MODERN AND

CONTEMPORARY
 MODERN DANCE
Modern dance is a broad genre of western concert or theatrical dance which included dance
styles such as ballet, folk, ethnic, religious, and social dancing; and primarily arose out of Europe
and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was considered to have been
developed as a rejection of, or rebellion against, classical ballet, and also a way to express
social concerns like socioeconomic and cultural factors.

In the late 19th century, modern dance artists such as Isadora Duncan, Maud Allan, and
Loie Fuller were pioneering new forms and practices in what is now called improvisational or
free dance. These dancers disregarded ballet's strict movement vocabulary (the particular,
limited set of movements that were considered proper to ballet) and stopped wearing corsets
and pointe shoes in the search for greater freedom of movement.

Throughout the 20th century, sociopolitical concerns, major historical events, and the
development of other art forms contributed to the continued development of modern dance in the
United States and Europe. Moving into the 1960s, new ideas about dance began to emerge as a
response to earlier dance forms and to social changes. Eventually, postmodern dance artists
would reject the formalism of modern dance, and include elements such as performance art,
contact improvisation, release technique, and improvisation.
ISADORA DUNCAN MAUD ALLAN
LOIE FULLER
 HISTORY OF MODERN DANCE
The history of modern dance may be divided into three periods, namely-one beginning
about 1900,1930 and one after World War II ended in 1945.

EARLY PERIOD

1. This American dancers Isadora Duncan, Ruth St. Denis and German dancer Mary
Wigman develop a more free kind of dance system movement of what they saw as the
empty spectacle of late 19th century ballet.

a. System of natural expressive gestures developed by French philosopher of movement

Francois Delsarte, as an alternative to the artificial mannerism then customary in the
theater.
FRANCOIS DELSARTE
 b. Eurhythmics a system for teaching musical rhythms through movement,
created by the Swiss music educator Emile Jacques- Dalcroze and later used
as a training method by many dancers.

 2. In this period, they were reacting against 19th century ballet as vehement type
of dance but dance must more communicative power. As a result, the early
dancers looked beyond the dominant tradition of Western Theaterical dance and
drew on earlier non-Western sources for inspiration.

 a. Isadora Duncan used Greek sculpture as a movement source and dance

barefoot in response to the music of romantic composers as the form of her
choreography.

b. Ruth St. Denis turned to the dance style of India, Egypt and other Asian
countries as the basis for her dance compositions.

c. Mary Wigman looked to Africa and Eastern Asia of choreographic inspiration.

She made an extensive use of masks during performance in reflection to the rise
of the Nazi political party in Germany in the year 1920s ended the German
modern dance movement.
ISADORA DUNCAN
RUTH ST. DENIS MARY WIGMAN
 RADICAL DANCE
 Radical Dance, also known as postmodern dance, emerged because of the rising
threat of fascism in Europe. The pioneers of this dance extended their efforts in
raising the people’s consciousness through their dramatization of the various crises
during their time which affected the people in the economic, social ethnic, and
political aspects. Some of the pioneers of radical dance are the following:
 1. Hanya Holm- She was a German-born American choreographer who founded
the New York Wigman School of Dance in1931, which later on became the Hanya
Holm School of Dance. Among her significant contributions as a pioneer of radical
dance is her introduction of the Wigman technique, Rudolf Laban’s theories of spatial
dynamics, and her own American modern dance techniques. Being a founding artist
of the first American Dance Festival in Bennington un 1934 was also one of Holm’s
accomplishments as a choreographer . The televised Metropolitan Daily which was
her first modern dance compositions. She played a vital role in the promotion of using
dance notation. She also submitted a written labanotation score of her choreography
for the Broadway musical entitled, “Kiss Me Kate” in 1952. This was the first
choreography to be copyrighted in the United States. She did large-scale
choreographies for various works in concert dance and musical theater as well.
 2. Anna Sokolow- She was an American dancer and
choreographer who was a former student of Martha Graham an
Louis Horst. It was around 1930 when she established her own
dance company. In general, her compositions are characterized by
abstract and dramatic contemporary imagery. They often reveal the
full spectrum of human experience that reflects the tension and
alienation of the time and the truth of human movement.

 3.Jose Limon- He was Mexican-born dancer and choreographer

in the United states. He founded his own company in 1946, where
Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman. The three of them
developed the limon Technique which based on the principles of
weight, fall and recovery. The Moor’s Pavane was Limon’s
signature dance. He created it in 1949 with Humphrey as his
mentor. Limon’s choreographic works and technique are still
considered infuential to the field of dance up to this day.
HANYA HOLM ANNA SOKOLOW
JOSE LIMON
 4. Merce Cunningham- He was an American dancer and choreographer who
was a former ballet student and performer together with the American composer
named John Cage, he presented his first solo concert in New York in 1944. Because
of their collaboration, Cage was able to produce a great influence on Cunningham’s
artistry. Cunningham made use of postmodern processes by embracing modernist
ideology. He led the introduction of chance procedures and sought pure movement
in choreography. He also added the Cunningham technique to the cannon of
twentieth-century dance techniques. This technique challenges the dancer’s ability
to change direction within the body and in space. Postmodern dance sprang forth
and developed from Cunningham’s abstract works which did not succumb to linear,
climactic and psychological boundaries. His works and all the elements of each one
express a message that the audience determine
 5. Erick Hawkins- He was an Americans dancer and choreographer who was a
former student of George Balanchine, the Father of American ballet as considered
by many. Hawkins performed in solo before he joined Martha Graham’s dance
company where he became the first male dancer. His interest in the new field of
kinesiology led to the opening of his own school in 1951 and inspired him to develop
the Hawkins Technique. This technique is called the “normative theory of body
movement” and is forerunner of most somatic dance techniques today.
MERCE CUNNINGHAM ERICK HAWKINS
 6. Paul Taylor- He was an American dancer and choreographer who was a
former student of the Julliard School of Music and the Connecticut College School
of Dance. He attracted the attention of several major choreographers through his
performance at the American Dance Festival in 1952. In 1954, he established his
own dance company. Everyday gestures and modernist ideology were used in his
choreography.

7. Alwin Nikolais- He was American choreographer who was a former student

of Hanya Holm. Some examples of his works are Masks, Props, and Mobiles
(1953), Totem (1960), and Count Down (1979). In these works, Nikolais utilized
multimedia in a way that the other choreographers were not able to match.
According to his belief, the dancer is a talent with the ability to investigate the
properties of physical space and movement. Hence, Nikolais did not consider the
dancer as an artist of self-expression. This was the reason why he made use of
constructive spaces where his dancers performed and presented them with
costumes that have complicated sound and sets. He let them focus on the physical
tasks of overcoming the obstacles that he put on their way.
\
PAUL TAYLOR ALWIN NIKOLAIS
 POSTWAR DEVELOPMENTS
1. The third period of modern dance began after World War II ended in
1945 and continues today.

2. American dancers such as Alwin Nikolas, Merce Cunningham, James

Waring, Paul Taylor, Alvin Ailey and Twyla Tharp Found their movement
sources in the proliferation of 20th century dance styles. Their works
combined and fused techniques drawn from social dance, ballet and
modern dance.

a. Merce Cunningham a conventional dance by fusing Graham’s

technique with traditional ballet. He organized the changes of
movements through methods based on chance, and considered music
as decor independent of the dance.
b. b. James Waring and Twyla Tharp employed sense of humor in their
choreographies. Odd Juxtapositions of movement created these
humorous effects, as did parodies of their own and others’ dance styles.
 c.Other American dancers became interested in
everyday activities, manipulation of objects and mixed-
media presentations.

 3. Modern dance in the mid 1980’s was no longer

interested in traditional techniques but they relied on
theatrical elements and the use of literacy and pictorial
devices
ELEMENTS AND STYLES OF
DANCE
 it is foundational concepts and terms that helps the students to
develop skills and understand dance as an artistic practice.

 MOVEMENT
Locomotor: walk, run, leap, hop, jump, skip, slide, gallop
Nonlocomotor: bend, twist, stretch, swing
 Leading/following

 TIME
 Fast/Medium/ Slow
 With music or without music
SPACE

Shape: the body can contort itself into different shapes (Curves or Angles)

Part: arms, legs, head, toes, fingers can take on different focuses (open, closed
and relaxed)

DANCE STYLES
It is a genre of dance that employs compositional philosophy to guide
unchoreographed movement. This provides an open work to students who
already have strong dance base. Strength, agility, flexibility and musical
interpretation are key aspects of this class.

NARRATIVE
This style expresses a message or tells a story through movement.
It shows the relationship between performers’ characteristics.
CHANCE
It is based on random selection of movement.
The dancers learn many combinations of movements but do not know what order
they will be performing until right before the before the performance.

CONTACT IMPROVISATION
It is done as a duet or in large group, the movements are improvised as each
dancer follows other’s movement and reacts to them.
Dancers move in and out of physical contact while rolling, spiraling, support and
falling.

IMPROVISATION
A process producing spontaneous movements stemming from a specific stimulus,
such as sounds or colors
this is often a part of the choreographic process in which they relate to certain
feelings or the environment.
POST-MODERN
it experiments with new concepts and forms and sometimes referred as
experimental of minimalist dance.
 PIONEERS OF MODERN DANCE
 There are many choreographers and pioneers who contributed to the
history and development of modern dance. These include the following:

1. Isadora Duncan- She was considered as the inventor of modern

dance. She was an American dancer and choreographer who set focus
on creating movements guided by breathing and gravity. She also
made use of bare feet, loose hair, free-flowing costumes, and emotional
expression incorporated with humor in her dance performances. She
gained inspiration from various sources such as natural forces, folk
dance, social dances, and classical Greek arts. The running, jumping,
skipping ,leaping and abrupt movements used in new American
athleticism also gave her some ideas. Ballet for her was ugly and
meaningless gymnastics.
ISADORA DUNCAN
 LOIE FULLER

 She was an American burlesque skirt dance who made use of

lightning equipment and transculent silk costumes in her dance
performances. Her lightning equipment include colored gels and
chemicals which are burned to create a luminescent effect on her
silk costume. Her choreographies re characterized by natural
movement and improvised techniques. Her apparatus and method
of stage lightning as well as her voluminous silk stage costumes
are protected by patent under her name

 Ruth St. Denis

She was an American dance innovator who developed her

translations of Indian culture and mythology from the influence of
Sada Yacco, a Japanese Sarah Berndt , a French stage actress ,
She quickly gained popularity through her dance performances.
She did an extensive tour while doing research on Oriental arts and
LOIE FULLER
RUTH ST. DENIS MARY WIGMAN
Mary Wigman- She was a German dancer and choreographer who
developed a unique expressionist or absolute style of dance. During
her dance performances, she used gongs, drums, bells, and other
non-Western musical Instrument. This dancing style produced a
gloomy, edgy and contemplative atmosphere in her choreography with
hint of warmth and delight.

Kurt Jooss- He was considered as the founder of dance theater.

He was a popular German ballet dancer and choreographer. He
created and developed dance dramas by combining classical ballet
techniques and expressionist modern dance movement. He also
established many dance companies including the one located in
Essen, Germany which known as the Folkwang tanztheater.
 Harald Kreutzberg- He was a German dancer and choreographer
whose solo performances included dancing with mime. Aside from
mime, he also used pictorial costuming along with free dance
movements in his inventive choreographic style. He founded his own
school in Bern, Switzerland, which presented ballets combining humor
and drama with an emphasis on inventive scenes.
KURT JOOSS HARALD KREUTZBERG
MODERN DANCE BASIC STEPS

This dance was created to show emotion and more

“human” side to the art. A striking contrast to the
strict rules and guidelines of ballet, which was the
most popular style of dance in America at that time.
Modern dance steps continue to evolve with each
dancer who is inspired enough to create, and the
style will only grow with future generations
 Curl down and up

 1. Starting in jazz position (feet parallel facing font), with your arms
at your side and your gaze focused downward.
 2. Curl your spine over slowly and be careful not to collapse at
your waist.
 3. When you are halfway down to the floor, bend your knees and
curl.
 4. Continue to curl down one vertebra at that time and then
subsequently “grow back upward,” again with one section of your
spine at a time.
 LEG SWINGS
 1. Standing in parallel first and place your arms in second position.

2. Sliding the right leg forward with a pointed toe and it should then brush
through the first position.
 3. Follow through backwards, slightly bending the knee.

FLAT BACK

1. Bend over keeping your spine as straight as possible with raise arms into
high fifth with the palms facing inward.

2. Raise your torso back up and simultaneously with the arms as a single
fluid movement.

TENDU
1. The foot points forward and back into parallel first.

2. You can repeat the position to the side and to the back, alternating in a
Rhythm.
 CHASSE

 1. Standing with your weight on one foot and shift the

weight while in plie position
 2. Then, jump with both feet vertical together in the air.
 3.Travel across the room with movement and add height
and spin for amore advance look.
HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY DANCE

The harsh Americans are mostly responsible for the

revolution in classical dance that gave rise to new art
form. The contemporary dance derived a lyrical
sensibility and explosive lower body moves from
classical ballet but worked from a more grounded, less
vertical and lifted foundation. The earliest dancers
were rebels who took inspiration from European
dancers but developed a unique dance in their own.
 CONTEMPORARY DANCE

Contemporary dance refers to the genre of dance

performance which emerged in the middle of the 20th
century. Its origins can be attributed to the influence of
Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Lester Horton,
and other dance master during this period. These
dance masters promotes the concepts of embracing
freedom, disregarding old dance conventions, and
exploring the limits of the human body and visual
expression of feelings through contemporary dance.
Despite the difference of contemporary dance from
other dance forms, it is still perceived to have some
technical similarities with modern dance, ballet and
other classical concert dance styles.
 1. Martha Graham was the dancer who introduced and greatly
popularized the contemporary dance to the world. Her seven decade
long career and choreographies gathers fame that is today compared
to the life works of legendary arts like Picasso, Stravinski and Frank
Wright.

2. Merce Cunningham expanded with his own improvements,

choreographies and avant-grade dance techniques. He regarded as
one of the greatest creative forces in American dance, education
dozens of the famous dancers a d thousands of professional
dancers.

3. Lester Horton was very influential contemporary dance visionary,

who trained many famous dancers and managed to incorporate the
style of Native American dance and modern jazz into his dance
techniques.
1. Isadora Duncan rejected classical dance training entirely and
centered her expressive choreography emotion, sculpture, poetry,
classical music and freedom of movement.
2. Ruth St. Denis incorporated Native American dance, oriental and
mysticism into her style of dance.
3. Jose Limon fused his native Mexican Heritage with movement
that relied on “ fall and rebound” and focused on counter points,
ideas of opposites and intensity.
4. Around 1980’s the word “contemporary dance” referred to the
movement of the new dancers who did not want to follow strict
classical ballet and lyrical dance forms, but instead wanted to
explore the area of revolutionary unconventional movements that
were gathered from all dance styles of the world.
 Contemporary Dance
Contemporary dance, as a movement, was led by the new dancers
who had great interest in the exploration of revolutionary unconventional
movements of the dance styles performed around the world. These
dancers intended to break free from the rules classical ballet and lyrical
dance forms which were strictly followed by the enthusiasts during the
earlier period.

 Principles of Contemporary
This principles of contemporary dance include the following:
 1. Ever changing style- In contemporary dance, style varies from
one choreographer to another. Each one has a unique style which he or
she continues to develop by using the electric technique. This refers to
the act of borrowing from different influences and mixing them
altogether. Choreographer are also encouraged to discover and explore
their own approaches to style.
 2. Training based on logic and safety- The basic logical rules
in dance training mainly revolve around placement, safety and injury
prevention During the training, the dancers must to learn to develop a
comprehensive technique which will help them train their bodies to
fulfill the vision of a new beauty in human movement.
 3. Gravity- This is the force that holds one down and a natural force
that influences movements such as dancing:
 4. Fall and recovery- This principle is all about the combination of
breath, suspension, and gravity. Fall refers to the muscles’ complete
release as the body gives in to gravity. This releases a vast amount of
kinetic energy which can be harnessed by catching it in a recovery or a
rebound. Recovery refers to the rebound of the energy passing
through the bottom of the fall and continuing on the same path like a
pendulum swing. Rebound uses the muscles’ elastic reaction at the
limit of their stretch in order to spring back naturally. The energy
continues along the lines of centrifugal force. Suspension refers to a
prolonged high point. This is created at the peak of the movement by
continuing the movement and delaying the takeover of gravity.
 5. Balance and off-balance- in order to maintain inner balance, one has to
be aware of his or her own weight as well as the outside pressure. Gravity will not
cause anyone to topple over as long as he or she stands upright and keeps his or
her weight over the feet. The center of gravity is the body part where the weight is
centered. It is located at the height of the hip or pelvis inside the body.
Displacement of the pelvis may cause the body to go off-balance or lose its
balance like what usually happens during a tilt or during fall and recovery. Hence,
movements which are off-balance may either signify danger, vitality, or urgency.
 6. Tension and relaxation- Muscles tense and relax. This movement of the
muscles enables one to stand, move and express his or her emotions at the
same time. This is the reason why every movements lies between absolute
tension and absolute relaxation.

7. Swings and momentum- The force of gravity affects swinging movements

such as the movement of a pendulum. The down swing gives in to gravity, but the
momentum it gains as it falls causes it to swing up again. At the end of the swing,
there is a moment of suspension before gravity causes it to fall again.
 ELEMENTS AND STYLES OF
DANCE
 it is foundational concepts and terms that helps the students to
develop skills and understand dance as an artistic practice.

 MOVEMENT
 Locomotor: walk, run, leap, hop, jump, skip, slide and gallop
Nonlocomotor: bend, twist, stretch, swing
Leading/following
 TIME
 Fast/Medium/ Slow
 With music or without music

 SPACE
 Shape: the body can contort itself into different shapes (Curves or Angles)
Part: arms, legs, head, toes, fingers can take on different focuses (open, closed and
 PIONEERS OF CONTEMPORARY
 ISADORA DUNCAN (MAY 26, 1877- SEPTEMBER 14,
1927)

1. A trailblazing dancer and instructor whose emphasis on freer

forms of movement was precursor to modern dance techniques.

2. She developed an approach to dance that emphasized on

naturalistic movement

4. She was a hit in Europe as a performer to classical music and

opened schools that integrated dance with other types of learning
 RUTH ST. DENIS ( JANUARY 20, 1879- JULY 21, 1968)
 1. First lady of American dance
 2. An American contemporary dance innovator who influenced almost every
phase of America dance
 3. She had profound influence on the course of modern dance in America,
particularly through Denishawn, which was the first major organized centre of
dance experiment and instruction in the country.

 JOSE ARCADIO LIMON ( JANUARY 12, 1908- DECEMBER 2,

1972)
 1. A Mexican-born dance and choreography recognized as an important figure
in the American modern dance movement of the 1930s-1960s.
 2. He created the Limon techniques that emphasize the natural rhythms of fall
recovery and the interplay between weight and weightlessness to provide
dancers with an organic approach to movement that easily adapts to a range of
choreographic styles.
 ALICE REYES (PHILIPPINES)

 1. The mother of Philippine contemporary dance

 2. Founder of Ballet Philippines the country’s premiere company in
ballet and contemporary dance
 3. Proclaimed National Artist by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III
on June 20, 2014.
 4. Her legacy is to develop and promote dance arts nationwide, and
even pioneered contemporary dance in the Philippines.
ALICE REYES
 CONTEMPORARY DANCE STEPS
 This dance gives emphasis on fluidity and the efficient use of energy and breath. It
focuses on the use of contraction, release, fall and recovery. Thus, it promotes
natural movement through rhythm and articulation. In contact improvisation, partners
can improvise using weight exchange fluid movement.

 LATERALS
 1. Stand with your head and spine in alignment, supporting the foot in turned out
position
 2. The arm over the supporting leg comes straight up next to the ear as the torso
tilts to the side over the supporting leg.
 3. The opposite leg lifts pointed through toes and the other arm swings up as the leg
rises parallel to the straight arm next to the head.
 4. The body continues to tilt sideways from the pelvis in one unbroken line.
 SPIRAL
 1. The torso twist begins with the pelvis
 2. As your body turns, each level is separately articulated all the way up
the spine- pelvis, lower spine, mid- section shoulder, neck and head.
 3. The head remains in alignment with the spine
 4. The spiral releases in the same order: pelvis –up to the shoulder,
neck and then head

 STAG LEAP
 1. it is very high jump into a split but both legs are parallel to the floor
and front leg is bent from the knee inward.
 2. Arms are the thrust up in a “V” position with palms facing out and
down
STAG TURN
 1. The supporting knee is slightly bent with the other leg up in the
air bent behind the body
 2. Arms on the supporting side is thrust straight back with palms
down.
 3. The opposite arm is open forward in palms down position when
you turn around.

 CONTRACTION
 1. it begins in the pelvis and articulates up to the spine as the
breath is exhaled
 2. Lengthen the space between each vertebra as you move
progresses to the neck and the head.
 3. Spine should always be aligned
 GRAND RECITAL
 The following are the elements to remember during the grand recital both in modern
and contemporary dance.
 Performance
1. it must be a complete performance
2. it should display exceptional technique and be strong, confident, entertaining, with
a good standard of basics, superb costuming and of an excellent musical standard
3. interest must be engaged at the outset and sustained until very end.

 Music
1. Avoid using popular music because unavoidable comparisons with professional
performances will be inevitable. The quality of musical recordings is crucial.
2. it should be of a suitable length and without cuts that destroy the shape,
development and ending of the music, spoiling the performance.
3. CD recordings are not always reliable and if used it is essential to have a flask
disk as back up for use in an emergency
 Make-up
 1. The make-up should be subtle, enhancing the features to replace the color of the
lights when removed.
 2. Avoid heavy make-up, blue and green eye shadows (which “close” the eyes),
heavy brown blusher and pink, purple and or brown lipstick which become grey
under the lights)
3. it is very inappropriate to use face and body glitter, unless relevant to the theme
of the dance

 Costumes
 1. Costumes of the correct length should fit with head-dresses and hairstyles that
complement the dancer
 2. Large head-dresses “flashy” tiaras, arm cuffs ear- studs, tattoos and body
piercings are unsuitable, unless relevant to the theme of the dance.
THANK
YOU!!