DAN 250-Q / World Hist. of the Dance / Spring 2026

     I Unit: Medieval Times Theme: Europe, Southeast Asia & Japan   Introduction In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and transitioned into the  Medieval period, the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery.   II Learning Objectives   Understand the importance of the Middle Ages after the fall of the Roman Empire Explain the role of dance in upper and lower social classes in Medieval society Gain an awareness of the differences between profane and sacred dances across times Realize the impact of Catholicism on the syncretic festivals that emerged in the Americas  Experience the main steps of a Medieval dance scene     III Main Lesson     1 Middle Ages   Question 1 Which events are important during the Middle Ages?   2 P...

   I Unit: Classic Period Elsewhere Theme: Mesoamerica, India & China   Introduction Often classical antiquity refers to a historical period spanning from the output of ancient Greek author Homer in the 8th century bce to the decline of the Roman Empire in the 5th century ce. Seldomly, do we refer to the classical period that took place in other parts of the world. Today's class focuses on the classical periods in Mesoamerica, India and China.    II Learning Objectives   Understand the importance of the classical period in other parts of the world Explain the meaning of the term "classical" and why it can be applied to the cultures of Mesoamerica, India and China Gain an awareness of the differences between these three classical cultures Realize the impact of the classical periods in these three areas of the world on their present cultures  Experience the main steps of the dances representative of these three cultures and their classical peri...

    Ancient Egypt Timeline Ancient Egypt lasted for three main periods in history: the old Kingdom, which lasted from 2,700-2,200 B.C., the Middle Kingdom, from 2,050-1,800 B.C., and the New Kingdom, which reigned until about 343 B.C.    *   I   Unit: Ancient Egypt   Theme: The Yemenites   Introduction     Yemenite Jews or Yemeni Jews or Teimanim are those Jews who live, or once lived, in Yemen, and their descendants maintaining their customs. Between June 1949 and September 1950, the overwhelming majority of Yemen's Jewish population immigrated to Israel in Operation Magic Carpet. However, their dances were kept throughout history. II Learning Objectives Understand the causes of the Jewish exodus Explain the consequences of the emergence of monotheism Gain an awareness of the the importance of singing, dance and music in the preservation of paraliturgical poetry Experience the Ancient Yemenite dance     III   ...