The premise of this course is that putting simple versions of choreography for the most common baroque dances into musicians‘ bodies is a stimulating (and fun) experiential method to stimulate musically interpretive revelations regarding tempi, pacing, phrasing and beat inflection. A simple but profound example of this is the understanding that in baroque menuets, traditional choreography has dancers rising on their toes on first beats and taking steps on beats two and three, corresponding to upbows/upward arm motions at the keyboard on downbeats followed by down bows/downward arm motions at the keyboard for beats two and three. The structure for the course is to alternate weeks first exploring a dance from one of Bach’s dance suites by learning its choreography followed by a week in which students apply what they have learned to musical interpretations of an example of the same dance form. In addition to experiencing a transformative change in understanding dance suite movements, students will also be exposed to many elements of baroque performance practice, baroque notation and performance practice principles in general as well as learning about baroque dance. The class will culminate in a performance in which examples of at least 6 dance forms are performed by students as other students accompany the performer ‘dancing’ simple but authentic choreography.