The Chorus, Ancient and Modern: Forms of Communal Performance and the Body Politic

This course investigates a particular form of cultural institution developed in ancient Greece, the chorus. It begins by exploring how the ancient chorus both praised and questioned the political systems that facilitated it before considering how choral performance in the modern period has been an effective tool for propaganda, revolt, and riot.Alongside works by ancient Greek poets, students look at a range of modern performance genres such as opera, ballet, sporting ceremonies, Broadway musicals, and flash mobs. Students also gain experience of communal performance themselves through participation in a series of practical movement and singing workshops.