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Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dances has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.In the early 1900s a few dancers in America and Europe started to rebel against the rigid constraints of Classical Ballet. Shedding classical ballet technique, costume and shoes these early modern dance pioneers practiced free dance.
In America Loie Fuller, Isadora Duncan and Ruth St. Denis developed their own styles of free dance and laid the foundations of American modern dance with their choreography and teaching.
In Europe Rudolf Laban, Émile Jaques-Dalcroze and Francois Delsarte developed theories of human movement and methods of instruction that lead to the development of European modern and Expressionist dance.
1 History
1.1 Free dance
main article: Free dance
- 1891 - Loie Fuller (a burlesque skirt dancer) began experimenting with the effect that gas lighting had on her silk costumes. Fuller developed a form of natural movement and improvisation techniques that were used in conjunction with her revolutionary lighting equipment and translucent silk costumes.
- 1903 - Isadora Duncan developed a dance technique influenced by the philosophyPhilosophy literally means 'love of wisdom' from the Greek 'philo' and 'sofia'. It is now widely used to designate the pursuit of knowledge or wisdom about fundamental matters concerning life, death, meaning, reality, being and truth. The term may also re of Friedrich NietzscheFriedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche ( October 15, 1844 August 25, 1900) was a highly influential German philosopher. His Life Nietzsche was born on October 15, 1844 in the small town of Rocken bei Lutzen, not too far from Leipzig, Saxony. He was born on the 49th and a belief that dance of the ancient Greeks (natural and free) was the dance of the future. Ducan developed a philosophy of dance based on natural and spiritual concepts and advocated for that acceptance of pure dance as a high art.
- 1905Events January-April January 22 Massacre of Russian demonstrators at the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, one of the triggers of the abortive Russian Revolution of 1905. January 26 The Cullinan Diamond is found near Pretoria, South Africa at the Premier - Ruth St. Denis influenced by the actress Sarah Bernhardt and Japanese dancer Sado Yacco, St. Denis developed her translations of Indian culture and mythology. Her performances quickly became popular and she toured extensively whilst researching Oriental culture and arts. .
Fuller, Duncan and St. Denis all toured Europe seeking a wider and more accepting audience for their work. Only Ruth St. Denis retuned to the United States to continue her work, Isadora Duncan died in Paris 1927 and Fuller's work received little support outside Europe.
1.2 Early modern dance
In 1915 Ruth St. Denis founded the Denishawn school and dance company with her husband Ted Shawn. Whilst St. Denis was responsible for most of the creative work, Shawn was responsible for teaching technique and composition. Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, and Charles Weidman where all pupils at the school and members of the dance company.
- 1923 Graham leaves Denishawn to work as a solo artist in the Greenwich Village Follies.
- 1928 Humphrey and Weidman leave Denishawn to found their own school and company ( Humphrey-Weidman).
- 1933 Shawn founds his all male dance group Ted Shawn and His Men Dancers based at his Jacob's Pillow farm in Lee, Massachusetts.
After shedding the techniques and and compositional methods of their teachers the early modern dancers developed their own methods and ideologies and dance techniques which became the foundation for modern dance practice.
- Helen Tamiris - originally trained in free movement (Irene Lewisohn) and ballet ( Michel Fokine) Tamiris studied briefly with Isadora Duncan but disliked her emphasis on personal expression and lyrical movement. Tamiris believed that each dance must create its own expressive means and as such did not develop an individual style or technique. As a choreographer Tamiris made works based on American themes working in both concert dance and musical theatre.
- Lester Horton - choosing to work in California (three thousand miles away from the center of modern dance - New York), Horton developed his own approach that incorporated diverse elements including Native American dances and modern Jazz. Horton's dance technique (Lester Horton Technique) emphasises a whole body approach including; flexibility, strength, coordination, and body awareness to allow freedom of expression.
