aspect of U.S. Arts
funding to investigate. Topics will include various aspects of history and controversies
surrounding the NEA.
o Groups will be assigned.
o Presentations will be 7-10 minutes per group.
o Due in class 4/22
 Final Presentation: Your final presentation will be created in collaboration with one of
your peers in the class. This will be a persuasive presentation that can be on a wide
array of subjects. What in this class did you find most exciting? What do you want to
know more about? Use this research project as an opportunity to dig deeper into your
own interests. Choose an artist of any genre or medium. Then choose a particular work
 or body of work by that artist. Research the biographic and cultural contexts in which
the work was made. How is gender represented in the work? What was the intended
audience for the work? What was the intended affect? How did the actual impact of the
work compare to those intentions? Construct an argument to support the ethical and
aesthetic value of the work (or lack thereof), particularly in relation to its uses of gender
representation.
o This project will take the form of a 20 minute in-class presentation and an
Annotated Bibliography.
o The presentation should include a combination of sharing knowledge and
interactive experiential components, the balance of which will be determined by
your approach to the subject matter. (In other words, you are welcome to
approach this as a formal presentation or as a more creative/interactive
performance.)
o The Annotated Bibliography should include 10-14 sources, which must include at
least 5 assigned class readings and must include at least 5 sources from
additional research. In 100-200 words per source, write up how each source
supported your research project.
o 4/26 Final Project Topic Due via email to Cabeen
o 5/4, 5/6, 5/11, OR 5/13 Final Project Presentations Due in class
 Exact presentation schedule TBD

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities (learning, physical or
psychological) who require reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments for a course must be registered
with the Office of Disability Services or enrolled in the Academic Access Program. With students’ permission,
faculty members are notified each semester by CONFIDENTIAL email that a student with documented disabilities is
enrolled in their class and is eligible for accommodations. If a student has questions regarding the Office of
Disability Services or accommodations, please email disabilityservices@mmm.edu. This office is located in Room
500, 5th floor of Carson Hall. Please be aware that audio recording class lectures and discussions is an
accommodation some students may use when it is approved through the Office of Disability Services. If approved,
the student signs a contract agreeing to keep all recordings confidential, not share them with others, and to
destroy all recordings after completing the course.

Policy on Recording of Classes: Please be aware that audio recording or photographing online or in-
person classes is strictly prohibited unless a student has received explicit permission from the instructor. An
exception is made for students who have registered with the Office of Disability Services and have been granted
prior approval to receive audio recordings, which can be provided by the course instructor. Students with approval
to receive recordings must sign a contract agreeing to keep all recordings confidential, not share or disseminate
them in any form, and to destroy all recordings after completing the course. Instructors are also required to inform
students if they will be recording a class session. 

Academic Honesty Policy: MMC fosters an academic community where students and faculty work
together to create a learning experience that imparts knowledge and forms character. To achieve this, the college
requires all members of the community to adhere to the policy of Academic Honesty that can be found in the
Student Handbook, the College Catalogue and on the College website.
College Email Etiquette: Effective communication with your professors is essential to college success. It is
also vital preparation for entering the workforce, where this same skillset will serve your career. Craft your email
requests to professors with care: pay close attention to word choice, sentence structure, concision, clarity,
grammar, and especially tone. Always use an appropriate honorific (“Professor,” “Doctor”) as a form of address,
unless your professor has specifically told you to use their first name (which I have/will). Indicate in which class
and session you are. Email only if you cannot find an answer to your query elsewhere (check the syllabus!). If you
have concerns you’d like to share with your professor, requesting a remote meeting during office hours, in a timely
manner (as your concerns arise), is always best.
 COURSE OUTLINE:
Week 1 2/2 Welcome and introduction to the course content/approach
2/4 Anti-Essentialism, an Embodied Practice

Week 2 2/9 What “is” Performance /Performance Studies

DUE: please have read Schechner Performance Studies; an Introduction
Pages 14-18 (1-5 within PDF), 41-52 (28-38), 58-64 (45-51)
Schechner Reading Response
2/11 Ethical Frameworks in Performance
DUE: Please watch Bill T Jones STILL/HERE with Bill Moyers (1 hour)
https://vimeo.com/33288787
DUE: Moral Compass Performances

Week 3 2/16 Who is the Audience?

DUE: Sandra Lee Bartky’s Foucault, Feminism and the Modernization of
Patriarchal Power
Lee Bartky Reading Response
2/18 Body Modification as Performance Art
DUE: Please watch The Legend of Leigh Bowery (1 hour 20 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIS79ZQxYiw
DUE: Gender Self- Analysis

Week 4 2/23 The Challenge of Body Politics/Reclaiming

DUE: Wolff’s Reinstating Corporeality: Feminism and Body Politics
Wolff Reading Response
2/25 Classical and Grotesque Bodies
DUE: Please watch “23 Wonderful Female Classical Ballet Variations”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21lO3Egqmrw
AND Cabeen’s Ready, Aim (20 minutes)
https://vimeo.com/312622381

Week 5 3/2 What is the Male Gaze?

DUE: Mulvey’s Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema
And Dargis’ Why I Love Women Who Wallop
Mulvey/Dargis Reading Response
3/ 4 Live Art/Cinema
DUE: Please watch “Maya Deren’s Film Philosophy” (5 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fblCLnugDpc
DUE: Dance/Music/Theater/Film Discussion Board
Week 6 3/9 What is the “Truth?” guest lecture: MELANIE GREENE
DUE: Danto’s The Naked Truth
Danto Reading Response
3/11 HONORS DAY – no classes

Week 7 3/16 What a DRAG!!!!

DUE: Selby Wynn Schwartz’s Drag Dances and their Afterlives
(introduction)
Schwartz Reading Response
And Please watch this excerpt of Rupaul’s Drag Race (13 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBiwnT3E8Sk
and these short looks at Drag King performances
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DLilvWVuH0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-TCj244dI0
3/18 guest lecture: DONALD SHORTER
DUE: viewings TBD

Week 8 3/23 Transformation/Fluidity

DUE: Franko’s Where He Danced
Franko Reading Response
3/25 DUE: Drag Photo Shoot Presentations

Week 9 SPRING BREAK!!!

Week 10 4/6 Eco-Feminism (Fem 1,2,3,4)

DUE: Please listen to the following episodes of All My Relations (Podcast):
IndigiQueer:
https://www.allmyrelationspodcast.com/podcast/episode/47547617/ep-
6-indigiqueer
Decolonizing Sex:
https://www.allmyrelationspodcast.com/podcast/episode/468a0
a6b/ep-5-decolonizing-sex

4/8 Environmental Art in a Variety of Contexts

Please Watch this Global Water Dances Promo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJAal1E8XUo
and This introduction to Dancing Earth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv5cfgu49sQ
and This Ted Talk by Amanda Williams
https://www.ted.com/talks/amanda_williams_why_i_turned_chicago_s_
abandoned_homes_into_art?language=en
Week 11 4/13 Advisement Day – no classes
4/15 Feminism/Mobility Dress Reform in the early 20 th Century
@ SocSci Zoom
SocSci Zoom Link
https://marymount.zoom.us/my/socsci
  Zoom Meeting ID: 983 415 1210
DUE: Environmental Art Proposals

Week 12 4/20 Feminism 1,2,3,4 Guest Speaker: JOHN JASPERS!!!

4/22 DUE: Art Funding Research Presentations
Cabeen: NEA 4/Arts Funding Controversies

Week 13 4/26 Open Discussion/Course Link

DUE: Final Project Topic
4/29 Open Discussion

Week 14 5/4 Final Project Presentations Due

5/6 Final Project Presentations Due

Week 15 5/11 Final Project Presentations Due

5/13 Final Project Presentations Due

Week 16 5/18 LAST CLASS Wrap-up/Discussion