The course will promote ‘a supportive environment for self-expression’
The University of Michigan will offer a class in the upcoming semester which focuses on “queer social dances.”
The class aims to provide “an introductory exploration of Queer Social Dances, spotlighting House dance, Waacking, and Voguing” according to the description posted on the course catalog.
The class itself is intended for non-dance majors only and will focus on the forms of dancing that are “deeply rooted in the history and culture of LGBTQ+ communities, serve as vehicles for improvisation and self-expression, [and foster] connections, resilience, and celebration,” according to the course description.
The class will be taught by Timothy Tsang, who received his graduate degree in fine arts from the University of Michigan. The Fix reached out via email to Tsang, who declined to comment.
However, he told the Michigan Daily in February that dance “has always been a self-discovery journey.” For Tsang, “dance culture and identity are so tied together. When [he] was deciding on what to do for classes, [he…] wanted something for a Queer community.”
Discussing “voguing,” Tsang said: “These dance rooms are so much tied to club culture.”
“This is really how I find that sense of freedom with these dances is dancing in clubs,” he also said. “That’s also helped me build confidence. For this class, I’m just hoping people have fun and be more confident with just dancing in public.”
The Fix also reached out to David Gier, the dean of the fine arts department, but he did not respond.
However, a higher education expert who co-authored a book about the good and bad in Ivy League classes, criticized the course.
“With college tuition increasing at double the rate of inflation since 1980, universities should be in the business of assuring students and their families that the money they spend on higher education will provide a well-rounded, academically rigorous education that imparts transferable skills applicable after graduation,” Madison Doan, an expert with the Heritage Foundation, told The Fix via email.
Doan’s new book, “Slacking,” discusses the importance of a core curriculum, a set of required courses across a variety of disciplines to ensure that all students obtain a basic, well-rounded collection of necessary knowledge and skills. The University of Michigan, Doan notes, does not have a core curriculum.
Though this may allow for students’ flexibility, it “opens the door to courses that may lack rigor or coherence within a larger educational framework.”
She told The Fix that, based on the published course description, “it is unclear whether the course fosters analytical, intellectual, or professional development.”
This is not the only class at the University of Michigan with an LGBT theme.
Students can also take an “American Culture” class on the “Queer Arts of Survival.”
University of Michigan students also have the option to take “Queer and Trans Gaming,” a digital media studies course.
“Courses methodologically use critical theory, industry studies, media and cultural studies to digital media representations and experiences.,” the class description states. “Topics include but are not limited to digital media theory, video games, and virtually and identity.”
The class also “centers queer and trans experiences,” according to a promotional poster created by the media studies department.
Enrollees will “consider how games participate in the constitution and potential reimagination of gender, sexuality, and the worlds they shape.”
MORE: DOJ sues Minnesota for favoring illegal immigrants over Americans
INSIDE IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: A poster for a ‘Queer and Trans Gaming’ course at the University of Michigan; Film, television, and media at UMich
MAIN IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: A man dancing; Emma Rahmani/Studio Germany