What Is Modern Dance?

Prepared by Amril Radzman bin Amrahi 110487

Definition of Dancing

Dancing is art form of movement of human body which follows music and rhythm. It can be used in form of performance, expression and social interaction and even spiritual. Folk Dance is a type of social interaction dance. However, for modern dance is a type of expression dance in performance setting. It usually divided into few categories however some dance like waltz and tango are belong into few categories. Commonly, Dance can be used to express ideas, emotions or even tell a story. What is Modern Dance? Modern Dance is an evolution from classical ballet. With all various strict techniques found in classical ballet are totally opposite of modern dance. It has more flexibility so choreographer can be more creative in making a new piece. Modern dance also can be seen as a fusion of many dances. The sophisticated movement of modern dance already developed many styles and techniques. The beauty of modern dance is that it allow a whole flow of creativity which can be a source of inspiration with the music.

History of Modern Dance 1- Franois Delsarte (1811 - 1871, France). Hes invented a theory about relationship between movement and feelings. He concluded that each emotion and mental images corresponds a movement or attempt of it. The idea of feelings and their intensity cause of movement and its quality. His contribution is the elaboration of gestures which completely different compared to classical dance tradition. His study produced a logic system about the relationship between different parts of the body, movement and human feelings. He also invent the fundamental notion of the gestures expressiveness.

2- mile Jaques-Dalcroze (1865 1950, Austria - Switzerland). Dalcroze is a pianist and conductor for modern dance because he invents a new approach to movement called Rhythmics or Eurhythmics. His contribution is the relationship between music and movement. He also create original education method through movement

3- Rudolph Laban (1879 1958, Hungary - U.K.). Rudolph Laban created a system for analysing and recording movement: Kynetography (Labanotation). Some articles published by him are still important references for dance theory and history such as Choreutic , The Mastery of Movement and Educational Modern Dance.

4- Mary Wigman (1886 1973 Germany): Similar to Laban, Dalcroze and Delsarte, Wigman develops her own understanding of dance and traduces it in a significant amount of choreographic pieces. She opposes classical dance values and methods. Instead, she search dance that would accomplish an expressive function of the dancers soul. Her choreograph is considered as part of the artistic trend called German expressionism. Her practice give its name the dance of expression or Ausdrckstanz (in German). her dance pieces are remembered for their tragic, dark character and are described as introspective dances that reveal vibrant, vital, excited and passionate inner states of being. According to modern dance history, she influenced the whole German dance trend during the 1920s and 1930s and what follows after the war. Her most famous piece is called Hexentanz (The Witch).

5- Loe Fuller (1862 1928, United States of America) Loe Fuller is not considered as a dancer or a choreographer. This is because her main concern is not dance, or movement itself, as it is for the whole rest of following modern dancers. Though, she is produced lots of scenic art pieces involving experiments mixing lightning, scenic elements and dance.

6- Isadora Duncan (1878 - 1927, U.S.A. France) Modern dance history describes Isadora as an emblematic figure of freedom. She refuses to follow academic dance education and has the courage to break dance traditions and social codes. She produced her dance based on expression of her personel life. Shes inclined to nature which makes her dances involving waves, clouds, trees and wind. For modern dance history, she points the birth of another type of dance, which would be the consequence of an interior movement of the dancer. At the same time, she carries a new spirit of liberation from conventions and an idea of dance as an expression of the divinity inside every human being. Her contribution is not considered in terms of technique but cultural process of opening minds. She invented a gestural language and adapting movement to the artistic project. She is remembered mainly because of her boosting to the liberation of conventional codes that restrict body (and especially feminine body) as a general fact in society

7- Ruth Saint Denis (1877 - 1968, U.S.A.) Ruth Saint Denis performance mainly in US. She grows within an ideological of oriental religions which can be found in her cheograph. She has her own philosophical and mystical discourse too. She and Ted Shawn are known for combining the passionate charisma of Saint- Denis with the technical rigor of Shawn. Their choreograph are remembered for the spectacular format and development of musical visualizations.

8- Ted Shawn (1891- 1972, U.S.A.) After the dissolution of the Denishawn School and company, Ted Shawn continues his choreographic career independently. The first company composed by men only by attracting and educates boys that look like muscular atheletes, creating imagies of masculine and sportive dancer. He also founder of The Jacobs Pillow , a choreographic center.

9- Doris Humphrey (1895 - 1958, U.S.A.) Doris Humphrey joins the Denishawn in 1917, being already a dance teacher in her native province. Shes known for being contrastingly sober beside the commercial and spectacular wastes of Saint Denis. She also created theatrical sense and works using pantomime and humor. She develops an original dancing technique observing relationship between gravity and human body. She found principle for dance : Fall and Recovery. She also teaches important notions like weight, rebound, suspension and the importance of breath. Another one of her contributions is the understanding of the dancing group as a main choreographic entity and not only as a mass counterpointing the soloist.

10- Jose Limon (Jos Arcadio Limn, 1908 - 1972, Mexico - U.S.A.) Jose Limon is responsible for spreading Humphreys technique in Europe. His expression of a consciousness of precarious state of humanity in his piece is about the subject from his childhood history. Some examples of that are his pieces La Malinche (1949), Carlota (1972) and The Pavane of the Moor (1949). According to modern dance history, hes renowned for his title as the finest male dancer of the moment by the New York times.

11- Martha Graham (1894 - 1991, U.S.A.) She develops her training technique involving few principles:- Focus on the center of the body. Coordination between breathing and movements. Relationship with the floor and alternation between two movement intentions: contraction and release. She also created original choreograph focused on movement of pelvis as the zone of expression of feminine libido. Her works reflects the search for identity of American at that point of time.

12- Alvin Ailey (1931 - 1989, U.S.A.) Alvin Ailey also known as black modern dance. What makes him different is that his work are mostly focus on the expression of black peoples feelings at that point of time. His piece Revelations (1960) is considered a master piece in terms of lyricism, ethnic music, techniques, spirituality and revolutionary ambience. Even his choreograph are based on black culture aspects, over the time he opened his company to multi-ethnic possibilities which placed him in the history

13- Alwin Nikolas (1910 1993, U.S.A.) Designer, composer and choreographer, Nikolas is one of the most popular modern dance artists around the world though his expression more towards abstractions. His pieces is where body movement has the same impact as optical effects, paintings, collages, projections and other scenic illusions. His principle also include:- Any point in the body can be the center for movement. Human being is just another element among the moving universe. Body undergoes several metamorphoses and becomes abstract. Improvisation and composition are part of the technical training. The student is responsible of exploring his own body. He is also renowned for his amazing teaching skills and focus to develop capacity of invention in his students.

Various type of dance and how modern dance categorized

Traditional Jazz / AfricanAmerican vernacular dance

Dancehall dance

Skanking

Black Bottom Boogie-woogie Cabbage patch Cakewalk Charleston Chicago stepping Detroit Ballroom Drunken Sailor Hand Dance / Bop Jitterbug Lindy hop Moonwalk Swing Tap dance Texas Swingout Texas Tommy Calypso Zumba Reggaeton dance Salsa Salsaton dance Soca dance Bernie dance

Experimental / Freestyle

Boogie Jump Up

Experimental / Freestyle

Boogie Jump Up

Folk Dance
House dance

Punk dance

Hardcore Pogo

Footwork Hustle Jacking Lofting Vogue Waacking Tecktonik Grinding

Hip-hop & Funk dance

Rave dance

Breaking Poppin' Bounce Crip Walk (C-Walk) o Clown Walk o Crown Walk Detroit Jit Electric boogaloo Floating Jerkin' Jiggin' Jookin' o Memphis Jookin' o BBoying Krumping Litefeet Locking o Robot dance Popping o Liquiding o Waving o Tutting o Warping Snap dance Street Jazz Strobing Turfing

Candy Walk Hardcore o Hakken o Jumpstyle Kandi Stomping Rebolation Melbourne Shuffle o Hardstyle X-Outing

Concert dance / performance dance

Acro dance Ballet Contemporary dance Greek Classical Concert dance Flamenco

Modern dance
Performance dance Tap dance

Historical dance

Rave dance

Candy Walk Hardcore o Hakken o Jumpstyle Kandi Stomping Rebolation Melbourne Shuffle o Hardstyle X-Outing

Historical dance o Medieval dance o Renaissance dance o Masque o English country dance o Baroque dance o Regency dance o Vintage dance

Belly dance

Belly dance o Category:Syllabus-free dance

Historical dance
Swing dance Folk dance

Perafic dance

Latin dance

Latin dance o American Rhythm Mambo Rumba Bolero East Coast Swing o International Latin Rumba Samba (ballroom dance) Jive Reggaeton Salsa Rueda Danza Samba (Brazilian dance) Samba de Gafieira Bachata Cumbia Merengue Capoeira Maculel Argentine tango Quebradita Duranguense Cumbia Texana Corridos Tejano Cha Cha

Modern Jive Leroc Lindy Hop Blues dance Balboa Deneme Jitterbug Jitting (evolved from Jitterbug) Jive (dance) East Coast Swing West Coast Swing Collegiate Shag Carolina Shag Hand Jive Charleston Western dance

Liturgical dance

Liturgical dance

Participative dance improvisation

Contact improvisation Ecstatic dance aka Freestyle Dance aka Barefoot Improvisational Dance

Miscellaneous

Disco dance See also: Disco music

Novelty and fad dances Flying Men dance Pom dance Line dance Bollywood dance