Sossaman Middle School

Beginning Dance Syllabus

Ms. DelRosal
brianna.delrosal@husd.org

Welcome to Beginning Dance! This elective course can be used for a Fine Arts or PE credit. This class may also be repeated for credit.
In this class we will cover the anatomy of the dancer’s body along with the technique, history, and terminology of ballet, jazz, and
contemporary. Students will participate in various activities involving creative-thinking, teambuilding, literacy skills, improvisation,
and health awareness. We will study choreographic and performance skills in dance.
Course Objectives:

 To develop knowledge of correct bone and muscle alignment and to apply this knowledge to improve on dance
technique.
 To gain a more advanced knowledge of dance history.
 To move with correct rhythm and timing.
 To learn the fundamental technique for all the above-mentioned dance styles.
 To condition the body for the fullest movement potential.
 To develop an appreciation for the arts.
 To have fun ☺ while learning a lifetime activity.

Course Requirements:

✓ Attendance, promptness, and active participation on a daily basis. Each day you should work to your limits and
consider every exercise a performance.
✓ No street shoes, food, gum, or drink in the dance room.
✓ Keep an interactive notebook with topics discussed in class.
✓ Complete any written assignments by the required due date, which may include a history report and/or dance
critique of a live performance.
✓ All district, school, and class policies will be enforced.
✓ Be respectful of all instructors, dancers, guests, and to yourself.
✓ Come dressed out and prepared to work every day.
✓ Be open to any styles of dance presented and be able to work with any student in class.

End-of-Semester Dance Concert

Learning and performing choreography is a vital aspect to the subject of dance and can also be the most fun! Students
will learn a dance to perform for family in an end of the semester showcase. All other rehearsals will be during class
time. Participation in the showcase is mandatory.

Your student’s dress rehearsal will be: November 18th at 4:30pm at the Higley Performing Arts Center.
Your student’s show will be: November 19th at 6pm at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts.
**Please provide your own transportation. **
Dressing Out:
Students will come to class each day dressed out in their proper dance attire.

Female: Please wear all black attire. Leotards and tights, leggings or dance pants are recommended for best results.
Half tops are not allowed. Stomach must be covered at all times. Tank tops and tight t-shirts, and shorts with tights are
all okay. Tights and leggings need to be without feet and must extend below the knee for extra protection. Bra straps
and belly buttons may not be visible. Hair must be pulled up out of face during class.

Male: Snug fitting t-shirt and sweatpants or dance pants. Leg length of pant must extend below knee.

☺ You may NOT wear the clothes that you wore to school to class regardless of what color they are. Failure to dress
out will result in a loss of participation points. Repeated offenses will result in further penalties.

☺The proper attire allows your teacher to see alignment and movements of the body.

Locker Room
Students will be issued a lock and a locker at the beginning of the semester. It is the student’s responsibility to memorize
their locker combination. Remember: do not share your locker combination

Grading Procedures:
10 points per day will be earned if student follows the daily procedures and fully participates in classroom activities.
Points are lost by:
1. Absences (-10)
2. Tardy (-2.5)
3. Lack of participation: includes not being dressed for class (-10)
4. Gum (-10) *This is a health risk and a school policy. Gum will not be tolerated. *

**All students who are not prepared for class or come tardy to class will be issued After School Detention. For more
information on this please refer to the SMS handbook.

Your grade will be based on the following:

80% - Participation and Effort: Present, prompt, and dressed in appropriate dancewear; actively participating on
a daily basis with a positive attitude
Skill: Improvement in technique class; Movement Exams; Choreography Projects
Written: Interactive Notebook used for notes, handouts, and bell works; notebook checks
Assessments: Several written tests throughout the semester including vocabulary, history, and anatomy.

20% - Final Exam

Grading Scale: Semester grade Breakdown:

A: 90 – 100 Final Exam = 20%

B: 80 – 89 Class Grade = 80%
C: 70 – 79
D: 60 – 69
F: 59 and below
50% Floor

SMS incorporates a modified 50% floor policy. Any assignment submitted by a student that is accepted by a teacher will
receive a minimum grade of a 50%. A teacher has the responsibility to not accept assignments from student that do not
meet minimal standards of completion.

On all assessments given by a teacher, there is no floor. Students will receive the mark/score they earned on the
assessment.

Any assignment that remains un-submitted at the end of the unit of study or two weeks after the original due date
(teacher discretion) will remain/be entered as a zero in the grade book.

Re-do/Re-Take

SMS encourages students to re-do/re-take assessments on which they performed below their desired level of mastery.
In order to be eligible to schedule a re-do/re-take time with a teacher a student must complete the following tasks:

• Ensure all assignments for the unit of study are turned in.
• Meet with the teacher to establish criteria to complete the re-do/re-take form and associated tasks.
• A student’s opportunity to re-do/re-take an assessment is always subject to teacher discretion.
After School Detention

SMS staff and administration believe in the value and importance of teaching students responsibility and accountability.
As a result, students may be assigned After School Detention (ASD). ASD will be held three days a week. Students who
are assigned ASD will serve on the next scheduled ASD day. Students will not serve on the day it is assigned to allow
parents the opportunity to make arrangements to pick up their child. District transportation cannot be provided for
ASD. Students will need to be picked up no later than 4:30PM. ASD may be assigned by a teacher for the following
reasons:

• Tardy to Class
• Unprepared for Class (missing materials, uncharged iPad, etc…)
• Failure to submit an assignment

Written notification will be sent home with students to be signed by the parent and returned the following day. If the
form is not returned, discipline action by Administration may occur.

The ASD program is not meant to address behavior issues in the classroom. However, a teacher may utilize lunch
detention, after school detention, hold student/parent conference in order to address inappropriate behaviors in the
classroom. These consequences are not related to the ASD program and will be accompanied by communication from
the classroom teacher.

Injuries/Doctor’s Notes
Any dance student that is sick or injured and is not able to participate in the daily activities will be required to provide
some sort of documentation. If a dancer is sick or injured, a note from the student’s parent/guardian is required in order
for the dancer to sit out of class and an in-class assignment will be provided for students to earn daily points. Any injury
that lasts longer than three (3) days will require a note from the doctor. Long-term injuries will need to be discussed
with Ms. DelRosal and could possibly result in a project to make up points or a schedule change.
 How to Make Up an Absence

If you miss a class, you will need to either do a physical makeup or a written makeup to obtain points for the day you
missed. Here’s how your participation points work.

- You are given 10 participation points a day.

- If you are absent (excused or unexcused) you will lose 10 points for every absence.

-If you are suspended, you will lose 10 points for each day you are gone from class.

- All absences can be made up in the ways listed below.

Makeup opportunities:

There are THREE ways you may make up an absence.

The makeup needs to be completed within two weeks of being absent. One assignment per absence.

1. Physical (10 pts)

The student will schedule an appointment to meet with Ms. DelRosal before or after school. The student will meet Ms.
DelRosal in the locker room on the designated day and will complete a 30-minute workout.

2. Written (10 pts)

The student will need to locate a dance or fitness article in a magazine, newspaper, or journal. (Can be found online)

a. The student will need to read the article and either submit the original article or a copy of the article to Ms.
DelRosal.
b. The student will write a summary of the article. (A summary is a concise recount of the article that should be
approximately ½ - ¾ of a page.)
c. The student will also write 3 questions and answers related to the article’s content.
d. All written work should be submitted in blue or black ink or typewritten.
e. Please put your name, class period, the date of your absence, and the current date at the top of your
assignment.

3. Dance Class Outside of SMS (10 pts)

The student can attend class outside of school. Students can use this option for up to three class periods per semester.
You must turn in the following:

a. Where and when you took class

b. Name of Teacher and type of class
c. Teacher Signature

It is the student’s responsibility to either set an appointment with Ms. DelRosal to do a physical makeup or turn in a
written assignment before the scheduled makeup date.

If the student fails to submit makeup work, they will not be able to regain their lost participation points.
 Dance Interactive Notebooks

The materials for your Interactive Dance Notebook are due on July 24th in class.

Here is what you will need…

• Composition Notebook
• 3 different colored highlighters

1. Cover

2. Author Page & Scoring Rubric (inside cover)

3. Notebook Guidelines & Highlighting Policy

4. Table of Contents

Page # Activity Description Date

Note: Interactive Notebooks need to come to class EVERY DAY! They

will be collected and graded at the end of each unit. Dates will be
announced in class. BE PREPARED!!!
Please have this by Wednesday, July 24th!

JOURNAL PAGES

You will be required to complete a 5-question reflection entry per week. Reflections
can be found on Ms. DelRosal’s teacher page under “Reflections” tab.

Journals are due every Wednesday. They must be written in blue or black pen or
pencil on white, lined paper with holes intact.
 CONCERT CRITIQUE OUTLINE
It is your responsibility to attend at least one dance concert during the course of each semester. You may
choose whatever concert is of most interest to you. However, dancers critiqued must be middle school age or
older. The critique is a tool for you to discuss general comments of the concert, whether they are positive or
negative. Use this outline to assist you in writing your critique.

Write your response in a paragraph form and be sure to cover the following points, using complete sentences,
correct spelling, and correct grammar. This paper must be typed, double spaced, and in 12 pt font. Do not
forget your cover page! Each paragraph must be at least 4 sentences.

Critique papers are due no later than one week after the date of the performance.

Late critiques will not count toward your critique requirement but may be turned in for make-up work. You will
be expected to attend another dance concert and write a critique to fulfill the requirement. If you are absent on
the last day that the critique is due, it is YOUR responsibility to have the paper delivered. The final date
critiques will be accepted are November 22.

DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE!!

Concert Critique Rubric

Title Page __/5

Name, class period, name of concert you attended, date of submission

Introductory paragraph __/10

Name of concert, Name of the dance company performing, Location of the performance, Date you attended

Critique #1 __/10

Title of the dance piece, Name of Choreographer, Brief description of the piece, personal reactions

Critique #2 __/10

Title of the dance piece, Name of Choreographer, Brief description of the piece, personal reactions

Critique #3 __/10

Title of the dance piece, Name of Choreographer, Brief description of the piece, personal reactions

Closing Paragraph __/10

Discuss your opinion of the concert as a whole, include any other remarks you would like to express, create a solid conclusion to finish your paper.

Typed/Double Spaced __/5

Total Points: __/60

Descriptions can include: storyline if it had one, general mood or feeling, production effects, apparent style of
dance used, quality of dancers, quality of choreography, etc.

Personal reactions to the performance can include: the appropriateness of music and costumes used, the
general feeling you got from the dance piece, what you enjoyed/disliked about the piece and WHY…etc.
 RESEARCH PAPER OUTLINE
(Substitute for not attending a dance concert. This may only be done once in the course of the school year.)

If you cannot attend a dance concert to write a critique, you may write a research paper to fulfill the critique
requirement. First select a topic to research, either a person in dance or the history of a particular style of
dance. You may want to review the library’s card catalog to see what or who is of most interest to you.

You must have at least 2 sources to list on your bibliography (2 different books or articles, encyclopedia and
dictionary do not count). Write in paragraph form and be sure to use complete sentences, correct spelling, and
correct grammar. This paper must be typed, double spaced, and in 12 pt font. Do not forget your cover page!
Your research paper should be at least 3 pages in length + a cover page and source page.

Due Date: November 22nd

Research Paper Rubric

TITLE PAGE ___ / 5

Title of your paper, Name, Date, Class Period, Write “Research Paper”

RESEARCH INFORMATION ___ / 15

Give an overview of the information you collected. Write in your own words. Use quotation marks when quoting form, the book, and cite which book it is
from. Organize all information in chronological order.

PERSONAL REACTIONS ___ / 15

Discuss why you chose this topic. Explain what you gained by studying this topic.

SOURCE PAGE (BIBLIOGRAPY) ___ / 10

Needs two or more sources

“Title of the Article or Individual Page.” Title of the website, Name of the publisher, Date of publication, URL.

3 pages ___ / 5

Typed ___ / 5

Double Spaced ___/ 5

Total Points: ___ / 60

If you need help citing your sources or finding resources, please ask Ms. DelRosal. Please use your own
words when writing your paper, direct quotes without proper citation is considered plagiarism.
 DANCE ETIQUETTE
If you attend dance class, and wish to refer to yourself as a dancer, one must abide by the following
rules. These rules are universal guidelines for every dance class throughout the world.

A dancer shows respect for others by:

▪ Keeping hands to your self during class.

▪ Waiting quietly for others to have a turn and for instructions from the teacher.
▪ Keeping giggling to a minimum.
▪ Talking when only asked to share information.

A dancer shows respect for her/his teacher and the art form she/he is learning by:

▪ Being properly dressed, ready for class, and on time.

▪ Listening when the teacher speaks.
▪ Being prepared for their turn.
▪ Asking before leaving the room for any reason and reentering without disrupting the rest of the class.
▪ Finishing every exercise to the best of your ability.

A dancer shows respect for the space by:

▪ Leaving gum, food, drinks, and cell phones outside the room.
▪ Never hanging or leaning on the barres.
▪ Never running or shouting.
▪ Putting trash in its proper place.
▪ Always keeping her/his belongings away from the dance space.

Dance class is typically structured in the following way:

▪ Warm-up
o Have enough space so you can swing your arms and not hit your neighbor and stand far
enough away so chatting is not possible.
o Use all the space available. Stand in lines to maximize space.
▪ Across the floor
o Be prepared to move across the floor when it is your turn.
o Once you have crossed the room, GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!
o When needing to get back in line, take the path least invasive of the dancers going across the
floor (typically behind the barres)
▪ Center
o Find your space and be prepared!
▪ End of Class
o Clapping is a traditional way of saying “thank you” to the instructor, your peers, and
acknowledging all of the day’s accomplishments.