A Dance Course Curriculum

By Dale Thompson

Dale Thompson began her career as a contemporary dancer by studying with Hanya Holm, Alwin Nikolais, Murray Louis, Phyllis Lamhut, Dan Wagoner and Louis Falco, while working in a delicatessen in NYC.  From 1978 to 83 she was a featured member of the Nikolais Dance Theatre, touring extensively in North and South America, Europe, and the Far East.

Since moving to the UK in 1983, she has worked in higher education, teaching contemporary dance, improvisation, repertory and choreography at the Laban Centre, Roehampton Institute, and University College Chichester, where she is presently based.  She has taught and choreographed throughout the UK, including a number of community projects, short courses, and residencies (Glasgow, Belfast and Cardiff).

In 1991 she was on the faculty of the American Dance Festival and was subsequently sponsored by ADF to work in Quito, Ecuador, in 1992.  In 2000 she travelled to Costa Rica on a university exchange, which enabled her to choreograph a new work with professional dancers at the VIII International Festival of Contemporary Dance in Central America and the Caribbean. 

Her own interest in choreography has led to regular production of new work since 1984, and she is committed to shaping work through a collective process between the people who make it, performers, and other artists.  Her most recent work has been funded by University College Chichester as well as South East Arts.  She is a graduate of Douglass College, Rutgers University, and is married to Ross Cameron, lighting designer.

A Dance Course Curriculum

For all of you who are teaching composition and may be curious about a Nik/Lou approach, we offer this curriculum developed by Dale Thompson.  Not only does it outline lesson plans for a sixteen-week core course, it also provides a comprehensive reading list.  It is lengthy but not repetitive.  Perhaps some of the material may not be pertinent to all situations, but requirements vary from place to place and teacher to teacher.  Dale offers it to use as you see fit.  She adds, “Anyone who wants to talk to me should feel free to contact me — I have been writing classes for 20 years and have quite a nice collection.”  Dale’s e-mail is dt-rc@ntlworld.com.