DEPARTMENTAL

1 Perceiving the Performing Arts
Professional artists in the fields of dance, music and theatre introduce students to the fundamental concepts of their respective disciplines. Students go to Bay Area performances in each art form studied. Team taught.

142 Performing Arts in Production (.5 or 1.0)
Either half or full course credit is available for participation in the technical aspects of a Performing Arts departmental production: elements of stagecraft, costuming, marketing, front of house, etc. Required for Technical Theatre and Design majors, and Theatre minors, but open to all interested students. 
*Does not satisfy an Area requirement.

160 Special Topics in Performing Arts
Offered every other year, this course covers in-depth a specific aspect of the performing arts only touched on in other courses.  Rotating topics include: African-American Dance, Great Composers, American Musicals, Dance and Film, Theatre and Social Justice, and Directing for the Stage, among others. Although this upper-division course is open to all interested students without prerequisites, prior completion of Performing Arts 1 is strongly recommended.

197 Special Study
An independent study, internship or research course for students whose needs are not met by the regular course offerings of the department. Permission of the chair and instructor required.

198 Senior Project
During their senior year, majors in dance, music or theatre, under the supervision of a faculty member, are required to develop a project that demonstrates their expertise and creativity. The project may take the form of a solo performance, involvement with a performing arts group off campus, a substantive essay, or directing / designing / choreographing a student production. Written proposal must be approved by the appropriate program director prior to registration for the academic year in which the project will occur. Prerequisite: Completion of all lower-division major courses.

DANCE

20/120 Dance and Movement Electives
Beginning through advanced studio instruction in Western styles: jazz, hip-hop, tap, ballroom/social dance; World traditions: African dance, Ballet Folklorico, Latin dance, Persian dance; Somatic studies, Pilates and yoga.
*Does not satisfy an Area requirement

22/122 Dance Technique, Repertory and Choreography
Dance technique: beginning through advanced studio instruction in ballet and modern dance; Repertory: dance company rehearsals, faculty pieces, and guest artist rehearsals; Choreography: basic movement invention, solo and group work, site specific choreography.
*Does not satisfy an Area requirement.

121 Dance History I: Ballet
This course covers the development of dance from its roots in European court dancing through the development of ballet into the beginning of the modern era. Students attend professional dance concerts in the Bay Area.

123 Dance History II: Modern and Contemporary Dance
This course studies the development of modern dance from its roots in ballet to the innovations of the present including hip-hop and dances made for the camera. Students attend professional dance concerts in the Bay Area.

125 Dance in Performance
A course in dance analysis and criticism. Various aspects of dance as a performing art are studied through attendance at dance performances offered in the Bay Area by local companies and national troupes performing on tour. Prerequisite: Performing Arts 1

126 Dance Production
Rehearsal and technique class for the Saint Mary's College Dance Company, culminating in public performances. Permission of instructor required.
*Does not satisfy an Area requirement.

141 Production Management and Design for Dance
In this course students learn the basics of dance lighting and the fundamentals of managing and producing a dance concert. The class also teaches student to: communicate effectively with lighting designers, stage managers and production crews; understand the elements of a dance production (including budgeting, marketing and publicity, and curating a concert); and develop and execute lighting and costume designs. This course culminates in an all-student mainstage dance concert.
*Does not satisfy an Area requirement.

MUSIC

10 Rock to Bach: Introduction to Music
Students in this class cultivate the ability to listen more deeply. They study the evolution of classical music, jazz, blues and early rock through exposure to more than three dozen composers — from Bach to Miles Davis to Little Richard.

11 Music Fundamentals
Students learn to read musical notation and study the basic construction of music through scales, key signatures, chords, and the relationship between melody and harmony.

12 Applied Music (.25)
Beginning and intermediate levels. May be repeated for credit every semester.
*Does not satisfy an Area requirement.

14 World Music and Dance
A survey of music and dance from China, Japan, India, Indonesia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Native American culture.
Satisfies both the Diversity and the Area A requirement.

Perfa 19 Performing Ensembles (.25)
NightinGaels (chorus), Jazz Band, Chamber Musicians, Orchestra or Wind Symphony. Admitted by audition. May be repeated for credit every semester.

110 Medieval and Renaissance Music (.5)
An examination of various aspects of music from the Middle Ages through the 16th century, with a focus on musical forms, vocal and instrumental technique, and performance contexts.

111 Symphonic Music
This course familiarizes students with masterpieces of the orchestral repertoire, while teaching them how to listen with more understanding to the works of Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler and many others. There is a particular emphasis on the music of the 19th century. Students learn not only the development of the symphonic form but also its relationship to the social milieu of the time.

112 Private Music Instruction Lab (.25)
Performing arts majors, minors or students enrolled in Perfa 101 receive private instruction in any orchestral instrument, piano, voice, classical guitar or jazz guitar. Each student participates in a weekly master class. May be repeated for credit every semester.
*Does not satisfy an Area requirement.

113 Jazz and Blues in America
An examination of the development of jazz and blues in the United States from 19th-century precursors to the present. Major artists and trends are studied through directed listening and analysis of the cultural context from which they arose.
Satisfies both the Diversity and the Area A requirement.

114 Music Theory/Ear Training
Students learn basic principles of harmony (chords) and voice-leading, improve their music-reading skills, learn how to notate simple melodies, and identify types of chords and intervals by ear. Ability to read music is required before enrolling in this class. Prerequisite: Perfa 11 or permission of instructor.

115 Music in Performance
This course emphasizes the history and aesthetics of music by attending live concerts throughout the Bay Area. Students hear music from all historical periods performed by outstanding orchestras, chamber ensembles, and soloists in a variety of concert halls. Prerequisite: Performing Arts 1.

117 Form and Analysis
Combines the study of chromatic harmony with analysis of scores to determine the unity of form and content in selected compositions: e.g., a Bach fugue, a Mozart concerto, a Brahms symphony, a 20th-century atonal work. Prerequisites: Perfa 114.

118 Twentieth-Century Composers
Students will become familiar with the 20th century’s most important classical music composers such as Stravinsky, Bartok, Copland, Debussy and Cage, as well as the music and aesthetics of living composers.

119 Music and the Enlightenment (.5)
This course examines the evolution of opera, fugue, symphony, and other forms through the works of Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven and other composers. It explores how the intellectual and political values of the 17th and 18th centuries were conveyed through music.

THEATRE

30 Foundations of Theatre I
A survey of major historical developments in theatre, from its ritual origins to the rise of the modern era.

33 Acting I: Principles of Performance
An introduction to the theory, history, and styles of realistic acting with emphasis on personalization, script analysis and the dynamics of performance.

36-01 Theatre Masterpieces: World Drama (.5)
36-02  Theatre Masterpieces: Modern Drama (.5 )
Discussion and analysis of masterworks of dramatic literature. A global perspective showcases playwrights working in diverse styles, eras and traditions. May be repeated for credit as play selection varies.

37 Performance Lab (.25)
Introductory hands-on training in specific performance skills: for example, audition techniques, stage combat, Suzuki physical theatre or voice for the actor. May be repeated for credit as topic varies.
*Does not satisfy an Area requirement.

47 Technical Theatre/Design Lab (.25)
Introductory hands-on training in specific technical theatre/design skills: for example, computers and technical theatre, lighting techniques and ¬drafting. May be repeated for credit as topic varies.
*Does not satisfy an Area requirement.

48 Stagecraft (.5)
The fundamentals of stagecraft from the first design meetings to the closing of a show, with emphasis on the responsibilities of each member of the production staff. Instruction is given in the use of theatrical equipment, and both hand and power tools, as lab hours are spent building sets and props for a mainstage production.
*Does not satisfy an Area requirement.
 
50 Interactive Theatre
Interactive Theatre offers creative tools to effectively engage in difficult dialogues about the intersections of race, gender, sexual orientation, and class in dynamic and innovative ways. Students learn to build non-threatening environments and promote community-centered problem-solving. Open to actors and non-actors.  Satisfies Diversity and Ethnic Studies requirements

130 Foundations of Theatre II
A continuation of the survey of major developments in theatre begun in Foundations I. This course pays special attention to the rise of modern theatre, contemporary forms of theatre and various performance theories. Prerequisite: Foundations I [Perfa 30] or consent of instructor.

132 Play in Production (.25, .5 or 1.0)
Credit is available for actors cast in the theatre program's mainstage or workshop productions. Required for majors and minors, but open to all interested students. 
*Does not satisfy an Area requirement.

133 Acting II: Characterization and Scene Study
A continuing exploration of the tools and techniques used to bring a character to life onstage. Emphasis is given to the development of the actor’s instrument — body, voice, emotion and imagination — while partner and ensemble exercises build toward the performance of scripted scenes. Prerequisite: Acting I [Perfa 33] or consent of instructor.

135 Interdisciplinary Studies: Theatre
A critical engagement with current theatre production and practices. Students attend performances throughout the Bay Area, while studying the contributions made to each production by the playwright, director, designers and actors. Prerequisite: Perceiving the Performing Arts [Perfa 1] or Acting I [Perfa 33] or Foundations I [Perfa 30].

136 Theatre: Special Studies
An intensive study of a selected era, genre or movement particularly rich in theatrical significance. Analysis, research and concentrated writing practice are key components of the course. Recent topics have included American Musical Theatre, Contemporary Women Playwrights and Multicultural Performance. May be repeated as content changes. Prerequisite: Foundations II [Perfa 130] or consent of instructor.

137 Acting III (.5)
Students learn advanced performance skills through specially focused work such as Shakespearean scene study, comic and dramatic monologues, and the challenges of period style. May be repeated for credit as topic varies. Prerequisites: Acting I and II [Perfa 33 and 133] or consent of instructor.

137-02 Acting III Lab (.5) Acting III students co-enroll in this required lab. 

140 Stage Management (.5)
A course in the responsibilities and functions of a stage manager, from the first rehearsal through opening night and beyond. Students develop the skills to run a show in an efficient and positive manner. Prerequisite: Stagecraft [Perfa 48]

148 Stage Lighting Design (.5)
A concentrated advanced study of lighting for the theatre — from learning the technology and providing basic visibility, to understanding how to “paint” with light while enhancing a production’s emotional and artistic impact. Students participate in the semester’s mainstage production and develop design projects of their own. Prerequisite: Stagecraft [Perfa 48]

149-01 Design for the Stage: Set Design (.5)
A concentrated study of scenic and props design for the theatre. Students follow the process of designing for the mainstage production while working on design projects of their own. Special focus is placed on drawing skills, research, mixing colors and stage terminology. Prerequisite: Stagecraft [Perfa 48]

149-02 Design for the Stage: Costume Design (.5)
A concentrated study of costume design for the theatre. Students follow the process of designing for the mainstage production while working on design projects of their own. Special focus is placed on rendering skills, research and design presentations. Prerequisite: Stagecraft [Perfa 48]