Associate Teaching Professor of Music Mark Seto and Assistant Professor of the Practice of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies Patricia Seto-Weiss are often bouncing ideas off each other about their respective arts. Married for over 10 years, Seto and Seto-Weiss are now taking their partnership to the classroom.
In a new course titled MUSC 1644: “From Nutcracker to Night Creature: Music/Dance Intersections,” the pair is exploring ballets through music theory, choreography and historical and cultural context.
To prepare for the seminar, students watch at least one ballet, and each week’s video material is accompanied by readings and a discussion post.
The idea for the class emerged from Seto and Seto-Weiss’ previous collaborations and conversations about the relationship between music and dance.
“In our artistic work together we notice that we sometimes (talk) about music and dance in different ways,” Seto said. “We thought it would be interesting to have a space to actually explore that together in a classroom setting too.”
To develop the syllabus, both professors selected works they were familiar with, using their respective expertise to determine which ballets and musical pieces would be the most valuable to examine together. Seto focuses more on musical composition and theory, while Seto-Weiss covers choreography and dance history.
Most of the students enrolled in the class have backgrounds in music or dance, according to Seto-Weiss. But she noted that it is not necessary for students to have a strong background in either subject.
The course “creates a space for us to learn from one another,” Seto said.
Seto-Weiss hopes that students develop “a bigger appreciation for the little details that go into making art,” adding that maybe even “musicians will get interested in participating in dance classes and dive deeper into that.”
Danica Xiao ’29, a biology concentrator and member of the Brown Ballet Company, is taking the course and has experience in both piano and dance. “There was never a lot of opportunity for me to combine those two passions,” Xiao said, adding that the course gave her the ability to do so, while offering a break from her STEM-heavy schedule.
Michelle Qiu ’27, who is concentrating in music and mechanical engineering, expressed similar appreciation for the course’s focus. “I’ve always had a really good experience playing (music) with dancers,” Qiu said. “It’s cool to now … study it in an academic context.”
“Learning about the more academic side of music helps inform my performance practice too,” Qiu added.
For Xiao, studying contemporary ballets for the class has influenced her future choreographical decisions. “Watching these more contemporary ballets has really inspired me to branch out a little more, and maybe, hopefully in the future, do some less conventional choreography,” she said.
Class discussions are fluid, following students’ interests and perspectives, Qiu added. “If we have a point that we want to elaborate on, the professors are always willing to keep asking questions about that point.”
In addition to discussion, the pair also “try to do a little bit of practice incorporation as well,” Seto said. Seto plays musical excerpts on the piano during class, while Seto-Weiss has led students in a ballet workshop.
The professors “have a really nice dynamic, and they work really well together,” Xiao said, adding that “they really help to make the discussion that we have go smoothly.”
“Doing an academic course, when you co-teach, actually requires a lot of coordination,” Seto-Weiss said. “So it’s kind of great that we can work so closely with each other.”
