Modern DanceMadeleine Craig

Brittany SuggBriana Grillo Emily Varner

Classical vs. Modern

Rigid vs. Fluid

Structured vs. Free/Laid back

Emotionless vs. Expressive

Technical vs. Freedom of Motion

Small vs. Grand Gestures

Specific vs. Blurred Boundaries

Posture

Shoulders back Feet turned out Chin up Straight legs “Dancing In a box.” Tuck in butt Tall back

Classical Costume

Enrico Cecchetti

Enrico Cecchetti: Early Years

Born in theatre dressing room

Dancing family

Trained at Giovanni Lepri

Instant success by 20

Enrico Cecchetti: Career

“Maestro Cecchetti”

Imperial School Warsaw State School Cecchetti’s St.Petersburg

School Ballet Russes Miming? Cecchetti’s London School Teacher at La Scala

Enrico Ceccehetti:The Cecchetti Method

Purposes of Cecchetti

Uniform dancers

Solid Technique

Independent Dancing

Basic knowledge of terminology/

“Dancing inside of the box”

Exams

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1ABwt-KN6w

“Modern Dance was born in America when a

number of choreographers and

dancers rebelled.”

Isadora Duncan

“Founding mother of American modern dance.”

Isadora Duncan

Self taught ‘Will work for money’ Fantasy and improvisation Done with Ann Daly Off to London: Drawing rooms and

Greek vases Off to Paris Loie Fuller

‘Isadorables’“Teacher not Celebrity”

Grunewald, Germany

Isadora’s Style

Natural movements

Art NOT entertainment

Emotions through movement

Greek culture

American love of freedom

Isadora’s Idea of a Dance Costume

Before After

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq2GgIMM060

Denishawn

1915 Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn Los Angeles, CA. Ballet 1st to experiment with Modern

Marth

a G

rah

am

Inspired by father’s work

Studied at Denishawn

Student-> Teacher-> Performer

One of the best-known performers

Worked with Mary Wigman

Contraction and release

Martha’s Style

Contraction and release Emotional Hard, angular movements

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOdOGFtTa7A

Contraction and Release

Tense all muscles-> Relax body Changed ‘look’ of performers Derived from Breathing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eRfqeTywjQ

YOUR TURN!

Merce Cunningham Started young Cornish School Martha Graham Choreographer “Choreography by

chance” Abstract

performances 200+ dances

Beach Birds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra2T_iMXQVM

Fall and Recovery

Doris Humphrey More relaxed movements; focused the

on the suspension of tension

Public’s Reaction

•Unaccepted initially •More revealing costumes• Suggestive movements•Culture shock•Everybody loves Martha

Modern Dance Today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8TIZhvAvWo

•Costumes more “flowing”

•Dance is more “outside the box” as far as movement goes.

•Focus’s more on the emotional aspect of dancing and not just going through a series of movement.•ART NOT ENTERTAINMENT!

Overview