DANC 380 - NIQUE Contemporary Dance

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

NIQUE is the official techNIQUE of Complexions Contemporary Ballet founded by Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden. This technique was developed with a total body approach to training and uses a fusion of Classical and Contemporary-based dance methods to explore both on and off-center movement. NIQUE is geared toward dancers who want to broaden their understanding of the relationship between the upper and lower body, as well as the complexities of moving freely and clearly within a Contemporary style.

This technique uses a Classical Ballet structure as its foundation, yet allows momentum, and the integration of a fully mobile torso, weight shift, and dynamics to enhance the outcome. Contemporary in its perspective, NIQUE places a special emphasis on coordination, physical cognition, precision, efficiency, and clarity of form.

The NIQUE training method is designed to take a dancer to the next level, through a series of fluid exercises constructed to build strength, stability, and overall placement. From the barre to center floor, NIQUE focuses on versatility and range - with a keen awareness of the fullness in physicality necessary to convey impactful dancing.

Within the NIQUE class, students explore the full range of the class structure from Pre-Warm Up , Plie’s, Tendeus, Dégages, Shear & Shapes, Center floor exercises, Center adagio/ traveling adagio, petite allegro, fast floor work, pirouettes, grand allegro and much more, all to ensure that the dancer has a cognitive experience in transforming their knowledge of Contemporary Ballet.

Students write out their research on the means in which contemporary ballet bridges the gap between modern and classical dance. Video content of various Contemporary Ballet companies such as Complexions Contemporary Ballet will be shown to the students to engage the class in a dialogue of investigation and transformation. Desmond Richardson

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: OTH

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