DANC 114 - Fall 2021 - Syllabus PDF

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Syllabus for DANC 114: Introduction to Yoga for the Fall 2021 semester, for dance majors minors or clusters...

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University of Rochester Program of Dance and Movement DANC 114: Introduction to Yoga Fall 2021 Course Syllabus

Course Times: M/W 12:30-1:45 Location: Spurrier Gym Course Credits: 2 Faculty: Mariah Steele (she/her/hers) Email: [email protected] Office Location: Hopeman 413 Office Hours: Thursdays 3:30-5:30 - or any other time scheduled in person or via email Course Description Yoga is defined as “union,” the uniting together of ourselves in all aspects: body, mind, heart and spirit. This class introduces the student to a hatha yoga method which integrates a dynamic and engaging approach to living through practicing “on and off the mat.” The goal of this class is to learn how to create a deeper, more enlivened relationship to one’s self through honoring one’s abilities and limitations, while growing one’s skills and sensitivity in the supportive environment of the class community. Students will engage with principles of attitude, alignment and action in a full range of hatha yoga poses, breathing techniques, readings on yoga philosophy, reflection, journaling and discussion. Through this ongoing process, students of yoga are encouraged to cultivate a more expansive and clear perception of self and others. Learning Outcomes At the completion of this course, students will be able to: 1. Perform key asanas (yoga poses) with an understanding of energy and alignment 2. Develop strength, flexibility, balance, harmony, integration and stillness in the body and mind 3. Practice various pranayama (breathing) techniques to promote vitality, relaxation, focus and self-awareness 4. Apply yoga philosophy to daily experience 5. Make connections between the actions of the body and mind 6. Reflect on the relationship between one’s own physical, psychological and cognitive experiences

Textbook & Yoga Props Required Items: - 1 Book: The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice by Deborah Adele. Minnesota: On-Word Bound Books, 2009. (available at the UR bookstore & fully online through the library course reserves) - 1 Yoga Mat (can be purchased on Amazon as well as many other online retailers) - 2 Yoga Blocks – blocks are very important for preventing injury (can be purchased on Amazon as well as many other online retailers) - 1 Yoga Strap (a firm belt or long scarf are great substitutes) - 1 Yoga blanket (a firm blanket that can be easily folded will also work) IMPORTANT NOTE: in normal semesters, the Program of Dance & Movement provides these yoga props for students to share. However, we recognize not everyone will be comfortable sharing props because of Covid. Thus, everyone must purchase their own yoga mat and bring it to class each day; consider it an investment in your future yoga practice. (If purchasing a mat is a financial hardship for you, please talk with the instructor. A limited number of the Program’s supply will be available as a “library lend” for the semester.) If you are comfortable sharing blocks, blankets and straps, then you can use the Program’s communal supply as usual. If you are NOT comfortable sharing props, then you should purchase 2 yoga blocks and find a blanket and strap-substitute (belt, long-scarf) that you can dedicate to your yoga use. You will be able to rent a locker in the basement of Spurrier to store your yoga props, but you will need to provide your own lock. Attendance Policy It is essential that you be present and prepared at every class with the correct attire and your yoga mat. This is not only for your own improvement, but in order to keep up with the progression of class. You are allowed 3 unexcused absences without penalty. More than three unexcused absences will affect your grade. The following constitute excused absences: (1) documented illnesses, especially Covid-19 (2) official representation of the University, (3) death of a close relative, and (4) religious holiday. Each excused absence must be addressed with the submission of a note from your doctor or the University. If you must miss class, please email the instructor; absence with a reason is preferable to no reason. Absences with no email communication are assumed to be unexcused. Tardiness is also unacceptable. If you are consistently late to class by more than five minutes, your participation grade will also be negatively affected. Three lates add up to one absence. If you miss more than three classes, please talk to the instructor about make-up options. These discussions should take place immediately after your missed classes. Do not wait until the end of the semester! If you request make-ups only in the last two weeks of classes, they will no longer be an option. COVID-19 Policies In consideration of the current Covid19 pandemic, each student is expected to practice the protocols established by the University of Rochester and the UR Program of Dance and Movement to keep Spurrier Hall as safe and germ-free as possible. At the time of this writing

(August 2021), masks are required indoors for everyone, regardless of vaccination status; you will need to be wearing a mask to enter the classroom. Our return to campus is greatly welcomed, but health and safety precautions are necessary for the greater good of all students and faculty, and it is up to ALL of us to play by the rules to prevent an outbreak. IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS, STAY HOME! If you become sick, or have to take care of someone who is sick, and therefore miss several classes, please talk with the instructor. We will figure out make-up opportunities based on your specific situation. Assignments •

Attendance & Active Participation (30%): Being present in class means not only physically showing up, but being active, challenging yourself, listening to all suggestions and corrections, avoiding excessive talking or causing distractions, and fully committing to all exercises. Full participation includes attempting new things, pushing yourself when required, respecting your own limitations when appropriate, progressing daily, joining in class discussions, and being aware and attentive in class. Please remember that yoga is an individual and non-competitive practice, that postures are never perfect, and pushing yourself beyond your own reasonable limits could put you in a position to be injured. Safety is a priority. Self-care and patience is necessary in a yoga practice. Practice responsibly by modifying an activity whenever necessary. Ask the Instructor if you are not sure how to modify to suit your needs. Participation also includes helping to craft and performing at the Program of Dance and Movement’s End of Term Showing on Wednesday, December 1 @ 8:00-9:30 pm in the May Room.

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Journals (42% total, 3% each): Each week has an assigned reading and journal entry question surrounding one of yoga’s ethical principles. (See below for full list of journal questions and due dates.) Ideally, you read the assigned chapter/article before Monday’s class, and write the journal after Wednesday’s class, in order to integrate the reading with your yoga practice and daily life. Journals for the previous week are due each Sunday night at midnight – please use Blackboard’s Journal function to submit. Please post your writing directly in the journal space provided by Blackboard -- No attachments or links! Make sure I can tell from your journals that you did the reading. Each journal should be the equivalent of 1-2 pages, double spaced, Times New Roman font.

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Meetings with the Instructor (6% total, 3% each): Twice throughout the semester, you will meet with the instructor, with the express goal of asking questions. 1) On one of the Special Wednesdays, you will meet in-person with a small group of 4-5 students. This is a chance to ask questions and receive physical feedback on specific poses. 2) Each student will sign-up for a 20-minute, one-on-one meeting with the Instructor for a day in between September 29-October 3. We will have a conversation about your goals, challenges and successes in the class, as well as answer more questions specific to your yoga practice.

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Short Presentation (10%): Give a 7-10 minute, online presentation on VoiceThread on a topic related to Yoga practice, history or philosophy. These will happen on four different Wednesdays throughout the semester; you will sign up for a specific topic and a specific day at the beginning of the semester. The presentation is due on VoiceThread by midnight the day before the class date; asynchronous classmates will respond to it during the class period, while 5 classmates do their small group/in-person meeting with the Instructor. You may work with a partner, but the presentations of a partnership must be 10-15 minutes long. All presentations should conclude with a thought question related to your topic for the class to respond to in their comments; if you work with a partner, EACH person should add a thought question to their section. Please also include a final slide citing all of your sources for your presentation.

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VoiceThread Comments on Classmates’ Presentations (8% total, 2% each day): Please leave a comment on EACH of your classmates’ VoiceThread presentations. You can respond to the thought question posed by the presenter, or you might ask a question, or make a connection to readings or class work. Your comments are expected to be substantive - and respectful to your peers; no harsh words, please. Substantive comments, for our purposes, are those that add insight, probe more deeply, challenge (intellectually), and generally help us learn. It is also helpful to post comments that are "social" in nature. So, while, "I agree" is not a substantive comment, it is a useful response in that it helps us know that we are being "heard". But you will need to post substantive comments to "get credit" for discussions. I also encourage you to carefully think about what are going to say before you respond via audio or video. Comments are due before the following Sunday at midnight.

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Program-Sponsored Workshops & Performances (4% total, 1% each): Students enrolled in all DANC classes are required to attend 2 Master Classes and 2 Performances each semester, and then write a 1-2 page reflection paper on each event, submitted on Blackboard. A list of possible events to choose from is available on Blackboard, and will be updated throughout the semester. Please also read the Program of Dance & Movement’s bi-weekly Newsletter to receive up-to-date info about these events throughout the semester.

Policy on Late Submissions: If you email me to request an extension on an assignment prior to 24 hours before its deadline, I will most likely grant you an extension. In your email, please propose a new deadline that you can commit to keeping. If you turn in an assignment late without this email communication, your grade on that assignment will be impacted. ALL course work, including class make-ups and extensions, must be turned in by Friday, December 10.

Evaluation & Grading Attendance & Active Participation Weekly Journals Meetings with Instructor Short Presentation Comments on VoiceThread Workshop & Performance Reflections

30% 42% 6% 10% 8% 4%

Grade Breakdown by Points: 94-100 A 73-76 C 90-93 A70-72 C87-89 B+ 67-69 D+ 83-86 B 63-66 D 80-82 B60-62 D77-79 C+ 59 and below F General Class Policies •

NO CELL PHONES. In person, this means please silence your phone and leave it with your belongings. On Zoom, this means silencing the phone and placing it out of reach of your mat. If you bring your phone to the mat and/or check it during practice you will be marked as absent for that class. If you have an apple watch or comparable wearable tech, turn off notifications or don’t wear it while you practice.

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Please refrain from interrupting the flow of class by leaving in the middle of class, repeatedly getting up for bathroom/water/etc, sitting out or hanging out along the periphery of the room, checking your phone, or any other disruptions that draw attention away from the topic at hand. Budget your time so that you can commit to staying in the room/on the mat, focused and present for the duration of the class as best as you can.

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Observation: If participation in class is restricted but your attendance is possible, you will be asked to actively observe class. A short description and discussion of the class is due, (hand-written is fine) at the end of class. More than 2 observations will negatively impact your grade.

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Punctuality: It is imperative that you are on time for class. Please plan ahead so that you are in class, dressed appropriately, with your mat and props set up in time to begin. If you arrive after we have begun, please set up as quickly and as quietly as you can so that you are able to join without interrupting the rest of the class. If you are more than 15 minutes late, you will be asked to observe. Consistently arriving after class has started or leaving before class is over is a huge distraction and takes away from yours and your classmates learning.

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Self-practice outside of class time is highly encouraged. For any movement modality, daily practice yields the most tangible results; the more you practice yoga, the more changes you will see in your body and mind.

Credit Hours This course follows the College credit hour policy for two-credit courses. A typical two credit course at the University of Rochester includes 150 minutes of faculty led instruction and 240 minutes of supplementary work per week, totaling 340 minutes. As a dance/movement course, this course meets twice weekly for 150 minutes of instruction per week. The course also includes readings, reflections, performance viewings, master classes, technical rehearsals and/or other activity that range from 47.5 hours to 60 hours over the course of the semester outside of instruction time, the required workload satisfying a course with 2 credit hours. Land Acknowledgement The Program of Dance and Movement acknowledges with respect that the land on which we gather is home to the Seneca nation, known as the “Great Hill People” and “Keepers of the Western Door” of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. We acknowledge the enduring presence and influence of the indigenous people with whom we share this land, and take this opportunity to thank the original caretakers whose ancestral lands the University of Rochester inhabits. May we commit to being thoughtful and respectful stewards of this unceded territory of the First People. Academic Honesty The University of Rochester takes academic honesty and integrity seriously. Undergraduate education at Rochester builds on the principle that excellence requires freedom. Honesty and integrity are prerequisites of this freedom. Academic honesty in the advancement of knowledge requires that all students and instructors respect the integrity of one another's work and recognize the importance of acknowledging and safeguarding intellectual property. Violations including cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, facilitating another’s dishonesty or denying another individual’s access to information or materials will be addressed in accordance with University Policy. Familiarizing yourself with the academic honesty policy is the best way to avoid committing any offenses. The policy covers a great many actions and situations, and ignorance of the rules is not a valid defense. For more information, please refer to http://www.rochester.edu/ college/honesty/students.html Disability Policy The University of Rochester welcomes students with disabilities and is committed to eliminating physical and architectural barriers as well as to responding to the needs of students, faculty, and staff with disabilities. We encourage students with disabilities to assess their needs realistically, to take advantage of appropriate support, and to be clear and precise about gaining assistance. It is a personal decision to disclose the existence of a disability and to request an accommodation. A decision not to disclose will be respected. Any discussion with the Disability Resource Coordinator to consider this decision will be treated confidentially. For more information, visit www.rochester.edu/College/CCAS

Course Schedule: Comprehensive List of Readings, Journal Questions, Due Dates & Special Wednesdays

Week One Wednesday, August 25 Journal Entry #1: Part 1) Why are you interested in studying yoga? What are you hoping to gain from this course? Part 2) Please provide me with some important information about your movement background, if it did not arise in your writing in Part 1: What other forms of movement play a regular role in your life? (ie, sports, dance, running, swimming, etc.) Do you have any injuries? If yes, please tell me about them here so that I can give you relevant modifications during class.

Week Two Readings: • Carrico, Mara. “Get to Know the Eight Limbs of Yoga.” Yoga Journal. 8/28/2007 https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/the-eight-limbs?li_source=LI&li_medium=m2mrcw-yoga-journal • Dowdle, Hillari. “Path to Happiness: 9 Interpretaions of the Yamas and Niyamas.” Yoga Journal. 5/23/2017 https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/path-happiness • Textbook: “Introduction” pages 12 to 19, and “Appendix” pages 181-185 Monday, August 30 Wednesday, September 1 Journal Entry #2: Part 1) Document how your body, mind and body-mind connection feel this week, both in class and out of class, so that you can compare how you feel at the end of the semester. Part 2) What was your perception of yoga before starting the course? Has anything surprised you about yoga in your first week of classes and reading the article about the 8 limbs of yoga?

Week Three Reading: • Listen to NPR’s Fresh Air Podcast: “Deep Breaths: How Breathing Affects Sleep, Anxiety & Resilience” (48 minutes) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fresh-air/id214089682?i=1000475991585 Monday, September 6 – NO CLASS – LABOR DAY Wednesday, September 8 Journal Entry #3: Notice your breathing at different times throughout the week. For instance: while you’re on your mat, while you’re walking to class, while you’re doing homework, while you’re hanging out with friends, etc. What do you notice in these different scenarios about your

breathing? How do you feel connected (or not) to your breathing at these different moments? What happens if you consciously change your breath?

Week Four Reading: • Textbook Chapter 2: “Ahimsa: Nonviolence” Monday, September 13 Wednesday, September 15 Journal Entry #4: Reflect on ahimsa throughout your week, both on your mat and in daily life. In what ways do you feel like you have successfully embodied this yama this week, and in what ways would you like to improve in the future? You can think about ahimsa in regards to yourself, others and the natural world. What questions do you have about this yama? If desired, you may use one of the explorations written by Deborah Adele at the end of the chapter to seed your reflections.

Week Five Reading: • Textbook Chapter 3: “Satya: Truthfulness” Monday, September 20 Wednesday, September 22 - Small Group/Presentations Day #1 Journal Entry #5: Reflect on your practice of Satya throughout the week, both on and off your mat. In what ways do you think you successfully embodied this yama this week? In what ways would you like to improve on Satya in the future? Do you have any questions or comments on this yama? You may use one of the explorations written by Deborah Adele at the end of the chapter to seed your reflection, if desired.

Week Six One-on-one Midterm Meetings with the Instructor start this week! Reading: • Textbook Chapter 4: “Asteya: Non-stealing” Monday, September 27 Wednesday, September 29 Journal Entry #6: Reflect on your practice of Asteya throughout the week, both on and off your mat. In what ways do you think you successfully embodied this yama this week? In what ways would you like to improve on Asteya in the future? Do you have any questions or comments on

this yama? You may use one of the explorations written by Deborah Ade...