MA CoDE: Summer semester 2025
April 22nd - 25th Annotations of Dance Techniques
A key topic in the summer semester is understanding technique in contemporary dance and the resulting implications for teaching processes. Students design and teach dance technique lessons based on various subject-specific research projects and sources. In a second step, these are annotated and analyzed. The teaching samples are closely supervised in advance by Ingo Diehl and Susanne Triebel. The annotation process is supported by David Rittershaus, project manager of Motion Bank at Hochschule Mainz.
April 29th - June 21st Theory and Technique
To complement the practical lessons, Katja Schneider contextualizes the semester topic from a theoretical perspective.
April 28th - July 7th Re-Visioning Concepts / Re-Positioning the Discipline
In this seminar, Prof. Dr. Katja Schneider examines key concepts in art and dance studies and, together with MA CoDE and MA CuP students (University of Giessen), assesses their relevance today.
May 4th - 6th Cultural Education + Excursion to Hamburg
Dance in cultural education is discussed in a theoretical seminar and using best practice examples in a school context, at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and at an independent dance company. During the excursion to Hamburg, MA CoDE visits the community project “Future X – When is tomorrow?” with choreographer Patricia Carolin Mai and then discusses the parameters for cultural education projects with her team. With choreographer Jenny Beyer, the students conduct an open studio on site, a format for audience participation during the artistic production phase, and then moderate a feedback format.
May 8th - June 5th Communication
Dana Caspersen, a specialist in conflict management and long-time dancer with William Forsythe, incorporates her artistic experience into new formats for conflict resolution. Continuing on from the winter semester, she works with students in further online meetings on conflict management strategies and sharpens their communication skills.
June 16th - 27th Professional Training
MA CoDE students teach the professional training program at Tanzplattform Rhein-Main, with different approaches each day. During the two “Wild Weeks,” the joint focus is on the spine, weight, and gravity—viewed from the perspective of various modern and contemporary dance techniques. Concepts and teaching methods from Jooss-Leeder, Cunningham, release techniques, Jennifer Muller, Emio Greco, and Gill Clarke are taught and explored in individual and team teaching sessions. The two weeks allow for an intensive physical experience and provide space to reflect on dance and movement together with the participants.
July 4th Speed Dating
At MA CoDE Speed Dating, students meet and exchange ideas with a variety of invited experts from different fields, such as the network of dance event organizers, cooperating degree programs and institutions, and the MA CoDE alumni network. Afterwards, students select their mentors from among the invited experts, who will accompany them individually in the third semester and support them in developing their profiles.
July 9th - 16th Teachings BAtanz
In six teaching units, which are taught in tandem, students take up the topics of the professional training and modify them for professional education. The lessons take place as part of the BAtanz curriculum for the first year, are analyzed using video annotations, and are part of the examination requirements in the first year of the MA CoDE program.
