Modern dance

Modern dance is a wide-ranging style of performance that grew out of Europe and the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It began as a way for dancers to break away from the strict rules of classical ballet and to express important social ideas.

Early modern dance pioneers like Isadora Duncan, Maud Allan, and Loie Fuller introduced new, free forms of movement. They moved away from ballet's limited steps and wore comfortable clothes instead of tight corsets and special shoes.

As time went on, modern dance continued to grow and change, 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 trained many dancers. Today, modern dance remains a lively and evolving art form, with many different techniques and ideas still being taught and performed around the world.

Background

Modern dance began as a way to move away from classical ballet. Changes in society in both the United States and Europe helped create this new style of dance. In America, factories were growing, more people had money and time to spend, and old strict rules were relaxing. This led people 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 moving their bodies helped make modern dance possible. Young women who wanted to dance used exercises to learn new moves.

Free dance

Main article: Free dance

• Isadora Duncan (born in 1877) was one of the first modern dancers. She focused on her body, danced barefoot, wore loose clothes, and 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 just boring exercises.
• 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 more 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 created ideas about how people move and express themselves. They also developed ways to teach these movement ideas, which helped create modern and Expressionist dance. Other important dancers included Kurt Jooss (Ausdruckstanz) and Harald Kreutzberg.

Radical dance

During difficult times like the Great Depression and the rise of unfair governments in Europe, some dancers used their art to show important problems of the world. These dancers wanted to make people think about tough issues like money, society, different cultures, 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 deep feelings and real life experiences.
• 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 created 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 performances to challenge dancers in new ways.

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 with more people. Martha Graham is often called the founder of modern dance from the 20th century.

Graham 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 in shows and created her own dance style called the Graham technique. This style focused on feeling connected to the floor and using the whole body, not just the arms and legs like in ballet.

Popularization

In 1927, newspapers started having special critics for dance, who looked at dance performances differently from other shows. 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, often about important black writers and issues. 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

The legacy of modern dance can be seen in many dance forms from the 20th century. These dances share roots in free and expressive movement.

Postmodern dance

Main article: Postmodern dance

Postmodern dance began in the 1960s in the United States. During this time, people started questioning old ideas in politics and art. This led to new and different ways of dancing, where choreographers did not follow strict styles. Instead, they mixed influences from many different dance traditions.

Contemporary dance

Main article: Contemporary dance

Contemporary dance started in the 1950s. It blends elements of modern dance with classical ballet. It may also include moves from other cultures, like African dancing with bent knees, and Butoh from Japan. Pioneers such as Isadora Duncan helped shape this style. Modern dancers often use their movements to show deep feelings, picking topics important to them and choosing music or costumes 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