THTR 1128 Ballroom Dance: Mid-Nineteenth Century

Students in this course will learn a selection of mid-19th century ballroom dances such as the waltz, the polka, a quadrille, and country dances such as the Virginia Reel. In addition, students will connect with the past through an exploration of topics such as womens and mens fashion, etiquette, and the physical world of the ballroom. Students will be asked to synthesize the information contained in the course through the embodiment of a character that will be presented in class. These elements will encourage each student to envision the past, bringing it to life with an understanding of the relationships between dance, etiquette, fashion, and the culture of the period.

Course overview

Department
Theatre
School
MCAS
Credits
2
Level
Undergraduate
Offered
Periodically

Course evaluations

Response-weighted averages from Boston College’s official course evaluations (Avalanche/Blue).

Course rating
4.59 / 5 · Excellent
34 responses
Instructor rating
4.59 / 5 · Excellent
34 responses
Terms evaluated
4
Most recent: Fall 2025

Scales: overall ratings run from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent); agreement questions from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree); weekly effort from 1 (up to 1 hour) to 5 (10 or more hours).

Evaluations by term and instructor
TermInstructorCourse overallInstructor overallWell organizedClear learning objectivesIntellectually challengingHelpful assignmentsApplicable beyond courseAttendance necessaryWeekly effortResponses
Fall 2025Quinn Burgess4.74.44.84.63.84.34.64.81–3 hrs/week12 of 14
Fall 2024Quinn Burgess5.04.85.05.04.04.84.85.01–3 hrs/week6 of 9
Fall 2023Quinn Burgess4.94.94.94.94.14.54.84.91–3 hrs/week8 of 9
Spring 2022Quinn Burgess3.94.44.84.84.03.84.04.9≤ 1 hr/week8 of 13

Data freshness

Course and evaluation data last updated 2026-10-09. Source details and limitations are documented in Data Sources and Methodology.

Instructors

  • Quinn Burgess
    Fall 2026, Fall 2025, Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2022 · Official rating 4.59/5

Sections

  • Section 01
    Fall 2026 · Quinn Burgess · F 10:00AM-11:50AM;Robsham Theater 142 · Offered