MA Ethnochoreology

Introduction

Dance or structured human movement practice is an important aspect of the lives of human beings the world over. Ethnochoreology, the study of dance, movement and culture, aims to extend our knowledge and understanding of diverse cultures and the movement experiences that these cultures offer.

Ethnochoreology is an academic interdisciplinary field and is inclusive of all dance or structured human movement practices. Through critical examination of relevant literature within the social sciences, exposure to diverse dance practices – theory and practice, first-hand experience in the field and subsequent reflection on the process of ‘doing’ fieldwork, students of ethnochoreology document and examine the different meanings of dance and movement within the context of culture. This assists in extending students’ horizons of understanding into how and why people move the way they do and what this tells us about the cultures from which these practices have emerged.

Designed and directed by Dr Catherine Foley, the Master of Arts in Ethnochoreology was established in 1996 at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance and was the first programme of its type at any university in Europe. In this pioneering spirit it continues to be a leading programme in the field and to attract an international body of students.

The Master of Arts in Ethnochoreology is a one-year, fulltime, taught postgraduate programme. It offers specialised training in the history, theory, and methods of Ethnochoreology while acknowledging the significance of ‘practice’ in learning and in research. The programme also allows students to develop conceptual and documentation skills necessary for undertaking field research. It equips them with a professional qualification in Ethnochoreology while providing an essential foundation for those wishing to pursue dance research at doctoral level.

Lunchtime concerts, seminar series, artists-in-residence, visiting guest lecturers and tutors, and a strong research community of doctoral students in Ethnochoreology and other related fields of research, all contribute to providing a rich learning, research and artistic environment for students of Ethnochoreology.

The Master of Arts in Ethnochoreology will appeal to a broad spectrum of students from a wide variety of academic, dance and musical backgrounds and who wish to benefit from the unique configuration of theoretical and practical possibilities offered by the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance. The MA Ethnochoreology programme is designed to cater for the continuing education needs of individuals in dance/music and in cognate and closely related disciplines, such as Anthropology, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Cultural Geography, Irish Studies, Folklore, Gender Studies, Ethnomusicology, and Education.

Academic Year 2020 - 2021

During the coming 2020-2021 academic year, we will offer our taught masters courses in both Ethnochoreology and Ethnomusicology in tandem. Their pairing will create a distinctive academic space for innovative cross-disciplinary interaction among its cohort of students and faculty. Both courses will retain their independent integrity awarding separate MA degrees. Core modules in disciplinary histories, theories, and methods will be organized in parallel interacting syllabi on which seminar discussion among the full cohort will be based. The two fields are all too often kept apart in academia; we will have a unique opportunity to explore what they have to offer to one another.

Led by Course Director, Colin Quigley PhD, the two degree programmes will be provided by a faculty team whose work comprises an unparalleled range of expertise in traditional music and dance in Ireland and across Europe, as well as several world music idioms.

All modules will be offered in an online curriculum which will allow individual flexibility in organising your study time.

Programme of Study

The programme is taught and is structured into three semesters. Semesters 1 and 2 consist of core and elective modules. Semester 3, consists of the completion of the final presentation.

Semester 1

DA5001 Ethnochoreology: History and Theory

In this module you will learn appropriate methods and techniques for research and documentation of performance practices in the field. Topics relating to fieldwork, ethical principles, participant observation, interview techniques, and fieldnote taking are covered. Key issues in epistemology and methodology for such research will be raised and discussed and will be informed by supporting literature.

MD6021 Introduction to Fieldwork Techniques

DA6021: Dance Ethnography

In this module you will be trained in appropriate methods and techniques in dance ethnography, including Labanotation. You will critically engage in literature and discourses surrounding issues relating to ethnographic documentation, representation and reflexive writing. You will produce a dance ethnography portfolio of assignments.

MD6041 Introduction to Ritual Studies

This module provides an introduction to ritual studies as an inter-disciplinary discourse drawing on anthropology, sociology, religious studies, ethnomusicology, ethnochoreology, festive arts and performance studies. It introduces a number of ritual case studies including historical and cross-cultural examples, with an emphasis on Irish ritual practices.

MD6031 Media Technologies for Performing Arts and Arts Research

This module provides an introduction into current media technologies as they are used in the fields of performing arts, creative arts therapies, and arts research; to develop essential skills and fluency in these technologies in order to use them competently, creatively, and effectively in one’s own specific discipline.

Options

MD 6051 Independent Study 1

This module provides a space to engage in the study of a topic/subject of their own choice. Students organise their tuition and the assessment mechanism in consultation with their course director. A broad range of existing modules from the various postgraduate offers at the Academy is also available for students to chose from.

MD6o61 Introduction to Somatics

This module will ensure that students are educated in somatic practices that promote a healthy and mindful approach to movement. The continued development of an integrated mind/body approach will enable students to perform with greater efficiency and will minimize their risk of injury.

MD6091 Professional Development for the Performing Arts

This module engages with aspects of planning and management for professional artists. Students learn about the development of business plans, effective communication and pitching strategies, stakeholder development and core skills for the creative industries, such as financial management and planning.

MD6071 Writing & the Documentation of Arts Practice 1

This module explores the documentation of performance practices, with a focus on writing. It introduces forms of documentation emerging from personal memory data, self observation + reflection, and the collection of data from external sources. Registers of writing and the role of writing in the creative process are examined.

Semester 2

MD6042 Current Issues in Ethnochoreology

In this module you will learn about and critically engage in advanced thinking and debates surrounding current ethnochoreological issues. You will read and critically engage with selected literature on issues relating to dance and society such as embodiment, identity, gender, nationalism, postcolonialism and globalisation.

DA5022 World Dance Survey

In this module you will examine specific world dance cultures to gain an awareness of diverse human movement systems and practices within their socio-cultural contexts. Practical dance workshops together with critical engagement with relevant literature will provide you with the opportunity to investigate practices and perceptions of dance in cultures other than your own.

DA6002 Critical Encounters with Irish Traditional Dance

Options

MD 6052 Independent Study 2

MD6062 Critical Contexts for Arts Management and Cultural Policy

As part of this module, students are introduced to key ideas, issues and current debates in arts management and cultural policy. There is an emphasis on the interpretation and engagement with cultural policy from the perspective of a practitioner, and its relation to funding applications. The development of effective funding application skills and grant writing are also covered in this module.

MD6072 Writing and the Documentation of Arts Practice 2

This module explores the creative process in artistic and academic work. Its objective is to develop skills in the documentation of performance practice towards the development of a research inquiry. lt does this through an engagement with key texts regarding arts practice research and the writing of an arts practice research paper.

MD6082 Choreography for Camera

Exploring the dynamic field of screendance and dance-film making, this module prepares students to work creatively towards the creation of short dance films. The module contextualizes dance-film within the context of contemporary dance and arts practices while investigating a range of aesthetic and technical approaches to creating a work.

MD6o61 Introduction to Somatics 2

Semester 3

MD5522 Final Presentation

The final presentation involves the final submission – academic, performance / choreography or a combination of these. The final presentation is the culmination of the student’s work during the course of the programme. The presentation is designed in consultation with the course director.

Applications

Entrance Requirements:

A primary degree with first or second class honours

an approved equivalent qualification

an equivalent capability based on prior professional experience.

HOW TO APPLY:

https://www.ul.ie/gps/course/ethnochoreology-ma

Postgraduate Admissions Office
Graduate School
Foundation Building
University of Limerick

Tel: +353 61 234377
Fax: +353 61 233287
Email: postgradadmissions@ul.ie

UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK ACADEMIC CALENDAR:

Click here for UL Academic Calendar

INTERNATIONAL OFFICE:

Click here for UL International Office

POSTGRADUATE FEES:

Click here for Postgraduate Fees

SCHOLARSHIPS:

Click here for a list of scholarships available to prospective Irish World Academy of Music and Dance students.

Testimonials

“As a graduate of the MA in Ethnochoreology, the programme has provided me with a solid theoretical grounding and superb practical experience in field research. I feel the programme has aided the development of both, my conceptual and practical practice and has presented me with the opportunity to delve deeper into the research and understanding of dance. I am delighted about being involved in a programme that is characterized by its willingness to embrace an open-minded approach to the anthropological study of dance.”

Jennifer de Brún

“The MA programme in Ethnochoreology has broadened my knowledge of cultural dance and increased my ability to examine movement as a possible reflection of the culture from which it originates. I feel this course has prepared me to bridge gaps of cultural misunderstandings by drawing connections between cultures through movement. I am currently involved in researching Ethiopian Traditional dances and their influences on my creative practices as a Western contemporary dancer.”

RAS Mikey Courtney

“The MA in Ethnochoreology at the Irish World Academy gave me the invaluable chance to explore dance from a research-based perspective via history and the social sciences, while also engaging with the same dance traditions in my own body. This unique approach to thinking, writing, and moving all in one setting provided me an opportunity to encounter the dance traditions of other cultures, as well as enriched my understanding of my own dance practice. I now work as both a professional dancer and dance researcher: concertizing, teaching, and presenting at academic conferences on traditional music and dance, Irish studies, and social theory.”

Nic Gareiss

“The MA in Ethnochoreology changed my perceptions on how I view movement, and dance in particular, on a fundamental level. Aspects of human behaviour have become even more interesting and intriguing than what I previously thought. I will never look back. I now work as a lecturer on the BA Irish Music and Dance programme at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick.”

Dr. Mats Melin

Media

Contact

Applicants wishing to discuss detailed elements of the programme may contact the course director:

Dr. Mats Melin
Course Director, MA Ethnochoreology

Room No: IW1.22
Irish World Academy of Music and Dance,
University of Limerick,
Limerick,
Ireland.
Phone: + 353-61-202922
Fax: + 353 61 202589
Email: mats.melin@ul.ie

For further details, information and brochures about the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance:

Irish World Academy of Music and Dance,
University of Limerick,
Limerick,
Ireland.
Phone: + 353 61 202590
e-mail: IrishWorldAcademy@ul.ie

For queries to the University of Limerick Postgraduate Admissions Office:

Postgraduate Admissions Office
Graduate School
Foundation Building
University of Limerick

Tel: +353 61 234377
Fax: +353 61 233287
Email: postgradadmissions@ul.ie