Spring 2026 Course Search

Improvisation Ensemble for Dancers and Musicians — DAN2417.02

Instructor: Susan Sgorbati
Days & Time: WE 4:10pm-6:00pm
Credits: 1

This class is an extension of the Black Music Division at Bennington College that brought dancers and musicians together for live performance in the composition of Improvisation. It is co-taught by Susan Sgorbati and Michael Wimberly. 

Musicians and Dancers will study and practice together a Solo Practice and an Ensemble Practice, building compositional structures for performance. 

Music Composition Project — MCO4802.01

Instructor: Allen Shawn
Days & Time: WE 10:00am-11:50am
Credits: 2

This is a course for composers who have taken composition courses previously and have good notation skills.  Enrollment is limited to 10 students. Each student will produce a sizable piece for String Quartet. The class time will be used for analysis and study of works composed for string quartet and for examination of the student’s works-in-progress.

Bennington Review: A Practicum in Literary Editing and Publishing–Prose — LIT4529.01

Instructor: Manuel Gonzales
Days & Time: WE 10:00am-11:50am
Credits: 2

This two-credit course involves working on the conceptualization and editing of the national print literary magazine Bennington Review. Students will serve as Editorial Assistants for the magazine. The course will also engage students in how to approach fiction as an editor: from the selection process, macro edits, and micro edits—to the conversation with the writer.

Exploring Taiwanese Culture through Mahjong: Rules and Strategies — CSL2004.01

Instructor: Ginger Lin
Days & Time: WE 4:10pm-6:00pm
Credits: 2

Mahjong 麻将/麻雀  is a very fun game that originated in China and it is common to see groups of Chinese people playing Mahjong in parks, tea shops, bars or just by the side of the street. Mahjong utilizes white tiles with Chinese characters and symbols. It is similar to the western card game of Rummy and is a game of strategy, calculation and chance. It is a game of patience but easy to learn. This class is designed to be a fun way to learn about Taiwanese culture and acquire some Chinese/Mandarin language.

Drumming: An Extension of Language — MIN2120.01, section 1

Instructor: Michael Wimberly
Days & Time: WE 10:00am-11:50am
Credits: 2

This course serves as an introduction to rhythms, songs, and musical practices from Africa and the African Diaspora, including Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. Students will learn these traditional folkloric rhythms using indigenous percussion instruments from these territories and provinces. Class discussions will convey history, culture, language, and dance from these regions. Students will also have opportunities to create rhythms and arrangements in collaboration in our “break-out” segments.

The Politics of Immigration — POL2259.01

Instructor: John Hultgren
Days & Time: WE 10:00am-11:50am
Credits: 2

The U.N. estimates that there are 281 international migrants in the world, a number that has grown precipitously over the past half century and shows little sign of dissipating. Over the same time period, anti-immigrant parties and leaders have sprung up across much of the world, with visions of national revitalization contingent upon militarized borders and mass deportations. How might we understand the complex and contradictory forces that give rise to such a reality?

After Superflat Directed Project: Nuclear War — VA4407.01

Instructor: Yoko Inoue
Days & Time: FR 10:30AM-12:20PM & FR 2:10PM-4:00PM
Credits: 4

Conducted through research that focuses on the development of Japanese subcultures in the Post World War II period, this course poses various critical inquiries about the effects of nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on contemporary global consumer society, visual culture and the production of art. We will also bring into focus the trauma revisited up on Japanese citizens and creators by the recent nuclear disaster of Fukushima.

After Superflat: Nuclear War (Introduction) — VA2210.01

Instructor: Yoko Inoue
Days & Time: FR 10:30AM-12:20PM & FR 2:10PM-4:00PM
Credits: 4

Conducted through research that focuses on the development of Japanese subcultures in the Post World War II period, this course poses various critical inquiries about the effects of nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on contemporary global consumer society, visual culture and the production of art. We will also bring into focus the trauma revisited up on Japanese citizens and creators by the recent nuclear disaster of Fukushima.

BC American Jazz Combo — MPF4274.01

Instructor: Michael Wimberly
Days & Time: WE 4:10pm-6:00pm
Credits: 1

The BC American Jazz Combo explores jazz standards that have become signature works by some of America’s most innovative and enduring composers within the jazz lexicon. Students will explore works by Ornette Coleman, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk, Chick Corea, Charles Mingus, and others. Students will develop their sight-reading, improvisation, interpretation, and arranging skills while building community through collaboration and expression. Additional exploration of Broadway and Film themes that have become classic additions to the jazz lexicon will be considered.