BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS AND COMMUNICATIONS
Department of Dance
Dance 317: Advanced Writing for Dance
Fall 2023
Department Mission
The Department of Dance integrates body, mind, and spirit to prepare articulate dance artists through performance, choreography, teaching, and scholarship.
Instructor: Karen Jensen
Email: karendjensen@byu.edu
Office: 289 RB
Office Hours: MW 9:30-10:30 am
Instructor: Susan Morris
Email: susan.morris@byu.edu
Office: 4052 JKB
Office Hours: via zoom or in person by appointment
Course Embedded Consultant: Haley Stegman
Email: hbess2@byu.edu
Office hours: by appointment
Why and How to Contact Us:
Susan: I want you to know that asking for help in college is normal and even expected. So, if not all your questions are answered or you need more help than we had time for in class, please feel free to reach out to me! Email is the best way to ask your questions or to set up a time to meet. I am very flexible on the times I can meet in person, and even more flexible with the times I can meet via zoom. But, before and after class are busy and sometimes stressful times, so don’t save your questions for then. I try my best to answer your emails within 36 hours; here are the exceptions: 1) Sundays don’t count. One of the many reasons I am grateful for this job is that I don’t have to work on Sundays. I love giving God my day by not working and resetting for the week, so Sundays are not considered part of my work week in regards to grading, answering emails, etc. 2) Timeline difference between questions and whole paper feedback. If you want more feedback on a paper than you’ve gotten in class or in conferences that is great. In order for me to spend the necessary time and for you to have time to make changes before the paper is due, make sure you email me your draft 72 hours before it is due (not counting Sundays). Remember that you have other resources for help as well—the Research and Writing Center on the 3rdfloor of the HBLL has trained research and writing tutors waiting to help you; Haley’s job is to help you with your writing assignments; and of course Karen is also available!
Karen: Writing used to feel scary for me. For many years I felt I could only really express myself through movement, however I have discovered that writing and movement are not so different. There is a lovely symbiotic relationship between the two art forms. I am eager to work with you, discover dance research together and find new ways creating through each art form. I will respond to emails within 36 hours (excluding weekends). I am happy to meet with you and answer questions - big and small. I want you to have a great experience in the class. 🙂
Haley: I am a consultant from the Research & Writing Center who gets to work one-on-one with your class this fall! I will be in class learning alongside you so that I can be a resource for you and your writing. I am here to help you with any stage of the writing process: brainstorming, outlining, researching, drafting, revising—whatever you need! So please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or to schedule a meeting with me.
To keep track of meeting times, I will use this Google sign-up sheet. You can use this sheet to schedule an appointment with me either in-person (at the writing center in the library) or on Zoom. If scheduling an appointment less than 24 hours away, please sign up and then email me. I am happy to work around your schedules as needed, so again, don't hesitate to reach out!
Required Texts:
All readings are available online and through Learning Suite. Please complete the assigned readings before class on the day the readings are listed.
What should I bring to class?
- Completed writing assignments for each day (refer to the Learning Suite Schedule)
- Notes you took on the readings so you can remember what the main points were and how they relate to what we are learning.
- Something to write with, such as a notebook or laptop,
- A growth mindset: a creative outlook, open mind, positive attitude, and willingness to work. Try to stop the perfectionist trap of only seeing the faults in your work and therefore assuming you can’t get better.
Course Goals and Learning Outcomes—Why you are taking this class:
“I can’t describe it, that’s why I dance it!” It’s easy for dancers to justify weak writing. Common metaphors describing dance as a ‘universal language’ or existing ‘beyond words,’ seem to somehow place dance beyond the written or spoken word. But like all art, the ability to understand dance comes in reflection, translation, and discussion with an audience. You are going to learn how to create great art—in both dance and writing.
Everything we do this semester will be aimed at helping you live, learn, and work like an artist. This includes the ability to communicate about dance in descriptive, engaging, and transformative ways that help both other dancers as well as non-dancers understand what you are trying to say. Writing is, in essence, an act of translation, and you are going to spend your time translating from dance to writing and back to dance again. This includes becoming more aware of the rhetorical situations and genres you will find practiced by professionals, as well as academics in your field.
You will practice engaging in writing and thinking about the process of dance, the products of that process, and why these things matter at all. Ultimately, our goal is to prepare you, as a dancer, for the situations that you will face in your future as an artist, creative director, studio owner, grant specialist, performer, business owner, artistic director, and/or all the many different possibilities your art will provide to you. We believe if you fully engage in this course, you will learn the techniques and strategies to improve not only your writing, but your dancing as well.
Areas of Emphasis—What You Get to Learn:
Process— The creative process in creating a dance is remarkably similar to the creative process used by productive and effective writers. You will be capitalizing on that similarity to learn techniques that will help in writing, speaking, creating and finding ideas, planning and drafting a work, revising, editing, designing, and presenting a successful piece of work for a specific rhetorical situation or audience. You will also learn to effectively evaluate and comment on the writing of others to help them in their own creative process.
Research— You will learn to utilize library and electronic resources to understand the theoretical conversations going on within the dance world, locate relevant information, assess reliability and usefulness, and effectively and ethically incorporate your research into your writing or presenting using proper format, citations, and documentation. You will learn and practice how to closely read and analyze texts in dance literature, as well as question underlying assumptions and conclusions. You will learn to apply your research to your own experiences in a way that allows you to take ownership and act as advocates within your profession.
Persuasion—You will learn to identify and evaluate the methods and philosophies of writing about and discussing dance at the highest levels of professionalism. You will be able to write a well-argued and persuasive discussion on a focused and significant issue within dance studies, including counter arguments and evidence. You will be able to approach your audience with humility and courage thus empowering your audience and opening connections between you and your audience.
Advocacy and Social Change— You will learn how strong writing abilities and integrated language arts skills will help you as dance professionals meet the challenges and opportunities of using your art, your skills, and your education to change society and advocate for those who need it. The better able you are to discuss something in an educated and persuasive way, the stronger your ability to effect change.
Our main goals for each student are to help you become proficient writers and to prepare you to express your ideas and thoughts with confidence and style.
Assignments and Grading Summary: (Assignment descriptions in Learning Suite)
- Brimhall Essay—50 pts
- Dance Review—50 pts
- Recommendation Report: In Defense of Dance—100 pts
- Grant: Empowered Advocacy—75 pts
- Letter of Transmittal—20 pts
- Synthesis Matrix—30 pts
- 12 Reflection Responses—50 pts
- 4 Style Applications—40 pts
- Drafts—25 pts
- Oral Presentation—20 pts
- Final Reflections—30 pts
Schedule: We will do our best to stick to the schedule on Learning Suite, but we also believe in making sure we teach what you need to succeed, so we may make occasional adjustments as the semester goes along. We will announce any changes at the beginning of class, and we will keep the Learning Suite schedule up to date.
A Note on Assessment:
We are less interested in what talent you bring to class the first day than in what you do with your writing once you start working. Your job this semester is to live, write, and read like an artist, and you will be graded on your efforts and your successful application of creative principles. A so-called "bad writer" can do well in this class if they do the work. No one can pass this class if they don’t.
Grading Notes:
Grades are based on the expectations/rubrics found in Learning Suite. If you feel you have been unjustly evaluated, we ask that you wait at least one day (24 hours) to collect your thoughts and reread your paper, the rubric, and instructor comments before contacting us. We will then meet with you and review your assignment together.
Grade Breakdown:
A 100-93 A- 92-90 B+ 89-86
B 86-83 B- 82-80 C+ 79-76
C 76-73 C- 72-70 D+ 69-66
D 66-63 D- 62-60 E Below 60
A Note on Communication (The Humanity Clause):
If there are things you don’t understand, or something comes up that interferes with your work, please communicate this with us! Allowances can always be made IF we know. Part of learning professionalism is learning to communicate often and well. We want you to do well in this course! We also want our classroom to be a safe space for learning. In creating that space, we hope for patience as we all do our best to follow BYU’s Statement of Belonging (see below).
Course Policies: What we want you to know and remember.
Attendance:
Your contribution is important to us, our class, and to your learning. Despite the increase of non-in-person learning of our post-Covid world, research still shows that in-person learning results in the best student understanding and product. And yet, we know the unexpected happens and don’t want you to come to class if you have a fever or are sick. So, we will start everyone out with 5 extra credit points. For each unexcused absence, you will lose 2 points. An excused absence is one due to participation in department sponsored tours—make sure you let us know about these 24 hours before the event. No other absences are excused, but please reach out to us about emergencies or prolonged illnesses, etc. so we can work with you and your grade. Be aware 80% attendance is required to receive a passing grade in this course. After 6 absences, you will earn an E for a grade.
Also, we will try to run zoom for every class where we are all together in the classroom (refer to the Learning Suite schedule to see where we are when). This will allow you to attend remotely or rewatch a recorded class. But, attending remotely does not count as attendance: you still lose 2 points. And we will not respond to the zoom cast while teaching: meaning we won’t read the chat or give you time to comment remotely. Zoom is a backup, not a habit.
Finally, if you know you will miss class or you end up missing class, it is your responsibility to have a class member take notes, or to find out from a classmate what you missed. We do not reteach classes or give feedback on assignments that were not brought to class on the due date.
Late Policies:
Assignments #1-4 (listed above): For every day (not class period or Sunday) assignment #1-#4 is turned in late, a grade will be taken off (A to A-, A- to B+, etc.). We will not accept papers that are more than a week late.
Assignments #5-11 (listed above): These assignments will not be accepted late. These assignments are considered lower stakes because they are based more on completion, are worth less points and are part of the process of completing a bigger assignment. So, they are due and then we move on. But, be aware although there are 12 reflection responses worth 5 points each, this assignment is only worth 50 points, giving you an opportunity to earn extra credit or to miss a reflection or two without penalty.
Important Things to Keep in Mind:
Computers are miraculous, and computers are the bane of our existence! Save your work in several different places (consider using an online service like google drive or dropbox that can be accessed from multiple computers) and in several different formats. Also, don’t try to replicate a 3-point shot at the buzzer—give yourself at least 15 minutes to turn in assignments on Learning Suite before the assignment closes. Computer or Learning Suite issues aren’t excuses for late work.
Plagiarism includes submitting any other work as your own (whether written by a person or generated by AI). You must complete and be evaluated on your own work. Let me clarify: submitting material from sources like Course Hero, Sparknotes, chegg, or submitting AI-generated essays from sources like Smodin, Writesonic, ContentBot, Chat GPT, etc. is not only cheating, but robbing you of the opportunity to learn. Refer to Generative AI policy below.Intentional plagiarism will severely affect your grade (may even be grounds for failing the course) and will be reported to the honor code office. In other words, doing your own work matters.
Policy on Generative Artificial Intelligence
Terms to Know
artificial intelligence (AI) = a branch of computer science concerned with teaching machines how to learn and make judgments based on data
large-language model (LLM) = an AI trained on massive amounts of human language
generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) = an LLM that can generate sophisticated, original content based on user prompts
prompt engineering = a technique used to improve the output of GenAI through specificity, key terms, back-and-forth dialogue, and experimentation
We’re writing at a time of astounding technological innovation. In November 2022, a tech start-up company called OpenAI released ChatGPT, a GenAI trained on billions of pages of written language from the internet. Within weeks, it became the fastest-adopted technology in human history. Within two months, over 100 million active users were feeding prompts into ChatGPT-3 to test its writing capabilities. It could generate fairly sophisticated, clear, and copious writing on practically any subject in practically any genre and style. A subscription-only upgrade—ChatGPT-4, somehow even more capable—was available within months of the original launch.
Because ChatGPT can write polished essays in seconds, educators have been freaking out. GenAI seems to be a technology perfectly calibrated for cheating—especially on writing assignments. In spite of available detection software, trying to detect a student’s use of GenAI will be challenging and inefficient. In addition, in the near future GenAI will be integrated into every word processor we use (like Microsoft Word), and prompt engineering will become a professional competency in many sectors in the economy. When it comes to the writing life, the future is funky.
Why, then, would anyone need a writing class like this one?
Writing is not just a technology; it’s an art. While many people use their language—either in writing or speaking—in what Richard Lanham called “chronic absence of mind,” you, dear students, have a higher calling.
Many people will depend on AI-generated content with a false sense of confidence. But no matter how good GenAI becomes, we will need—desperately—people who understand and use the persuasive arts of the English sentence. Even if you end up in a career for which you use GenAI, you will need to know whether or not the writing AI produces is fitting for the demands of the situation.
What, specifically, is the policy on GenAI?
When we assign you to write something, our default assumption is that you will write it yourself, without any help from GenAI. To be clear: if we have asked you to write something on your own and you use GPT, you’re not only cheating yourself of the chance to learn something cool, you’re cheating the class. You are pretending to have communication competencies you do not have. Like BYU itself, this course provides “a period of intensive learning in a stimulating setting where a commitment to excellence [in writing] is expected and the full realization of human [writing] potential is pursued” (BYU AIMS). We hope that intensive study of the English language will be a delight.
In spite of our commitment to writing as a humanist art, we will be discussing and using ChatGPT in class; the future of writing, for good or ill, is entangled with GenAI and its (dis)abilities. After having you reflect on different aspects of GenAI in our class discussions and your reflection assignments, we will ask you to have GenAI create the 1st draft of your Grant assignment. The purpose of this is to help you understand the strengths and dangers of GenAI, but to also use it well through prompt engineering and information literacy.
University Policies: What resources are available to you.
Honor Code:
In keeping with the principles of the BYU Honor Code, students are expected to be honest in all of their academic work. Academic honesty means, most fundamentally, that any work you present as your own must in fact be your own work and not that of another. Violations of this principle may result in a failing grade in the course and additional disciplinary action by the university. Students are also expected to adhere to the Dress and Grooming Standards. Adherence demonstrates respect for yourself and others and ensures an effective learning and working environment. It is the university's expectation, and every instructor's expectation in class, that each student will abide by all Honor Code standards. Please call the Honor Code Office at 422-2847 if you have questions about those standards.
Preventing & Responding to Sexual Misconduct:
The health and well-being of students is of paramount importance at Brigham Young University. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual harassment (including sexual violence), there are many resources available for assistance.
In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, BYU prohibits unlawful sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, against any participant in its education programs or activities. The university also prohibits sexual harassment by its personnel and students. Sexual harassment occurs when a person is subjected to unwelcome sexual speech or conduct so severe, pervasive, and offensive that it effectively denies their ability to access any BYU education program or activity; any aid, benefit, or service of BYU is conditioned on a person’s participation in unwelcome sexual conduct; or a person suffers sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking on the basis of sex.
University policy requires all faculty members to promptly report incidents of sexual harassment that come to their attention in any way, including through face-to-face conversations, a written class assignment or paper, class discussion, email, text, or social media post. Incidents of sexual harassment should be reported to the Title IX Coordinator at t9coordinator@byu.edu or (801) 422-8692 or 1085 WSC. Reports may also be submitted online at https://titleix.byu.edu/report or 1-888-238-1062 (24-hours a day).
BYU offers confidential resources for those affected by sexual harassment, including the university’s Sexual Assault Survivor Advocate, as well as a number of non-confidential resources and services that may be helpful. Additional information about Title IX, the university’s Sexual Harassment Policy, reporting requirements, and resources can be found at http://titleix.byu.edu or by contacting the university’s Title IX Coordinator.
Other confidential resources for victims of sexual violence include:
· The Center for Women and Children in Crisis (cwcic.org).
The CWCIC has a 24-hour Sexual Assault Hotline available at 1-888-421-1100. They will provide you with a victim advocate who will compassionately walk you through all your options. The CWCIC has no relationship with either BYU or the police, and they will keep all information you share totally confidential.
· BYU Counseling and Psychological Services (caps.byu.edu or 801-422-3035).
Counseling and Psychological Services is the only fully confidential resource on campus. They have crisis counselors available 24 hours a day; if you are calling after hours, call the BYU Police (801-422-2222) and ask to speak with the crisis counselor on duty.
Please seek help from these sources. They have highly trained staff who will believe you and support you. Always remember sexual assault is not your fault, and you are a beloved child of God.
Student Disability:
Brigham Young University is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that reasonably accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. A disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Whether an impairment is substantially limiting depends on its nature and severity, its duration or expected duration, and its permanent or expected permanent or long-term impact. Examples include vision or hearing impairments, physical disabilities, chronic illnesses, emotional disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety), learning disorders, and attention disorders (e.g., ADHD). If you have a disability which impairs your ability to complete this course successfully, please contact the University Accessibility Center (UAC), 2170 WSC or 801-422-2767 to request a reasonable accommodation. The UAC can also assess students for learning, attention, and emotional concerns. If you feel you have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of disability, please contact the Equal Opportunity Office at 801-422-5895, eo_manager@byu.edu, or visit https://hrs.byu.edu/equal-opportunity for help.”
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS):
Feeling overly stressed, depressed, or having academic or personal issues?
Help is available! If you feel you are in need of support services, go to caps.byu.edu or call 801.422.3035, or go to 1500 WSC any time between 8 and 5. Evenings, weekends, and holidays, call University Police and ask to speak to the After-hours counselor: 801.422.2222.
For additional support services, contact: Women’s Services and Resources: 801.422.4877.
BYU's Statement of Belonging: We are united by our common primary identity as children of God (Acts 17:29; Psalm 82:6) and our commitment to the truths of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ (BYU Mission Statement).We strive to create a community of belonging composed of students, faculty, and staff whose hearts are knit together in love (Mosiah 18:21), where All relationships reflect devout love of God and a loving, genuine concern for the welfare of our neighbor (BYU Mission Statement); We value and embrace the variety of individual characteristics, life experiences and circumstances, perspectives, talents, and gifts of each member of the community and the richness and strength they bring to our community (1 Corinthians 12:12–27); Our interactions create and support an environment of belonging (Ephesians 2:19); and The full realization of each student’s divine potential is our central focus (BYU Mission Statement).
We are excited to have you in this class! Every one of you belongs here—at BYU, and in this course. We expect you to work hard and are excited to join you in the journey.