MODERN

DANCE
Reported by: Grade 12- STEM Integrity Set A
MODERN
DANCE
Reported by: Grade 12- STEM Integrity Set A
MODERN DANCE
What is Modern Dance?
Modern dance is a highly expressive
dance style that challenges classical
ballet's structured dance technique.
Modern dance focuses on expression,
rather than following a rigid set of
postures or technical positions that
ballet dancers are trained in.
HISTORY OF MODERN DANCE
When was modern dance
invented?
Modern dance, theatrical
dance that began to develop
in the United States and
Europe late in the 19th
century, receiving its
nomenclature and widespread
success in the 20th century.
HISTORY OF MODERN DANCE
Modern dance originated in
Europe and America in the late
19th and early 20th centuries. It
was seen as combining the
physical and emotional, to
express the human spirit. From
the late 1930s some modern
dance practices were brought to
New Zealand and taught to New
Zealanders by Europeans.
HISTORY OF MODERN DANCE
Who invented modern dance?
Modern dance began at the
turn of the century; its pioneers
were Isadora Duncan, Loie
Fuller, Ruth St. Denis, and Ted
Shawn in the United States,
Rudolf von Laban and Mary
Wigman in Germany.
HISTORY OF MODERN DANCE

Isadora Duncan
HISTORY OF MODERN DANCE
Angela Isadora Duncan
Angela Isadora Duncan first
one of the rebels, a pioneer of
freedom of movement and today
known as a “Mother of modern
dance“ was an American and
French dancer born in San
Francisco in 1877.
HISTORY OF MODERN DANCE

Loie Fuller
HISTORY OF MODERN DANCE

Ruth St. Denis

HISTORY OF MODERN DANCE

Ted Shawn
HISTORY OF MODERN DANCE

Rudolf von Laban

HISTORY OF MODERN DANCE

Mary Wigman
 HISTORY OF MODERN DANCE
A historical study of modern dance makes
evident three phases or wave of this dance
style:
The early period from 1880 to 1923
The middle period from 1923 to 1946
The late modern dance period from
1946 to the present
 HISTORY OF MODERN DANCE
The first wave of modern dance can
be traced back to the founders, Ruth Dennis
and Isadora Duncan. In the 19th century,
modern dance was recognized as "non-
traditional" and was inspired by non-
western cultures such as Asia, Greece, and
Africa.
 HISTORY OF MODERN DANCE
The second wave of modern dance brought
new contributions and styles to this new form of
dance. Martha Graham is the most well-known
pioneer of this era bringing new and natural
movements to modern dance. This wave during
the 1930s survived the times of the Great
Depression and WWII.
 HISTORY OF MODERN DANCE
The third wave of dance began in the
1960s and is what we know as modern
dance today. African-American culture was
the main influence of this period. This
brought more movements and styles,
including jazz and tap, into the forms of
modern dance.
What Classifies a Routine as Modern Dance?
1. 1. Freeform and
improvisational.
Modern Dance Steps
When you take a modern dance class, the
technique you learn will vary upon the preference
of the teacher. Since it is such an emotion-driven
genre of dance, students are able to learn great
variations of the craft by studying under different
instructors. However, there are some movements
and choreography that are uniform in studios, and
these modern steps can easily be mastered.
Curl Down and Up
Starting in jazz first position (feet parallel facing
front), with your arms at your side and your gaze
focused downward, curl your spine over slowly,
being careful not to collapse at the waist. When
you are halfway down to the floor, bend your
knees and continue to "curl." Your instructor may
tell you to curl down one vertebrae at a time, and
then subsequently "grow back upward," again
with one section of your spine at a time.
Leg Swings
Standing again in parallel first, place your
arms in second position. Sliding the right leg
forward with a pointed toe, it should then
brush through the first position and follow
through backwards, slightly bending the
knee. This is often used as a transitional
movement in a combination of choreography.
Flat Back
It sounds simple enough, but a flat back executed
properly takes a distinct amount of discipline and
flexibility. After you have bent over, keeping your
spine as straight as possible, raise your arms into
high fifth with the palms facing inward. Raise the
torso back up, simultaneously with the arms as a
single fluid movement. This step is a wonderful
exhibition of grace and bodily control, almost
derived from its ancestor ballet.
Tendu
With tendus, the foot points forward and
back into parallel first. You can then
repeat the position to the side and to the
back, alternating in a rhythm. This is
commonly a floor exercise, but can also
be used in routines.
Chasse
The chasse is a simple jump found often in
modern dance. Standing with the weight on one
foot, you shift the weight while in a plie stance,
and then jump so both feet are vertical together
in the air. You can travel across the room with
this movement, and add height and a spin for a
more advanced look.
No Boundaries
A common rule is that all modern dance steps are
essentially the derivative of something else. Be it
classical ballet or a tree outside your window on an
exceptionally windy day, modern dancers find
choreography sources in every single movement
they witness in life, and the ability to do so is
stunning.
EXAMPLE OF MODERN DANCE