1. Modern Dance Notes

2. Vocabulary ★ Triplet: step that goes down, up, up ★ Swing: pendulum like movement; suspend, fall, suspend ★ Prance: exchanging of weight from one foot to another, imitates animal (bambi) ★ Initiation: the beginning of a movement with a clear starting point

3. Fundamentals of Modern Dance ★ Breath: Movement that occurs when body is still and breath is focus ★ Head/Tail: Shortening or lengthening of the distance between the head and the tailbone ★ Core/Distal: Movement from the center of the body to the periphery or vice versa ★ Body Half: Moving one half of the body at a time (right/left, upper/lower) ★ Cross Lateral: Movement that occurs across the body from on distal extreme to the other (right foot/left hand)

4. History ★ Formed in 20 th century as a rebellion to ridged ballet ★ Modern dance technique ○Barefoot ○Uses mobility of spine ○Initiate movement from core ○Uses levels, including floor ★ Choreography based on concept ★ Choreographers had a desire to strip dance to the essentials ★ No desire for the prettiness (ballet) ★ Based on the process of moving rather than the product of the movement

5. ★ Influenced by the idea of the future ★ Developed a “philosophy of dance” based on spirituality ★ Advocated for the acceptance of “pure dance” as an art form ★ Wore tunics like greek vase figures which inspired her dances ★ Her technique used weaving and whirling in natural movements ★ Corsets and modest clothes were socially acceptable, Duncan wore loose short clothes Isadora Duncan 1st Gen

6. Ruth St. Denis ★ Founded Denishawn School and Dance Company with husband Ted Shawn ★ Used improvised exotic movement and elaborate costumes to communicate the ritualistic dance of Asian religion ★ https://www.youtube.com/w atch?v=XMxm9rq0FHc https://www.youtube.com/w atch?v=XMxm9rq0FHc ★ Jacob’s Pillow

7. Martha Graham 2nd gen ★ Invented method of breathing and impulse control called contraction and release ★ Believed movement started in the contraction of a muscle and continued in the flow of energy released from the body as the muscle is relaxed ★ Her dancers are known for their hard angular look ★ Because she was so unique her techniques were known as “ugly”

8. Doris Humphrey ★ Instrumental in founding Juilliard Dance Theatre in New York City ★ Known as primary innovator of the new modern dance ★ Fall and recovery was a technique and theory the foundation of her teaching method ○As a result, her vocabulary was based on the notion that all movement patterns fall into three divisions : opposition; succession; and unison and that all movement characteristics fall into three divisions: sharp accent; sustained flow; and rest. She codified this system in her book The Art of Making Dances (1958).

9. Merce Cunningham ★ Former student of Graham ★ Worked with composer John Cage ★ Embraced modernist ideology using postmodern processes ★ Used chance processes by rolling di or drawing cards right before performances, each number resembling a different dance ★ His work known for being non-linear, non- climatic, non-psychological abstract work ★ Designed for audience to determine its meaning ★ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGHvnRtr3T I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGHvnRtr3T I

10. Alwin Nikolais-Today ★ First works choreographed in 1960 ★ Known for crazy props and costumes ○ props that extend dancers bodies; costumes that make dancers look headless; dancers used as props, visual, and auditory design ○ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KFp cO0f89E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KFp cO0f89E

11. Alwin Nikolais-Today

12. Alvin Ailey- Today ★ Trained on West Coast ★ First integrated company ★ Commonly danced about racial issues ★ Died in 1989, Judith Jamison ran company after him ★ https://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=4Fz8UhA3v30 https://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=4Fz8UhA3v30

13. 3rd Gen - Post Modernism Post modern movement was a reaction to the 2nd Generation modern dance philosophies. ★ desire to reduce movement to it’s essentials. ★ No need for prettiness of ballet or soul searching philosophy of modern ★ Movement can be striped of ornamentation with an interest in pedestrian and gestural Trisha Brown- “Walking on the Walls” Yonvanne Rainer

14. Twyla Tharp ★ Went to Barnard University in NYC ★ Joined Paul Taylor Company in 1963 ★ In 1966 she made her company Twlya Tharp Dance ★ Choreographed broadway musical “Movin’ Out” set to the music of Billy Joel ○“Movin’ Out” received 10 Tony nominations

15. Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane ★ Zane was a photographer until he met his lifelong partner, jones, and began studying dance with him ★ Bill T. Jones-Arnie Zane Company made in 1982 ★ Worked with people dying of a disease to set a dance called “Still Here” ★ Arnie Zane died of AIDS in 1988

16. Dance Today Modern Dance has become very diverse. It has consolidated to include all types of dance. Many dancers train and work in multiple styles and choreography has grown to include ethnic dance, martial arts, and folk dance. The form is unrestricted and is open to the imagination of the choreographer.