Top 5 things I dislike about my Dance History class

1. It seems like every reading we do has that nasty, self-congratulatory, "aren't I so deep and intelligent" kind of introductory section in which the author uses a pretty simple word like "form," then goes on to explain for three or four paragraphs what "form" means to them, and what they mean when they say it. If you're making one word do that much work, I certainly hope you're paying it overtime. 
2. One of the professors wrote the textbook for the class. I am highly scornful of professors who do that. You may be an expert in the field, but I'm sure you aren't the only expert. There are plenty of other people who write about African-American protest traditions; it's a fairly popular subject. So get over yourself and don't assign your own book as required reading. 
3. While we're on the subject of readings, I have to say this: the class is called "Dance in the 20th Century: African-American Protest Traditions." Maybe a third of the assigned readings are about dance. Even fewer are about protest traditions. While things like the origins of the blues and the psychology surrounding the Freedmen's Bureau are certainly interesting, I signed up for a class in dance history. I feel like I have to beg my professors to actually talk about dance history, which they almost never do. That brings me to my next point....
4. What are my professors talking about, if not dance history? Why, they're one-upping each other, of course! Something in their relationship is rotten or off-balance, because any time one of them makes a point, the other one feels pressure to respond immediately with a better point. This vicious cycle frequently spins them far off-topic, and their long-winded theoretical monologues are not nearly as interesting as the very subtle looks on their faces. When Professor A is talking, Professor B looks mildly irritated and impatient, like someone who's waiting for the right time to get up and use the bathroom, and she frequently exchanges Looks with the TA. When Professor B is talking, Professor A takes on a really interesting look that is best described as a smile on top of a sneer. (When I described this look to Zaineb, she said, "This class must be boring if you're spending so much time analyzing their faces!") It's juuuuuuust short of condescension. Highly distracting and not at all educational. 
5. By far the worst part of this class is the knowledge that if I had just taken it at Smith (which, as it turns out, I could have), I would be taking it with my favorite professor, who is my favorite professor largely because of her competence.