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Modern and Contemporary A Brief History: Pioneers What is Modern? •Emphasis on effort of dance •Natural body movements •Began in the late 1800s/early 1900s as a direct revolt against the “restrictions” of ballet Isadora Duncan 1877-1927 “Mother of Modern Dance”, Laid the foundation of modern dance Believed art was about personal expression No more corsets and slippers, Duncan was the first to rebel against ballet and use free flowing movement and barefoot technique Typical attire was a simple tunic and bare feet Was seen as vulgar almost like nudity Consisted of walks, skips, jumps, and runs Died September 14, 1927 in freak accident Ruth St. Denis 1879-1968 In 1938, Ruth St. Denis founded one of the first dance departments in America at Adelphi University. She started a dance company called Denishawn, with her husband, Ted Shawn Martha Graham was one of her more famous pupils. Her choreography was influenced by the East and the Orient. Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn were also instrumental in creating the legendary dance festival, Jacob's Pillow. Martha Graham 1894-1991 Generally accepted as the greatest single figure in American modern dance Danced with Denishawn from 19161923 Created “Graham technique,” One of the only codified dance techniques - gave modern dance a vocabulary Dances were about heroic women in myths and history Her choreography was often used to express her passions and rages. Graham developed the principles of “contraction” and “release” Graham technique was notable for its nervous energy. It was based on a study of breathing Erick Hawkins 1909-1994 Joined the Graham company in 1938 he became her principle partner Married Martha Graham Created his own technique, softening the Graham technique, infusing it with nature imagery; the moon, stars, desert, and sea His concepts are based on kinesiology. Merce Cunningham 1919-2009 Member of the Graham company from 1939-1945 Most influential of Graham’s students Mixed elements of music, set, costumes, and dance- shifting their relationship Applied philosopher/composer John Cage’s theory that “any sound can be music” to dance and realize that any movement can be dance Known for decentralizing his dancersmoving them all over the stage in a random scattered way Alvin Ailey 1931-1989 The first to give black dancers and choreographers opportunities in concert dance. Ailey began his company by looking for dancers with unique qualities-not only strong personalities but also impeccable technique. His choreography related to the prejudices he endured as an African American and his struggles growing up in a small East Texas town after being abandoned by his father at a young age. Twyla Tharp 1941-Present Studied with Graham and Cunningham Tharp works in every possible style (ballet, tap, jazz) to involve movement- she could easily make a dance out of chewing gum Created over 70 works for her own company, ballets, modern dances, Broadway shows and films Created her own movement style She won a Tony Award for Best Choreography for the Broadway Musical, Movin’ Out. What is Contemporary? •Blending of dance stylesjazz, modern, lyrical plus yoga, pilates and partnering. •Emphasizes the character in the dance- the intense emotions •Rebel against Lyrical because it is often “too ballet”, but still calls attention to lyrics and intention of the song. •In Europe, it is called “Contemporary Jazz” but in the US, the “jazz” is dropped and it is just called “Contemporary”