Please respond to the questions below after watching Uprooted and reading Amins article. Be sure to use specific examples from both the film and the reading.

1. Origins and Recognition
2. Why is it important to recognize the Afro-diasporic origins of jazz danceand the fact that most U.S. dance forms (except Native American dance) also have Afro-diasporic roots?
3. Community vs. Individual Invention
4. What difference does it make when we understand dances as emerging from communities and shared practices, rather than from a few talented individuals? How does this shift in perspective change the way we talk about jazz dance history?
5. Connections Between the Article and the Documentary
6. What ideas or themes appear in both the article and the film? Identify at least one clear connection and cite specific moments or passages.
7. Personal Response
8. How did the material in the documentary make you feel? What aspect of the documentary and/or the reading moved you the most, and why?
9. Jazz as an Evolving Form
10. The documentary shows jazz dance constantly evolvingthrough music, social change, and cultural influence. Identify one moment of change described in the film and reflect on how it affects your understanding of what counts as jazz.

Weekly Assignments Rubric (70 points total)

Length & Engagement (10 points)

• Responds to all required materials: lecture, readings, and videos.
• Meets minimum length of 250 words.

Originality & Academic Integrity (10 points)

• Writing is entirely your own work.
• No AI-generated text (use of AI = failing the course).
• Shows your original thoughts and unique voice. (Includes drawing connections between course material across sections and with your own examples, etc.)

Clarity, Style, and Language (10 points)

• Uses formal academic language (no informal language).
• Clear, well-organized writing that demonstrates engagement (show, dont tell).

Grammar & Mechanics (10 points)

• Run grammar and spell check before submission (Google Docs or Word).
• Spelling errors= 10% deduction.
• Grammar errors= 10% deduction.
• = 10% deduction.

Use of Readings (15 points)

• Includes at least one specific quote from each of the weeks readings.
• Quote must be about a sentence long (not just two words).
• Must include page number, authors full name, and complete article title.
• .
• Provides a one-sentence paraphrase in your own words.
• Explains why the quote is significant to you. May bring in personal connections.

Use of Videos (15 points)

• Includes analysis of a specific fragment from each weekly video.
• Provides time stamps.
• Describes what happens in the chosen segment.
• Explains what most interests, horrifies, unsettles, or moves you, and why.

MATERIALS

Uprooted (Documentary)

Chapter 4: Takiyah Nur Amin, African American Dance Revisited: Undoing master narratives in the studying and teaching of dance history Rethinking Dance History Rethinking Dance History Issues and Methodologies