Music for dance is relatively under-studied in musicological circles, but is incredibly important to our society and culture as a whole. This semester, we’ll explore a number of topics related to music for dance(rs) in a variety of genres, including ballet, musical theater, modern/contemporary dance, and social/ballroom dance. There will be room for students to suggest questions and pieces of music/dance for us to study together. We’ll explore how composers write music for specific choreography/choreographers, as well as how choreographers make choices that emphasize a particular interpretation of the music. Through intensive listening, viewing, and dancing ourselves, we’ll try to answer questions about what music affords to dance(rs) and vice versa, and the semester will culminate with projects/presentations focused on a topic of your choice.