Dance Advantage » modern dance

We Put Lauren’s Nose To The Grindstone [Giveaway]

Nichelle (admin) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:40:21 +0000

Our columnist, Lauren Warnecke has been writing at Dance Advantage for almost 2 years on the Cecchetti Method, muscles, bones, injury, ballet terminology, and more.

So you know a lot about her… but you don’t know ALL about her!

©Kelly Rose Photography

If you visited the site and checked out our sidebar last month you may have noticed we flashed a Kickstarter campaign initiated by Lauren to support her other dance habit.

But after all she’s done for you and I, Lauren deserves a little more, so I pulled her aside and asked a few questions about this side we don’t see.

And, you know Lauren’s a giver so, she’s got something for readers to WIN later. Read on…

Dance Advantage: Frankly, most of our readers have only seen your nerdy side, Lauren. A conscientious dance teacher, meticulous academic… they may not know you have a rebellious streak, making work as an independent dance artist in Chicago. What gives?

Lauren Warnecke: I started becoming interested in choreography during undergraduate school, and created about three pieces there that I would actually be willing to vouch for. I went to a school that is notorious for producing avant garde and innovative dancemakers, so while I’m a thoroughly trained bunhead, I also have sensitivities toward strange modern dance.

After school I became heavily involved with teaching and community theatre, choreographing seven full-length musicals, going to graduate school, and essentially “retiring” from the modern dance community. [Read more of that story in Lauren's article Life Lessons on Injury: Arriving at Plan C]

Two years ago I joined the board of directors for a small modern dance company (Synapse Arts) that was doing work I really liked. Synapse’s Artistic Director, Rachel Damon, had gone to the same school as me, and offered me a rare opportunity to create some work for the company. This was exactly the spark I needed to come out of creative hibernation! It opened many doors for me to reenter the community, and even moreso opened my mind to making work that I really care about. I feel that a lot of the work I make is actually informed by the time I spent away from the dance community… it takes cues from pedestrian life and musical theatre that are an important part of my development as an artist.

©Kelly Rose Photography

DA: I know as an artist it’s sometimes hard to talk about your work but put on the nerdy teacher hat for a moment and tell your students: What is Grind all about?

LW: Grind is a dance that is rooted in definitions of artistic success. For me, success is a three-fold conundrum that is sought through money, praise, and self-actualization. All three intertwine to create some perception of success in all of us, that ultimately can never be acheived.

In Grind, this idea manifests through the eyes of four 1950′s american housewives. For me, this is an era in which evidence of the “perfect” family and the “perfect” woman were ever-present in the media and every woman strived for this, even when things were falling apart around them. The piece is deeply satirical and manifests as an absurd comment on the state of success. I first premiered Grind last August in Chicago, and since then it’s undergone a huge evolution into a brand new piece. This new iteration premieres Feb 10-12 in Chicago at the Drucker Center.

DA: Tell us about your collaborators for Grind and a little about the artistic process.

LW: I rely heavily on games, chance devices, and a meticulous process to create a work. This 30-minute piece was largely created from one 16-count phrase manipulated in many, many, many different ways.

Grind is part of a pilot program at Links Hall called the Apprentice Producers Program. Through this program, we are offered two venues at discounted rates over the course of 9 months, as well as a paid production manager. This allows the artist to focus more intensely on her work and not have to worry about things like press releases, schedules, etc.

I’ve been working with the same dancers (Katie Matteson, Vienna Willems and Jenna Dillon) since March 2011, developing the piece. After the initial premiere in August I knew I wanted to keep working with the same dancers, the same idea and the same movement vocabulary, but essentially everything else has changed. I enlisted sound artist, Russell Weiss to create a sound score that uses era-specific sounds such as kitchen appliances, old commercials, and 1950′s love songs. Lighting is also very important to me, and Francesca Bourgault has beautifully lit both versions of the piece. Without having had the opportunity to perform this piece and hear feedback from that first experience, I don’t think Grind could have evolved to this point, so I think it’s a fantastic luxury to have become involved with this program.

DA: Congratulations on your successful Kickstarter campaign. That’s gotta feel good. Any quick tips for others who want to give Kickstarter a try?

LW: Kickstarter was great, but also really challenging! The potential problem with Kickstarter is that if you don’t reach your goal, you don’t get anything. In some cases, I think this inspires more pledges, but it’s a dangerous game to play.

I chose our goal extremely carefully, and put tons of time and energy into the campaign, as did all of the dancers and collaborators. I posted updates about once every two weeks and continually pushed on social media and through emails. I saw people coming out of the woodwork and donating who I either hadn’t talked to in years, or had never donated before. This is great, but you can really only do a campaign like this every few years. When I see people continually “Kickstarting”, you can easily tap out people’s enthusiasm because it’s something you have to push really hard at in order for it to be successful.

Ultimately, raising money to make dances is hard no matter how you slice it!

DA: What’s behind the photos we’re seeing here? You’ve created calendars from the shoot?

©Kelly Rose Photography

LW: I started talking to photographer Kelly Rose very early in the process. Kelly and I have known one another since 3rd grade, and reconnected over this project. She has shot a lot of pin-ups, and I didn’t exactly know why, but I knew I wanted to work with her on Grind. Our conversation really helped me to find the connection between success, perfection, and the vintage housewives.

Consequently, I also recently bought a fixer-upper with a vintage “party basement”. The style of my basement perfectly compliments the era that I’m working with in the piece, and dancer Katie Matteson happens to have a closet full of vintage clothes. The photos are loosely based on images that are seen in the piece, and on the interpersonal relationships of the characters we have created. I really wanted Grind to be more than a dance…. the goal is to create a visual world around these four women and this iconic decade that is more tangible than a 30-minute dance.

The calendars were dreamed up as a marketing alternative to the same old posters and postcards you see, as well as an additional way to bring some income to the project. Plus, Kelly’s photos were so amazing I couldn’t just pick two for the press release and let the others go.

DA: Grind isn’t the only dance on the program in February. What’s the low down on Refill?

Refill is the part-two of the Apprentice Producers Program. We will premiere the latest (and last) version of Grind, and are splitting the bill with another choreographer, Enid Smith. The show is Feb 10-12 at the Fasseas Whitebox at The Drucker Center (1535 N. Dayton, Chicago). You can buy tickets at fanfueled.com or at the door.

Win a Grind calendar!

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment with your favorite “success” quote.

I’ll select 4 winners randomly from the comments.

Should you be a winner, you’ll have the good fortune to look upon Lauren and her 1950s housewives crew every month of the year when you win a Grind wall calendar featuring fabulous photography by Kelly Rose.

You must be 18 or over and a U.S. resident to win.

Contest will end Saturday, January 21st at NOON EST.

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What Do They Mean By ‘Contemporary’ On SYTYCD?

Nichelle (admin) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:28:44 +0000

What is contemporary dance?

How is it different from modern dance, or jazz dance?

Nicola Ayoub - Fete de la Danse 2010 | Photo by pixieduc.

Good questions that get asked a lot! And not just by newcomers to dance.

It seems the entire dance community is trying to sort it all out…

Four months ago, I got an e-mail from a reader who e-mailed me wondering if I had written anything on the topic. Seems she had been to some workshops and asked around, hoping for some clarification on the term. She came up empty.

Our new columnist, Heather Vaughan-Southard recently called describing contemporary dance ‘The Next Verbal Challenge‘ on her EducatingDancers blog.

And that was expounding on a conversation happening on Twitter (in 140 characters) and mentioned by Jordon Cloud on her blog about the differences between contemporary and modern dance.

And fellow dance writer and Houstonian, Nancy Wozny, penned The Contemporary Conundrum for Dance Spirit Magazine. It’s not a new article but the questions sure are familiar.

The point is, this is an ongoing conversation. I’m sure none of us were the first and we are obviously not the last thinking, processing, and scribbling about it.

EDITOR’S UPDATE: More scribblings

So you think you can tell me… what contemporary dance is? (Sarah Linstra)

How do you define Contemporary Dance? (Dance Studio Life)

What Is “Contemporary” Dance? (Dance Doc’s Think Tank)

What Is Contemporary, According To Nigel Lythgoe (Wet Paint – SYTYCD)

‘Contemporary’ Dance, My Take On It (MaryJane O’Reilly)

What is the difference between “Modern Dance” and ” Contemporary Dance”?

I’ll add more interesting articles as I find them.

I’ve been sitting on this post really, picking at it until I felt like I’d nailed it. Problem is, it refuses to be nailed. The subject really should be (and probably is) somebody’s Master’s thesis.

BUT it deserves to be talked about among undergrads and younger students as well. Students need to hear the perspectives and some of the history and experiences behind them.

And so I throw my thoughts into the fray. A scholar I am not, but let’s see where they go and what you do with them, shall we?

I’ll start with my Bottom Line first…

(you’ll forgive the language, I hope)

Labels suck but we kind of need them.

Can ‘contemporary’ be taught?(...)

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© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2011. | Permalink | Category: Beyond the Bubble, Blog, Community, Dance Styles, Dancethropology, History of Dance, Modern/Contemporary | Who's talking about this article?

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Dance Training in New York vs. Los Angeles

Nichelle (admin) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 13:33:45 +0000

A community college dance student in California, looking to continue with professional training in modern dance wrote me seeking some advice and opinions on programs in both Los Angeles and New York (both potential points of relocation for this student). In the student’s shortlist of possible programs were the Debbie Allen Dance Academy (LA), The Alvin Ailey School, Peridance, and Limon Institute (NYC).

My first thought regarding the question was to wonder about the student’s ultimate goal. If I were to answer with questions of my own, I’d want to know,

“What would you ultimately like to do with your training?” and “What kind of dance career would you like to have?”

I’d ask because in my mind these two cities have different dance “personalities” and to my knowledge the programs, training, and careers to be found in each are quite different. However, born and raised in the Northeast, I admittedly know much more about New York and lack any real familiarity with L.A. Perhaps the differences were only in my mind!

So, I turned to Francisco Gella, a teacher and choreographer in the Southern California area who also has danced and been a part of the NYC professional dance community. Francisco generously responded in detail and has agreed to share his thoughts with readers as well.

Francisco’s reply:

It depends on what kind of dance, what sector of the business you want to pursue.

There are many different amazing programs in the southern California region (...)

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© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2011. | Permalink | Category: Beyond the Bubble, Blog, Career, Community, Dance Styles, Dancing, Featured, Modern/Contemporary, Training | Who's talking about this article?

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Expand Your Library or Horizons: 13 Books on Dance and Culture

Guest Contributors — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:45:36 +0000

I’ve been following Renée Rothman’s Dance Doc’s Think Tank blog since (I think) its beginnings and certainly from early on in the life of Dance Advantage. Dr. Rothman is a scholar and educator and her insights on everything from Bellydance to So You Think You Can Dance fascinate me because I almost always learn something about dance and particularly dance in American culture.

In this article, she provides an invaluable list of dance resources (and a helpful description of each) for even the non-academics in the house. Bookmark this one – perfect additions to your personal, academic, or school’s dance library! Just click on the titles to view or purchase on Amazon.

Dancing always takes place within specific historical and cultural contexts. Anthropologists attempt to explain the power and purpose of dance activities by detailing these meaningful contexts. I have assembled a small list of dance books that cover a range of dance forms from the U.S. and abroad.

A few of these are full-on ethnographies, a specific sort of literature that includes very thick descriptions of specific populations meant for scholars. I’ve put a star - – by these. All of the selections are ethnographic in that they address the human meaning and experience of dancing. All of the books were selected because they are easy for non-academic audiences to read—that is, short on jargon but long on insight—and are relevant in today’s world of dance.

GENERAL INTEREST

Dancing: The Pleasure, Power, and Art of Movement

by Gerald Jonas. Harry N. Abrams in association with Thirteen/WNET 1992

I used this as my textbook when I taught Dance in World Cultures and still recommend it as an excellent primer on the subject. It was produced to accompany the PBS 8-part film series which may be available at your public library. World dance forms are compared along topical lines such as religion, gender, and courtly society. One chapter, for instance, compares two 400-year-old classical dance traditions: Japanese kabuki and Western ballet. Among the varieties of dance you will encounter are dances from Africa, Polynesia, and Southeast Asia.

International Encyclopedia of Dance

edited by Selma Jeanne Cohen and the Dance Perspectives Foundation. Oxford University Press 1998

This 6-volume collection is a comprehensive, reliable and well-documented reference on the histories and cultures of world dance. It has nearly 2,000 entries covering geographical regions, historic and modern styles, and biographies of dancers and choreographers. Its price puts it out of reach for most of us as individuals (a used paperback copy starts at $200), but it is the best resource for dance researchers of any caliber.

Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy(...)

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© Guest Contributors for Dance Advantage, 2011. | Permalink | Category: Beyond the Bubble, Blog, Community, Dance Library, Dance Styles, Dancethropology, Featured, History of Dance, Jazz or Musical Theatre, Modern/Contemporary, Other Dance Forms | Who's talking about this article?

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Blog Spotlight: Start Your Morning With Dancing Branflakes

Nichelle (admin) — Fri, 21 May 2010 12:20:37 +0000

“I am a professional dancer who loves all things edible and pretty.”

Tiffany Braniff sums up her blog, Dancing Branflakes with one statement. But don’t mistake this sunny outlook for superficiality.

I’ve appeared on Dancing Branflakes in a new series that shares reader’s old dance photos. Jump over there now to see me in all my first-grade glory. The awesome part about the submissions is that they’ve come from those who’ve gone on to be dancers, and those who haven’t. It’s a wonderful reminder that we all begin somewhere and a great example of the elegant way Tiffany has of bringing people together online. She connects with readers with an open enthusiasm for life, for dance, for food, and yes, pretty things that is unifying, refreshingly honest, and therefore meaningful.

I really enjoy Dancing Branflakes, and I think you will too, so I caught up with Tiffany to ask her a few questions about dance and blogging.

Dance Advantage: Tell us a bit about your background in dance, Tiffany.

Photo by Chantou Lam

Tiffany Braniff: I started dancing at 10, later in life in dancing terms. Because of that I worked harder to retrain my muscles. I think that work ethic is what set the tone for the rest of my dancing career. I had to always work harder, smarter, and more than everyone else.

I studied the RAD method with Pamela Hayes in Sacramento. I went on to BYU to study dance and actually really struggled there, not with grades but with my identity. I had one ballet teacher tell me “You are a beautiful dancer, just not in ballet.” The modern teachers told me I looked “too ballet.” It was after I left BYU that my technique flourished and I began to understand who I was as a dancer. I am still learning and growing but I finally feel confident in my abilities for the first time in my life.

(For the record, BYU has an amazing modern dance program and introduced me to the Bartenieff method. I adopted this method into my training and it has changed my dancing dramatically for the better.)

Right now I am a company member of Dangerous Lorraines Dance Theater in Sacramento. I take ballet and modern dance classes as often as I can. I am also a teacher at Northern California Dance Conservatory where I teach ballet and little kids.

DA: Where did your supercute blog title come from?

The name is a play on my last name, Braniff.

DA: Why did you start blogging?

TB: I started blogging as a way to keep in touch with my family. Then I realized my family never read my blog so I changed the format to blog about a dancer’s life. I figured it would be a way to share my love for dance and the dance world in general to a broader audience. It’s important for me to promote dance any way I can.

DA: How long have you been blogging?

TB: I started blogging two years ago, but this dancing blog started nine months ago. The support from the blogging community is great. Within my own community of blogging friends we’ve opened up to each other in a way that feels so close and comfortable that everyday I look forward to their posts. If done right, a blog can be a beautiful look into one’s soul. Good bloggers appreciate that and build wonderful relationships from that intimate glimpse.

DA: Dancing Branflakes covers a whole range of topics. You are a dancer who blogs but not always a dancer blogging about dancing. Did you consciously decide to do things this way?

TB: Great question and I’m glad you like the variety! My goal was to blog everyday but to blog about dance everyday can get boring, even if you love dance. As someone who’s life revolves around dance, sometimes you just need a break. So posting things about food, fashion, and life’s beauties was just an organic occurrence. And maybe a little symbolic of a dancer’s life.

DA: As a result of your diverse focus, you also have a diverse readership. What has most surprised you about your community of readers?

TB: They love dance! I love it because I think this blog has helped them rekindle their love for dance or has given them a forum to express their excitement for dance even if they aren’t dancers themselves. It’s such a beautiful art form- who wouldn’t love it?

DA: What has blogging done for your dancing?

Dangerous Lorraines Dance Theater

TB: It has helped me stay motivated and excited about it. I find myself thinking about life lessons and funny stories within the classes I teach or performances I am in and wanting to share it with my readers. Their enthusiasm for dance is so infectious and supportive that I can’t help but always feel inspired and blessed to have chosen this profession.

DA: Name one non-dance blog that you think every dancer should read?

TB: This is the hardest question! Cup of Jo is probably the most refreshing and hugely popular blog. She’s the guru of all bloggers, knows how to captivate an audience in a single phrase, and blogs about everything that everyone loves. She’s a professional with over ten thousand followers but has a real homey feeling.

DA: What is coming up for you in the future that you are really excited about?

TB: This summer I am going to Repertory Dance Theater’s Workshop in Utah. For the first time since college I will be able to dance every day from morning until night. I feel like my body is at it’s peak and the desire to dance has never been greater. Right now I’m always looking for more so I’m on the look out for auditions, performance opportunities, and collaborations. As for my blog, more giveaways! I love them and I love giving gifts to people.

Dancers, teachers, and parents,

do you have a favorite non-dance blog that you read regularly?

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2010. | Permalink | Category: Beyond the Bubble, Blog, Dance Media, Dancethropology, Interviews | Who's talking about this article?

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Five Ways Postmodern Principles Can Positively Impact Your Studio

Roger Lee — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:20:43 +0000

What studio wouldn’t want their dancers coming out more versatile as dancers and more open-minded as people?

Whether adding an improvisation class, a creative composition course, or just exposing students to performance and video, incorporating postmodern dance principles into your studio structure and course offerings is a step in the right direction for developing more well-rounded dancers and standout dance studios.

But where is postmodern dance in studio instruction?

It is a commonly asked question in today’s growing dance world.

Most studio dancers have been exposed to the traditional course offerings of ballet, jazz, and tap dance. They are familiar with ballet terminology, tap dance sequences, different forms of hip-hop, contemporary dance techniques, and even know how to use “spirit fingers” if the opportunity presents itself.

With a wide variety of dance genres being offered at commercial dance studios around the country, there is still a noticeable absence of modern and postmodern dance techniques available for young dancers to explore.

Dance Professor Katie Langan of Marymount Manhattan in New York says “Rarely do my faculty or I see an audition solo for entry into college that is modern-based, despite the emphasis on modern dance training in undergraduate BFA/BA curriculums… This scenario repeats for any number of students who come to mind and plays out in colleges and universities across the country.” [Dancer Magazine, March 2008] She acknowledges that students auditioning for college dance departments are often coming equipped with ballet, jazz and competition dance experience. Few are coming in with a firm grasp on modern and postmodern dance principles because most commercial studios do not expose their dancers to modern dance.

Some common reasons studios might not include postmodern techniques in their course lineup:

Commercial dance studios value a different aesthetic

Belief that dance studio students are not interested in learning modern techniques

An absence of studio owners or teachers with postmodern dance experience

Belief that there is no benefit or application for professional ballet, jazz or commercial dancers

The exposure to postmodern principles and technique has so positively affected my experience with both commercial dance and concert dance that I would recommend that studios add it to their course roster. Young dancers who gain an early exposure to the world of post modern dance are only at an advantage in today’s competitive dance market. It will prepare them for careers as professional dancers or for success in a college dance department. The reality is that modern dance principles are gaining popularity throughout the dance world.

Katie Langan agrees. “Ideally, I believe modern should be in every dance curriculum no matter the final goal. Furthermore, it should be offered at all levels of training, despite the difficulty in translating some of the complex principles at a beginning level for children.”

Give your students the advantage they’ll need in their professional and academic pursuits by implementing post modern principles into your program. Here’s how…

5 Ways Postmodern Dance Principles Can Positively Impact Your Studio.

1. Creates a sense of individuality
Postmodern dance is more about discovering your own unique voice through movement than imitating an already prescribed aesthetic. While most studio class offerings ask students to replicate shapes, tricks and routines, postmodern dance asks students to explore their own movement vocabulary through dance improvisation. Having students explore movement from a “personal place” can enhance their sensitivity towards dance and help them find new meaning and joy through personalized movement.

2. Promotes creative composition
Have you ever had a student say, “I don’t know what to do next!” when choreographing? Postmodern dance principles promote a sense of creative choreography in young dancers. It leans them away from relying on familiar steps or classroom exercises to constitute choreography, asking the dancers to improvise new movement, try out new ideas, and think about choreography as an ongoing creative process versus an end result for show.

3. Focuses on process over product
While every studio wants to have their students perform at a high level, most end up putting pressure on students to deliver an impressive end product. With a postmodern approach to studio directing and classroom instruction, students can feel free to enjoy the process of rehearsing, choreographing and training as much as the final outcome. Traditional students put all of the emphasis on the performance day, the big year-end recital, or the national competition. Postmodern principles require that dancers and instructors engage in the process of creating new work, not just look forward to the end product.

4. Promotes a balance between artistry and technique
Postmodern training encourages dancers to be more than mere technicians and helps to develop living artists that have emotions and individuality on stage. Excellent virtuosic technique is great to have, but so is a sense of self and a true “identity” while performing. Most dancers can channel familiar emotions of happiness and sadness. The postmodern approach to emotion is one of discovery, requiring dancers to move from a deeper level and tap into real emotions and experiences. This approach can help set your studio dancers apart from “everyone else” in the large and rather competitive dance world.

5. Lessens the fear of competition
Speaking of competition, in case you didn’t know—the dance world is full of competition. Not every studio participates in organized competitions, yet owners have to work to get students in their studios, solo artists have to compete for grant money, and dance companies compete for funding. In fact, there are elements of competition in just about every aspect of dance. Post modern dance tells us to think of competition as a chance to share yourself with the world. Young dancers given the opportunity to show their talent, drive and passion to the world while others do the same develop a “sharing” approach to all aspects of dance competition making it seem less scary to the young dancer. With the absence of fear, students have a better shot at performing to their full potential—whether that happens to be a national competition, admission to a college dance company, or even secure funds for an artistic endeavor. Post modern dance celebrates creativity and uniqueness. If dancers can learn at a young age that it is okay to be unique, they will have less fear, anxiety and self consciousness when approaching “competitive” situations. In turn they will feel eager to share their unique gifts with the dance world. This type of confidence and sense of self is priceless for an aspiring dancer.

Do you incorporate postmodern principles or techniques into your curriculum? Why or why not?

What are other ways postmodern could benefit studios?

© Roger Lee for Dance Advantage, 2010. | Permalink | Category: Blog, College, Dance Styles, Modern/Contemporary, Studio Admin, Teaching | Who's talking about this article?

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Sunday Snapshot: Outside the City

Nichelle (admin) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:30:50 +0000

This image arrests a moment in performance that seems to have great significance, a blessing or ritual perhaps. It is one among many striking images which have been submitted via the Dance Advantage Flickr Pool. However, this particular photo by Brian Mengini stands out not only because it is expertly captured but because it features a dance company rather than a soloist. Brian does incredible work inside the studio but this speaks to his talent in the field as well.

About the Photographer: Brian Mengini has been involved with the dance world for over 8 years, first as company management and now as a photographer. He is based in Philadelphia, PA and has shot the Royal Ballet of London, Pennsylvania Ballet, Ballet X and many others. His recent project Spirit of the Fallen, pays tribute to the fallen officers of the Philadelphia Police Department. The photo exhibition, which depicts dancers from the Philly area wearing angel wings, also raises funds for the FOP Survivor’s Fund. You can find out more about Brian at his Facebook fan page.

Want to have your photo featured?

Add it to the DA Sunday Snapshot pool at Flickr

Learn more here

Friendly Reminder: Please respect copyright online. Unless permission is granted through Creative Commons or other licensing agreement, please do not publish copyrighted photos without the permission of the owner. Thank you!

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2010. | Permalink | Category: Blog, Dancethropology | Who's talking about this article?

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Profile of an American Icon: A Few Words With Paul Taylor

Nichelle (admin) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:20:16 +0000

An Unignorable Hunch

Paul Taylor is one of the most prominent and influential choreographers of our time. Yet, in the late 1940′s he seemed to be on a different path. He was studying painting and swimming on scholarship at Syracuse University when amidst a series of seemingly unrelated dance experiences he was struck by a revelation or, as he describes it in his autobiography Private Domain a “flash of recognition… an unignorable hunch” that he was to become a dancer. Not long after he began training within the newly formed dance department at Julliard and won a scholarship to the American Dance Festival where his athletic build and powerful presence captured the attentions of Martha Graham, José Limon, and other modern dance founders. He was already making his own choreography by the time he was invited to join Graham’s company in 1955.

Taylor performed in the work of a number of dance pioneers in these early years, including Merce Cunningham and George Balanchine. He did so while continuing to choreograph for his own company a number of avant-garde works that sometimes confounded audiences. In 1962, the same year he left Graham’s company, he created his first popular success Aureole.

Photo by Tom Caravaglia

Photo by Tom Caravaglia

“The amazing inventiveness, that peculiar quality of dynamic imagination which infused even his earliest choreographic attempts, continues absolutely unabated. There is still an awe-inspiring naturalness to his choreography, a sense of every step being in the right place at the right time to the right music, that is simply God-given.” — Clive Barnes, Dance Magazine 1994

An Unequivocal Talent

In a 1989 New York Times article, Anna Kisselgoff states “There are four Paul Taylors. One choreographs dark pieces, another creates light comic works, a third favors homemade rituals and the last seems to invent pure-dance pieces inspired by music.” She goes on to acknowledge that this is an oversimplified analysis of Taylor’s rich body of work, a hallmark of which is the bleeding of these ostensible contradictions into one another. Taylor’s choreography ranges from revolutionary to romantic, comical to controversial, robust to penetrating, spontaneous to shrewd, often within the same dance.

Photo by Lois Greenfield

Carol Walker, retired Dean of the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College calls Paul Taylor

“an American icon and one of the most prolific and stunning choreographers of the past 60 years. He was a dancer who captivated audiences in his performances with the Martha Graham Dance Company and in his own work. He is an author of two books and an Emmy winner for his choreography Speaking In Tongues. Dancemaker, Matthew Diamond’s award winning, Oscar nominated feature-length film about Mr. Taylor was hailed by Time as ‘the best dance documentary ever’. An artist and a man who has been devoted to making dances not only for his company but for major ballet companies as well, his work has awakened in many a love for dance that few choreographers’ inspire.”

Celebrating 80

Paul Taylor will be 80 years old this July yet a celebration of this milestone begins this week with Paul Taylor Dance Company’s return to New York City Center [link] which features performances of enduring favorites as well as two premieres. On March 15, the day after the company closes its season at City Center, Mr. Taylor will be honored with a Nelson A. Rockefeller Award at the Purchase College School of the Arts Gala. To celebrate Mr. Taylor’s work at the gala, members of the Purchase Dance Corps will perform excerpts of two of his works.

A Few Words With Paul Taylor

Photo by Maxine Hicks

I have been captivated by Paul Taylor’s choreography since my first exposure to his work in college. Seeing Esplanade live was an exhilarating introduction to his movement and scenes from the insightful film Paul Taylor: Dancemaker made an enormous impression as I practiced the craft of choreography and prepared to enter the professional dance world. Therefore, I feel very honored that Mr. Taylor took the time to answer a few questions for Dance Advantage about his life and work in an email interview.

Dance Advantage: Your first experience with dance was through books. What did you read or see within the pages that so captured your attention that it changed the trajectory of your college study and your life?

Paul Taylor: Some of the first dance books I read during college that changed my aims were Martha Graham: Sixteen Dances in Photographs by Barbara Morgan, a book about the Diaghilev Ballet in Paris, Dancers, Buildings, and People in the Streets by Edwin Denby, and several books on dance history.

DA: Your dances have often been categorized as either dark and psychological or light and joyous.

PT: Most of my dances are a combination of both dark and light.

DA: Indeed, certainly this is a reflection of life and the human experience, but which is harder to make – the light or the dark?

PT: All of my dances have been both hard and easy to make.

DA: You have created over 130 works for your company since 1954. What is staggering about this is that you have made new work (sometimes multiple dances) every year for the past 55 years. What about the creative process continues to intrigue you and keeps you coming back again and again?

PT: It’s my life.

DA: Despite all this dance-making, you’ve said that you don’t think about dance much before you get into the studio.

PT: I lied.

DA: Is choreography a bit like sculpture, are you molding or carving the dance as you go?

PT: It is like sculpture or a painting but I usually have a general plan before rehearsals start.

DA: And what happens when you get stuck and aren’t sure how to proceed?

PT: I skip ahead then go back and try to solve the problem later or ask the dancers to improvise and use whatever steps that seems suitable.

DA: Many of my readers are young dance students who face the decision of attending college or heading straight to a performance career. The dancers you select tend to have gone through university or conservatory programs before coming to you. What do you think these dancers are “picking up” in college that makes them right for your company?

Photo by Lois Greenfield

PT: College is a good place for students to find out what they really want to do. They are exposed to a lot of things that they may not have experienced before. They may be inspired by attending a performance by a touring dance company or by seeing a dance film.

DA: In auditions one of the first things you have dancers do is walk. What do you learn from the exercise?

PT: Walks are like fingerprints – none of them are the same. An individual’s walk can reveal a lot about a person.

DA: What other attributes (aside from great skill and technical ability) are essential in the dancers you choose?

PT: Passion and commitment to one’s chosen profession. Company morale is as important as the dance steps, if not more so.

DA: The legacy of modern dance is that we try to avoid doing what our predecessors have done and push the art form in new directions. Many of your dancers have gone on to choreography. In what new directions do you see them trailblazing?

PT: A lot of my dancers have gone on to do interesting things and are trailblazers. Twyla Tharp was one of a pioneer in making dances that combined jazz, modern and ballet. Laura Dean created dances with a lot of repetition, choreographed to Phillip Glass, which was very innovative. Pina Bausch introduced a harsh theatricality in her work that had not been done before.

DA: You’ve seen so much, what (if anything) surprises you about the 21st century.

PT: I’m constantly surprised by the advancement of technology, especially the invention of computers and cell phones.

DA: You’ve received numerous awards and you will soon be honored again with a Nelson A. Rockefeller award at Purchase College School of the Arts. What does this award mean to you?

PT: One always likes to be appreciated and I’m especially grateful that my friend Carol Walker, who has had the Company perform at Purchase College many times, will be presenting me with this prestigious award.

“Purchase College is honored to present the Nelson A. Rockefeller Award to Paul Taylor at the School of the Arts Gala on March 15, 2009. Paul Taylor is selected for this prestigious award because of his lifetime of achievements as a dancer, a choreographer, an author, an artist and the epitome of a creative role model. We are honoring his prolific and powerful body of work, his engagement with other art forms, and the long time association that the Purchase College Conservatory of Dance has enjoyed with Mr. Taylor and his company.” — Carol K. Walker, Dean of Dance 1984 – 2007

Learn more by clicking the image above

Proceeds from the Purchase College School of the Arts Gala will create the first permanent endowment expressly for the School of the Arts. Reserve tickets

More Paul Taylor Links and Resources

Sunday Arts Profile — Thirteen.org: A profile of the company featuring archival performance footage of Paul Taylor

Paul Taylor & Patrick Corbin in Conversation: PTDC alum and choreographer, Corbin sits down with Paul Taylor

Return of Beloved Renegade: Recent NYTimes retrospective by Alastair Macaulay on PTDC’s return to City Center

Paul Taylor Dance Company Website: Articles, Dancer Profiles, Company History, and News

Special thanks to Paul Taylor, Carol K. Walker, Purchase College School of the Arts, and Karen Apablaza.

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2010. | Permalink | Category: Beyond the Bubble, Blog, Dance Companies, Dance Styles, History of Dance, Interviews, Modern/Contemporary, News and Events | Who's talking about this article?

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Isadora Duncan: Mother of Modern Dance

Nichelle (admin) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:27:50 +0000

photo by snickclunk

Isadora Duncan was an American dancer born in San Francisco in the late 1800′s. Adopting a free-form, expressive style of movement which she performed barefoot and in loose-fitting tunics (a departure from the rigid attire of the time), she became one of the fore-runners of modern dance.

Her early public appearances in the United States were unsuccessful and, like many of modern dance’s early pioneers, Isadora traveled abroad to Europe. There, her work garnered recognition and appreciation by audiences. Her dances, inspired by ancient Greek sculpture and philosophy, were characterized by expressive and free-flowing movement and gesture. They captured the imaginations of those familiar only with the convention and structure of ballet, an art form which was experiencing a decline in the early 20th century.

A rebel at heart, Isadora defied social norms. She was outspoken in her disdain for marriage and even jazz music which was gaining popularity at the time, preferring instead the classics of Brahms, Wagner, and Beethoven. Her two children, who later perished when the car in which they were riding rolled into the Seine river, were fathered by two different men. Her choices garnered public and political attention. She was both revered and ridiculed, considered by some to be a revolutionary and labeled a harlot by others. In Russia she met a poet seventeen years her junior and married him in 1922 so that she could bring him along on tour to the United States. Accused of being a Bolshevik agent, Duncan fled America for the final time.

She lived the rest of her short life on the French Riviera where she died tragically when her trademark long, flowing scarf became entangled in a motorcar wheel, strangling her. An innovator ahead of her time, her natural and free dance liberated the dance formula and paved the way for the development and acceptance of the modern dance art form.

“Isadora Duncan.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 13 Apr. 2009.

More About Isadora

Isadora was also a dance educator, founding and inspiring several schools of dance. Read more about her legacy and the history of her “Isadorables” at the Isadora Duncan Foundation for Contemporary Dance whose resident company, directed by Lori Belilove (a third-generation Duncan dancer), performs the Duncan repertoire.

From the Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco, a fascinating account of Isadora’s life, including glimpses from her childhood. Written by Samuel Dickson, this was originally one of the KPO/KNBC radio scripts, later printed in “San Francisco Kaleidoscope,” Stanford University Press, 1949.

Short and sweet observations by Henrietta Cullinan, made after her attendance at the Royal Ballet’s recent performance of the ballet, Isadora. I just enjoyed her comparisons to Madonna and her remarks regarding Isadora’s dislike of jazz music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68mbHx32xsE

— Thanks to Dancing as One for pointing me to this video.

Ismene Brown looks back at Isadora’s controversial life and asks, “Isadora Duncan– sublime or ridiculous?” A really interesting article.

Did you know that San Francisco Bay Area dancers are given the opportunity to be recognized and honored by the Isadora Duncan Dance Awards Committee? The awards and ceremony are known as the Izzies and dance blogger/San Francisco Ballet principal, Maria Kochetkova is a recent recipient.

Did you know that Isadora Duncan is the subject of a graphic biography (i.e. comic book)? You can read an interview with author, Sabrina Jones at comicbookresources.com, and a review/description of the book at Girl w/Pen.

Photographer, Hila’s beautiful shot of Tamara Rojo dancing Isadora Duncan Waltzes, choreographed by Frederick Ashton. Check out the accompanying video for an excerpt of this work.

A lovely poem by Kirsten Olson entitled Isadora Duncan’s Fire. “My mother played piano. And I, Isadora, would dance.” Read on…

Catherine Galasso will be premiering a new work in San Francisco about Joshua Norton, an eccentric businessman in the city’s history. The work will feature Isadora Duncan in its cast of characters and the blog provides reference material regarding this work-in-progress. There is interesting documentation of the process of recreating Duncan, and using her movement style as the basis for a contemporary re-interpretation.

Your Mission Should You Choose to Accept It…

Find ways of studying, incorporating, re-inventing Isadora Duncan in your classes or at your studio, (even if you don’t teach modern dance)!

List some ways you can or have done so in the comments below.

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2009. | Permalink | Category: Beyond the Bubble, Blog, Dance Companies, Dance Styles, History of Dance, Modern/Contemporary | Who's talking about this article?

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On a Personal Note: In Performance

Nichelle (admin) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:14:39 +0000

Typically my posts at Dance Advantage strive to be informative for a variety of dancers within a wide range of locations. Although, I try to offer my personal thoughts, views, and voice within the articles here, I’ve mostly avoided getting too personal. Posts are rarely about me. These, I relegate to my personal/professional dance blog. However, as I mentioned in a recent post, I am currently rehearsing for a performance that opens this Thursday and therefore, strayed from my typical posting patterns. As I wrote some quick thoughts about the show elsewhere, I realized that perhaps 1) you may be interested in what I’ve been up to (if not, my apologies for this brief diversion) and 2) that there actually were tidbits that might be useful to readers here.

In particular, there is a passage that helps to answer a common question voiced by those who view modern/contemporary dance performances – “So, what it is about?”

In our daily lives, we are used to seeing dance, theater, or movies that tell a story, that have a plot, and characters. So much so, that it can be unsettling when we view something that simply doesn’t have any of those things. The link above does not seek to address all of the relative concerns in this matter, but it may give some insight for anyone that may be trying to explain such an idea to a student, friend, or family member, or even seeking to understand or interpret contemporary dance for themselves. Therefore, I thought it was worth sharing with all of you. Here is the link.

As you will see, if you visit the above link, this particular performance will end March 15. I am looking forward to returning to my normal routine, both in life and in blogging but am excited to share this performance with audiences. Feel free to send positive thoughts my way as I enter into an exhausting week of tech rehearsals and performances!

Thanks!

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2009. | Permalink | Category: Asides, Blog | Who's talking about this article?

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Pillow Talk (Jacob’s Pillow, that is)

Nichelle (admin) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:40:32 +0000

My little family of three just returned from our summer vacation. Aside from a short trip to the Big Apple in 2006, my husband and I have not indulged in a true holiday for several years now, instead spending time off visiting with family. Now that we have an infant son, vacations come with additional challenges (and rewards), so for our first attempt we chose somewhat familiar territory and a family-friendly destination – Massachusetts. We began and ended our trip in the city of Boston, with an excursion to The Berkshires in the middle. One of my favorite spots to visit while touring the quaint yet artistic villages of western Massachusetts is Jacob’s Pillow. Home to America’s oldest dance festival (in continuous operation), “The Pillow” was founded by modern dance pioneer, Ted Shawn, and is a landmark in dance history.(...)

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© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2008. | Permalink | Category: Beyond the Bubble, Blog, Dance Companies, History of Dance, News and Events, Summer Study/Workshops | Who's talking about this article?

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Classic Confusion

Nichelle (admin) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 07:26:59 +0000

What is classical dance?

The most inclusive definition I’ve found is used throughout K-12 educational documents and refers to classical dance as:

“Dance that has been developed into highly stylized structures within a culture. Generally developed within the court or circle of power in a society.”

Rooted in Europe, ballet would probably be considered the classical dance of “the west.” Other regions have their own classical dance forms – Indian or Cambodian classical dance are examples. Such forms are sometimes included under an umbrella of “folk dance,” “ethnic dance,” or even “world dance.” Depending on who you talk to, however, these terms are all synonymous or all different classifications.

There is typically much confusion among dancers about the labeling of dance. I am no history scholar but I will do my best to make sense of the terms as I understand them.

What Is Classical Ballet?

I have heard and comprehended the definition of classical ballet in two ways. The ABT online dictionary provides a pretty clear and concise definition of both usages:

The traditional style of ballet, which stresses the academic technique developed through the centuries of the existence of ballet.

A ballet in which the style and structure adhere to the definite framework established in the nineteenth century. Examples of classical ballets are Coppélia, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker and Swan Lake.

In other words, classical ballet can be defined as ballet studied in the tradition that has been passed down, relatively unchanged at its core, since the birth of the technique. There are variances in the methodology of classical ballet study which are often based upon region. Vagonova, Cecchetti, and more recently Balanchine or R.A.D. are examples. The term classical ballet is generally used as a means of differentiating these traditional principles of study from those of contemporary ballet.

Within classical ballet additional labels may be applied to works and performances that tend to reflect the era in which they were created (i.e., Romantic, Russian, Diaghliev era, etc.). Unfortunately, certain performed works within this lineage are referred to as being of the classical ballet era, or classical ballets. These typically refer to works of Petipa dating from the 19th and early 20th century (such as the ones listed above). Works that have employed the language, phrasing, structure, and techniques of classical ballet in the 20th century and beyond (many of Balanchine’s works are a good example) have typically been labeled as neoclassical, as they seem to bridge the gap between those in the classical ballet tradition and contemporary ballet by stretching the boundries of the classical ballet “rules.”

Contemporary ballet, generally refers to a work that takes its technique (and pointework) from classical ballet but also utilizes abstracted (or less literal) movement ideas, manipulation of the spine and torso in movement, and choreographic processes similar to those in modern/contemporary dance. Here, the focus is often more on the movement itself rather than a narrative, or story. Today’s students of ballet typically study classical techniques along with modern dance techniques so that they are able to adapt their classical techniques to fit any of the above genres.

Modern Dance vs. Contemporary Dance

Modern dance, like the art of ballet in the 17th century, was at one point (the early 1900′s) a new idea (see “What is Modern Dance?” for a little history lesson).

I have heard people refer to the techniques and works of people like Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, and other originators as “classical modern dance” – sounds like an oxymoron, I know. (Note: traditional modern dance is yet another mutation).

Typically modern dance has been dropped altogether when referring to 21st century concert dance works. For now, these works simply fall under the label of contemporary dance, which you can also read more about in the linked article above. If, or when, there is a shift of focus within this realm of dance, perhaps a new (and likely confusing) label will be attached to it!

Labeling Dance

As you can see, the repetitious or sometimes redundant terminology in categorizing creates difficulty in talking about dance.

Labels are often unsatisfactory and are argued and debated, creating even further confusion. But, I think it is helpful for students of dance to understand that even though there is sometimes an overlapping of terms, there is a difference between technique and choreography in classifying dance.

For labeling purposes, all work/art/choreography being created now is contemporary but may be subject to a change in labeling in the future. A new or current work can evoke aesthetics and processes of the past, but would probably be described as contemporary.

Older works are often categorized by both the techniques that inform them and by the era in which they were created.

The techniques studied by dancers which inform contemporary concert dance choreography are (in the broadest terms) modern dance, classical ballet, and possibly jazz dance, and can also be infused with elements of vernacular (or social/ballroom) dance, ethnic dance forms, martial arts, etc.

Through study of the history of dance and through experiencing a broad range of dance genres, one becomes more equipped to recognize relationships, influences and changes in the timeline of dance (which is really more important than the label itself).

Location, Location, Location

Just remember that in labeling dance, sometimes it just depends on who you talk to, where they’re from, and their background in dance.

In addition, we must recognize, of course, that labels are limited and really only useful when reading, writing, or talking about dance. Dance, by its nature – a language of movement – is an art form that resists labeling.

Don’t worry if it’s all still confusing.

It is confusing for those working and creating within, and writing about the dance world.

In fact, if you feel you would like to add or respond to my thoughts, please feel free.

The more recent something is, the harder it is to define because we are still in the midst of change. And change in art occurs as slowly or rapidly as the world around it. Compare the mutations of dance in the last 100 years to the mutations of earlier centuries and I think you’ll see it runs parallel to advances in technology, industry, and communication.

The Dancer believes that his art has something to say which cannot be expressed in words or in any other way than by dancing… there are times when the simple dignity of movement can fulfill the function of a volume of words. There are movements which impinge upon the nerves with a strength that is incomparable, for movement has power to stir the senses and emotions, unique in itself. This is the dancer’s justification for being, and his reason for searching further for deeper aspects of his art. – Doris Humphrey

If I could tell you what it meant, there would be no point in dancing it. – Isadora Duncan

Dance isn’t something that can be explained in words; it has to be danced. – Paige Arden

Talk about dance? Dance is not something to talk about. Dance is to dance. – Peter St. James

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2008. | Permalink | Category: Beyond the Bubble, Blog, Dance Styles, Dancing, History of Dance, Modern/Contemporary, Terminology | Who's talking about this article?

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A Dancer’s Guide: Tips for College (Part II)

Nichelle (admin) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:25:13 +0000

Tips for College Part I dealt with what to expect in technique classes and performance rehearsals, as well as some tips for success in these areas. In continuation of the series, I will highlight two aspects of dance in higher education with which many incoming students have little experience.

Improvisation

Improvisation may be an entirely new concept for some of you (if we’re not counting the off-the-cuff choreography you’ve performed in front of your bedroom mirror). I count myself very lucky to have had early experience in creative dance and improvisation at my hometown studio. At the time, I did not realize it was a rarity. However, it was not long into my first year as a dance major that a professor introduced the concept of improvisational movement and began leading the class in some beginning exercises. I could feel tension among the students. Some were nervous to appear so vulnerable in front of their peers and instructor and others had no idea how to start or what to do. A few that had before been asked to move as they’d like in a dance studio class had perhaps had no guidance and had always used the moments to re-hash their favorite moves or try something they’d seen the older kids do. It seemed likely that this was not what the professor was looking for. Fear suddenly paralyzed some of the most talented dancers in the class. If you are an experienced improviser, your background will serve you well in the college environment. If you are in the other group, don’t panic! Improvisation, just like technique, takes practice to move comfortably and confidently. And you will get plenty of practice now that you are entering this new phase in your study of dance. So…

Tip #5: Don’t be afraid to just take a deep breath and go for it. You may feel like a fool, but the only people that looked foolish that day in my class were those that were too afraid or insecure to make the most of the opportunity. They giggled, marked their movement, or froze altogether rather than bravely being willing to appear awkward or even unsophisticated.

Modern Dance, Contemporary Concepts

Modern dance may be new to many of you as well. It is a very important part of many dance programs because it was within academic establishments that Modern techniques were developed and the art form found its foothold in America. Despite its prominence at universities, few dance studios offer Modern Dance techniques in their curriculum. Some of you may compete in (or witness) Modern at competitions. However, often only some of those that compete in this category are studying modern dance techniques and usually even less are utilizing the choreographic processes typical of Modern Dance. If you are one of the few, kudos to your dance school.

The art form of Modern Dance (and Contemporary dance forms in general) is more than just performing the techniques and steps with which it is associated. That is the “how” but Modern Dance also asks “why.” Without the process or investigation of this question, a dancer or choreographer is offering their interpretation of Modern Dance. In other words, a dance may look expressive or emotive, contain un-balletic poses or rolling on the floor, and be accompanied by unconventional music choices, but can lack the artistic intent of contemporary dance forms that you will be asked to explore in college and beyond. I believe I’m safe to assume that many of you will find what is expected of you in your study of Modern Dance (and perhaps other dance forms as well) in a university setting to be very different from your studio at home. There will be more emphasis on dancing with an understanding of how the body functions and how something feels (as opposed to how it looks), on working apart from or even against the music as you dance, on presenting abstract meaning or intent through movement, and on discovering ways of moving that are new or even unflattering. With all of that in mind…

Tip #6: Embrace the task at hand. Focus simply on the task your teacher, who is guiding you in your exploration, has charged. When you are uncertain or just learning, solving one problem at a time will keep you from getting wrapped up in trying to make something spectacular instead of discovering something spectacular. A direction as simple as “dance with one elbow attached to the ground” or “let your breath guide each movement” may seem silly at first and you may be tempted to think that you don’t need this exercise to be a good dancer. But, don’t think, just try it, because these silly little exercises will help you grow from someone who makes dance into someone who can express themselves through dance.

Filling in the Gaps

There may be a point during your college career that someone may imply that there have been gaps in your dance education and you are faced with breaking old habits or learning something in a different way. If or when this occurs, I encourage you to resist becoming indignant. Refer back to Part I and learn to trust your new instructors, letting go of any assumptions that you “already know how to do” whatever they are asking you to do. As a college instructor, it was often frustrating for me to see talented students holding on so tightly to what their teachers “back home” had told them that their progress in my class stalled. In fact, the students who improved most rapidly in my beginning level classes were those who had little to no dance experience because they held no preconceived notions and could absorb all that I offered them. I encountered students with 14 years or so of studio experience which had yielded many bad habits from repetition of poor technique. Unfortunately in some cases, these “experienced” students seemed unsatisfied with re-examining the basics after having been considered “advanced” dancers at home. It would have benefited these students to remember that even professionals consistently work to better understand and perform the basics of their technique.

I hope that my wording in this post has not made anyone feel that their instruction up to this point has not been worthwhile. While it is wonderful when dance schools for young students take steps to provide an understanding of the more creative or artistic side of dance (and as you may know, I highly encourage this), I realize that teaching students to execute dance is the primary function of a studio. You should not feel shortchanged if your school has provided you with a solid technical foundation and performance experience. You have plenty of time to dig deeper in your understanding of movement and to mature as an artist.

Read on to Part III…

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2008. | Permalink | Category: Blog, College, Dance Styles, Dancing, Modern/Contemporary | Who's talking about this article?

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What is Modern Dance?

Nichelle (admin) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:56:20 +0000

This is not an easy question to answer, even for dancers and choreographers.

The beginnings of modern dance in the United States (Germany also had a related and influential dance movement) are traced to the early 20th century to a group of dancers often labeled the forerunners of modern dance. Isadora Duncan, Loie Fuller, Ruth St. Dennis, and her husband and partner Ted Shawn, each made significant contributions to a new type of concert dance in America.

Image by New York Public Library via Flickr

Their dance reflected and challenged the art, philosophy, and issues of their time, explored the cultures of other places and times, made new advances in theatrical lighting and spectacle, and discarded the costumes and artificiality of classical ballet. They were exploring and expressing themselves in a way that had never been seen before, and they were guiding others to do the same.

Image via Wikipedia

From this small family tree, emerged another generation of dancers. This group, considered the founders of modern dance, broke whatever rules had been laid down by their predecessors. Instead of borrowing movement from other cultures, they created movement based on the experiences of their own era. They were interested in presenting the inner self and all of it’s complex emotions on the concert stage. These founders, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, and Lester Horton, among others, also created their own techniques which they taught in independent dance schools and universities. Their work established modern dance as a legitimate art form.

Image via Wikipedia

Dancers in the founder’s companies such as Merce Cunningham, José Limon, Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor and Anna Sokolow continued to redefine not only modern dance but, dance in general. Each contributed something different but, in general, this third generation was noted for a more minimalistic approach to dance in which movement became more pedestrian and stripped-down. Some, like Merce Cunningham, explored chance elements in their choreography, allowing a roll of dice to determine a dances’ structure. Others, like Alvin Ailey, brought ethnic, social, and political issues to the forefront.

Image via Wikipedia

In the 1960s and 70s, the work of these earlier artists ushered in the postmodern dance movement. The artists involved with Judson Dance Theater were some of the prime movers in this experimentalist trend. Dance artists were leaving the theatrical stage altogether and performing dance in public parks, on buildings, in museums, and on busy streets. Choreographers explored improvisation as legitimate performance and often presented performers with no dance training in their work. Audiences were asked to accept everyday movement like dressing, walking, and playing as dance. It was a direct upheaval of the concepts and codification that Modern dance artists had fought to develop.

Yet, as those who had gone before have done, each generation of modern dancers seeks new terminology, concepts, and techniques that broaden the definition of dance.

This legacy continues in the 21st century, an environment that draws from the techniques of modern dance and the spirit of exploration in postmodern dance. In fact, today most dancers on the concert stage are likely to have experiences in many techniques and, with the exception of those who have pursued or immersed themselves specifically in ballet or other systematized dance form, consider themselves contemporary dancers.

They study traditions in modern dance, but also other movement disciplines like ballet, jazz, african, yoga, gymnastics, and martial arts, as well as improvisational techniques such as contact improvisation and body mapping. Therefore, the movement you’ll see in a technique class or on stage reflects this diversity.

Image by CosmoPolitician via Flickr

Modern dance, although defined in many dictionaries as “a form of contemporary theatrical and concert dance employing a special technique for developing the use of the entire body in movements expressive of abstract ideas,” is a label that has begun to feel outdated for describing works created in the 21st century.

The term has recently been dedicated more to the techniques (both the structured styles like Graham, Limon, or Horton and the less codified systems) that are studied by contemporary dancers than works currently performed on the concert stage. To understand Modern Dance, therefore, it is a good idea to become familiar with these techniques as well as with its history and its role in the development of the constantly transforming art form of contemporary dance, which is not a technique but a collection of principles regarding movement and the choreographic/performance process which are closely related to the goals of the original modern dancers and their techniques.

Many times when people ask the question “What is Modern Dance?” they seek to prepare themselves for participation in either a class or as an audience member. As above, I recommend learning a bit about the history of modern dance as well as simply experiencing the art of contemporary dance. Take technique classes from a variety of teachers, watch choreography and performances by many different artists, and/or explore and improvise with movement, all the while, keeping an open mind in regard to one’s own definitions of dance. Each experience broadens and shapes understanding, giving one the knowledge to compare, and the confidence to appreciate that modern and, in fact, most contemporary dance refuses to be defined by labels. As one’s experience with the art of dance grows, the need to brand dance forms will diminish, and the question “What is Modern Dance?” will be replaced with “What else can dance be or become?”

Below are some interesting quotes, links, and resources that have more to say about Modern Dance…

One reason why modern dance is hard to define is that it is not so much a particular system or technique as it is an attitude toward dance, a point of view that encourages artistic individualism and the development of personal ways of dancing. As Helen Tamaris wrote in a program note for a concert she gave in 1927, “There are no general rules. Each work of art creates it’s own code.” – Jack Anderson

American Modern Dance, as a performance art form, serves many roles in today’s society. Many American choreographers of today use their art form for social commentary. There are other choreographers who tell stories with their dances. Finally, many choreographers simply manipulate the tools of choreography to visually create something new and interesting-perhaps something never seen before. Whatever the specific intent of the choreographer the role of dance today is to communicate, to create, and to educate.
- Beth Braun and Mark English

Ballet & Modern Dance: A Concise History
Prime Movers: The Makers of Modern Dance in America
The Makers of Modern Dance in Germany: Rudolf Laban, Mary Wigman, Kurt Jooss
No Fixed Points: Dance in the Twentieth Century
Terpsichore in Sneakers: Post-Modern Dance

Answers.com

RIDance.com’s answer to “What is Modern Dance?”

PBS’s Modern Dance Primer

Classic Confusion tries to define labels in dance

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2008. | Permalink | Category: Beyond the Bubble, Blog, Dance Companies, Dance Library, Dance Styles, Dancethropology, Dancing, History of Dance, Modern/Contemporary, Terminology | Who's talking about this article?

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Dance Advantage » modern dance

We Put Lauren’s Nose To The Grindstone [Giveaway]

So you know a lot about her… but you don’t know ALL about her!

Dance Advantage: Frankly, most of our readers have only seen your nerdy side, Lauren. A conscientious dance teacher, meticulous academic… they may not know you have a rebellious streak, making work as an independent dance artist in Chicago. What gives?

DA: I know as an artist it’s sometimes hard to talk about your work but put on the nerdy teacher hat for a moment and tell your students: What is Grind all about?

DA: Tell us about your collaborators for Grind and a little about the artistic process.

DA: Congratulations on your successful Kickstarter campaign. That’s gotta feel good. Any quick tips for others who want to give Kickstarter a try?

DA: What’s behind the photos we’re seeing here? You’ve created calendars from the shoot?

DA: Grind isn’t the only dance on the program in February. What’s the low down on Refill?

Win a Grind calendar!

What Do They Mean By ‘Contemporary’ On SYTYCD?

What is contemporary dance?

How is it different from modern dance, or jazz dance?

I’ll start with my Bottom Line first…

Labels suck but we kind of need them.

Dance Training in New York vs. Los Angeles

Francisco’s reply:

Expand Your Library or Horizons: 13 Books on Dance and Culture

GENERAL INTEREST

Dancing: The Pleasure, Power, and Art of Movement

International Encyclopedia of Dance

Blog Spotlight: Start Your Morning With Dancing Branflakes

“I am a professional dancer who loves all things edible and pretty.”

Five Ways Postmodern Principles Can Positively Impact Your Studio

What studio wouldn’t want their dancers coming out more versatile as dancers and more open-minded as people?

But where is postmodern dance in studio instruction?

5 Ways Postmodern Dance Principles Can Positively Impact Your Studio.

Sunday Snapshot: Outside the City

Want to have your photo featured?

Profile of an American Icon: A Few Words With Paul Taylor

An Unignorable Hunch

An Unequivocal Talent

Celebrating 80

A Few Words With Paul Taylor

More Paul Taylor Links and Resources

Isadora Duncan: Mother of Modern Dance

More About Isadora

On a Personal Note: In Performance

Pillow Talk (Jacob’s Pillow, that is)

Classic Confusion

What is classical dance?

What Is Classical Ballet?

Modern Dance vs. Contemporary Dance

Labeling Dance

Location, Location, Location

Don’t worry if it’s all still confusing.

A Dancer’s Guide: Tips for College (Part II)

What is Modern Dance?

This is not an easy question to answer, even for dancers and choreographers.