Modern dance

Modern dance is a style of dancing that started in Europe and the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It began as a way for dancers to move freely instead of following the strict rules of classical ballet. Dancers could now express important ideas through their movements.

Early modern dance pioneers like Isadora Duncan, Maud Allan, and Loie Fuller introduced new ways of moving. They did not use ballet's limited steps and wore comfortable clothes instead of tight corsets and special shoes.

Over time, modern dance kept growing and changing, influenced by world events and new ideas. In the United States, it developed in three main periods. The first period saw artists like Duncan and Fuller changing how dance was performed. Later periods brought new choreographers like Martha Graham and José Limón, who created their own styles and taught many dancers. Today, modern dance is still a lively and evolving art form, with many different techniques and ideas being taught and performed around the world.

Background

Modern dance started as a new way to dance, different from classical ballet. Changes in society in the United States and Europe helped create this style. In America, factories were growing, and more people had time and money. Old strict rules were relaxing, and people began to care more about health and moving their bodies. Schools for women even started classes in "aesthetic dance" in the late 1800s.

During this time, people who loved to move their bodies helped create modern dance. Young women used exercises to learn new dance moves.

Free dance

Main article: Free dance

• Isadora Duncan (born in 1877) was one of the first modern dancers. She danced barefoot and wore loose clothes. She added humor to her feelings in dance. She liked Greek dances, folk dances, and movements from nature. She didn’t like ballet because she thought it was boring.
• Loie Fuller (born in 1862) danced in costumes that floated around her when she moved. She used special lighting to make her silk clothes glow and shine.
• Ruth St. Denis (born in 1879) was inspired by famous actors and dancers from Japan. She created dances based on stories and ideas from Indian culture and myths. Her dances became very popular, and she traveled the world to learn about different cultures.

Expressionist and early modern dance in Europe

See also: Expressionist dance and Ausdruckstanz

In Europe, Mary Wigman in Germany, Francois Delsarte, Émile Jaques-Dalcroze (Eurhythmics), and Rudolf Laban shared ideas about how people move and show feelings. They also made new ways to teach these movement ideas. This helped start modern and Expressionist dance. Other important dancers were Kurt Jooss (Ausdruckstanz) and Harald Kreutzberg.

Radical dance

During hard times like the Great Depression and when unfair leaders came to power in Europe, some dancers used their art to talk about big problems in the world. They wanted people to think about things like money, society, and leaders.

Some famous radical dancers include:

• Hanya Holm who brought new dance ideas to America and helped start the first American Dance Festival.
• Anna Sokolow whose dances showed strong feelings and real life.
• José Limón known for his powerful dance work The Moor's Pavane.
• Merce Cunningham who used new ideas and random movements in his dances.
• Erick Hawkins who studied how the body moves and made his own dance style.
• Paul Taylor who used normal movements in his dances and started his own dance company.
• Alwin Nikolais who used many different tools and settings in his shows.

In the United States

Early modern dance

In 1915, Ruth St. Denis started the Denishawn school and dance company with her husband Ted Shawn. Famous dancers like Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, and Charles Weidman learned from this school and joined the company. Artists like Isadora Duncan, Loie Fuller, and Ruth St. Denis traveled to Europe to share their work.

Martha Graham is often called the founder of modern dance from the 20th century. She did not like traditional ballet because she thought it was too focused on European styles. She studied at the Denishawn school and later moved to New York City. There, she performed and created her own dance style called the Graham technique. This style focused on feeling connected to the floor and using the whole body.

Popularization

In 1927, newspapers started having special critics for dance. Modern dance was added to college classes, first as part of physical education and later as a performance art. Many teachers learned at the Bennington Summer School of Dance, started in 1934.

African American

African American dance mixed modern dance with movements from Africa and the Caribbean. Katherine Dunham learned ballet and started her own dance company in Chicago. She opened a school in New York where she taught a mix of African, Caribbean, ballet, and modern dance moves. Pearl Primus used African and Caribbean dances to tell powerful stories. Alvin Ailey studied with famous teachers and later started his own dance company in New York. His most famous work, Revelations, used memories of Texas, blues music, and spirituals to inspire his dances.

Legacy of modern dance

Modern dance has influenced many dance styles from the 1900s. These dances all started from free and expressive movement.

Postmodern dance

Main article: Postmodern dance

Postmodern dance began in the 1960s in the United States. At this time, people began to question old ideas in politics and art. This led to new ways of dancing where choreographers did not follow strict rules. They mixed ideas from many different dance traditions.

Contemporary dance

Main article: Contemporary dance

Contemporary dance started in the 1950s. It combines modern dance with classical ballet. It can also include moves from other cultures, like African dancing with bent knees, and Butoh from Japan. Dancers often use their movements to show strong feelings, choosing topics and music that match their story.

Teachers and their students

This list shows important teachers and their students in modern dance.

• Loie Fuller
• Isadora Duncan—Duncan technique
• Grete Wiesenthal
• Ruth St. Denis
  • Ted Shawn—Shawn Fundamentals
  • Denishawn (school and company)
    • Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman—The Art of Making Dances (Humphrey)
      • Humphrey-Weidman school—Humphrey-Weidman technique (fall and recovery)
        • José Limón—Limón technique
    • Martha Graham—Graham technique (and Louis Horst)
      • Erick Hawkins (via George Balanchine)—Hawkins technique
      • Anna Sokolow
      • May O'Donnell
      • Merce Cunningham—Cunningham technique (also see Postmodern dance)
        • Yvonne Rainer
        • Margaret Jenkins
        • Steve Paxton
        • Richard Alston
      • Paul Taylor
        • Twyla Tharp
      • Trisha Brown
      • Ohad Naharin
• Lester Horton—"Horton Technique"
  • Bella Lewitzky
  • Alvin Ailey
• Rudolf von Laban
  • Kurt Jooss (Ausdruckstanz)
    • Pina Bausch (Tanztheater)
  • Mary Wigman (Expressionist dance)
    • Ursula Cain
      • Heike Hennig (see Dancing with Time)
    • Hanya Holm
      • Valerie Bettis
      • Alfred Brooks
      • Maxine Munt
      • Alwin Nikolais—decentralization
        • Murray Louis
        • Beverly Schmidt Blossom
• Émile Jaques-Dalcroze
  • Mary Wigman
  • Marie Rambert
• Katherine Dunham—Katherine Dunham Technique
• Pearl Primus
  • Garth Fagan
• Helen Tamiris
  • Daniel Nagrin