Modern Dance

Modern Dance
What is Modern Dance?

Modern dance is a dance that emerged at the beginning of the
20th century in a time when ballet had previously dominated the
dancing world. While Europe claims the roots of modern dance,
the innovations made by dancers in the United States quickly gave
a home to the developing dance form.
As a dance form reacting to the constraints and formality of ballet,

modern dance developed through the ideals of 20th-century
America, such as democracy, social protest, and individuality,
disregarding the strict aristocratic roles and conformity from which
ballet emerged. This changed the language of dance
choreography and the way that dances developed.
History of Modern Dance
The forerunners of modern dance in Europe
include Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, proponent of
the eurythmics system of musical instruction,
and Rudolf Laban, who analyzed and
systematized forms of human motion into a
system he called Labanotation (for further
information, see dance notation). A number of
the modern dance movement’s precursors
appeared in the work of American women.
Loie Fuller, an American actress turned dancer,
first gave the free dance artistic status in the
United States. Her use of theatrical lighting and
transparent lengths of China-silk fabrics at
Émile Jaques-Dalcroze
once won her the acclaim of artists as well as
general audiences.
History of Modern Dance(2 nd part)
Dance was only part of Fuller’s theatrical effect; for another

American dancer, Isadora Duncan, it was the prime resource.
Duncan brought a vocabulary of basic movements to heroic and
expressive standards. She performed in thin, flowing dresses that left
arms and legs bare, bringing a scale to her dancing that had
immense theatrical projection.
Formal teaching of modern dance was more successfully achieved

by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn. St. Denis based much of her work
on Eastern dance styles and brought an exotic glamour to her
company. Shawn was the first man to join the group, becoming her
partner and soon her husband. Non-balletic dance was formally
established in 1915, when they founded the Denishawn school.
Characteristics of Modern Dance
Use of Space: While ballet dancers typically face the
audience directly, modern dancers use all orientations,
even completely turning their back on the audience.
Relationship to Music: In ballet, the dancer's movements

correspond harmoniously with the music, but in modern
dance, dancers may dance off-beat or in contrast to
the music, ignore the music completely, or dance on a
silent stage.
Characteristics of Modern Dance
Performers: Contrasting the large casts and strict
hierarchy of ballet, modern dance choreographers
often also perform. They may work alone or with smaller
dance troupes. Women also gained recognition and
influence as choreographers.
Movement: Ballet has a very strictly defined set of
movements that get pieced together to create different
dances. In modern dance, however, dancers create a
new language of movement with every piece,
experimenting with how they can manipulate the body.
Types of Modern Dance
Broadway Dance: One of the
popular types of modern
dance is broadway dance.
This is different from the usual
picture of modern dance in
your mind. This form of
modern dance is what you
commonly see in broadway
musicals and shows on
televisions. This is composed of
simple, yet energetic
movements oftentimes based
on the song that is being sung
by the artists.
Jazz. Jazz is also one of the
most common types of
modern dance practiced by
lots of dance enthusiasts from
all over the world. This is a kind
of dance which is composed
of different movements like
gymnastics, jumps and other
movements. Usually, pupils of
jazz classes are assembled at
the center of the dance room
and they are asked to
perform simple stretching and
related movements.
Contemporary Dance:
Contemporary is also one of the
common types of modern dance.
This is the type which requires the
dancer to possess great physical
strength. This is because the core
muscles are being used here in
order to sustain the movements.
This kind of modern dance is
slower as compared to jazz. There
are also slow contractions as well
as movements having swinging
quality. Contemporary dance
does not only enhance the
strength of the dancer, but this
also increases one’s flexibility.
Interpretative Dance:
Interpretative dance, also known as
lyrical dance, is also one of the
types of modern dances that you
can try. This comes with dramatic
movements which are based on the
lyrics of the music as well as the
emotion of the song. This requires
some degree of body flexibility to
the dancer. This is because some
pieces of interpretative dances
might be too complex. Usually,
dancers who want to master
interpretative dance are asked to
undergo drama classes. This is
needed in order to make the dance
become pleasing and more alluring.
THANK YOU!
References:
Dance US Org
https://www.danceus.org/modern-dance/modern-dance-history-
movements-styles-dancers-competitions/
Britannica Encyclopedia
Study.com
https://study.com/academy/lesson/modern-dance-history-types.html
Slideshare by LinkedIn
https://www.slideshare.net/Melvolio/types-of-modern-dance

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Modern Dance

What is Modern Dance?

As a dance form reacting to the constraints and formality of ballet,

Dance was only part of Fuller’s theatrical effect; for another

Formal teaching of modern dance was more successfully achieved

Relationship to Music: In ballet, the dancer's movements

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