Skip top navigation Skip to main content
Lasell University
Lasell University

2018 - 2019 Academic Catalog

Performing Arts Minor

The 19-credit Performing Arts minor calls for a required introductory performance course; two required foundational courses; elective coursework in theatre, music, and/or dance; and a one-credit performance practicum.

Course Code Course Title Credits
Core Courses
PERF111 Performing Arts Practices (KP) 3
PERF399 Performing Arts Practicum 1
Choose 2 from the following:
ENG211 Modern Drama 3
MUS101 Music Appreciation I (KP) 3
MUS102 Music Appreciation II (KP) 3
PERF203 Dance Explorations (KP) 3
Choose 3 from the following:
MUS104 World Music 3
MUS107 Understanding & Playing the Blues 3
MUS108 Blues: Harmony & Theory 3
MUS109 American Folk Music (KP) 3
MUS202 Fundamentals of Music 3
MUS203 Popular Music (KP) 3
MUS215 History of Jazz 3
PERF101 Chorus 1
PERF105 Basic Acting 3
PERF106 Vocal Techniques & Voice Training 1
PERF107 Introduction to Theater Arts (KP) 3
PERF108 Dance Techniques 1
PERF110 Preparing for Musical Theatre 1
PERF201 Intermediate Acting 3
PERF202 World Percussion:Theory & Practice (KP) 3

*Completion of MUS101, MUS102, ENG211, and/or PERF203 may earn elective credit if not used to earn foundational course credit.

PERF 101, 106, and 108 may be taken more than once for up to 3 credits.

Credit Requirements for minor: 19 credits

PERF111 - Performing Arts Practices (KP)

This course focuses on theory and practice in staged performances. Readings include critical studies of performance and performances, creative texts, and subjective accounts of the performance experience. The following questions are considered: What are the expectations of performance? How is a performance framed and organized? What are the sequences and contexts of performance? How is a performance evaluated by the audience and by the performers themselves? How does the performer understand and experience his or her role and personal status, on- and offstage? How does the audience imagine the offstage performer? Writing assignments will be based on both creative works and theoretical studies and will involve critical reflection, exegesis, and analysis; students will also complete a course project in which findings from multiple sources are synthesized and presented in oral and/or written form. Course goals include the deepening of student appreciation of each performance art form through connections across forms, as well as a capacity to contextualize studied forms to artistic and performance traditions. This course is a required course in the Performing Arts minor.

PERF399 - Performing Arts Practicum

In this one-credit practicum course, the student completes the minor in Performing Arts by participating in a college performance experience. Under the supervision of a faculty mentor, the student participates in a college drama or musical production, sings with the college chorus, performs in a college vocal or instrumental recital, or participates in a college dance performance. In weekly conference with the faculty mentor, the student establishes performance goals and assesses/addresses progress toward those goals; in addition, the student writes an essay of reflection on the relation between theory and practice in the arts. This course is a required course in the Performing Arts minor. Prerequisite: 100-level or 200-level MUS or PERF course in the practicum performance field.

ENG211 - Modern Drama

This survey course introduces students to great modern works of drama, considering the late nineteenth century through the present. Plays are considered in terms of performance as well as in literary terms, with a focus on the ways in which the philosophies and sensibilities of modernism and postmodernism are reflected both on the page and on the stage. Readings include modern classics by such writers as Ibsen, O'Neill, Brecht, and Beckett, as well as more recent works.

MUS101 - Music Appreciation I (KP)

This is a survey course in which students acquire listening skills and learn how to talk about music. The Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical periods of European music (1450-1800) are covered, with an emphasis on the history and development of music in its social and historical context. Students will learn to identify music from these three periods and will gain a more general understanding of music that can be applied to all eras and styles. Composers include Ockeghem, Palestrina, Byrd, Gabrieli, Purcell, Telemann, Bach, Handel, Haydn, and Mozart.

MUS102 - Music Appreciation II (KP)

In this course, students will explore the role of music in various contexts, in order to better understand its role in culture and in society. The hands-on curriculum calls for lots of listening and active participation; students will develop their listening skills, their awareness of the elements of music, and their understanding of the musical experience.

PERF203 - Dance Explorations (KP)

This course is designed for the undergraduate students of Lasell College, in partnership with the Boston Ballet School. Through lectures, readings, and practical applications, students will explore history and theory, gaining knowledge and understanding of the importance of the development of technique in relation to the artistry of ballet and modern dance. Students will also participate weekly in a ballet/modern technique class focusing on ballet technique, with an emphasis on contemporary movement. The dance portion of the class will be held at the Boston Ballet School Newton Studio and will be taught by a faculty member at the Boston Ballet School. Course is usually held at the Boston Ballet School

MUS104 - World Music

This course introduces students to the world of music through analysis and examination of music and culture from different ethnic groups. The musical characteristics of India, the Middle East, Indonesia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Native American Indians, Ethnic North America, and the musical culture of Europe are addressed. Students listen to a selected repertoire and analyze the music and readings about music in class.

MUS107 - Understanding & Playing the Blues

This course formally introduces students to the blues through theoretical study and practical application. As a result, students not only become familiar with all the basic blues elements (e.g., rhythm, harmony, form) but also learn how to play the blues on keyboards. (Prior keyboard or piano experience is NOT necessary.)

MUS108 - Blues: Harmony & Theory

This course develops an understanding and appreciation of music, covering genres including blues, pop, and jazz. Music theory, blues theory, harmony, and chordal theory are examined. Through a combination of listening to recordings and live examples, students apply their knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of music.

MUS109 - American Folk Music (KP)

Integrating folklore, American history, and songwriting, this course examines American culture through the lens of American folk songs-songs written by others and songs we will write ourselves. Readings, recordings, and class discussion illustrate the importance of love songs, protest songs, work songs, and ballads as resources for understanding and expressing American life.

MUS202 - Fundamentals of Music

This course is designed for students who are interested in mastering basic music literacy and its application in basic piano skills. The course is appropriate for those who already read some music and would like to develop their written music skills; it is also appropriate for those who have little or no experience reading sheet music. Topics include musical notation, rhythm, and basic piano skills including but not limited to scale building, intervals, and chords.

MUS203 - Popular Music (KP)

The years after World War II found American society and culture evolving in ways that both led to and mirrored the birth of rhythm 'n' blues, rock 'n' roll, and soul music, creating a new popular music that has indeed taken over the world. Yet it is impossible to understand fully modern popular music without exploring its roots in blues, jazz, hillbilly, ragtime, Afro-Caribbean, and other styles. In this course, we survey the history of American pop from its birth in the early nineteenth century up to 1970; by this crucial year, most of the styles reflected in today's music had been established. We pay special attention to the ways in which American music synthesizes African and European elements in a myriad of new forms.

MUS215 - History of Jazz

This is an in-depth study of the history of Jazz with an overview of the influences of African traditions and the development of the blues. Students gain insight into the various jazz idioms through recordings of significant artists and compositions. Topics covered range from Dixieland to contemporary styles with an emphasis on swing and bebop.

PERF101 - Chorus

This course focuses on developing basic steps for voice technique and group singing. The class meets for two hours, as most of the work for the course is done during class time. Students are presented the basic principles of singing and apply those to vocal ensemble singing. The repertoire is based on the vocal ensemble formed, yet the song literature includes works from different styles and periods. Students perform as members of Lasell College chorus. This course may be repeated for credit.

PERF105 - Basic Acting

This course provides the beginning student interested in acting with basic skills involved in the art. Explorations include: physical awareness and the use of the body as an expressive tool; intellectual and emotional approaches to creating a role; and the uses for imagination and creativity that actors apply. Students work both individually and interactively on acting exercises and master basic text analysis for actors as an aid to building a character.

PERF106 - Vocal Techniques & Voice Training

This one-credit course is designed for beginning voice students and introduces the basic skills needed for successful vocal performance, with a focus on vocal technique and artistic presentation. Training also covers areas such as good practice technique and repertoire choices. This course can be repeated.

PERF107 - Introduction to Theater Arts (KP)

This is an introduction to the principles and practice of the related arts that are involved in the production of a play in the theatre. Study includes analysis of the dramatic script in terms of the actor; the director; the scenic, costume, and lighting designers; and the technicians. Lab theatre productions integrate the content of the course.

PERF108 - Dance Techniques

This course prepares beginner to advanced beginner classical ballet students with the foundation necessary for progression to the intermediate and advanced levels. Every student’s ability is assessed, and training follows a curriculum under which each student progresses to his or her maximum potential. The course includes classical ballet vocabulary, technique, self-discipline, motivation, creativity, critical thinking, and confidence building. This course can be repeated. Course is usually held at the Boston Ballet School

PERF110 - Preparing for Musical Theatre

This one-credit course is designed for students interested in auditioning for and performing in musicals, operettas, and/or operas. Students will gain the tools they need to prepare for an audition and/or a role in local or regional theatre. Students will work on scenes, monologues, audition cuts, and dance/movement skills; they will also learn acting and performance basics. New students are welcomed, as are students who have completed PERF106. This course can be repeated.

PERF201 - Intermediate Acting

This course is designed for acting students who wish to further develop, refine, and apply acting techniques in a performance-oriented environment. Using voice, body, imagination, technique, and research, students explore the challenge of acting in more complex media, styles, and dramatic literature. Techniques for acting for the camera are introduced, as is individual coaching for students’ strengths and weaknesses. The development and application of the monologue, scene work from world literature, work with another actor, and character analysis are covered. Performance opportunities are available in concert with Lasell productions. Prerequisite: PERF 105 or PERF 107.

PERF202 - World Percussion:Theory & Practice (KP)

This multicultural survey course will focus on the theory and practice in the use of percussion as ritual, communication, and recreation around the world. Students will learn through lecture and critical readings of descriptive accounts of the uses of percussion, as well as through the subjective experience of learning percussive rhythms using a variety of musical instruments: congas, djembes, atumpani, berimbau, shakere, clavier, ago-go bells, and – of course – cowbells. This course fulfills the Area of Inquiry – Aesthetic [AI(A)] and the Area of Inquiry – Multicultural [AI(MC)].