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Modern Dance: Dance of The Twentieth Century

Modern dance originated in Europe in the early 20th century as a rejection of classical ballet. It became centered in the US by the 1930s. Isadora Duncan and Martha Graham were pioneers who developed new techniques focused on natural, expressive movement in contrast to ballet's rigid forms and choreography driven by music. Merce Cunningham further revolutionized dance by removing connections between movement and music, incorporating chance-based composition. He explored new ways for dancers and audiences to experience movement freely without imposed meanings.

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Charlene Fadrigon-Otazu
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60 views26 pages

Modern Dance: Dance of The Twentieth Century

Modern dance originated in Europe in the early 20th century as a rejection of classical ballet. It became centered in the US by the 1930s. Isadora Duncan and Martha Graham were pioneers who developed new techniques focused on natural, expressive movement in contrast to ballet's rigid forms and choreography driven by music. Merce Cunningham further revolutionized dance by removing connections between movement and music, incorporating chance-based composition. He explored new ways for dancers and audiences to experience movement freely without imposed meanings.

Uploaded by

Charlene Fadrigon-Otazu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Modern Dance

Dance of the twentieth century


Modern Dance

Intention was to create a
new free dance and tear
down the old ballet regime

Multidimensional

Originated in Europe

By 1930, US had become
center for dance
experimentation
Choreographer vs Performer
Relationship of Movement to Music

In traditional ballet- movement parallel to rhythms
of music

In modern dance-

Dance may be composed first

Momentum of dance may run counter to rhythms
of music

Music may be absent
History
First 3 Decades (starting about 1900)

Reaction against late 19th century ballet

Isadora Duncan

Two developments

System of natural expressive gestures

Eurhytmics
Isadora Duncan

Born May 27, 1878

Youngest of 4

Started dancing young

Dance over formal
education

Mother of modern
dance

Did not believe in
formal ballet
Isadora Duncan

Lived in many parts of
the world

Had many love affairs

Criticized for what she
danced in

Tragedy made her not
want to dance anymore

Career over in 1920's

Died September 14,
1927
Isadora Duncan Choreography

The Rose Petals

Sisters

Dance of the Furies
Second Wave (1930)

Rejected external movement sources in favor of
internal ones

Martha Graham

Defined modern dance and ballet in opposition to
each other
Martha Graham

Born May 11, 1894

Influence on dance
compared to influence of
Picasso on modern art

Enrolled in Denishawn
School

Critics described her
dances as “ugly”

Louis Horst

“contraction and release”
Martha Graham

Martha Graham Dance
Company

Dance career lasted 75
years

Collaborations with
other modern artists

Dances had “spaztic
jerks”

Died April 1, 1991
Martha Graham Choreography

Lamentation

Seraphic Dialogue

Primitive Mysteries
Third Period (1945)

Began after WWII ended and continues today

Found movement sources in proliferation of 20 th
century dance styles

Merce Cunningham revolutionized conventional
dance

No longer interested in traditional techniques
Merce Cunningham

Born in Centralia, Washington in 1919

Studied different styles as a kid
The Beginning

Joined Martha Graham's Dance Company in 1939

Questioned the use of music from the past

Felt too much concentration on style in modern
dance

Every movement had a meaning

Curious about other possibilities

Ballet stimulated interests in mechanics of dancing
Interaction with John Cage


In summer of 1942, at Graham's Company, joined
by Cage

suggested the use of music as a determinant in
choreographic structure

Cornerstone of postmodern dance

Variations V [Excerpts]
Influences

Both deeply influenced by Zen Buddhism

“Get out of his own way”

The Book of Changes
Root of an Unfocus 1944

Start of Cunningham's belief that the independence
of music and dance offered him greater expressive
freedom
Departure from Graham Company (1945)

Experimented with motion for its own sake

Structure without meaning

Dancers had difficulty perceiving
Chance

Wanted to represent deeper level of reality beyond
subjectivity

By surrendering to chance, hoped to avoid patterns

Dime a Dance

A dancer could be “standing still one moment,
leaping or spinning the next. There were familiar
and unfamiliar movements, but what was
continuously unfamiliar was the continuity, freed as
it was from the usual cause and effect relations”-
Anton Dolin, Autobiography
Reactions
Viewers can give their imaginations freedom to
wander
-or-
Feel boredom or anger
Choreography

Composed
dances with
interchangeable
parts

Non repeatable
performances-
reflects the
multiplicity of
modern life
Technology

For next 30 years, forged ahead into video then
began composing with computers

Computer- tool for indicating movement he no
longer could

For people who “think”, his dances reflected the
expanded consciousness of the mid twentieth
century
Overview

Movement more fluid and contains dynamic
highlights

Choreography very diverse and can not be
chategorized as any specific dance style

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