Course title
Music theory
Teacher/Instructor
Han-Louis Meijer
Year, duration:
BA 1, BA2
Class load (weekly):
90 minutes
Builds these competencies
1. Creative potential
3. Investigative and reflective abilities
6. Communicative ability
Course content
After this course it will be possible for the student to use the lesson material as a basis for the necessary practical integration of music and dance. The increased knowledge of musical exercises will also contribute to a better communication with teachers, pianists or musicians in general. The course will lead to a better relationship between artistic and technical qualities with regard to musical input.
As part of the course the student will also have workshops with and visit the Ballet Orchestra (orchestra of Dutch National Ballet and NDT) several times. Through actual meetings an interaction with orchestra members an extra layer of practical learning is added.
Learning Objectives
-To distinguish artistic, emotional and structural characteristics in classical music, for the benefit of ballet exercises and ballet variations by means of auditory training.
- Distinguishing and working with different dance forms, gaining insight into compositional structures.
- Learning to auditively distinguish all orchestral instruments including insight into the playing methods.
- Being constructively engaged with rhythmic differentiations
Study material
- The student receives a musical historical kaleidoscope from 1640 to 1973. Composers are discussed in their cultural and musical development. The content of the musical information is provided by images and sound material which are taken along by the teacher. For each composer an excerpt is given with the important information about work and style periods with their core brands.
The information should enable the student to distinguish and argue between the works of different composers.
- Attention will also be paid to analyzing and naming different forms of dance. The dance forms run from 1600 [baroque] to 1960 [rock and roll]. This will also be supported by images and sound fragments.
- Also the discernment of the musical instruments will be discussed.
Attention will be paid to the isolation of various individual sounds, both solo and in an ensemble context. As a young professional dancer, basic knowledge of instruments and their sound or playing technique is an absolute must. Demonstration of various instrumentalists as well as images and sound material are part of this subject. Concert visits for this purpose are required.
The students do not have a workbook. They receive stencils for each subject from the teacher with the necessary information.
Assessment method
- The concepts of music history, different forms of dance, measure/ rhythm, melody/ harmony, tempo/ dynamics will be discussed and tested on the basis of examples (written test).
- The concept of rhythm will be fully dissected and put into practice. The student will have to make his own rhythms through exercises, starting with the rhythm up to independent rhythmic variations, which have to be played independently of each other.
Assessment criteria
1) 2, 3, 4, 5
3) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
6) 1, 4
Remarks relating to overall context of the study programme (e.g. connectional and sequential requirements), or other remarks
Closely linked to all practical dance classes where live music accompanies the classes. Furthermore, with the new collaboration with the Ballet Orchestra (BalletOrkest) a whole new layer is added; during the End of Year performances the student will perform to live music played by members of the Orchestra, with whom they have had discussions and workshops throughout the year.