We’ve realized Students stay away from certain courses because they seem not to know the details, seekersnewsgh has dedicated this section to bring to you all available courses under the various programmes at the University.  Kindly go through it to make an informed decision.

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PROGRAMME STRUCTURE FOR THE BACHELOR OF ARTS

BA LEVEL 100

First Semester

Note:  Students to choose any 2 courses (6 credits) of the UGRC

Second Semester

Note:  Students to choose any 2 courses (6 credits) of the UGRC

BA LEVEL 200

First Semester

Note:  Students to choose UGRC 210 or any other course from UGRC 220-238 (3 credits) Second Semester

Note:  Students to choose UGRC 210 or UGRC 220-238 (3 credits)

BA LEVEL 300

Single Major: A Dance Major student is required to take all the core courses and a minimum of 4 electives to obtain a minimum of 24 credits by the end of the year. Combined Major: A student who wishes to offer a Combined Major is required to take a                       minimum of 15credits of core courses.

Minor: A BA student offering Dance as a Minor is required to take 3 credits a                                    Semester to obtain 6 credits by the end of the year.

*All codes ending with zero (0) are year-long courses.

First Semester

** New Courses

Second Semester

** New Courses

BA LEVEL 400

Single Major: A student majoring in Dance is required to take all core courses and  a                  minimum of 4 electives to obtain at least 30 credits by the end of the year.

Combined Major: A student who wishes to offer a Combined Major is required to take 12    credits of core courses and a minimum of 3 credits of electives, in          consultation with the Academic Advisor, to obtain a minimum of 15 credits                 by the end of the year.

First Semester

** New Courses                                                                                                  

Second Semester

BA COURSES; Course Description

DANS 102:          Introduction to Traditional Dance 

This course introduces students to the dances, music and cultures of Ghana. The course, which has both theory and practical components, will discuss the historical, cultural and other contexts of traditional dance practice in Ghana. Students will work closely with the instructor and drummers to gain an understanding of the marriage between dance and music in the Ghanaian dance tradition. The class will further explore selected dance productions through written assignments.  

DANS 103:           Dance Forms of Ghana 

The course introduces students to the historical, social and political aspects of selected traditional Ghanaian dance forms. The relationship between the dances and the accompanying music will be examined. It also deals with the origin, context of performance, as well as the costumes, props, make-up and other cultural/artistic/theatrical elements of the dances.

DANS 201:           Introduction to Dance Cultures of the World 

The course is a survey of dance forms practiced by selected world cultures. It includes the study of various dance styles such as Ethnic, Folk, Court, Ballroom/Social, Pop Dance, Professional/ Jazz, Classical, Art Dance, etc., and their forms of presentation, context of performance, gender representation, the use and significance of costume, props and make-up.

DANS 202:           Introduction to Movement Analysis and Notation

This course offers an introduction to rhythm notation, signs and symbols of Labanotation. The approach to movement notation involving variation in steps, turns and gestures will be studied as well as sign reading techniques, recording and notation of selected basic movements generated in class.

DANS 203:           Dance Practicals I

This course is designed to introduce students to a selection of traditional southern Ghanaian dance forms. The class will focus on simple movement technique with the objective of acquiring basic technical skills in   these dances. It also includes discussion of historical background and socio-cultural significance of the dances. Students are expected to be able to develop the confidence and the ability to perform reasonably well at the end of the course.

DANS 204:           Dance Practicals II

This is a continuation of DANS 203. Students will participate in a selection of traditional African dance forms with particular emphasis on northern Ghanaian dances and movement technique. Acquisition of basic technical skills, body awareness, placement, flexibility and improvisation is the focus of the class. It also includes discussions on historical background and socio-cultural significance of the dances. Students will be required to show- case the outcome of the sessions at the end of the semester.

DANS 209:          Orientation to Dance and the Theatre 

The course focuses on topical issues on dance across the world with the objective of exposing students to the comparative analysis of traditional dance practised in the Traditional society and in the Modern theatre. Students will investigate selected dance forms with the view to rearranging them on the conventional proscenium stage through a choreographic process. Students will be required to provide constructive criticism on dances and dancers as well as the critical role played by the audience in the theatre.

DANS 301:            Anatomy and Physiology for the Dancer 

In this course, students will study the principles affecting the physiological and anatomical structures of the human body, including dance laboratory application of principles of alignment, placement and the attainment of dynamic body posture. The course also covers the study of movement awareness and generation through effective muscle manipulation.

DANS 302:            Historical and Comparative Dance Studies

This course surveys the development of Dance in post-Independence Africa. Particular attention will be paid to some significant historical events and their influences on the development of dance forms and styles in Africa and its Diaspora. The course will also explore a brief history of Dance across the world, including the comparative study of selected African, Caribbean, American and European dances, as well as those of the Far East. Illustration of video recordings will form part of the class work.

DANS 303:           Introduction to Dance Composition

This course involves the study of basic elements of dance creation ± technique, setting, experimentation with various forms of movements and types of music including voice, spoken word and appreciation and use of movement for expression. The application of lighting effects, costume, decor, props and make-up will form part of the course.

DANS 304:           Intermediate Dance Composition

In this course craftsmanship involved in dance composition will be studied.  Students are guided to explore movement qualities based on the aesthetic principles of form, texture and other dance elements such as design in space and time, force, rhythm, levels and form; development of skills in structuring dance through movement studies. Further explorations in dance to the accompaniment of music, sound effects and poetry, etc., will be undertaken.

DANS 305:           African Dance Performance I

This is a practical course aimed at helping the student acquire knowledge and skills of dance performance and accompanying song texts, drum language and patterns as well as the application of the underlying philosophy of dances of sub-Saharan countries. Students will treat selected dances from Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Togo.

DANS 306:           African Dance Performance II

This is a continuation of DANS 305. It is aimed at helping the student acquire advanced practical knowledge and skills in selected dance forms from Ghana and neibouring countries including Togo, Cote d’Ivoire and the Republic of Benin. The accompanying song texts of the dances, drum language and patterns as well as the application of the underlying philosophy of the dances will be explored.

DANS 307:           Intermediate Dance Technique I

In this course, students will be taken through practical exercises in movement techniques covering dance motives from selected dance forms from Africa and the Diaspora. Students are expected to acquire knowledge and skills of executing movement and its clarity. They will gain insight to conduct an in-depth study of performance styles as practiced across the world, practical assignments during the course.

DANS 308:           Intermediate Dance Technique II

The course focuses on various means through which movement is executed. The emphasis here is on body awareness /control, placement and flexibility. Ability to move to rhythm and time as well as movement memorization is also tackled. Students will be required to study additional exercises in movement technique, covering movement styles in America, Europe and other parts of the world, leading to a presentation at the end of the course.

DANS 309:           Lighting Design for Dance

The course provides the technical as well as the theoretical basis of lighting as a medium of artistic and aesthetic communication in dance performance.  Students will study the various types and qualities of light as well as the use of lenses, lamps, lighting instruments, cables and connectors in both laboratory, rehearsal and performance situations.

DANS 310:           Dance Production  

This course deals with both theory and practice and processes of Dance Production. Students will be guided to develop the discipline, sharpen their creativity and cultivate sound working attitudes to dance production. They will be assigned varied roles in the production of dance. The application of such areas as stage management, design and construction, costume and make-up, props, lighting and sound effects, will be explored.

DANS 313:           Elementary Labanotation I

This is a study of signs and symbols used in this system of movement notation. The course exposes students to motif writing in dance and the basic concepts of movement analysis. Body flexion, contraction/release and space measurement as well as emphasis on Laban movement study and their application to technique, performance and choreography will form part of the course.

DANS 304:           Elementary Labanotation II

This course is a continuation of DANC 303 which focuses on the study of signs and symbols used in movement notation. The course provides students with knowledge and skills of applying Labanotation to the various dance movements they have been learning in dance technique and dance practical classes. It will include discussions on the complexities that may arise when using Labanotation, a European tool to analyse African material.

DANS 317:           Stage Craft

This course focuses on the study of stage properties; scenery and other aspects of stage craft. Students will be taken through the designing, construction and painting of different types of scenery and props for dance. The class will study and familiarize itself with how to use basic tools and other hardware for designing, constructing and painting different types of sets and props.

DANS 318:           Music for Dance

This course involves the analysis and use of musical forms as resources for dance. Emphasis is on the development of musical skills most pertinent to the dancer. It includes discussion on the relationship between music and dance in African cultures. Various approaches to the correlation between rhythm and focal points in music and movement will be critically examined. Students will be required to demonstrate their mastery of the subject through conceptual and practical presentations.

DANS 319:          Video Choreography  

This module is an introduction and overview of how the video camera can be used to capture images of dance and choreography generally, including documentation of existing choreographic works. Students will learn to apply their knowledge of history and aesthetics of dance to the documentation of the art form. Students will be given the skills to explore the technical offerings for editing and scripting as well as general documentation of dance on video.

DANS 321:           Dance and the Creative Industry

The course will examine the relationship of dance as a viable profession and commodity to the new and emerging Creative Industry in Ghana. It will address issues of training, product development, packaging and touring etc. The course will be linked to the industry where students will have short periods of internship with relevant institutions during the semester.

DANC 322:           Management of Dance

This is a general survey of the principles of management of dance companies in particular and other areas of the performing arts and the way they operate in a communities and educational establishments. Budgeting for production, planning, organization of performances, problems of box office and house management, advertising, publicity, public relations, staffing and personnel etc. will be covered.

DANS 323:          Popular Dance 1

This course deals with the theory and practice of selected Ghanaian popular dances. Students will study both the history and transformation of selected traditional dance forms into contemporary constructs. Both the practical and theory sessions will trace the relationship of particular popular dance movements to existing traditional African dances such as Kpanlogo and Oge; and Azonto and Kpanlogo, all of the Ga people of Accra.  

DANS 324:          Costumes and Make- Up for Dance

This course deals with a survey of history of costume and make-up from the Egyptian era to the present. It further looks at principles of design, nature of fabric, the construction process and the final construction of costume specific for the dancing body. Emphasis will be on the interplay of light on the fabric to enhance the visual means of communication through dance.

DANS 325:          Research Methods I

This course equips students with the knowledge and skills to engage in dance research. It introduces them to the available dance material resources. A range of theoretical frameworks and methodologies will be addressed in addition to strategies for designing a research project, determining a clear rationale and appropriate parameters, and articulating particular research questions. The aim is for students to understand current debates, the nature of evidence and argument, and the relationships between practice, theory and criticism.

DANS 326:           Internship

This is a supervised course designed to stimulate learning and instructional experience. It provides the student with the opportunity to learn through practice in a professional environment; to observe and sharpen his/her skills and technique. Students will be required to submit written reports to their supervisors. The action-oriented paper should reflect what students have learnt.

DANS 327:           Dance ±Theatre

In this course, students will study elements of Dance-Theatre – incorporating production areas such as lighting, costumes, sequence of events and general processes of movement action. Movement improvisation, symbolic representation, extraction and abstraction as well as movement vocabulary will be explored. The thematic treatment of various elements of choreography will be studied to guide students in the revival/creation of a typical Ghanaian Dance- Theatre production.  

DANS 328:           Contemporary African Dance I

Contemporary African Dance is an emerging dance form which negotiates between the old dance traditions and the impulses and issues of the new generation of Africans. The course seeks to distil and redefine the intrinsic values, vitality and contradictions of the African dance tradition to sketch out a new artistic form that is uniquely African.

DANS 332:          Dance and the African Diaspora

The course examines dance in the African Diaspora in relation to the history, economic and socio-cultural backgrounds of the practitioners of this migrant art form. It will also discuss the institutions that support the arts in those diasporic environments as well as the politics of identity formation and cultural representation. The artistic works and the creative vision of choreographers such as Alvin Ailey, Judith Jamison, Eleo Pomare, Kariamu Welsh, Pearl Primus, Berto Pasuka, George Dzikunu, Donald MaCkyle will be interrogated.

DANS 401:          Dance Aesthetics and Criticism

The course will examine the role of the dance critic in African society today. It will also discuss dance in relation to the values of the arts in selected African communities – their moral, social and aesthetic ideals through dance. The nature and elements of African dance as well as the roles of the dancer, choreographer and audience will be treated.  

DANS 402:           Dance in Education

This course focuses on the study of the role dance plays in the development of society. Emphasis is placed on the theoretical framework within which dance is used to enhance the intellectual ability of the individual. The course aims to help students understand and develop their skills in the teaching of dance as an academic subject.

DANS 403:          Advanced Dance Technique I

The course will examine the development and use of dance movement vocabulary and exercises in various dance genres. It includes examples from movement techniques covering such dance forms as Ghanaian, African, Afro-Caribbean, modern, jazz, tap, hip-hop and ballroom. Students will acquire advanced knowledge of movement clarity, the understanding required in executing movements efficiently, and the ability to teach what he or she acquired from the course at the end of the semester.

DANS 404:          Advanced Dance Technique II

The course is an advanced study of the development and use of African dance vocabulary and exercises in movement techniques covering such dance forms as Ghanaian, African, AfroCaribbean, modern, jazz, tap, hip hop and ballroom. Students are expected to build a portfolio of movement combination leading to end of semester presentation. Students will also be expected to develop advanced movement proficiency in all the selected dance forms at the end of the course.

DANS 405:          Dance Performance Laboratory I

This is a practical study of African dances with emphasis on performance skills in respect of quality of movements, use of space, musicality and clarity. Students will study and perform selected traditional African dances from Ghana and the West African sub-region in both their original and recreated forms for public viewing at the end of the semester.

DANS 406:          Dance Performance Laboratory II

This is an advanced practical study and continuation of DANS 405. Students will be required to study and perform selected traditional African dances within the West African sub-region and beyond; in both their authentic and recreated forms for public viewing at the end of the semester. Emphasis will be on acquisition of advanced performance skills in the area of quality of movement, movement execution, movement clarity, use of space, knowledge of costume, make up and props as well as artistry.

DANS 407:          Instrumental and Vocal Resources for Dance I

In this course, students will learn to play and develop rhythms from selected traditional and non-traditional musical instruments ±the xylophone, Atenteben (flute) and other sound and musical sources. The class will also learn to create various sounds and effects, using both natural and artificial resources, to accompany specific dance movements.

DANS 408:           Instrumental and Vocal Resources for Dance II

The course will continue with the exploration and development of musical skills of the student through analysis of various practical affinities between music and dance, including working with local musical instruments. In addition, students will be required to combine selected traditional and contemporary idiophones to create a piece of work that fully integrates sound and movement from selected areas in Africa.

DANS 409:          Dance Ritual and Art

The course discusses the inter-relationship of ritual art and dance in Africa: gestures, mime and movement in ceremonial rituals and the use of paraphernalia and symbols – their significance, contexts and the distribution of roles of those who perform in these events. The lectures will be augmented with video and other audio-visual presentations.

DANS 410:           Production Participation

In this course, students undertake varied assignments and roles in dance productions mounted by the department under the direction of a Faculty member. The course enables students to develop discipline, creativity and sound working professional attitudes to the processes of dance production and performance. Students will be assessed individually at the end of the productions.

DANS 411:           Costume Design and Construction for Dance I

The course provides knowledge in design and construction of costume for the body in motion. The class will examine among others the theory and practice of the principles of design, the construction process, history etc. Students will be helped to design and construct costumes for a dance production at the end of the semester

DANS 412:          Costume Design and Construction for Dance II

This module serves as a continuation of DANS 411. The course provides advanced knowledge in design and construction of costume for the body in motion and in other movement situations. The class will hold advanced discussion on connecting theory to practice in the field of costume design. Other rudiments to explore include the principles of design, the construction process and the history of costume. Students will be required to design and construct costumes for a dance production at the end of the semester.

DANS 413:          Popular Dance II

This is an advanced theory and practice of Ghanaian popular dance. The lecture component encompasses theories of both contemporary cultural and performance studies that emphasize the simultaneous confluence of global and local influences. The practical dance sessions will emphasize the relationship of particular popular dance movements to the traditional dances of Ghana.

DANS 414:           Research Methods II

This course focuses on historical concepts, theories and methodologies of researching dance. It will discuss major dance historical works of the 19^th-20^th centuries. The aim is to develop a critical awareness of the competing constructions of dance history and of the interplay between history and other disciplines within and beyond dance. Students will interrogate different approaches to reading and writing our dancing past through the use of selected case studies, spanning textual, visuals, oral and performative histories.

DANS 415:          Dance and Wellness

This course investigates how the body functions, looking specifically at its strength, power, flexibility, agility, movement skills and kinaesthetic awareness. Students will be taken through the therapeutic benefits of dance through stress and pain-relieving body massage and isometrics that help to increase the production and release of endorphins and other neurotransmitters in the brain. Students will be expected to show mastery of the course through participation.

DANS 416:          Contemporary African Dance II

This course investigates the emerging Contemporary African Dance form in Africa: its philosophy, vocabulary and characteristics as well as the pioneers behind this new dance phenomenon. Students will study the technique and practical details of Contemporary African dance with the view of developing the skills for performance and teaching.

DANS 420:          Choreography

In this course, students will develop advanced choreographic skills based on their knowledge of Dance Composition. Students will explore the creative process and the practical application of such choreographic elements as levels, space, time dynamics, cannons, forms and structure. The use of costume, lighting, scenery and set design as additional elements choreography will also be explored. Each student will be required to create a choreographic piece at the end of the semester.

DANS 421:          Dance and Tourism

This course explores the role dance plays in the tourism industry. Students will study the structure and management of dance, looking specifically at how dance in its various forms can support tourism not only as an income-generating phenomenon but also as a way of projecting the cultural values of Ghana. Students will visit selected tourist sites to familiarise themselves with the trade.

DANS 422:          Video Choreography   

The course provides detailed studies on the importance of the video as a viable tool for creating and documenting choreographic works of art. The course will delve into the aesthetics of dance in its application to video choreography. Students will learn special skills required in the documentation of dance as a fleeting phenomenon, and will explore the use of video including the technique of editing images of dance as a creative phenomenon.

DANS 423:          Introduction to Dance Anthropology  I

This course entails the study of dance in its cultural context and provides students with knowledge of conceptual elements that underpin dance as an academic discipline, as well as how these elements relate to humanity. It provides students with analytical and evaluative tools with which they are able to apply academic thoughts to various African dance forms. It draws on multidisciplinary technique to integrate theory and practice in opening new perspectives  

DANS 424:           Introduction to Dance Anthropology  II

This course is the continuation of DANC 423. It surveys ethnographic approaches to the study of dance in a variety of contemporary and historical contexts. Recognising dance as a kind of shared cultural knowledge and drawing on theories and literature in anthropology, dance and related fields. Students will examine the relationship of dance to social structure, ethnicity, gender, spirituality and politics. Some of the ethical and practical issues related to field research of expressive culture will also be introduced.

DANS 430:           Community Project

In this course, students will be expected to work with a group in the community teaching not less than three traditional dances re-arranged by the students, in addition to a choreographic piece of their own or of someone else. The two pieces should be presented at a public performance at the end of the semester.

DANS 440:           Special Dance Study

In this course, students will be required to present a paper of a minimum of 30 pages on an aspect of dance either in traditional or contemporary African society.  The essay might include a description/notation of the basic movements of the dance as well as other illustrative examples.

DANS 450:          Intermediate Labanotation 

This course buildV reading and practical scoring of dance. Students will be engaged in general notation of parts of the human body, movement phrases and sentences. Students will acquire critical and analytical