History Of Modern Dance Flashcards
What is the definition of modern dance?
- a form of theatrical dancing which began in the early 20th century, originally in opposition to the formality of ballet. As the dance form has developed, this distinction has become less evident.
- it’s an incorporation of a range of dance styles
- there’s a wide range of subject matter
- it’s a willingness to make a statement on the world
- includes collaborations with other artists from different medians
Who is Loie Fuller? (Include which branch of modern dance they were involved in, year on timeline, dance background history)
What impact/ involvement did they have to modern dance?
What are they most well known for?
- Loie Fuller was one of the original pioneers of modern dance in America, around 1900s,
- Loie developed a form of natural movement and improvisation techniques used with new lighting
- Shes known for her experimentation with the effect of gas lighting on silk costumes and inventing gels and slides. She’s also known for emphasising the visual effect rather than expressing emotion
Who is Isadora Duncan? (Include which branch of modern dance they were involved in, year on timeline, dance background history)
What impact/ involvement did they have to modern dance?
What are they most well known for?
- Duncan is the founding mother of American modern dance (original pioneer) 1910,
- She was focused on dancing with a moral purpose rather than as entertainment. She developed movement which was non restrictive and very freeing, for example floor work was introduced. Her vocabulary was very simple but when performed was powerfully expressive
- she’s particularly known for discarding the corset, tutus and slippers and wearing tunics which revealed the bodies movement
Duncan discarded corsets, slippers, and tutus and instead wore tunics which freed the body to show its movement.
Who is Ruth St. Denis? (Include which branch of modern dance they were involved in, year on timeline, dance background history)
What impact/ involvement did they have to modern dance?
What are they most well known for?
- Denis was another one of the pioneers of modern dance, 1910. She was raised in a bohemian environment which lead to her dance steps being inspired by eastern cultures and mythologies
- her dance style combined spiral form with equal parts voluptuousness, mysticism and erotica
- known for opening a dance school with Ted Shawn around 1920, in which she was responsible for the creative work of the dances.
Who is Ted Shawn ? (Include which branch of modern dance they were involved in, year on timeline, dance background history)
What impact/ involvement did they have to modern dance?
What are they most well known for?
- Ted Shawn was one of the early pioneers of modern dance, 1915,
- Shawn along with Denis opened up their dance school, Denishawn, in which he was responsible for teaching the technique and composition of the dances. This dance school founded the next wave of modern dancers, in which individual techniques started to develop.
- Apart from Denishawn, he’s known for founding up his own male dance group in 1933 which was based at Jacob’s Pillow farm
Who is Martha Graham? (Include which branch of modern dance they were involved in, year on timeline, dance background history)
What impact/ involvement did they have to modern dance?
What are they most well known for?
- Martha Graham was apart of the first generation of modern dance, 1916, she attended Denishawn for 7 years by which she evolved from a student, to a teacher, to one of the companies best known performers.
- Graham identified a new system of movement=CONTRACTION AND RELEASE. She created a hard, angular, look to dance which contrasted the smooth and lyrical movements of Duncan and Denis
- she’s most known for this new technique new muscle control technique and for having a massive impact on the evolution of modern dance
Who is Mary Wigman? (Include which branch of modern dance they were involved in, year on timeline, dance background history)
What impact/ involvement did they have to modern dance?
What are they most well known for?
- wigman was one of the principal proponents of modern dance during the 1920/30s. She was in the first generation of modern dance.
- She used non-western instruments such as bells, gongs, and drums to dance to. She also utilised ecstatic spinning in her choreography and was concerned with human emotions, relationships and superstitions.
- she’s known for her primary musical accompaniment being percussion, which contrasted with her use of silence. Also her costumes were very simple, dark and rough and involved masks.
Who is Doris Humphrey? (Include which branch of modern dance they were involved in, year on timeline, dance background history)
What impact/ involvement did they have to modern dance?
What are they most well known for?
- Humphrey was a choreographic master in the first generation of modern dance, 1930. She attended the Denishawn school of dance until 1928
- She influenced modern by creating a technique known as FALL AND RECOVERY
- Known for her technique and for demonstrating an accurate sense of form and an interest for large-scale abstract works.
Who is Hanya Holm? (Include which branch of modern dance they were involved in, year on timeline, dance background history)
What impact/ involvement did they have to modern dance?
What are they most well known for?
- Holm was a legendary pioneer of the first generation of modern dance. 1930s,
- influenced modern dance by making regular use of improvisation and emphasising space.
- Her theatre works achieved a rare degree of dramatic and choreographic fusion
Who is Merce Cunningham? (Include which branch of modern dance they were involved in, year on timeline, dance background history)
What impact/ involvement did they have to modern dance?
What are they most well known for?
- Cunningham came in the second generation of modern dance, 1940, as he danced with the Martha Graham Company, becoming their first male dancer.
- influenced generations of dancers and choreographers (including the Judson church group). Cunningham came up with his own choreographic technique which emphasised the use of curves, tilts, twists and high release, and used choreographic methods which emphasised balletic leg action and flexibility.
- Cunningham is known for the development of his technique, but also for choreographing through chance procedures and for saying ‘movement for movement sake’
Who were the Judson church group? (Include which branch of modern dance they were involved in, year on timeline, dance background history)
What impact/ involvement did they have to modern dance?
What are they most well known for?
- this was a democratic group who evolved in the second generation of modern dance, 1950s, and was made up of people such as Yvonne Rainer, Steve Paxton, Trisha Brown and Lucinda Childs
- They questioned what dance truly was and viewed general life actions as choreography
- they were known for performing in site specific outdoor locations
Who is José Limón? (Include which branch of modern dance they were involved in, year on timeline, dance background history)
What impact/ involvement did they have to modern dance?
What are they most well known for?
- Limón was in the second generation of modern dance, 1950s, he studied and performed with Humphrey and Weidman for 10 years before establishing his own company.
- influenced modern dance as his powerful dancing shifted the perceptions of the male dancer
- known for his choreography bringing dramatic visions of dance to wider audiences. Development of own technique including elements of fall and recovery
Who is Alvin Ailey? (Include which branch of modern dance they were involved in, year on timeline, dance background history)
What impact/ involvement did they have to modern dance?
What are they most well known for?
- Ailey was part of the second generation of modern dance, 1960s
- Influenced modern dance through his best works drawing on African American traditions and subject matter, combined with his technique being jazz and musical theatre. He choreographed to a range of variety’s of music which lead to a repertory of dances
- Recognised for being a civil rights activist who created revelations in the 1960s about his heritage.
Who is Yvonne Rainer? (Include which branch of modern dance they were involved in, year on timeline, dance background history)
What impact/ involvement did they have to modern dance?
What are they most well known for?
- Rainer was a apart of the second generation of modern dance, 1960s. Was one of the founders of the Judson church group which proved to be a vital force in modern dance
- She progressed modern and was known for being the pioneer of the use of improvisations based on ordinary, non dance movements. This included acrobatics, military marching, sports and games.
Who is Pina Bausch? (Include which branch of modern dance they were involved in, year on timeline, dance background history)
What impact/ involvement did they have to modern dance?
What are they most well known for?
- Bausch was apart of modern dance in Europe in the 1970s
- she influenced modern dance by creating more theatrical works or works which were interdisciplinary
- she was one of the first to creates work on a grand scale or to change the landscape of the dance. She also started the post modern era which involved rebelling against modernists. Also, she became artistic director of Tanztheater Wuppertal
Who is Anne Theresa de Keersmaeker? (Include which branch of modern dance they were involved in, year on timeline, dance background history)
What impact/ involvement did they have to modern dance?
What are they most well known for?
- Keersmaeker was a post modern choreographer who was apart of the Europe modern dance group, 1970s
- She was a post modern choreographer who developed a unique technique consisting of lots of repetitive gestural movements which have military precision.
- Keersmaekers choreography soon became well known and recognised across the world, leading to Beyoncé and many other people recreating her technique
