FALL 2011 - DANCE RESEARCH PROJECT

Pick one dance (could be your favorite, the one that is the most fun, or one that you want to learn more about). You will develop a project in the format of your choosing: research paper, Power Point, display board, web page, or whatever you like, just clear it with me. You WILL have to utilize several sources (either print or internet) and demonstrate citations of that information. A hard copy of your project must be turned in by the end of the school day on Wednesday, November 16, 2011. After it has been graded and returned, you will present your project to the class sometime the following week.

Here is what you need to do at the bare minimum:

* Introduction – Explain what dance you chose, why you chose it, what interests you about it, etc. Make a creative title, design, and scheme to give your project balance and flow from the start.

* History and Culture – Describe where in the world this dance originates, important people involved with it, how it came to exist, what cultures helped shape it, other dances it is related to, and other interesting and unique facts about its origin. Dig, seek, and find something fresh like trivia that you would hear on Jeopardy, Cash Cab, or Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Here, you WILL have to use an encyclopedia, or online sources (like www.ballroomdancers.com ). You do NOT have to cite your notebook as a source, as that is considered common knowledge. For the sources you use, be sure to label the EXACT book title or web address you found your information on and cite it both in context and in the bibliography (see format below). This is the most important section of the assignment; the foundation for all other sections to be successful! I would recommend that you start here first and then determine how the other pieces will fit into place around it.

* Music – Elaborate on which kinds of music may be used in order to perform this dance. Name several musicians and identify popular songs used. What instruments are played to make this music unique? Describe any trends in how the music has changed over time. Talk about tempo, the different rhythms, lyrics, or other music theory that you feel is appropriate. Again, you will have to cite your sources.

* Persuasion – I would like you to make a declarative statement that demonstrates your opinion of the
dance and what you have learned about it in class. Think of this as persuasive. Explain what about this dance would make other people want to learn it. Sell your point fully. Think about the post cards that you made for Geography class and make this like those. This can be a solid, complete sentence full of dance adjectives, a wide-ranging bulleted list, or it may be a paragraph.

* Organization –If you’re writing a paper, doing a Power Point, or creating a web page, this can be in the form of a concluding paragraph that ties everything together in a logical manner. Regardless of format, please tie everything together in a theme with pictures, graphics, charts, colors, etc.

Remember… those were minimum requirements. You are expected to go above and beyond to exceed these standards. Please see the rubric below to see how you will be scored:

Target Area Score

Introduction / 10
History/Culture / 10
Music / 10
Persuasion / 10
Organization / 10
TOTAL / 50


0 No product submitted
1 Dearth of effort demonstrated
2 Undesirable effort demonstrated
3 Minimal effort demonstrated
4 Less than average effort demonstrated
5 Some criteria are met; citations are poor; creativity is nonexistent
6 Criteria are met; citations are fair; creativity is lacking
7 All criteria are met; citations are acceptable; creativity is haphazard
8 Some criteria are exceeded (the rest are met); citations are good; creativity is apparent
9 Criteria are exceeded (the rest are met); citations are excellent; creativity is obvious
10 All criteria clearly exceeded; citations are impeccable and accessible; creativity is evident


Sample:


Mr. Rasso
Period 1

Paso Doble


For my topic, I chose to write about Paso Doble. Paso Doble is my favorite dance because the music is very passionate and it is the dance of the matador. I wanted to learn this dance because I am very interested in matadors and bull-fighting because of my family’s heritage and the music is very fun to listen to.

Paso Doble is known as the dance of the bullfight. Symbolically, the man represents the matador and the woman should flowingly represent his cape. They should move as one (Webster’s Encyclopedia, 2007).

Paso Doble has roots planted firmly in Spain. The music for Paso Doble is often found to have castanets, great deals of percussion, and stringed instruments (Webster’s Encyclopedia). Every Paso Doble song traditionally has two very distinct “highlights” that are reminiscent of the music that is played in the stadium as matadors enter the bull ring (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paso_doble).

As I mentioned above, Paso Doble music is very rigid in structure. There is almost no deviation in the rhythm, though the melody and harmony may vary. The Gypsy Kings and Andres Segovia are important musicians when it comes to Paso Doble (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/662957/paso-doble).

I believe that everyone should take Mr. Rasso’s ballroom dance class strictly to learn the Paso Doble. It is a dance that forces the leader to have a strong dance frame while also compelling the follower to be as receptive to the pattern as possible. Learning this dance has made me a more confident dancer.

Sources Used

1. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/662957/paso-doble Retrieved on Nov 4, 2011
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paso_doble Retrieved on Nov 4, 2011. Webster’s Encyclopedia. 2007 Edition. Page 356.



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School printers only use black ink, so do not expect colors to show.

You must cite the exact address of the website that you find and use in your paper. If you cite it incorrectly, you will be marked down.

Please remember that academic dishonesty and plagiarism are things that will not be tolerated at Churchill Junior High School!

We will have three days in the computer lab (during class time), and I will also write you a pass to use computers during SUCCESS.

Turn projects in to me during class or during Advisory ONLY. Do not give them to another teacher to give to me or you will be marked down 10 points. If you’re creating a web-page, find me on the Churchill website and e-mail me a link. Once again, it is due on or before Wednesday, Nov 16.