CHOREOGRAPHIC OUTCOMES: IMPROVING DANCE COMPOSITION b y Jacqueline Smith-Autard and Jim Scho- field, assisted by Michael Schofield. 2005. Bed- ford Interactive Productions, j CD-ROMs (for PC) including Resource Pack with "Cre- ative Practice Guidebook" and Smith-Autard's "Dance Compositi on" (^th ed, 2004). $j6o. Computer-aided instruction for dance is a hard sell. On the one hand, judging from the proliferation of dance technology- related websites, dancers seem more inter- ested in computer applications for perfor- mance than instruction. Not surprisingly, dance is regarded by the educational soft- ware industry as something less than a niche market and therefore a low-priority investment. On the other hand, popular views of educational technology in dance tend to exaggerate both its promise and its peril. Advocates tout computers and the In- ternet as instant remedies for dry curric- ulum and didactic instruction. Alarmists worry that computers will undermine cre- ative activity and the World Wide W eb will replace teachers as the preferred source of information. Until recently, these states of mutual dis- interest and distrust among dancers, edu- cators, and software-makers have resulted in a serious lack of imaginative, intelligent, and effective educational uses of new tech- nologies in dance. No more. Together with Bedford Interactive (www.dance-interactive .web.com), Jacqueline Smith-Autard's re- cent forays into educational technology have produced a series of state-of-the-art CD-ROMs for dance and dance education. These impressive computer resources com- bine Smith-Autard's substantial knowledge with Jim Schofield's commonsensical ap- proach to the technology. Their most recent production. Choreographic Outcomes, avoids placing too much emphasis on the technol- og y itself, leaving ample room for people— especially teachers—to shape its role in learning. Choreographic Outcomes is described as a "comprehensive CD-ROM resource pack . . . aimed at improving student choreog- raphy through detailed study . . . [with] full access video of 8 dance pieces." Sounds aging fool you. While the program can be used off-the-shelf to good effect, it is a teaching and learning resource that ex- pands exponentially if one understands the logic behind its approach. In the interests of full disclosure, I admit to a predisposi- tion toward technological applications and Smith-Autard's work in particular. How- ever, before now, I had not previously used or beta-tested this program, so I came to it with fresh eyes (and ears). The first thing you will notice about the program is the high-quality production val- ues. It is clear from the outset that this is a hefty piece of software with plenty of features and supporting materials that lie just off the beaten path. The package in- cludes three CD-ROM discs, a Creative Practice Guidebook, and Smith-Autard's book Dance Composition (2004). The program in- cludes over a hundred movies and requires a lot of computer memory, so Bedford In- teractive includes two different discs to al- low the user two options: direct-use from disc or full-install on user's hard drive. The direct-use option downloads each movie as you select it and thus involves a short delay each time you click on a new movie. If you can spare the 630 MB on your hard drive, then I recommend the full-install option. You'll move more quickly through the program and you can insert the Work- sheets disc, which includes an electronic version of activity worksheets. A helpful in- struction booklet walks you through these options.
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CHOREOGRAPHIC OUTCOMES Warburton Critique on Smith Autard
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7/27/2019 CHOREOGRAPHIC OUTCOMES Warburton Critique on Smith Autard