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. Qualities of Movement Collapse: A total release of energy
Percussive: sharp bursts of energy
Suspend: Continuous release of energy with a feeling of being held
Sustain: Even release of energy that stays constant; constant flow of energy
Swing: Pendular; Combination of suspend-collapse-suspend energy
Vibratory: Very, very quick bursts of energy

5. Efforts of Movement Weight Heavy/Light Time Quick/Slow Flow Free/Bound
Spatial Focus
Direct/Indirect

6. History Formed in 20th 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, “free dance”
No desire for the prettiness (ballet)
Based on the process of moving rather than the product of the movement

7. Isadora Duncan 1st Gen Influenced by the idea of the furture
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

8. 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

9. 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”

10. 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
Inspired by the German philosopher Fredrick Nietzche’s theory of the split in every persons psych:Apollonian (rational and intelectual) Dionysian side (choatic and emotiona)
true essence of modern dance is what happened in between these two extremes called “arc between two deaths”

11. 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

12. 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

13. Alwin Nikolais-Today

14. Alvin Ailey- Today Trained on West Coast First integrated company
Commonly danced about racial issues
Died in 1989, Judith Jamison ran company after him

15. 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

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.