Projects in Performance Studies
Course #H42.2381.00/Spring 2003

Click HERE for texts available on-line.

Course Description

This is the final course in Performance Studies' Masters program. It brings together the entire MA class, which has not been together since the first class, Introduction to Performance Studies. The course helps students develop and present a final, 'culminating' project in one of two (potentially overlapping) areas: 1) advanced writing in performance; 2) performance practice and theory. The first area allows students to rework a paper written during their MA and, through a series of workshops, turn it into a publishable essay. The public 'performance' of the paper at the end of the semester, however, should also experiment with innovative strategies for presentation. The second area allows students to present a performance piece, accompanied by a short written essay (3-5 pages) exploring the theoretical underpinnings of the work. The writing can be part of the performance itself. There will be two sections of both the writing and performance workshops-students will be assigned a section that will meet every other week for a total of 5 sessions. The class meets weekly as a whole to review key debates in Performance Studies (from Introduction to Performance Studies), and to consider students' work in relation to the field. Four students a week will be asked to lead the discussion, using articles, video, and/or performances as examples. This class tries to bridge the practice/theory divide by proposing that every performance enacts a theory, and every theory performs in the public sphere. Short versions of each project (10 minute maximum) will be presented to the faculty and students of Performance Studies in a final conference/festival format in our beloved Studio on Tue, May 6th.

Required Books:
- Introduction to Performance Studies reading packet.
- Guest Speakers/Readings will be added to the syllabus during the semester, see Reading List for added texts available on-line.

 


Tuesday 9:30 - 12
721 Broadway, Rm 636

Taught by
Diana Taylor
diana.taylor@nyu.edu
Department of Performance Studies
Tisch School of the Arts
New York University
721 Broadway, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10003
Tel: 1.212.998.1620
Fax: 1.212.995.4571

Office Hours
Wednesday 2 - 4pm
(and by apt.)

Workshop Leaders
Erin Mee
(ebm5519@nyu.edu)
Shane Vogel
(spv200@nyu.edu)

S Y L L A B U S . . .

 

Class 1. Jan. 21
Introduction
Definitions of 'performance' and Performance Studies
How does our work engage with Performance Studies?

Class 2. Jan 28
Archive and Repertoire
(Taylor)

Class 3. Feb 4
Performance/ performative/ performativity
Guest Lecturer: Shane Vogel

1) ___Olivia Gunn___________ 2) ____Kimiko Shimoda________

3) ___Susan Takahasi_______ 4)____Anna Drozdowski___

Class 4. Feb 11
Art, Sense, Visuality

1) ___Diane Borsato___________ 2) ____Rachel Bowditch________
3) ___Heather Barfield_________

Class 5. Feb 18 NO CLASS: workshops as usual

Class 6. Feb 25
Performance, Technology, Sound

1) ______Dawn Pendergest_________ 2) ______Jon Mallow_______

Class 7. Mar 4
Performance and Interculturalism
Guest Lecture: Erin Mee

1) __Alissa Cardone_____________ 2) ______Eugene Williams______

3) _Amma Y. Ghartey-Tague___________

Class 8. March 11
Movement Analysis
Guest Lecture: Michelle Minnick

1) ___Hetty King__ 2) _______Adele Myers________

3) _______Meaghan Hewitt______ 4)____Harmony Bench___

MARCH 17-21 SPRING BREAK

Class 9. Mar 25
Performance and Cultural Memory

1) ____Elizabeth Pink__________ 2) ________Camas Davis_______

3) ______Julie Carr Bromberg_______ 4)_______Kilbane Porter_______

Class 10. Apr 2
Performance & Activism

1) _____Nikki DeBlosi________ 2) ________Tae-Nyung Kim_______

Class 11. Apr 8
Society of the Spectacle

1) _______Clayton Drinko________ 2) _________Jenn Joy_____


Class 12. Apr 14
Performance, Language, and Translation

1) ______Meg Leary___________ 2) ________Allison Becker_________

3) ______Karen Jaime_______

Class 13. Apr 22
Discussion

Class 14. Apr 29
Discussion

Conference TBA

 

Class Expectations:

Class and Workshop Attendance is mandatory. Please let me and your workshop instructor know if you will be absent, but please make sure that this happens only under extenuating circumstances.
Conference/festival date: Tuesday, May 6th-9am-6pm followed by a reception.
Date for final papers (from all sections) is Wednesday, May 7th at noon.