essay about history of dance

History and Development of Dance Essay

The history of dance can be traced back to the very beginnings of humankind history. Dance is ultimately a social event and signalizes occasions of social interaction: not incidentally, therefore, elements of dance can be observed even in such non-human societies as bee swarms and bird couples.

Initially bearing purely informative meaning in the animal world and the primitive society, dance gradually acquired a more complex meaning and became a means of self expression. Developing from symbolic religious activities, the practice of dancing evolved in a social activity and later obtained the status of performing arts.

As such, dance is movement, and movement is altogether natural to human body. It is observed that at moments of intense joy, people tend to perform an increased amount of movements in order to relieve the brain of the excessive amount of oxygen (Scott 1). Such behavior is especially noticeable about children, since they do not control themselves as much as adults; in this respect, primitive savages are not much different from children.

Those leaping movements of the body are the first prehistoric dance that can be observed both in people and in animals expressing their happiness. But this disarrayed motion does not comply with the comprehensive definition of dance provided by Edward Scott, who interprets dance as “the art and expressing gracefully and intelligibly, by movement and gesture, every emotion and sentiment of which the mind is capable, and every incident possible in human life” (6).

Such was the vision of dancing practiced already among the Ancient Greeks, whose art of pantomime dance was compared by Aristotle to poetry, since it could express not only actions but also manners and passions. The art of dancing was connected by Greeks to the idea of harmony and perfection of human body: therefore, dancing ultimately had to be graceful in order to emphasize and not to destroy the natural human beauty (Scott 38).

Corresponding to the meaning behind them, religious dances, embodying the spirit of tragedy, were dignified and stately; while their opposites, the wild grotesque dance, were not to be danced in sober mind (Scott 41). Combining the features of those two extremes and concluding the three-partite order of dances was the vivid dance. In any case, both stately and wild Greek dances were inseparably linked with their religious practices and bore their peculiarities from the nature of the deity glorified by dance.

Historians state that the Greeks borrowed the art of mimic imitation from the dancing art of the Ancient Egyptians (Scott 21). Together with ritual dances performed at funeral of prominent people and at other religious ceremonies connected with worshipping the astronomic gods, Egyptians took pleasure in entertaining dances, mostly performed by graceful girls in light attire. The character of movements was varied by hired dancers according to the tastes of their employers, and therefore could sink from grotesque to mere buffoonery (Scott 23).

From the above it becomes obvious that the antiquity shaped three visions of dance: dance as ritual, as ecstasy, and as entertainment. The Middle Ages witnessed two applications of dance: in church (sacred dance) and in society (secular). Ceremonial in its nature, religious dance involved solemn movements and symbolic figures that corresponded to the accompanying hymns.

Though provoking controversy as to their appropriateness in the church, sacred dances enjoyed a large variation from May Dances to Dances of Death, each bearing a religious significance (Kassing 73–75). Due to the fact that secular and sacred spheres closely intermingled in contemporary life, dances often ‘migrated’ from church to the worldly life. In addition, the institute of chivalry which prospered at the time positioned dance as a way to express gentility and compliance with etiquette, as well as state the knight’s code of honor (Kassing 72).

Dance was more and more drawn into the sphere of entertainment, since amusements were scarce; travelling performers became especially popular, bringing new dances such as carole, farandole, pavane, and others from court to court. In the Renaissance dances increasingly drifted apart from the sacred sphere and became a token of position and manners for the upper society, and a way of celebrating social and life events for the lower classes.

From the Medieval tradition of Dance Dramas, which represented the lives of saints and martyrs, stemmed the idea of 16th and 17th century ballets, ranging from Ballet-Masquerade to Ballet Pastoral and Ballet-Comique (Kassing 101–105). Moving dance from the court into the theatre, the eighteenth century celebrated the onset of ballet art, mainly in the Paris Opera.

Moving away from the artificiality of court ballet, ballet d’action set the aim of imitating nature, which naturally fostered development of costume and decorations. In addition, the art of pointe-work was initiated as well as capacities of whole body were employed in dancing.

Court ballrooms also witnessed a refreshment of repertoire, with minuet being one of the most popular dances of the period and reflecting the national peculiarities of the places it was danced in: while the French envisaged it as a graceful unhurried dance, emphasizing the male gallantry and the female grace, the Italians imparted a brisk and lively character, as well as faster tempo to it.

The early nineteenth century in Europe was still experiencing the consequences of the French Revolution, and the slogan of freedom applies to women’s clothes as well. The unrestrictive design of the garments allow performing jumping and skipping movements, reflected in such dances as gallop and quadrille. However, the ballet stage witnesses a completely different situation.

The era of Romanticism dictated its ideals to the image of ballet-dancer: ballerina on pointes became a nearly deific, ethereal creature, soaring over the parquet in her magic movements. This fully reflected the tendencies towards fantasy, spiritualism, and emotional perception of world promoted by Romantic ideas. By the mid-1850s, female fashion was characterized by enormous hoop skirts, which in turn promoted changes in dancing techniques and made turning dances, such as waltz, rule the ballroom.

The twentieth century has brought about cardinal social change, which also reflected on the dancing styles. On the one hand, due to efforts of Russian ballet troupes, professional ballet was revolutionized, acquiring new techniques and virtuosic standards of dancing.

On the other hand, social dancing is more than ever the terrain for raving youth who possess enough energy to perform such active dances as Charleston, fox trot, shag, and others. In addition, black society influences the dance room and introduces such genre as swing dancing. By the eng of the century, classical dance is characterized by breath-taking technique and conceptual choreography, while popular culture is organized in the sphere of street-dancing, with hip-hop and break dance ruling the dance floors.

All in all, it appears obvious that the ritual character of dance inherent in it since the first days of its existence shapes itself into two directions: the “self-unconscious act without deliberate aesthetic concerns” that reveals itself in the culture of tribal dances, and the unique experience of individual transformed into the “metaphoric idiom known as art” (Highwater 14).

In the course of historical development, dance demonstrates a clear tendency from the former aspect to the latter, basing on the social influence that affect its development.

Works Cited

Highwater, Jamake. Dance: Rituals of Experience . 3rd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1996. Print.

Kassing, Gayle. History of Dance: An Interactive Arts Approach . Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2007. Print.

Scott, Edward. Dancing in All Ages — The History of Dance . London, Hesperides Press, 2006. Print.

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Bibliography

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History of Dance

From the earliest moments of known human history, dance accompanied ancient rituals, spiritual gatherings and social events. As a conduit of trance, spiritual force, pleasure, expression, performance and interaction, dance became infused into our nature from the earliest moments of our existence - from the moment when first African tribes covered themselves in war-paint to the to the spreading of music and dance across all four corners of the world. Without a doubt, dancing remains one of the most expressive forms of communications that we know.

The oldest proof of existence of dancing comes from the 9000 year old cave paintings that were found in India, which depicts various scenes of hunting, childbirth, religious rites, burials and most importantly, communal drinking and dancing. Since dancing itself cannot leave clearly identifiable archeological artifacts that can be found today, scientist looked for secondary clues, written word, stone carvings, paintings and similar artifacts. Period when dancing became widespread can be traced to the third millennia BC, when Egyptians started using dance as integral parts of their religious ceremonies. Judging by the many tomb paintings that survived the tooth of time, Egyptian priests used musical instruments and dancers to mimic important events - stories of gods and cosmic patterns of moving stars and sun.

This tradition continued in ancient Greece, where dance was used very regular and openly to public (which eventually brought the birth of the famous Greek theatre in 6th century BC). Ancient paintings from 1st millennia clearly speak of many dance rituals in Greek culture, most notably the one before start of each Olympian Games, precursor to the modern Olympic Games. As centuries went on, many other religions infused dance in the core of their rituals, such as Hindu dance "Bharata Nhatyam" which is preformed even today.

Of course, not all dances in those ancient times were intended for religious purposes. Ordinary people used dance for celebration, entertainment, seduction and to induce the mood of frenzied exhilaration. Annual celebration in honor of Greek god of wine Dionysus (and later Roman god Bacchus) included dancing and drinking for several days. 1400BC year old Egyptian painting showed the group of scantily dressed girls who danced for the wealthy male crowd, supported by the several musicians. This kind of entertainment continued to be refined, until medieval times and the start of the Renaissance when ballet became integral part of the wealthy class.

European dances before the start of Renaissance were not widely documented, any only few isolated fragments of their existence remain found today. The most basic "chain shaped" dance practiced by commoners was most widespread across Europe, but the arrival of Renaissance and new forms of music brought many other styles in fashion. Renaissance dances from Spain, France and Italy were soon surpassed by Baroque dances which became widely popular in French and English courts. After the end of French Revolution, many new types of dances emerged with focused on less restrictive woman clothing, and tendency for skipping and jumping. These dances soon became even more energetic in 1844 with the beginning of so called "international polka craze" which also brought us the first appearance of famous waltz .

After the short period of time when great ballroom masters created wave of complicated dances, the era of modern day 2 person dance started with the careers of famous ballroom dances Vernon and Irene Castle. After those early years of 20th century many modern dances were invented (Foxtrot, One-Step, Tango , Charleston, Swing, Postmodern, Hip-hop, breakdancing and more) and the expansion of musical brought those dances into worldwide popularity.

Dance, like all forms of cultural expression, reflects the society in which it exists. Just as the history of the United States encompasses a broad array of complex influences, so do its dance forms stem from a rich pool of diverse forms. While the ballerina is likely the popular image of dance, the reality is that dance in the United States has embraced and incorporated individual, cultural, and stylistic elements in an ever-changing kaleidoscope that draws from and contributes to artistic, social, religious, cultural, and even political realms. Dance can have many purposes including expression, communication, education, therapy, recreation, or entertainment and may function in personal, political, social, religious, and spiritual environments. This essay cannot fully address all of the implications of dance in the United States, but it offers a look at the breadth of dance in a country whose music and dance reflect and incorporate diverse influences.

A look at dance in the United States must first acknowledge the existence of dance among Native Americans, where it played an important role in social and religious life. Dance provided a form of social affirmation and a means of expressing national or tribal loyalty and power, and it was a part of religious ritual, providing a direct means of communicating with the spirits. Similar to tribal cultures around the world, Native Americans valued dance as an expressive and bonding experience, creating well-developed systems of communication. These forms have survived and continue to preserve an important part of the history of what is now the United States. Like other types of dance, those of the Native Americans have continued both as a means of cultural preservation and expression within the tribal communities and as intercultural display and a source for contemporary choreographers. Tribal powwows and the work of companies such as the American Indian Dance Theatre and individual artists such as Raoul Trujillo demonstrate the rich heritage of the Native American dance forms from traditional as well as contemporary perspectives.

While the European art form of ballet did not take immediate root in the United States owing to simple hardships and the intentions and religious philosophies of the first settlers, dance did indeed travel from Europe to the colonies. Early writings railed against "profane and promiscuous dancing," particularly condemning mixed-gender activities. Even the Puritans, however, found ways to allow expressive movement if it was designed according to strict scriptural guidelines. Some religious sects, such as the Shakers, valued dance as a central part of religious experience but not in their general lives.

Theatrical dance found its way to the colonies in the mid-1700s through touring European companies. In 1767 the John Street Theater opened in New York, which, along with Philadelphia, became a center of theatrical dance into the nineteenth century. Unlike Europe, however, there were no formal academies for training professional theatrical dancers in the colonies. Professional stage dancers continued to be supplied from the European and Russian dance schools founded under royal patronage. John Durang is considered the first American theatrical dancer to win wide recognition. Known mostly for his version of the hornpipe, he was a member of the ballet company at the Bowery Theatre in New York around 1827.

Social and recreational dancing took many forms in the early years of the Republic, providing opportunities to demonstrate physical skills, meet a possible life partner, celebrate such events as weddings or harvests, and build communities. Social, folk, and square dances both carried on and created variations of European dances. Dance reflects the social, economic, and political climate in which it exists, and the culture of the Southern colonies offered somewhat more support of dancing in the social arena. However, European styles of dance dominated; African forms of dance, brought by the slaves, were considered seditious and dangerous, to be restricted at least and eradicated if possible (if they were acknowledged further, it was through exaggeration and ridicule).

Social dancing was widely popular at the dawn of the nineteenth century. Most religious objections had been put aside, and in the larger cities instructors were available to offer classes in what increasingly was seen as a requirement for social training and mobility. In more rural areas, while there was considerable social dancing, it was less formal and was an important part of fairs, quilting parties, celebrations, after-dinner entertainment, and social interaction. Religious objections continued to appear from time to time, but they did little to stem the general tide of enjoyment of dance, which continued to be of European descent. Little or nothing was known or appreciated about the dances of Native Americans or of African slaves.

Congo Square in New Orleans was an important scene for black dances during the nineteenth century. There were considerable efforts by whites to discourage communication among blacks. However, the slaves developed new instruments and styles of movement to bypass these efforts; thus emerged the bases for new musical and dance forms that developed into soft shoe, tap dance, and jazz dance. Unfortunately, even when black dances appeared on stage, they were exaggerated and most often performed by whites in blackface, with the intention of poking fun at the African slaves with little understanding of the long and varied cultural history of dance and music on the African continent. If and when blacks were allowed to perform, they were placed in stereotypical roles and considered to be exotic in nature. Both black and white performers performing in blackface were to reflect the " happy" slave and other stereotypes—always coal black with grotesquely exaggerated lips and kinky wigs. While this provided limited opportunities for performance by African Americans, it also served to perpetuate, and in many ways justify, continued prejudice and discrimination within the social and political structure. Such dancing images were used to support the Jim Crow laws enacted to keep the African American population out of the political process. It was not until the mid-twentieth century that the influence and contribution of African music and dance was recognized in popular or theatrical dance as well as in modern dance and ballet.

Master Juba (William Henry Lane) was a popular African American performer in the nineteenth century. The "juba" was an African step dance that resembled a jig, and it occurred wherever enslaved Africans settled. A variation included crossing and uncrossing the hands against the knees, which was later incorporated into the popular Charleston social dance. "Juba" and " Jube" were slave names popularly associated with dancers and musicians.

Early in the nineteenth century, dancers born in the United States began to achieve fame in classical ballet. The first was Mary Ann Lee, although her training was done in Paris and she retired in 1847 at the age of twenty-four. Augusta Maywood achieved international acclaim and made her debut at the Paris Opera in 1839 at the age of fifteen. George Washington Smith was the first premiere danseur native to the United States. He first danced in public around 1838 and produced ballet and theater until the late 1880s. For the most part, however, the United States continued to rely on imported stars in ballet, and ballet remained a realm of the social elite.

As the nineteenth century closed, ballet relied more and more on acrobatics and "tricks." Dancers, along with their fellow artists, began to question the validity of such display in creating an expressive work of art. Challenges to such ballet conventions as toe shoes and fairy tales inspired artists to create new perceptions of the genre, mirroring the changing outlooks of the Industrial Revolution. The new combustion engine made for a more mobile population, the use of electricity changed perception of time and activity, and scientific discoveries questioned the status quo of existence and the place of humankind in the universe. Each of these transformed how artists looked at their work, providing new ideas and inspiration. With the growing power of the United States, there was a new curiosity about the world. Many Western artists became interested in and fascinated by what they considered the exoticism of African and Asian cultures. Along with the rapid changes in technology and science, there was a growing element of escapism and experimentation in the arts. Parallel to social and political movements was a search for a new form of dancing based on free and personal expression.

Loïe Fuller (1862–1928) brought both a new theatricality and an abstraction to dance, relying on images rather than storyline. Supposedly Fuller found a trunk of long flowing cloth in a garret in London and thus was inspired to create her swirling, imagistic dances. She experimented with radium, recently discovered by the Curies; new lighting technology; and manipulation of yards of fabric to create solo dances in which she appeared to be engulfed in flames or a glowing butterfly. Maud Allen and others looked to theatrical texts to create movement scenarios based on plays and literature. Just as the United States was asserting itself on the world scene, these new solo artists emphasized personal expression and individuality. Although Fuller and others often found more European support for their new dance, the ideas and the perspectives were decidedly American.

Isadora Duncan (1877–1927) created a lineage that includes such luminaries as Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, and Charles Weidman. Duncan's life was as irreverent as her approach to natural movement. She enjoyed tremendous acclaim in Europe and Russia where she established schools to share her philosophy of dance and approach to life. Even following Duncan's early tragic death, her influence is considered a focal point in the development of what was to become American modern dance, based on the personal artistic vision of the choreographer rather than on a traditional system of training and aesthetics. Her influence was to be seen in approaches with such names as "natural dance" or "aesthetic dancing," based not on strict systems of training but rather on discovery of the human body as an expressive instrument. Dance was once again reflecting the new freedom found in the wider changes in society.

While many of these new "moderns" were to borrow or appropriate dances from other cultures, here and abroad, their approach grew out of a Eurocentric philosophy of art. As ballet continued and modern dance developed, the moderns had intermittent contact with the musical but little or no obvious contact or cross-influence with social forms, which had indeed begun to merge with or develop from African dance elements.

The new philosophy of modern dance in the twentieth century was greatly influenced by the development of the emerging world power of the United States. The freedom of wealth and power revamped the arts as it did society, at least for the privileged and middle classes. Educational writer John Dewey inspired physical education teachers (who were already including "natural dance " in their teaching) to make contact with the professional artists and develop dance education as a separate discipline, with the first degree in dance offered in the late 1920s at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, under Margaret H'Doubler.

In 1915 St. Denis and Shawn established the Denishawn School in Los Angeles, developing a style of training and choreography that drew heavily on other world cultures for ideas, costumes, and movement motifs and creating exotic themes while still emphasizing individual expression and vision. Shawn eventually created the first U.S. dance company composed entirely of men, which gained acclaim here and abroad for its strength and vitality. St. Denis and Shawn trained some of the most influential dancers and choreographers of the first generation of American modern dance, all of whom broke away to create their own personal approaches.

With the threat and disruption of World War I, the arts reflected a radical questioning of values and a frantic search for new outlets for individual expression and a more dynamic way of life. Just as Eugene O'Neill and Elmer Rice did in theater and T. S. Eliot did in literature, dancers were searching for a new expression of contemporary society, which faced instability in the world scene, constant social changes, and increased industrialization.

Dissatisfied with the vision of Denishawn and its lack of connection to contemporary American life, Graham was one of the first dancers to leave. Born in 1894, Graham performed in her own works until age seventy-six and continued choreographing until her death in 1991. She created a repertory based on a training technique that was known around the world for its strength, breadth, and expressiveness, much of it coming from her use of percussive movements. Her works embraced and reflected the theories of Sigmund Freud in psychological explorations through dance, drawing heavily on her perception of and interest in American themes ( Frontier, 1935, and Appalachian Spring, 1944) and Greek mythology ( Clytemnestra, 1958, and Errand into the Maze, 1947). Graham believed that the function of dance was communication, speaking to the emotions and the body of the spectator, as well as to the mind. Graham collaborated with other great artists of her time, including Gian Carlo Menotti, Samuel Barber, Paul Hindemith, Aaron Copland, Isamu Noguchi, Rudolph Nureyev, Margot Fonteyn, and Liza Minelli. Hers was one of the first racially integrated major companies, and it spawned a lineage of important choreographers and companies and a host of schools to train dancers.

Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman presented their first concert in Brooklyn, New York, in 1928. Humphrey was known as a humanist, reflecting broad social concerns and the theories of Carl Jung and seeking expression through symbolic images of movement. Humphrey is especially known for her skill in choreographing for large groups. She created her training technique known as "fall and recovery," based on releasing into and opposing gravity. Humphrey's work reflected the increasing concern for understanding the self and the relationship of the human being to a society (with My Red Fires, 1936, and Day on Earth, 1947). Weidman eventually created his own body of work and was particularly known for his theatricality and comic sense. Humphrey, like Graham, inspired younger artists such as José Limón, who integrated his Mexican heritage into his personal vision, perhaps even foreshadowing future population shifts and cross-cultural developments in American society.

Other artists also expressed the spirit of the changing times. Each presented a personal blend of traditions and individual perspectives in movement. Just as society was restructuring itself in the United States, so were artists searching for their voices within that new cultural awakening. Helen Tamiris, with a background in theatrical dance and a strong social conscience, brought that balanced perspective to the developing genre of modern dance. Dancing to Negro spirituals in How Long Brethren (1937), she was the first major choreographer to acknowledge this music from the African American community. Tamiris also choreographed Broadway hit musicals such as Showboat (1927).

Pearl Primus and Katherine Dunham were two major figures who brought their experience and perspectives as African Americans to modern dance. Primus was both a dancer and an anthropologist and her research heavily influenced her creative work. Dunham created a body of work and a training system in a distinctive style. In the 1930s Dunham created works based on Afro-Caribbean dances and popularized them in revues such as Ballet Negrès. In 1969 Dunham settled in East St. Louis, Illinois, where she dedicated herself to offering dance training to help young people. As part of a revival of African and Afro-Caribbean culture throughout the United States, Dunham's training system inspired other African American dancers and choreographers such as Geoffrey Holder, Donald McKayle, Arthur Mitchell, and Alvin Ailey , all of whom were to be major influences in the U.S. dance world.

Germany also created its own form of modern dance that was eventually intertwined with the American system. Hanya Holm studied in Germany with Mary Wigman, known for her expressionist style. Holm founded a school in New York based on Wigman's training technique, remaining in the United States and teaching professionally and in college programs as well as providing choreography for Broadway musicals such as My Fair Lady (1956) and Camelot (1960).

The wider revolution in dance was inevitably to influence ballet in the United States. The Russian impresario Sergei Diaghilev became the leading visionary of dance in Europe. His Ballets Russes created a total theater experience and his company and collaborators included Anna Pavlova, Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky, Pablo Picasso, George Balanchine, and the legendary Vaslav Nijinsky. Diaghilev's company incorporated two-dimensional effects in body movements and unusual footwork, reflecting the same artistic challenges at work in the United States. The Ballets Russes toured internationally, and remnants of the original company influenced the American dance scene through inspiration or by individuals settling and teaching throughout the United States. Balanchine created the Ballet Society (later the New York City Ballet), which also challenged the look of classical ballet, reflecting and incorporating the energy and speed of the industrial and political climate of the United States. Professional regional ballet companies were established in such cities as Atlanta, Houston, Kansas City, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco, signifying concentrations of wealth, and perhaps a continued preference for the European-based art form. Mitchell, deeply affected by the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., created the Dance Theatre of Harlem to provide opportunities in ballet for African Americans who had been mostly excluded from the classical dance form.

Slowly but surely the quality of performance in ballet was to rise across the United States. While the classical ballets such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker continued as staples in the ballet repertory, new perspectives from teachers and choreographers were to create works based on contemporary ideas. Along with Balanchine's explorations of speed, line, and abstraction were works such as Lew Christiansen's Filling Station (1938), Agnes DeMille's Rodeo (1942), Eugene Loring's Billy the Kid (1938), and Jerome Robbins's Fancy Free (1944). The inspiration for these ballets was distinctively the United States; the ballets reflected the stories and perspective of cultural lore.

Social dance sometimes mixed with theatrical dancing, particularly in the movies. One example of this was the work of Vernon and Irene Castle, who were to serve as precursors to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and other famous dancing pairs of the movies. The movies drew from a broad range of dancing styles and employed a number of stage dancers, including Anna Pavlova, Shawn, and DeMille. Rudolph Valentino and Joan Crawford were also coaxed into dancing for a script. Certainly the films of Busby Berkeley brought dancing into the foreground with their emphasis on spectacle and their famous overhead kaleidoscope shots. Astaire and Gene Kelly brought male dancing to the wider public in their musical numbers, displaying virtuosity and skill, both alone and with famous partners. Although not as widely acknowledged, such artists as Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and the Nicholas Brothers brought the African American influence to popular film. As musicals became a force in Hollywood, including transfer of Broadway hits, dancing found a stable place in the film industry. For the most part dance was used as a relief from the Depression and World War II. Not until such hits as An American in Paris (1951), Singin' in the Rain (1952), Brigadoon (1954), Oklahoma (1955), and West Side Story (1961) did movies include powerful dramatic dancing. Later, such films as Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Fame (1980) were to reflect both social mores and personal struggle, inspiring moviegoers to pursue dance training, whether for social or professional reasons.

The Black Crook was performed in 1866, the first version of what was to become the American musical. As the musical stage grew, it drew from any appropriate source and in the twentieth century Broadway produced some of the finest and most exciting dance in the United States. Jack Cole, DeMille, Bob Fosse, Michael Kidd, Onna White, Gower Champion, Robbins, Peter Gennaro, Patricia Birch, and Michael Bennett created dances for musicals that are now household names: Oklahoma!, Chicago, Guys and Dolls, The Music Man, Hello Dolly!, West Side Story, Annie, Grease, and A Chorus Line. The movement in each reflected the slice of American culture on which the story was based and the time period in which it was set. The history of the United States could be danced through a series of musical numbers such as Savion Glover's Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk (1996), which explores the African American experience through tap.

As the first half of the twentieth century came to a conclusion, modern dance found itself heading in many directions. Limón, while striking out on his own vision, kept close ties with his mentor Doris Humphrey. Limón drew from his Mexican heritage as well as biblical and American themes. His company was chosen to tour South America as part of a political show of strength during the cold war. Other modern dancers revealed that the field was rebelling internally. Merce Cunningham left the world of Graham to explore a movement vocabulary that paralleled his interest in abstract visual art. Like Graham, Cunningham worked with other contemporary artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, and John Cage. While Cunningham challenged Graham's style and philosophy of dance, he also worked to codify a training system and style. Alwin Nikolais, inspired by Holm's teaching, began to experiment with lighting and other theatrical elements in dance, often creating living sculptures from his dancers, visual abstractions accompanied by electronic music he himself composed. Eric Hawkins left Graham to form a company that explored a number of American themes. Although these artists investigated a range of emotions, they existed in a relatively stable social structure. That all changed beginning in the 1950s with the end of World War II and the return of the soldiers to the United States. Dance reflected the new exuberance and power of the United States.

In the late 1950s and into the 1960s and 1970s, dance once again mirrored the changing social climate. Groups and individuals began to question the increasing formality and codification of modern dance. Just as teenagers rebelled in music and dress, young choreographers declared that theatrical presentation in dance detracted from the pure emotion, while others, who found that the established techniques limited access for the nontrained dancer, chose to explore pedestrian movement such as simple walking, running, and falling. Yvonne Ranier summarized this movement in her manifesto that began with "No to spectacle, no to virtuosity. …" Happenings and dances avoided logical interpretation and embraced both the abstract and the absurd. Communelike groups sprang up that reflected the social climate of the times: Ranier (Grand Union), James Cunningham (Acme Dance Co.), Deborah Hay (The Farm), and Meredith Monk (The House). The lives and work of these artists were intertwined and explored spontaneous novelty and the human being involved with discovery and social interaction. The line between life and art began to blur, and the eclectic viewpoints mirrored the increasing complexity of individuality in the changing political and social landscape. As the writing of James Joyce and the painting of Rauschenberg challenged notions of life and art, such artists as Monk incorporated movement, singing, music, and multimedia elements into what became more and more difficult to define as a single art form. Such experimentation brought new importance to improvisation (including the development of "contact improvisation, " based on weight sharing with a partner) and offered a new perspective on the role of dance in U.S. society and culture, amid the disruption of social values and the factioning of the political system.

Dance, like all U.S. culture, has been deeply affected by the technology and growth of mass media. Dance has become a staple on television from the early variety shows to MTV (Music Television). Because the camera, both by design and through the editing process, determines the ultimate view of a dance, media technology played a powerful role in what and how dance movement was viewed, whether on the classical programs on public television's Dance in America series or on MTV. Merce Cunningham and others have incorporated television, video, and computer technology in their definition and creation of dance.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the pendulum swung back again and technical dancing resurfaced with the work of Twyla Tharp, which incorporated ballet, modern, jazz, and popular dance and music. Ailey created a major company that incorporated the influences of ballet, Dunham, and Graham. His repertory drew heavily on the African American experience in the United States. The technical base broadened and fusion became the dominant process. This fusion took street dance, social dance, ballet, modern, jazz, tap, cultural forms, and so on, and combined them into forms that were difficult to classify. As the cultural fabric of the United States continued to expand and weave itself into more and more complicated patterns, so dance acknowledged these new influences and ideas. Choreographers were no longer satisfied with drawing on the established " techniques" but searched for inspiration in the multiple cultures of the United States.

During all of the developments of theatrical dancing, there was also a continuous activity in social and folk dancing. Individuals, clubs, and schools organized opportunities to practice and perpetuate these forms in the everyday lives of the population. Dancing continued to provide outlets for physical activity, social interaction, personal expression, celebration, community building, and religious ceremony. Folk dances of the United States inherited cultural features of the English, Irish, and Scottish settlers. The dances, however, bear an unmistakable American look and energy and are of four general types: square dances, New England longways dances, Southern mountain dances, and party games that substituted for dancing where religious sects banned dancing.

The American Folk Dance Society, founded in 1916 and headquartered in New York City, is dedicated to the revival and preservation of folk dance. Many published collections of folk dances are available in libraries and bookstores, and folk dancing is sometimes a part of the physical education curriculum in schools and colleges. Many of the folk dances from Europe and around the world continue to be learned and practiced, and square dancing has a huge following, as do social and ballroom dancing. In addition, folk dances live through ballet steps and structures. The classical pas de deux, in which a couple dances alternately together and separately, is a formalized courtship dance. Many individual ballets have folk-dance themes or sequences as do musicals such as Oklahoma!

Social dance in the twentieth century was also breaking the rules. Since the early 1920s, new freedom in what body parts to move and how to move them have mirrored changes in social values and attitudes toward the body. Music with a Latin, African, or Caribbean influence inspired the cross-fertilization of dance in clubs and ballrooms with dances such as the Charleston, rumba, tango, samba, and cha-cha. The Harlem Renaissance brought the range of African American dances such as the lindy and jitterbug into the mainstream. The energetic partner dances of the 1930s and 1940s sought to escape from the Great Depression and World War II. As these threats faded dances became more individualistic, with rock and roll and dances such as the twist of the 1960s and later freestyle dances such as the frug and the jerk. Disco dancing of the 1970s and street-based dances of the 1980s (breakdancing, punk, raves, hip-hop) merged to form the social dances of the 1990s, incorporating both a personal style and a strong influence from the African-based hip-hop style.

Dance of the 1990s underwent another artistic revolution through the medium of music videos. Michael Jackson was a pioneer in the use of dance in music videos with his Thriller spawning a new wave of dance in the media. Millions of young girls sought to emulate Madonna and the dancing that shocked their parents, much as the swiveling hips of Elvis Presley had done decades before. Freedom and influence from the African American dance forms shaped the style and looks of dance (as well as the music) on television and in the clubs.

Choreographers for the stage in the 1980s and 1990s such as Mark Morris, Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane, Elizabeth Streb, and Joe Goode incorporated multimedia, social, and political themes and issues, and even circus elements into a performance genre that is still considered dance based. Fusion continued to describe what choreographers created in their works. Professional choreographers incorporated and mixed street dancing, social forms, cultural dances, and traditional styles to create unique and evolving performance works. Communities supported all sorts of dance activities as outreach programs, educational forums, and ways of addressing social needs. Just as cultures mixed and meshed, dance reflected this through its search for expression of personal, social, and cultural values.

While dance history is often written about according to genre in order to provide continuity and perspective, dance styles and forms always cross boundaries. Ballet can be seen in the movie musical alongside tap and modern dance. Ballet companies have borrowed both from modern dance and from other world cultures for movements and themes. Social, folk, and square dances have threaded themselves through professional realms.

As the U.S. population grows more culturally and ethnically diverse, however, there is an increasing acknowledgment of other traditions. As with ballet, the other traditional forms continue, but as children grow up exposed to the multicultural world, they bring a broadened perspective to their work as social and recreational dancers and artists. This world view, along with increasing access to sophisticated technology, is producing works that defy genre. Young people continue to find ways to rebel and express themselves through dance. As generations age, social, folk, and square dance offer ways to remain physically active and continue social interaction.

Dance, which has always existed in far-flung corners of culture and society, now finds a home even in the virtual world of computers through animation software, digital cameras, and motion capture. If nothing else, the history of dance in the United States rests on its continuous embrace of plurality and change.

Luke C. Kahlich

(Princeton Univ. Press 1992).

(Univ. of Iowa Press 1997).

(Duke Univ. Press 1993).

(Univ. of Wis. Press 2001).

(Princeton Univ. Press 1988).

(Univ. of N.C. Press 2002).

(Da Capo 1998).

(Da Capo 1978).

(Univ. Press of Miss. 1994).

(Univ. of Minn. Press 2007).

(Cherokee 1999).

(Palgrave Macmillan 2003).

(Ind. Univ. Press 1999).

African American Dance

Ailey , Alvin

Broadway Musicals

Ghost Dance

Performing Arts Encyclopedia (Library of Congress)

African-American Sheet Music, 1850-1920: Dancing

America at Work, America at Leisure: Motion Pictures from 1894-1915 (Library of Congress American Memory): Spanish Dancers at the Pan-American Exposition

The Atlantic Slave Trade and Slave Life in the Americas: Music, Dance, and Recreational Activities

An American Ballroom Companion: Dance Instruction Manuals Ca. 1490-1920 (Library of Congress American Memory)

Performing Arts Encyclopedia: African Americans in the Performing Arts (Library of Congress)

Dismuke's Virtual Talking Machine

Internet Broadway Database

Trail Tribes: Traditional and Contemporary Native Culture

Historic American Sheet Music: Dancing

American Variety Stage: Vaudeville and Popular Entertainment 1870-1920 (Library of Congress American Memory)

Encyclopedia of American Studies, ed. Miles Orvell (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011), s.v. "Dance" (by Luke C. Kahlich), http://eas-ref.press.jhu.edu/view?aid=229 (accessed December 28, 2011).

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1.19: Dance History and Styles

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Learning Objectives

• Explain the function of court dance and the development of ballet.
• Summarize the development of ballet from its professionalization through Romantic, Classical, Avant-Garde, Neoclassical, and Contemporary Ballet.
• Associate major ballet milestones with the works and choreographers responsible.

“Nothing resembles a dream more than a ballet, and it is this which explains the singular pleasure that one receives from these apparently frivolous representations. One enjoys, while awake, the phenomenon that nocturnal fantasy traces on the canvas of sleep; an entire world of chimeras moves before you.”

-Theophile Gautier, French poet

What is Ballet?

Ballet is the epitome of classical dance in Western cultures. Classical dance forms are structured, and stylized techniques developed and evolved throughout centuries requiring rigorous formal training. Ballet originated with the nobility in the Renaissance courts of Europe. The dance form was closely associated with appropriate behavior and etiquette. Eventually, ballet became a professional vocation as it became a popular form of entertainment for the new middle-class to enjoy. Ballet spread throughout the world as dance masters refined their craft and handed their methods down from generation to generation. Over 500 years, it has developed and changed. Dancers and choreographers worldwide have contributed new vocabulary and styles, yet ballet’s essence remains the same.

Ballet Characteristics

Codified technique.

Ballet is a codified dance form ordered systematically and has set movements associated with specific terminology. Ballet is a rigorous art and requires extensive training to perform the technique correctly. The first ballet creators’ principles have survived intact, but different regional and artistic styles have emerged over the centuries. Ballet classes follow a standard structure for progression and are comprised of two sections:

The first part of ballet class typically begins with a warm-up at the barre. The barre is a stationary handrail that dancers hold while working on balance, allowing them to focus on placement, alignment, and coordination. The second half of the ballet class is performed in the center without a barre. Dancers use the entire room to increase their spatial awareness and perform elevated and dynamic movements.

Alignment and Turnout

Ballet emphasizes the lengthening of the spine and the use of turnout, an outward rotation of the legs in the hip socket. This serves both to create an aesthetically pleasing line and increase mobility.

Foot Articulation

Ballet demands a strong articulated foot to perform demanding movements and create an elongated line.

Pointe shoes, a ballet staple, add to the illusion of weightlessness and flight. They are constructed with a hard, flat box to enable dance on the tips of the toes; it is a technique called en pointe that requires years of training and dedication to develop the needed strength in the feet, ankles, calves and legs.

Elevated Movement

Traditionally, ballet favors a light quality, called ballon, with elevated movements. Dancers seem to overcome gravity effortlessly and achieve great height in their leaps and jumps.

Pantomime and Storytelling

Ballet can tell a story without words through a language of gestures called pantomime. Some movements are easily understood or have simple body language, but more abstract concepts are given specific gestures of their own to convey meaning. The facial expressions, the musical phrasing, and dynamics all play a role in communicating the story. Pantomime developed in ballet’s Romantic period and was further incorporated during the Classical era.

The Royal Ballet dancers demonstrate and decode ballet pantomime for Swan Lake. David Pickering addresses the audience in the basics of pantomime, and audience members mimic the movement. In the second part of the clip, principal dancers Marianele Nunez and Thiago Soares reenact Act 2 as David Pickering narrates the pantomime.

Court Dance: Italy and France

In medieval Italy, an early pantomime version featured a single performer portraying all the story characters through gestures and dance. A narrator previewed the story to come, and musicians accompanied the pantomime. Pantomimes were quite popular, but they were sometimes over-the-top in their efforts to be comedic, often resulting in lewd and graphic reenactments. Dance was a part of everyday life. Peasants danced at street fairs, and guild members danced at festivals, but it was in the royal courts that ballet had its genesis.

European Renaissance: Ballet de Cour

Catherine de’ medici.

Catherine de’ Medici, a wealthy noblewoman of Florence, Italy, married the heir to the French throne, King Henri II. In 1581, she went to Paris for a royal wedding accompanied by Balthazar de Beaujoyeulx, a dance teacher and choreographer. Catherine de’ Medici commissioned Beaujoyeulx to create Ballet Comique de la Reine in celebration of the wedding, and it became widely recognized as the first court ballet. The ballet de cour featured independent acts of dancing, music, and poetry unified by overarching themes from Greco-Roman mythology. The ballet included references to court characters and intrigues. After the Ballet Comique de la Reine production, a booklet was published with libretto telling the ballet story. It became the model for ballets produced in other European courts, making France the recognized leader in ballet.

King Louis XIV

During King Louis XIV’s reign, France was a mighty nation. King Louis XIV kept nobility close at hand by moving his court and government to the Palace of Versailles, where he could maintain his power. At court, it was necessary to excel in fencing, dance, and etiquette. Nobility vied for an elevated position in court as one’s abilities in the finer arts reflected success in politics.

King Louis XIV was a great patron of the arts and vigorously trained in ballet. He performed in several ballet productions. His most memorable role was Apollo, gaining the title the “Sun King” from “Le Ballet de la Nuit,” translated to “The Ballet of the Night.”

Louis XIV’s love of dance inspired him to charter the Académie Royal de Musique et Danse, headed by his old dance teacher Pierre Beauchamps and thirteen of the finest dance masters from his court. In this way, the king assured that “la danse classique,” that is to say, “ballet,” would survive and develop. The danse d’ecole provided rigorous training to transition from amateur performance to seasoned professionals. This also opened the door for non-nobility to pursue ballet professionally. For the first time, women were also allowed to train in ballet. Women were only allowed to participate in court social dances until this point. Men performers took on all the roles in court ballets, wearing masks to dance the roles of women.

Transitioning from the ballet de cour, dances of the Renaissance ballroom grew into the ballet a entrée, a series of independent episodes linked by a common theme. Early productions of the academy featured the opera-ballet, a hybrid art form of music and dance. Jean-Philippe Rameau served as both composer and choreographer for many early opera-ballets.

At this time, there was a differentiation of characters that dancers assumed. These roles were generally categorized as:

• danse noble : regal presentation suitable for roles of royalty
• demi-charactere : lively, everyday people; “the girl next door”
• comique : exaggerated, caricatured characters

Some significant developments aided in the progression of ballet as an art form at the Académie Royale de Musique et Danse. Pierre Beauchamps significantly contributed to ballet by developing the five basic positions of the feet used in ballet technique. He also laid the foundation for a notation system to record dances. Raoul Auger Feuillet refined the notation and published it in 1700; then, in 1706, John Weaver translated it into English, making it globally accessible.

In this split-screen, Feuillet’s dance notation is shown on the left side while dancers perform the Baroque dances on the right side.

The Académie Royale de Musique et Danse was the place to train classical dancers. Dancers and dance masters alike traveled to the great centers of Europe, bringing French ballet to the continent. Today’s Paris Opera Ballet is the direct descendant of the Académie Royal de Musique et Danse.

The TED-Ed animated video clip summarizing the origins of ballet.

Dance in The Age of Enlightenment

The Age of Enlightenment was a philosophical movement that emphasized freedom of expression and the eradication of religious authority. These ideas caused criticism among philosophers who believed art forms should speak to meaningful human expression rather than ornamental art forms.

Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-1810)

Ballet master and choreographer Jean-Georges Noverre challenged ballet traditions and made ballets more expressive. In his famous writings, Letters on Dancing and Ballet, Noverre rejected dance traditions at the Paris Opera Ballet and helped transform ballet into a medium for story-telling. The masks that dancers traditionally wore were stripped away to show dramatic facial expressions and convey meaning within ballets. Pantomime helped tell the story of the ballet. In addition, plots became logically developed with unifying themes, integrating theatrical elements. From Noverre’s concepts, ballet d’action emerged.

Carlo Blasis (1797-1878)

Carlo Blasis was particularly influential in shaping the vocabulary and structure of ballet techniques. He invented the “attitude” position commonly used in ballet from the inspiration of Giambologna’s sculpture of Mercury. He published two major treatises on the execution of ballet, the most notable, “An Elementary Treatise Upon the Theory and Practice of the Art of Dancing.” Blasis taught primarily at LaScala in Milan, where he was responsible for educating many Romantic era teachers and dancers.

Costume Changes

During the Renaissance, men and women wore elaborate clothing. Women wore laced-up corsets around the torso and panniers (a series of side hoops) fastened around the waist to extend the width of the skirts. Men wore breeches and heeled shoes. The upper body was bound by bulky clothing and primarily emphasized footwork. By the 18th century, there were changes in costuming. Two dancers helped revolutionize costumes.

Marie Sallé (1707-1756)

Marie Sallé was a famous dancer at the Paris Opera, celebrated for her dramatic expression. Her natural approach to pantomime storytelling influenced Noverre. She traded the elaborate clothing that was fashionable at the time to match the subject of the choreography. In her self-choreographed ballet “Pygmalion,” she wore a less restrictive costume, wearing a simple draped Grecian-style dress and soft slippers. This allowed for less restricted movement and expression.

Marie Camargo (1710-1770)

Marie Camargo, a contemporary of Sallé, exemplified virtuosity and flamboyance in her dancing. She shortened her skirt to just above the ankles to make her impressive fancy footwork visible. She also removed the heels from her shoes, creating flat-soled slippers. This allowed her to execute jumps and leaps that were previously considered male steps.

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Romantic Ballet

From France and the royal academy, dance masters brought ballet to the other courts of Europe. These professional teachers and choreographers attended London, Vienna, Milan, and Copenhagen, where the monarchs supported ballet. During the 18th century, the French Revolution ended the French monarchy, and Europe saw political and social changes that profoundly affected ballet. By the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution resulted in middle-class people working in factories. Art shifted from glorifying the nobility to emphasizing the ordinary person.

The Romantic era of ballet reflected this pivotal time. Ballets had now become ballet d’action , ballets that tell a story. ballets that tell a story. The Romantic era was a time of fantasy, etherealism, supernaturalism, and exoticism. Artistic themes included man v.s. nature, good vs. evil, and society v.s. the supernatural. The dancers appeared as humans and mythical creatures like sylphs, wilis, shades, and naiads. Women were the stars of the ballets, and men took on supporting roles. Choreography now included pointework, pantomime, and the illusion of floating. Romantic ballets most often appeared as two-acts. The first act would be set in the real world, and dancers would portray humans. In contrast, the second act was set in a spiritual realm and often would include a tragic end.

Theater Special Effects

The opera houses featured stages with prosceniums, a stage with a frame or arch. The shift of performance venues had a significant effect on ballet in the following ways:

• In ballrooms, geometric floor patterns were appreciated by audiences who sat above. The audience’s perspective changed to a frontal view with the introduction of the proscenium stage, and the body became the composition’s focus.
• Turned-out legs were emphasized, allowing dancers to travel side-to-side while still facing the audience. This required dancers to have greater skill and technique.
• The proscenium stage separated the audience and performers, transitioning from its social function to theatrical entertainment.
• Curtains allowed for changes in scenery.
• The flickering of the gas lights in the theaters gave a supernatural look to the dancing on the stage.
• Theaters also enabled rigging to carry the dancers into the air, giving the illusion of flying.

The stagecraft of the time lent itself to creating the scenes that choreographer Filippo Taglioni would use in his ballets.

La Sylphide

In 1824, ballet master Filippo Taglioni (1777-1871) choreographed La Sylphide. His daughter Marie portrayed the sylphide, an ethereal, spirit-like character. Marie Taglioni (1804-1884) wore a white romantic tutu with a bell-shaped skirt that reached below her knees, creating the effect of flight and weightlessness. Taglioni also removed the heels from her slippers and rose to the tips of her toes as she danced to give her movement a floating and ethereal quality. Taglioni is recognized as one of the first dancers to perform en pointe.

La Sylphide features a corps de ballet , a group of dancers working in unison to create dance patterns. Because the corps de ballet is dressed in white romantic tutus (as is the norm with sylphs, fairies, wilis, and other creatures that populate the worlds of Romantic ballet), La Sylphide is known as a ballet blanc .

WATCH this video of the Royal Scottish Ballet that describes and shows excerpts from La Sylphide

Auguste Bournonville (1805-1879)

Auguste Bournonville, a French-trained dancer, served the Royal Danish Ballet as a choreographer and director. Four years after the original La Sylphide production, Bournonville re-choreographed the ballet. Bournonville’s dances feature speed, elevation, and beats where the legs “flutter” in the air. He also expanded the lexicon of male dancing by adding ballon for men and stylized movements for women that portrayed them as sweet and charming. Bournonville created many dances for the Danish ballet, and the company has preserved his choreography through the centuries.

The Bournoville variation from Napoli demonstrates movements of elevation

Giselle is a ballet masterwork that is still performed worldwide. It is inspired by the literary works of Heine and Hugo that referenced the supernatural wilis. Giselle was choreographed by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot and composed by Adolphe Adam. It is almost a template for the traditional Romantic ballets. Act one is set in a village, and act two is in a graveyard, an otherworldly place populated by the ghosts of young girls who died before their wedding day; willis. Giselle falls in love with a young man, Albrecht, who pretends to be a local but is really a nobleman. Distraught by his deception, she dies from grief. When Albrecht visits her grave, the wilis conspire to dance him to death. Giselle, now a wili herself, intervenes to save him.

Coppélia

Not all Romantic era ballets were tragic and supernatural. Arthur St. Léon created the great comedic ballet Coppélia: The Girl with the Enamel Eyes. The ballet is based on a tale by E.T. A. Hoffman. It tells the story of a village boy, Franz, enamored by the girl Coppélia. Unbeknownst to him, she is an automaton. His jealous girlfriend Swanilda discovers the deception created by the doll’s creator, and when the old toymaker tries to animate his doll with magic, she takes the doll’s place and pretends to come to life. The characters’ antics were great hits with audiences, and the ballet remains popular today.

Classical Ballet: Imperial Russia

About the time King Louis XIV was sponsoring the creation of ballet in his court, Peter the Great became tsar of Russia (1682-1725). He embraced science and Western social ideas in an effort to bring “the enlightenment” to Russia. Peter built the imperial city of St. Petersburg and established his court there. His successor, Empress Anna, retained Jean-Baptiste Lande in 1738 to establish a ballet school at the military academy she had established. This school became the home of the Maryinsky Ballet. The Bolshoi Ballet was a rival school and company later established in Moscow.

Following Lande’s lengthy directorship in St Petersburg, many of Europe’s most important ballet masters and choreographers took a turn at the helm in creating dance in Russia, including Jules Perrot, Filippo Taglioni, and Arthur St Léon.

Marius Petipa (1818-1910)

Marius Petipa was the most influential choreographer of this era, known as “The Father of Classical Ballet.” A dancer from a family of French ballet dancers, he moved to St Petersburg as a minor choreographer. He rose to great importance in Russian ballet as the director and choreographer of the Maryinsky Ballet for nearly sixty years (1847-1903). He created over sixty ballets in his career, restaging a number of the great Romantic era ballets (much of the existing choreography of ballets like Giselle and Coppélia is the work of Marius Petipa’s restaging.) Petipa also created new original ballets, beginning with The Pharaoh’s Daughter, a five-act ballet complete with an underwater scene and livestock onstage.

Characteristics of Classical Ballets

Marius Petipa is responsible for the defining characteristics of classical ballets. Petipa’s creations told stories using ballet, character dance, and choreographic structures that highlighted the most technical dancers of the company.

Classical Ballet Choreographic Structure

Petipa developed a standard choreographic structure. He used character dances, folk dances that depicted various cultures, to add variety to the performance. Unlike the Romantic ballets that consisted of two acts, classical ballets expanded to three or four acts. Many dances that had nothing to do with moving the plot forward were included in these ballets to make them longer. These extra dance numbers are called divertissement s (diversions). Divertissements were often character dances. The end of the ballet usually features the grand pas de deu x, a duet for the principal dancers. The grand pas de deux has four sections:

• Adagio- The principal dancers perform slow movement together that is fluid and controlled.
• Man’s Variation- Males display their technical virtuosity by performing leaps, turns, and jumps.
• Woman’s Variation- Females often perform quick footwork and turns.
• Coda- The principals dance together to display impressive movements.

The Sleeping Beauty grand pas de deux featuring Robert Bolle and Diana Vishneva.

Contextual Connections

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky composed three great ballets. He was already a recognized and respected composer in Russia when Petipa asked him to compose the ballet score for The Sleeping Beauty. Petipa gave Tchaikovsky specific instructions on the music he required for the ballet. The ballet was lavishly produced and became an enormous success.

Tchaikovsky’s second ballet, The Nutcracker, was choreographed by Petipa’s choreographic assistant, Lev Ivanov (1834-1901). Petipa’s choreographic assistant, Lev Ivanov, worked alongside Petipa in the creation of many ballets. He created entire portions of Petipa ballets and ballets of his own.

The Nutcracker was not admired in Russia at the time – it was seen as frivolous and trivial. It was in America in the middle of the twentieth century that the Nutcracker found popularity as a vehicle for local dancers in communities around the country.

The third well-known ballet Tchaikovsky composed was Swan Lake. Marius Petipa choreographed the first and third acts of the ballet- those set in the environs of Prince Siegfried, town and ballroom, and the world of people. Lev Ivanov choreographed acts two and four, the beautiful scenes set at the lake with the swans.

After the revolution of 1917, the Russian populace embraced ballet. Rather than discarding it as a symbol of the tsars, the working class adopted it as their own, and ballet became a symbol of national pride.

At the end of the 19th century, Russia was at the apex of the ballet world, and this continued well into the 20th century. The Vaganova Choreographic Institute in St Petersburg employs Russia’s finest teachers to train its dancers. The life of a ballet dancer in Russia brings privileges and opportunities that make acceptance into the school highly desirable.

Query \(\PageIndex{2}\)

Ballet Russes: Dance and The Avant-Garde

Sergei diaghilev (1872-1929).

Sergei Diaghilev, a Russian art lover, organized the Ballet Russes in 1909. He identified ballet as the ideal vehicle to present the Russian arts to the West. Diaghilev’s troupe included some of Russia’s finest dancers and choreographers recruited from the Vaganova Institute and the Maryinsky ballet. He promoted collaborations with avant-garde composers and artists of the time. The tour to Paris extended twenty years as the Ballet Russes performed for Paris, Europe, and the Western world. The Ballet Russes introduced a new and modern form of ballet, revitalizing ballet in the West.

Michel Fokine (1880-1942)

The first choreographer of Ballet Russes was Michel Fokine. Like Jean-Georges Noverre, Fokine developed principles to reform ballet. Fokine focused on ballet’s expressiveness rather than physical prowess. He believed movement should serve a purpose to the theme, and costumes should reflect the dress of the time and setting. Fokine also stripped away pantomime in his ballets, emphasizing movement and self-expression as the catalyst for storytelling. His one-act ballet Les Sylphides was reminiscent of the earlier ballet La Sylphide in its use of the ethereal sylph. But Fokine’s ballet had no plot. A single man, a poet, dances among a group of sylphides in a ballet that evokes a dreamlike mood.

Excerpt from Les Sylphides (c 1928). This black-and-white clip is some of the only footage of the company that exists. Diaghilev did not want his ballet company to be filmed because he was afraid of losing income from box office sales.

Fokine’s The Firebird was based on tales from Russian folklore. His Petrouchka told the story of a trio of puppets at a Russian street fair.

Vaslav Nijinsky (1889-1950)

Vaslav Nijinsky was a principal dancer of the company and is remembered for his astonishing gravity-defying jumps and poignant portrayals. When Fokine left the company, Nijinsky became the principal choreographer. He choreographed the “Rite of Spring: Tales from Russia,” “Afternoon of a Faun,” and “Jeux.” Nijinsky’s dances were controversial because the themes, movement aesthetics, and music were unconventional for the time. “The Rite of Spring” portrays a pagan ritual and fertility rites that left the audience in uproar on its opening night.

Excerpt from the Rite of Spring.

Léonide Massine (1895-1979)

Léonide Massine followed Nijinsky as a choreographer, where he expanded on Fokine’s innovations, focusing on narrative, folk dance, and character portrayals in his ballets. Parade is a one-act ballet about French and American street circuses. Pablo Picasso designed the cubist sets and costumes.

Excerpt of Parade. The characters are introduced in three groups as they try to entice an audience into the performance. The giant cubist figures portray business promoters.

Bronislava Nijinska (1891-1972)

Bronislava Nijinska, the fourth Ballet Russes choreographer, was Vaslav’s sister and stands out as one of the few recognized women choreographers. Her ballet Les Noces, set to music by Stravinsky, was noted for its architectural qualities. She created several ballets known for being Riviera chic, portraying the carefree lifestyle of Europe’s idle rich.

Excerpt from Le Train Bleu; you can see the costumes designed by Coco Chanel.

George Balanchine (1904-1983)

George Balanchine was the fifth and last choreographer of Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes. He created ten ballets for the company. The “Prodigal Son” is a retelling of the bible story. “Apollo” shows the birth of the god Apollo and his tutoring in the arts by the three muses. Those two ballets remain in the repertory of the New York City Ballet.

Excerpt from Balanchine’s “Apollo” performed by Pacific Northwest Ballet.

This short clip features pictures and footage with commentary by Lynn Garafola, Nancy Reynolds, and Charles M. Smith.

Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and Original Ballet Russe

Diaghilev died in 1929, and his company disbanded with him. Two other companies emerged in its wake, the Original Ballet Russes and Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. They would hire several of the dancers of the parent company and travel Europe and the Americas throughout the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s. They spread ballet around the world, and their dancers would become the next generation of dancing masters.

The Five Moons

Many American dancers found work with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and Original Ballet Russe. Five exceptional Native American dancers who became ballerinas with these companies hailed from Oklahoma. Known as the Five Moons, a reference to their tribes, these women gained fame and success at the highest levels of ballet, and were foundational in the development of Oklahoma dance institutions.

Maria Tallchief (Osage Nation, 1925-2013) went on to dance with New York City Ballet. She married George Balanchine and worked with him for many years. Balanchine’s Firebird was a signature role for her.

Marjorie Tallchief (Osage Nation, (1926-2021), Maria’s sister, was known for her great versatility as a dancer. She had a successful dancing career in Europe and the states, then served as director at Dallas Civic Ballet Academy, Chicago’s City Ballet, and Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton.

Moscelyne Larkin (Peoria/Eastern Shawnee/Russian, 1925-2012) first learned ballet from her dancer mother. She starred at Radio City Music Hall and founded Tulsa Ballet Theatre with her husband.

Yvonne Chouteau (Shawnee Tribe, 1929-2016) joined Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo at the age of 14 where she danced many roles from the Ballet Russe repertory. She served as an artist in residence at the University of Oklahoma and founded Oklahoma City Ballet with her husband.

Rosella Hightower (Choctaw Nation, 1920-2008) danced with these major companies and with American Ballet Theatre, but she later found her work in France, as director of Marseilles Opera Ballet and then Ballet de Nancy. Hightower was the first American director of the Paris Opera Ballet.

Neoclassical Ballet

Neoclassical dance utilizes traditional ballet vocabulary, but pieces are often abstract and have no narrative. Several choreographers were experimenting with the neoclassical style. Balanchine’s work is regarded as neoclassical, embracing both classical and contemporary aesthetics. Balanchine wanted the attention to be on the movement itself, highlighting the relationship between music and dancing by creating movement that mirrored the music. Balanchine also employed freedom of the upper body, moving away from the verticality of the spine for a more expressive movement that drew inspiration from vernacular jazz dance styles that became prominent.

American Ballet in The 20th Century

At the invitation of Lincoln Kirstein, George Balanchine went to New York City when the Ballet Russes ended in 1929. In 1934, they established the first ballet school in the United States, the forerunner of the School of American Ballet. It expanded into a short-lived dance company. In 1948, Balanchine established a small company that ultimately grew to become the New York City Ballet (NYCB). New York City Ballet is the resident company of Lincoln Center in NYC and one of the most recognized ballet companies in the country.

George Balanchine was a prolific choreographer with a long career. Due to his contributions to the development of ballet in the United States, Balanchine is known as “the father of American ballet.” He wanted to express modern 20th-century life and ideas to capture the spirit and athleticism of American dancers. Some of his most famous ballets include Serenade, Jewels, Stars and Stripes, and Concerto Barocco.

Excerpt of the Rubies pas de deux from the ballet Jewels.

American Ballet Theatre (ABT)

American Ballet Theatre (ABT), a New York City Ballet contemporary, is also recognized as a premier ballet company. Its mission is to preserve the classical repertoire, commission new works, and provide educational programming.

Its directors have included Lucia Chase and Oliver Smith, Mikail Baryshnikov, and Kevin McKenzie. Hundreds of renowned choreographers have created works with ABT. Antony Tudor created intimate psychological ballets, Agnes de Mille created ballets of Americana, and Jerome Robbins produced ballets across a range of styles.

Excerpt from Rodeo by Agnes de Mille, the dancers mimic the bowed-legs of cowboys and trot about as if they are astride horses. Aaron Copland composed the music.

Ballet grew in other cities of America as well. San Francisco Ballet was founded by Adolphe Bolm, a Ballet Russes dancer. Chicago and Utah both established ballet companies early on.

Other Notable American Ballet Artists

Mid-20th century, jerome robbins (1918-1998).

Jerome Robbins was an American-born dancer and a significant choreographer in ballet, musical theater, and film. Robbins contributed modern ballets to the repertory of New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. His artistic works are influenced by ordinary people and reflect current times.

Short documentary that highlights scenes of Fancy Free with commentary by Daniel Ulbricht and Ella Baff. Fancy Free is set in the 1940s; this ballet is about the escapades of sailors onshore. Fancy Free is the precursor for the musical, On the Town.

Robert Joffrey (1930-1988)

In 1953 Robert Joffrey began his company, Joffrey Ballet, as a small touring group traveling in a single van. It is primarily known for its pop-culture ballets, like Astarte, and historical recreations of ballets like Nijinsky’s” Rite of Spring,” Fokine’s “Petrouchka,” and Massine’s “Parade.”

Arthur Mitchell

Arthur Mitchell was the first African-American principal dancer to perform with a leading national ballet company, New York City Ballet. In 1969, in response to news of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination, Mitchell created a ballet school in his childhood neighborhood. The Dance Theatre of Harlem rose from the ballet school, a classical ballet company composed primarily of African-American dancers.

Mitchell wanted to produce ballets that would raise the voices of people of color and create opportunities for them to dance professionally. He used his company as a platform for social justice. In his Creole Giselle, Mitchell reimagined the romantic ballet and set it in Louisiana during the 1840s. According to the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s program notes, “during this time, social status among free blacks was measured by how far removed one’s family was from slavery. Giselle’s character is kept the same; her greatest joy is to dance. Albrecht is now Albert, and the Wilis are the ghosts of young girls who adore dancing and die of a broken heart.”

This archival material from Creole Giselle includes pictures and dancing clips narrated by the dancers of the original ballet, Theara Ward, Augustus Van Heerden, Lorraine Graves.

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Contemporary Ballet: Ballet in The 21st Century

Contemporary ballet is a dance genre that uses classical techniques (French terminology) that choreographers manipulate and blend with other dance forms, such as modern dance.

Alonzo King LINES Ballet

Alonzo King is an American choreographer who initially studied at the ABT. King also danced with notable choreographers Alvin Ailey and Arthur Mitchell before founding his company, LINES Ballet. LINES Ballet is located in California, where King uses Western and Eastern classical dance forms to create contemporary ballets.

BalletX was founded in 2005 by Christine Cox and Matthew Neenan and is located in Philadelphia. The mission of BalletX is to expand classical vocabulary through its experimentation to push the boundaries of ballet.

Christine Cox and Matthew Neenan discuss the mission of BalletX. The footage shows clips of the company’s performances, pictures, and interviews with the company members.

Complexions Contemporary Ballet

In 1994, Complexions was founded by Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson. The mission of Complexions is to foster diverse and inclusive approaches in the making and presentation of their works to inspire change in the ballet world.

Excerpt from WOKE that uses music from Logic to explore themes of humanity in response to the political climate.

Other Notable Contemporary Ballet Artists

• Nederlands Dans Theater founded in 1959 is a Dutch contemporary dance company
• William Forsythe founded The Forsythe Company (2005-2015), integrating ballet with visual arts.
• Jiří Kylián blends classical ballet steps with contemporary approaches to create abstract dances.
• Amy Hall Garner combines ballet, modern, and theatrical dance genres.
• Trey McIntyre founded the Trey McIntyre Project in 2005, combining ballet, contemporary dance with visual arts.
• Ballet Hispánico , founded by Tina Ramirez in 1970, blends ballet with Latinx dance to create more opportunities for dancers of color, known as one of America’s Cultural Treasures.
• Justin Peck is the resident choreographer for New York City Ballet, creating new works, and earned a Tony Award for his choreography in the revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel.

Inclusivity

From its origins in the elite white-only courts of France and Italy and well into the present day, western dance forms had a history of exclusionism. In the United States, the first Black ballet dancer who broke the color barrier in 1955 to dance in a major ballet company was Raven Wilkinson. Wilkinson danced and toured with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Racial segregation was at its height during this time, forcing Wilkinson to deny her race when performing at most venues. After facing years of discrimination, Wilkinson eventually left the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. After facing rejection from several American ballet companies, Wilkinson was hired to dance with the Dutch National Ballet. Wilkinson later became a mentor to Misty Copeland.

In 2015 Misty Copeland became the first African American female principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. Copeland is also the first woman of color to take the lead role of Odette/Odile in Swan Lake . Her road to principal dancer was difficult as many claimed she had the wrong skin color to dance professionally. Due to the racism faced throughout her life, Misty Copeland uses her platform to bring awareness to the challenges people of color face in the ballet world by advocating for diversity.

Misty Copeland’s interview on race in ballet.

Misty Copeland

Racial barriers have caused choreographers to challenge the traditional Eurocentric forms of ballet. Hiplet, a fusion of ballet movement and hip-hop, was created by Homer Hans Bryant to provide opportunities for dancers of color to connect to ballets and express themselves in a contemporary and culturally relevant way.

In this video, Hiplet creator Homer Hans Bryant discusses how he developed this dance style.

Gender Roles

Ballets historically tend to follow stereotyped gender roles that emphasize femininity and masculinity. These conventional standards are reinforced in the movements, roles, costuming, and partnering displayed in ballets. In pas de deuxs in classical ballets, female dancers are paired with male dancers. Female dancers are often portrayed as delicate, complacent, ethereal beings. In contrast, male dancers are presented as dominant and strong; they lift their female partners, enforcing the image of men supporting women.

Mathew Bourne

In 1995, Matthew Bourne took a contemporary approach to classical ballet in his reimagined Swan Lake. Bourne disrupts societal expectations by replacing the female swans with men. In the male-male pas de deux, the dancers lift and support each other, shifting the power dynamics to emphasize equality in the movement.

“The New Adventures” excerpt of “Swan Lake.”

LGBTQIA+ Representation

Ballets have also reinforced heterosexual norms and narratives. Societal ideals of feminine and masculine stereotyped gender roles have caused inequality in the representation of the LGBTQIA+ community. Although there are openly gay male dancers in ballet, their roles pressure them to adhere to rigid ideas of masculinity. The chivalrous prince rescues the helpless female character. Historically, the Romantic era brought the ballerina to the forefront, and ballet became perceived as a feminine art form. Dancers who identify as lesbians are excluded from the ballet narrative because movement qualities reinforce binary norms.

The representation gap for all sexual orientations has excluded people in the LGBTQIA+ community. Many feel the pressure to conform to rigid gender stereotypes.LGBTQIA+ artists today are using their platforms to address the lack of representation and challenge ballet traditions to include a wide spectrum of sexuality.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo adds a twist of humor in classical ballets. The company, founded in 1974, features men performing en travesti (in the clothing of the opposite sex.) The dancers in this company challenge the gender norms of ballet by assigning men to traditionally female roles.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo’s version of “Swan Lake.” In the pas de quatre, or dance of four, the dancers perform a parody of the. “Dance of the Little Swans.”

Ballez is a ballet company founded by Katy Pyle in 2011. Ballez aims to dismantle the patriarchal structure of ballet to create inclusive spaces for the representation of queer dancers. In 2021, Pyle reimagined the romantic ballet, Giselle. In Ballez’s production Giselle of Loneliness, Ballez highlights the experiences of queer and gender non-conforming, non-binary, and trans dancers. The dancers perform an audition solo inspired by the “mad scene” from the original Giselle that comments on the personal challenges and experiences affecting their relationship with ballet from an LGBTQIA+ lens.

An interview with Katy Pyle.

Generally, ballet centers on European aesthetics, including the ideal body shape. George Balanchine, the founder of New York City Ballet, favored a ballet dancer with a long neck, sloped shoulders, a small rib cage, a narrow waist, and long legs and feet. These ideals have resulted in the pressure to maintain a slender physique and have caused body dysmorphia in many dancers. Copeland has stated that at the age of 21, artistic staff commented on how her body “changed” and their hopes to see her body “lengthen.” According to Copeland, “That, of course, was a polite, safe way of saying, ‘You need to lose weight.’” In 2017, Misty Copeland released her health and fitness book “Ballerina Body: Dancing and Eating Your Way to a Leaner, Stronger, and More Graceful You.” Copeland shares her health-conscious approaches to developing healthier and stronger bodies in this book.

BALLET TIMELINE

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Ballet is a Western classical dance form with a rich history—beginning in the Renaissance as a royal court entertainment infused with social and political purposes, eventually developing into a codified technique. Over time, ballet transformed, experiencing costume changes in the Enlightenment that led to dancers being able to express themselves without being confined to restrictive clothing. In the Romantic era, ballet d’action emerged, emphasizing emotions over logic to help communicate the ballet’s story. There were also technical elements such as flying machines that gave the impression of dancers floating onstage. The unique theater effects led to female dancers beginning to dance en pointe. During the Classical period, Russia became the leader of ballet, with government support to establish ballet schools. Ballet shifted in pursuit of virtuosity, demanding greater technique from dancers. The Ballet Russes made a significant impact by modernizing ballets, bringing ballet to other world regions, helping establish ballet in America, and a new ballet style was formed, neoclassical. Today, choreographers challenge the ballet traditions and embrace various dance genres to blend with ballet, known as contemporary dance.

1. Ballet Pantomime

Choreograph a short pantomime that tells a story through dialogue. You may either choose to ask a friend or family member to exchange dialogue or perform your dance alone. Use a combination of traditional pantomime gestures from the selected videos and add original gestures and facial expressions. Record your pantomime and share the link on the discussion board (Minimum of 20 seconds). Include a script summarizing what your pantomime says.

Here are some topic examples you might consider:

• Activities or sports you like to participate in and why.
• What makes you happy (taking walks, spending time with friends, etc.).
• Aspects about your day.
• A place you’ve traveled to and what you saw.
• Words of encouragement/affirmation.

2. Elements of Dance in Ballet

DIRECTIONS: Utilizing the Elements of Dance, watch two videos from different ballet eras (Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the Romantic period, Classical, Avant-Garde, Neoclassical, and Contemporary) and write a reflection speaking to the salient qualities observed. Answer the following prompts:

• Compare and contrast the aesthetics observed using the Elements of Dance.
• How does the movement reflect the ballet era? How does the period reflect the movement?

3. Dear Catherine de’ Medici

DIRECTIONS: Write a letter to Catherine de’ Medici that speaks to the current discourse in the ballet world. Select one of the discussion topics found in Chapter Three and watch the associated video (race in ballet, gender roles, LGBTQIA+ representation, or body types) to reflect, respond, and advocate how the ballet world can address these issues. Please reference the class book or use the internet to conduct further research. Post your assignment on the discussion board and cite references. (Minimum of 150 words).

“History of Ballet.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, June 24, 2022. https://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_ballet .

Kassing, Gayle. Discovering Dance . Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2014.

“Ballez.” BALLEZ, www.ballez.org/.

Bried, Erin. “Stretching Beauty: Ballerina Misty Copeland on Her Body Struggles.” SELF. SELF, March 18, 2014. https://www.self.com/story/ballerina...body-struggles .

Harlow, Poppy, and Dalila-Johari Paul. “Misty Copeland Says the Ballet World Still Has a Race Problem and She Wants to Help Fix That.” CNN. Cable News Network, May 21, 2018. https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/21/us/mi...les/index.html .

Lihs, Harriet R. Appreciating Dance a Guide to the World’s Liveliest Art. Princeton Book Company, 2018.

Loring, Dawn Davis, and Julie L. Pentz. Dance Appreciation. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2022.

“Ballet.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, July 20, 2022. https://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballet .

Ambrosio, Nora. Learning about Dance: Dance as an Art Form & Entertainment . Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 2018.

• Explain the similarities and differences between ballet and modern dance.
• Identify key techniques and prominent figures in modern dance history
• Understand the history of western performance dance and summarize major events in the course of its development

“Dance is the hidden language of the soul.”-Martha Graham

What is Modern Dance?

In the early twentieth century, choreographers broke away from the strict traditions of ballet to develop dance as varied and rich as the American melting pot. Choreographers drew upon the styles of many cultures to create a new dance form as diverse as the citizens and expressive of the independence of the American spirit. Black dancers and choreographers explored their African and Caribbean roots and shaped their own form of expressive modern dance. Others sought new movement to depict the human condition. Inevitably, dances were shared, merged, and reimagined. No matter the case, early pioneers of modern dance explored new ways to express themselves in more natural and free form while conveying the spirit of their times.

Modern Dance Characteristics

Modern dance technique is unlike ballet’s codified set of movements used worldwide. Modern dance styles are individualized and, for the most part, named after the person who developed them; for instance, José Limón created Limón Technique. Although modern dance techniques vary, movement concepts are embedded throughout techniques, sharing overarching principles. Let’s take a look at the movement concepts in modern dance.

DYNAMIC ALIGNMENT AND FLEXIBILITY

All dancers use dynamic alignment. However, in Modern dance, emphasis is given to the core along with the pelvis, which is the center from which all movement originates. The core keeps the dancer grounded and stable. Modern dancers also use freer or unrestrained movement of the torso that allows for flexibility in all directions.

Graham Technique with dancers demonstrating contractions. The torso is in a concave shape created by the core contracting (abdominals); as a result, the pelvis “tucks under,” and the chest reacts by rounding forward.

In modern dance, gravity is accepted, which acts as a partnership with the body utilizing the dancer’s weight paired with momentum.

An example of the Limón Technique called fall and recovery that uses the body’s weight with momentum to surrender into gravity. The dancer is demonstrating arm swings, known as release swings. In this action, the dancer begins with the body in a vertical position and the arms swing in any direction. The dancer allows the momentum from the swing to propel the body in the direction of the arm, giving in to gravity.

The Tanz Theater Münster company dancers interact with the floor. They can quickly move between floor work and standing movement.

The use of breath is a prominent component of modern dance. Dancers do not always attempt to hide their breathing. The inhalation and expiration of breath provide a natural physical rhythm that assists in executing movement.

BARE FEET, FLEXED FEET, AND PARALLEL FEET

Modern dance is often performed barefoot. Many exercises utilize the feet in a parallel position. Unlike traditional ballet, modern dance can use a flexed foot instead of a pointed foot.

IMPROVISATION

Improvisation is the practice of unplanned movement. Many choreographers use improvisation as the basis for generating movement ideas for choreography. Through active investigation, choreographers select and further develop the movements explored from their improvisation to consider how they can be applied in their dance concept.

The dancer improvise movement that includes floor work and standing movement

The Pioneers: First and Second Generations

Historical context.

Modern dance appeared in Germany and the United States in the early 20th century. In the late 19th century, the second Industrial Revolution brought significant changes. The rise of people who lived and worked in cities, mainly middle-class or white-collar workers, lived less active lifestyles resulting in the task of public health officials to prevent the spread of diseases caused by sedentary lifestyles. Emphasis on the benefits of maintaining a regular exercise regimen, such as dance, gymnastics, and sports, was highly praised. European theorists Delsarte and Dalcroze introduced methods for understanding human movement that was presented to colleges as “aesthetic dance.” These theorists made an impression on emerging modern dancers as they provided new ways to uncover the expressive qualities of the body by responding to internal sensations with greater freedom in movement possibilities.

Loie Fuller (1862-1928)

Loie Fuller was a former actress and skirt dancer, a popular dance form in Europe and America, mainly found in burlesque and vaudeville. Fuller is known for her dramatic manipulation of fabrics and lighting designs, creating visual effects such as butterfly wings and fire images. She made these effects by shining light onto her voluminous silk costumes. Loie also experimented with electrical lighting, colored gels, and projections.

Fuller debut as a dancer in Serpentine Dance.

Isadora Duncan (1877-1927)

Isadora Duncan rejected her early training in ballet technique feeling the movement and costumes were restrictive and lacked personal expression. Instead, she explored more natural movements, such as walking, running, skipping, and jumping. Instead of ballet attire, she emulated the Greeks when she wore tunics, danced barefoot, and performed dances about nature. It gave her movement a sense of freedom and abandonment.

Historically, modern dance has been tied to cultural forces that reflect society. Duncan’s dances expressed the human condition, especially women’s rights. She traveled throughout America and eventually settled in Europe, where she founded her school. Duncan trained dancers and called them “Isadorables.”

Duncan perform outdoors.

“Denishawn”

Ruth st. denis (1879-1968).

Ruth St. Denis became fascinated with cultures worldwide when she saw an advertisement for Egyptian Deities cigarettes. The image of the goddess on the cigarettes inspired her dances honoring goddesses and deities based on her impressions of Indian, Egyptian, Spanish, and Javanese dance forms that weren’t culturally accurate. Instead, they were a reflection of her aesthetics.

Denis’ East Indian Nautch Dance inspired by the dance practiced by the nautch girls of India.

Ruth St. Denis married Ted Shawn; this also began a creative partnership. Together they founded the Denishawn School, creating a diverse curriculum that included ballet, Asian dances, and dance history. They encouraged dancers to connect their dancing body to their mind and spirit. Through their school emerged the first generation of modern dancers.

Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn parted ways. St. Denis turned her attention to religion and continued teaching South Asian dance forms. Ted Shawn went on to found Jacob’s Pillow in Massachusetts, the nation’s oldest dance festival.

Ted Shawn (1891-1972)

Ted Shawn formed an all-male dance company called Ted Shawn and His Men Dancers, hoping to make modern dance a respected profession for male dancers.

Kinetic Molpai is a dance work in 12 parts; it features Ted’s all-male company who form a chorus. A solitary man, the leader, joins them sporadically. Fun fact: Shawn recruited athletes from Springfield College that had no experience in dance and trained them.

FIRST GENERATION: Discovering Personal Voices

Dancers from the Denishawn school began to branch out as they grew restless with the company’s artistic vision, which focused on exotic themes that proved to be more so entertainment on the vaudeville circuit. Instead, the first-generation dancers wanted to express their creative voice and push the art form’s boundaries, resulting in various codified modern techniques.

Martha Graham (1894-1991)

Martha Graham studied dance at Denishawn but left to form her own company and develop her own technique. She believed that dance should show the struggle and pain that comes with life. She developed “contract and release,” a technique that shows movement initiating from the center of the body meant to embody conflict. This technique involves percussively tightening the body’s core muscles (centered on the lower abdominals and pelvis), followed by a release of tension (the spine lengthens to return to an elongated neutral posture). This technique utilizes breath to support the movement; the dancer begins with an inhale, then an exhale, allowing the body to contract, lastly followed by an inhale to release and return the body in vertical/neutral alignment.

Graham’s repertoire included dances based on Americana, such as Frontier and Appalachian Spring, she also created dances based on Greek myths as in Night Journey, and emotional dances.

Lamentation is a signature solo performed by Graham. Graham embodies grief as she contorts her body within the stretchy fabric.

Humphrey-Weidman

Doris humphrey (1895-1958) and charles weidman (1901-1975).

Doris Humphrey & Charles Weidman were former Denishawn students and had a creative partnership and together founded the Humphrey-Weidman company. In collaboration with Weidman, Humphrey created a movement technique based on the body’s reaction to gravity and weight called “fall and recovery.” Humphrey believed the body constantly moves in between the “arc between two deaths,” in which the body moves in a successive pattern responding to gravity.

Weidman discuss the concept behind “fall and recovery.”

Lester Horton (1906-1953)

Lester Horton became interested in dance when he saw Native Americans doing indigenous dances. He is most renowned for his technique, called the “Horton Technique.” This technique embeds strength-building and flexibility principles through fortification exercises (set exercises designed to increase technical skills underpinned with anatomy principles).

Horton also had a company that is credited with founding the first racially integrated dance company in America. His choreography drew inspiration from Native American and African dance forms.

students perform Horton Technique, working on flat back series that aim to strengthen and stretch the legs, core, and back.

(Osborne) Hemsley Winfield (1907-1934)

(Osborne) Hemsley Winfield was an African American modern dancer that sought ways to create equitable opportunities for Black dancers. Winfield was inspired by the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural movement that brought African American artists to the forefront as changemakers. In 1931, he co-founded the Bronze Ballet Plastique with the help of Edna Guy, later to be renamed The New Negro Art Theatre Dance Group, which was the first African American modern dance company in the United States. Winfield also established a dance school to provide dance instruction. After Winfield passed away, The New Negro Art Theatre Dance Group dissolved due to a lack of financial support.

Edna Guy (1907-1983)

In 1924, Edna Guy was the first African American to study with Denishawn. However, due to the prevalent racial segregation, she was only able to perform for in-house recitals. She later co-founded The New Negro Art Theatre Dance Group alongside Hemsley Winfield. In 1937, Guy and Allison Burroughs staged Negro Dance Evening, highlighting African diaspora dances.

SECOND GENERATION: Expanding the Horizons of Modern Dance

The second-generation modern dancers either continued following their predecessors’ work or went in a different direction by creating new dance techniques, styles, and unorthodox choreographic approaches.

José Limón (1908-1972)

José Limón, originally from Mexico, danced with Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman. Eventually, Limón would form his own company and ask his mentor, Humphrey, to be the artistic director. Limón expanded on Humphrey’s “fall and recover” technique and emphasized fluid, sequential movement, and the use of breath as the origin and facilitator for movement as a way to approach organic movement. Limón’s legacy is still alive today. His company continues to perform, dancing the repertory of Limón along with new works from artists.

There is a Time, based on the historic poem from the Bible, “Ecclesiastes.” This dance contains universal themes describing the human experience.

Katherine Dunham (1909-2006)

Katherine Dunham was a dancer and trained anthropologist who studied the dances of Haiti and other Caribbean islands. She performed and choreographed for Broadway musicals, movies, and concerts with the company. Dunham developed her technique that drew on principles of the African dance movement, called the “Dunham Technique.” Dunham sought to create dances that represented her African American heritage. Her work extended outside of modern dance, where she choreographed for Hollywood films. She founded a school of dance in New York City in the mid 1940’s.

Katherine Dunham’s Carnival of Rhythm, 1941.

Students participate in Dunham Technique. Dunham Technique utilizes classical lines, free movement of the torso that utilizes isolations and undulations, paired with a dynamic range of tempos and rhythmical styles.

L’Ag’Ya. This was Dunham’s signature piece, a story-based folk ballet set in Martinique that combines many dance styles.

Pearl Primus (1919-1994)

Pearl Primus was a trained anthropologist. She secured funding to study dance abroad in Africa and the Caribbean. Primus became a strong voice of African American dance by addressing racism in the United States. One of her most noted works is “Strange Fruit,” based on the poem by Lewis Allan about the lynching of Black people. In 1979, she and her husband established the Pearl Primus Dance Language Institute, which centered classes in various African dance styles. Primus also founded her company, “Earth Theatre,” which toured nationally.

Pearl Primus performing solo tabanka teach

Talley Beatty (1918-1995)

Talley Beatty is a Louisiana native born in Shreveport. He was initially a dancer and student of Katherine Dunham and appeared in Broadway shows and films. In 1952, he established his company that toured in the United States and Europe with a program called “Tropicana,” featuring African and Latin American dance styles. Beatty’s choreography centered on themes of African American life. Renowned dance companies, like the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Dance Theatre of Harlem, have restaged his works.

In this video, former ADF scholarship student and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater member Hope Boykin and choreographer and dancer Duane Cyrus speak about their pivotal experiences working with Mr. Beatty on his classic piece Road of the Phoebe Snow (1959).

Donald McKayle (1930-2018)

Donald McKayle was one of the pioneering African American modern dancers to focus on socially conscious works speaking to the experience of Black people in the United States. During the span of his career, McKayle choreographed several masterworks, including “Rainbow Round My Shoulder,” exposing the harsh working conditions of imprisoned Black men set to chain-gang songs. For his tireless contributions, he holds honorable mentions as “one of America’s irreplaceable dance treasures” from the Dance Heritage Coalition.

This dance is a staging from the Labanotation score.

Alvin Ailey (1931-1989)

Alvin Ailey is another important Second Generation dance artist. He studied with Lestor Horton, Katherine Dunham, and Martha Graham. His independent career began after the death of his mentor, Lester Horton. In 1958, he formed The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, based in New York. Ailey became an influential voice that brought awareness to the inequalities faced by African-Americans. Ailey was dedicated to highlighting and preserving the African-American experience by drawing inspiration from his heritage, including spirituals, blues, and jazz.

Sinner Man an excerpt from Revelations. Ailey used Lester Horton’s technique in many of his dances.

Ailey sought out other African American choreographers to set dances for his company. In the video below, you will see Wayne McGregor’s Chroma, Ronald K. Brown’s Grace, and Robert Battle’s Takademe. It also has Alvin Ailey’s masterpiece Revelations. If you have not seen Revelations before, please watch that at the least.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre video online.

https://www.alvinailey.org/performances-tickets/ailey-all-access

Ailey choreographed myriad works. His work Revelations is an American classic. He received many honors in his career for his work in the arts and in civil rights, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

By turns muscular and lyrical, ‘The River’ is a sweeping full-company work that suggests tumbling rapids and meandering streams on a journey to the sea.

Erick Hawkins (1909-1994)

Erick Hawkins initially studied at the School of American Ballet, eventually meeting Martha Graham. Hawkins was the first man invited to perform with Graham’s company. Hawkins created a dance technique that integrated kinesiology principles coupled with what would be later known as somatic studies that connect the body, mind, and soul. He was interested in the body’s natural movements and was inspired by Zen principles, Native Americans, and the beliefs of Isadora Duncan.

Plains Daybreak, inspired by Native American dances and stories.

Paul Taylor (1930-2018)

Paul Taylor danced with Graham’s company for several years. In 1959, he formed the Paul Taylor Dance Company. His choreographic works in modern dance ranged from abstract to satire themes. Eventually, Paul Taylor found his niche in classical modern training with remnants of ballet or a lyrical dance style underpinning the movement. His piece Esplanade has choreography couched in pedestrian movements (plain, everyday movements like walking, skipping, running). You may remember seeing a sample of this in Chapter 2: Elements of Dance.

Taylor’s Airs.

Merce Cunningham (1919-2009)

Merce Cunningham initially danced with Martha Graham; however, he left to follow his own artistic vision. He formed a creative collaboration with his life partner, John Cage. They experimented with avant-garde ideas that emphasized dance could be independent of music and narrative or as a separate entity. Cunningham developed “chance dance,” in which fragments of choreography were randomly shuffled to create new and spontaneous dances determined by chance acts of rolling dice or flipping a coin. Cunningham also used computer software to aid in generating movement.

the contributions Cunningham made in modern dance.

Merce Cunningham’s Work Process

Alwin Nikolais (1910-1993)

Alwin Nikolais explored the geometries of form and dance. He created painted glass slides to light his dances like in this video of “Crucible.” He created his own costumes and props and most of the music for his dances, thereby controlling the whole stage environment.

Excerpt from Crucible.

THIRD GENERATION: The Postmodern Movement

The Postmodern movement emerged during the early 1960s and reflected the revolutionary mood of the times. Postmodern choreographers began to question the reasons for dance-making, who could dance (can untrained people be performers?), what could be used as music (can silence be music?), and experimented with where dance could occur. Performances began featuring ordinary movements with non-dancers and were done in non-traditional settings such as art galleries, churches, outdoor settings, and even on the sides of buildings. Another feature that emerged in the postmodern period was the rise of dance collectives with no one named choreographer. Judson Dance Theater and Grand Union are great examples of this trend.

Robert Dunn (1928-1996)

Robert Dunn was a musician that played piano for Merce Cunningham’s classes. Dunn was drawn to the radical principles of John Cage and attended his classes on composition. Eventually, he would use the concepts learned from Cage and apply them to dance in choreography workshops attended by Yvonne Rainer, Steve Paxton, and Tricia Brown, among others. Dunn encouraged them to be risk-takers by encouraging ongoing experimentation.

Judson Dance Theater

Dunn’s dance composition classes found residency at Judson Memorial Church and adopted the name of Judson Dance Theater for their dance collective. The Judson Dance Theater dancers met weekly and were given assignments, performed their choreographic works, and critiqued each other. The artists mainly used improvisation as the source for generating movement. The Judson Dance Theater eventually disbanded, and the Grand Union emerged, created by several of the Judson Dance Theater dancers and new members.

Grand Union

The Grand Union was a collaborative effort with all dancers contributing to the artistic process of the group. They experimented with multimedia performance art and improvisation. Their creative research encouraged artists to expand their definitions of dance to include pedestrian movement (ex: walking and running) and task-oriented movement (ex: dancers must maintain physical contact throughout the entire dance). These allowed for the participation of both trained and untrained dancers to perform. In addition, the artists sought out alternative spaces for dancing, such as warehouses and lofts. Choreographers made statements with their works rather than storytelling.

Yvonne Rainer (1934- )

Yvonne Rainer studied with Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham. Robert Dunn’s choreography workshop influenced her work as a choreographer. She was interested in the use of repetition, games, tasks, and partnering, which would become common choreographic practices employed in dance-making.

Rainer’s Trio A, a solo dance featuring pedestrian movement.

Steve Paxton (1939- )

Steve Paxton studied and performed with Limón and Cunningham. He was inspired by the improvisation techniques explored during the Judson Dance Theater and Grand Union collaborations. Paxton developed “ contact improvisation ,” which has principles based on weight-sharing, touch, and movement awareness” paired with pedestrian movement.

An example of contact improvisation. The dancers maintain a point of contact and trade-off weight sharing.

Trisha Brown (1936-2017)

Trisha Brown studied with several notable teachers, including Merce Cunningham. In the early 1970s, she founded the Trisha Brown Company, engaging in “site-specific” works. These are performance spaces outside the conventional theater, such as dances on rooftops. She also explored avant-garde and postmodernist ideas to experiment with pure movement and repetitive gestures in dance.

Brown’s Man Walking Down the Side of a Building.

FOURTH GENERATION: Contemporary Modern Dance

During the mid 1970s there was a shift back to more technical-based movements with a return to the proscenium stage. We are using the term Contemporary Modern to refer to this current genre.

Remember that the term Modern refers to those early choreographers who broke away from old world ballet and developed an original abstract modern point of view. After a while these early modern choreographers codified their technique styles. At this time, modern refers to any of the choreographers who studied with or were influenced by the first- or second-generation modern dancers and are now codifying their own technique. Postmodern dance broke away from modern technique and used pedestrian movement (everyday gestures or actions such as walking, sitting, opening a door).

Contemporary Dance is an expansive term meaning current, what’s happening now. It is a broader, more individualistic, expressive style of dance.

Dance Magazine’s Victoria Looseleaf helps to define the difference between Contemporary and Modern Dance.

https://www.dancemagazine.com/modern_vs_contemporary/

“Perhaps modern and contemporary genres have taken on new meanings because the global village has created a melting pot of moves, a stew of blurred forms that not only break down conventions and challenge definitions, but, in the process, create something wholly new, but as yet unnamed.”

Looseleaf went on to speak with several dance professionals about their thoughts on the topic.

Mia Michaels, Choreographer for So You Think You Can Dance and various pop stars and dance companies, Los Angeles

“I’m a little responsible for So You Think You Can Dance co-opting the term ‘contemporary.’ When we first started the show, Nigel [Lythgoe] was calling it lyrical. I said, ‘It’s not lyrical, it’s contemporary.’ We’ve created a monster. Contemporary is an easy way out—it’s when you don’t know what to call it, you call it contemporary. I feel like dance is fusing all the forms and that the uniqueness of each genre is starting to be muddled. It feels regurgitated and I want it to change desperately. I’m wanting to see where these new legends and voices—like Fosse, Robbins, Graham—are going to pop up.”

Jennifer Archibald, Founder/Director, Arch Dance, New York City

“Contemporary is a collection of methods that have been developed from modern and postmodern dance. It’s also a cycle of shedding techniques we’ve learned in favor of personal expression of movement. Where modern dance moved against the grain of ballet, contemporary moves against the grain of classical modern techniques.

“Contemporary is not a technique, it’s a genre associated with a philosophy and exploration of different natural energies and emotions. There’s a physicality that’s appealing today, but there’s a spirituality of the contemporary movement that has been lost with the new generation in this free-for-all of different methods.”

Twyla Tharp

Twyla Tharp trained with the American Ballet Theatre, modern dance artists Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham, and Luigi and Matt Mattox jazz dance educators. Tharp began choreographing dances that blend dance genres, such as modern dance, jazz, tap, and ballet. Tharp has choreographed “more than one hundred sixty works: one hundred twenty-nine dances, twelve television specials, six Hollywood movies, four full-length ballets, four Broadway shows and two figure skating routines. She received one Tony Award, two Emmy Awards, nineteen honorary doctorates, the Vietnam Veterans of America President’s Award, the 2004 National Medal of the Arts, the 2008 Jerome Robbins Prize, and a 2008 Kennedy Center Honor.” Bio | twyla tharp . (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.twylatharp.org/bio

Tharp’s Deuce Coup, danced to music by The Beach Boys and considered the first crossover between ballet and modern dance.

Twyla Tharp’s Famous ‘Eight Jelly Roll’ Dance from Twyla Moves, American Masters, PBS

Garth Fagan

Garth Fagan developed the “Fagan Technique,” blending modern dance, Afro-Caribbean dance, and ballet. He received his training from Limón, Ailey, and Graham. Fagan has created works for notable companies like Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and New York City Ballet.

Fagan’s From Before, performed by the Alvin Ailey Dance Company.

Disney’s The Lion King

Fagan is perhaps best known for his legendary work on Disney’s Broadway musical The Lion King (1997) in which he brought the animals to life by combining clever costume pieces with dance evocative of the animals in the story. In this video you will get a glimpse of the man and his choreography.

Pilobolus is a dance collective created in the late 1970s by Dartmouth college-student athletes Robby Barnett, Martha Clarke, Lee Harris, Moses Pendleton, Michael Tracey, and Jonathan Wolken, with the guidance of their teacher Alison Chase. Pilobolus branched from a choreography class experimenting with gymnastics and improvisation to create images by sculpting bodies.

Pilobolus perform Shadowland.

Mark Morris

In the early years of his career, Mark Morris performed with the companies of Lar Lubovitch, Hannah Kahn, Laura Dean, Eliot Feld, and the Koleda Balkan Dance Ensemble. The Mark Morris Dance Group was formed in 1980 when he was just 24. Since then Morris has created over 150 works for the company. In 1990, he founded the White Oak Dance Project with Mikhail Baryshnikov.

Reporter Jeffrey Brown talks to the famed choreographer on his production of “L’Allegro” on PBS’ Great Performances.

Bill T. Jones

Bill T. Jones is known for blending controversial subjects into his modern dance choreography. Bill T. Jones and his life partner, Arnie Zane, founded the Bill. T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company in the early 1980s. Their creative works explored LGBTQIA+ themes of identity and racial tensions. Following the death of Zane, who succumbed to AIDS, Jones continued their work with the company. Bill T. Jones uses his platform as socio-political activism using dance, autobiographical elements with narrative, and theatrical components.

An excerpt from D-Man in the Waters performed by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. D-Man in the Waters is a political response to the AIDS epidemic honoring those who have succumbed to the disease.

His piece What Problem? in which Bill T. Jones explores current events and questions racism, equality, brutality, and change.

Jawole Willa Jo Zollar

In the early 1980s, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar founded Urban Bush Women. Her training began with the Dunham technique and studying various African diaspora dance forms. Urban Bush Women started as an all-women group and predominantly centered their work from women’s perspectives; however, the company has included male dancers. The mission of Urban Bush Women is to raise the voices of people of color to advocate for social change addressing issues of race and gender inequalities. Jawole Willa Jo Zollar blends personal testimonies from the company members to create narratives (text) combined with African and contemporary dance forms.

“Hair and Other Stories,” exploring body image, gender identity, and race through conversations about hair care.

Lorenzo “Rennie” Harris

Lorezno “Rennie” Harris brings Hip-Hop to the concert stage, often telling stories of the human condition. In 1992, Harris founded his company, Puremovement, located in Philadelphia, in an effort to preserve hip-hop culture. Harris has choreographed contemporary dance works for modern companies, like the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. His works will be further discussed in Chapter 7.

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre perform an excerpt from Harris’ Exodus.

Robert Battle

Robert Battle is the current Artistic Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He was a choreographer for the Ailey company. A graduate of Juilliard, he joined the Parsons Dance Company and founded his own company, Battleworks Dance. Battle has received numerous prestigious awards, such as being honored in 2005 by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as one of the “Masters of African-American Choreography.”

Takademe choreographed in 1999.

Sean Dorsey

Sean Dorsey is a transgender and queer choreographer. Dorsey founded the Sean Dorsey Dance Company based in San Francisco, centering his work on LGBTQIA+ themes. In 2002, Dorsey established Fresh Meat Production, a non-profit organization that advocates for equity in gender-nonconforming communities through commissions of new dances and community engagement programs.

An excerpt of Boys in Trouble, a social commentary on the rigid ideas of gender and masculinity.

In the late 1980s, AXIS Dance was co-founded by Thais Mazur, Bonnie Lewkowicz, and Judith Smith. AXIS dance is one of the first dance companies to create inclusive spaces for dancers of all physical abilities. Through collaborative efforts, the company developed dance known as physically integrated dance, which aims to broaden the idea of dance and who a dancer is through movement that respects a “wide spectrum of physical attributes and disabilities” (Axis dance company. (2022). In Wikipedia . https://en.Wikipedia.org/w/index.php...did=1074988620 ).

AXIS Dance’s rehearsal process, featuring commentary by Artistic Director Marc Brew.

Camille A. Brown

Camille A. Brown blends African dance, social dances with vernacular jazz dance forms. In 2006, she founded Camille A. Brown & Dancers with choreographic works speaking to issues of race, culture, and identity. Brown’s creative works have been commissioned for renowned companies such as the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater.

New Second Line, inspired by the events of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. A celebration of the culture of New Orleans and the perseverance of Black people in the midst of devastation.

Victor Quijada

Victor Quijada is a Mexican-American contemporary choreographer from Los Angeles, CA. He began as a B-Boy and further expanded his dance background as a student at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, where he was introduced to modern dance and ballet. In 2002, Victor Quijada founded RUBBERBAND blending Hip-Hop ideology with various dance forms and theatrical elements.

Louisiana Connection

Dianne Maroney-Grigsby performed with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for several years. She also served as the company’s assistant artistic director and taught full-time at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. Maroney-Grigsby later took the position of Artistic Director of Grambling State University’s Orchesis Dance Company. During her career, she has taught at Louisiana Dance Foundation’s Summer Dance Festivals, where she has choreographed for their resident dance company, Louisiana Dance Theatre (LDT). Some of her most noted works include “I Won’t Let Go of My Faith” and “World Hunger.”

Other Notable Contemporary Modern Artists

• Dallas Black Theatre, based in Texas, was founded in 1976 by Ann Williams dedicated to producing contemporary modern dance works that use a blend of modern, ballet, and jazz dance styles.
• Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, based in Utah, was founded in 1968 with the intent to raise more opportunities for people of color, with dances speaking to the African American experience.
• Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, located in Colorado, is considered a cultural ambassador for their work speaking to social injustices rooted in the African Diaspora.
• Doug Varone and Dancers was founded in 1986 and is based in New York, with choreographic works that are musically driven.
• Stephen Petronio Company ​​was founded in 1984 and is located in New York. The company aims to preserve the postmodern dance lineage.
• Ohad Naharin is the artistic director of the Israeli Batsheva Dance Company and creator of Gaga, a movement language responding to one’s internal sensations.
• Shen Wei is a Chinese-American choreographer and founder of Shen Wei Dance Arts, a company using Western and Asian aesthetics, including dance, multimedia, and art.
• Akram Khan is an English choreographer that blends contemporary dance with Kathak, a traditional Indian dance.
• Crystal Pite founded Kidd Pivot in 2002, intertwining contemporary dance and storytelling with theatrical elements.
• Kyle Abraham founded his company in 2006, called A.I.M, by Kyle Abraham (formally known as Abraham.In.Motion), blending ballet with other dance forms, like modern dance and hip-hop, to speak to the human condition.
• Mia Michaels is primarily known for her choreography featured on So You Think You Can Dance. In 1997, Michaels founded the company RAW (Reality at Work), choreographing contemporary and jazz dance styles.

MODERN DANCE TIMELINE

Query \(\PageIndex{5}\)

Modern Dance emerged as a contrast or rejection of the rigid constraints of Ballet. From individual free expressions to Contemporary Modern Dance, just like its beginnings, Modern Dance is forever changing. Today, combining unifying elements of other genres of dance (African, Ballet, Jazz, Hip-Hop), Modern Dance is interested in the communication of emotional experiences, through basic and uninhibited movement. Currently, through all of its variations, it has become whatever the choreographer would like it to be according to the artist’s background, teachings, technique, style, and imagination. Because it is so personal and individualistic, this artform will remain popular and viable for years to come.

Elements of Dance

DIRECTIONS: Using the Elements of Dance, select a ballet video from Chapter Two and a modern dance video from Chapter Three. Compare and contrast its important qualities to reflect the aesthetic values placed on ballet and modern dance (minimum 150 words).

H5p Dates timeline activity

DIRECTIONS: Select two videos from Chapter Four. Answer the following prompts (minimum 150 words):

• Using the Elements of Dance, compare and contrast both videos’ important qualities to reflect the aesthetic values placed by the modern dance choreographers.
• Reflect how the dance reflects the time it was choreographed and how the time influenced the dance.

Modern dance Quiz 1:

Query \(\PageIndex{6}\)

Modern dance Quiz 2:

Query \(\PageIndex{7}\)

Humphrey, Doris, and Barbara Pollack. The Art of Making Dances. London: Dance Books, 1997.

About Us.” Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Accessed August 1, 2021. https://www.alvinailey.org/about-us .

e_flux, and PlutoCross. “Yvonne Rainer, ‘No Manifesto.’” e, April 24, 2015. https://conversations.e-flux.com/t/yvonne-rainer-no-manifesto/1454 .

“Axis Dance Company.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, March 3, 2022. https://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/AXIS_Dance_Company .

Neal, contributed by: Nelson. “Hemsley Winfield (1907-1934) •.” •, April 21, 2022. https://www.blackpast.org/african-am...eld-1907-1934/ .

“Edna Guy.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, June 23, 2022. https://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Edna_Guy .

“Bio.” Twyla Tharp. Accessed July 12, 2022. https://www.twylatharp.org/bio .

“Pearl Primus.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, December 3, 2021. https://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_...t%20techniques .

Mennenga, contributed by: Lacinda. “Pearl Primus (1919-1994) •.” •, February 6, 2020. https://www.blackpast.org/african-am...arl-1919-1994/ .

“Talley Beatty.” Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, October 7, 2020. https://www.alvinailey.org/talley-beatty .

Great performances: Free to dance – biographies – Talley Beatty. Accessed July 12, 2022. https://www.thirteen.org/freetodance...es/beatty.html .

“Donald McKayle Endowment for Modern Dance.” Donald McKayle Endowment for Modern Dance | Claire Trevor School of the Arts | UC Irvine. Accessed July 12, 2022. https://www.arts.uci.edu/mckayle .

Arnold, Tisha. “’The Choreographer’s Last Dance’ Performance to Honor Dianne Maroney-Grigsby.” Grambling State University News, April 22, 2022. https://www.gram.edu/news/index.php/...roney-grigsby/ .

• Demonstrate a culturally informed dance aesthetic.
• Examine the origins of Hip-Hip
• Analyze the Hip-Hop cultural elements with pop culture
• Identify influential Hip-Hop artists

“Hip-Hop is the culture of oppressed Black and Latino people that has, I guess, kind of flipped the political end of music and art on its head. Hip-Hop is the opposite of politics. Politics separates people. Hip-Hop brings people together.”- Emilio “Buddha Stretch” Austin

What is Hip-Hop?

Hip-hop is an umbrella term that includes several dance styles that are highly energetic and athletic. Hip-hop dance forms began as social dances that expanded to respond to socioeconomic conditions faced by marginalized African-American and Latinx youth in inner cities. These dance styles hold the meaning and values of the community, resulting in a cultural movement that gained widespread attention through media that has led to its global popularity today.

The History of Hip-Hop in the Bronx.

Hip-Hop Characteristics

Africanist aesthetics.

Hip-Hop dance forms are situated in Africanist aesthetics that communicate the culture’s traditions, values, and heritage. Dance scholar E. Moncell Durden identifies the cultural characteristics as “individuality, creativity, improvisation, originality, spirituality, stylization, dance posture (bending forward from the waist with the knees bent and the spine slightly curved), vocalization, pantomime, percussion, competition, polyrhythm, and polycentrism.”

Cultural Connections

For more information see the New World Encyclopedia entry for African Dance.

https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/african_dance

The Components of Hip Hop Dance

Hip-Hop is a cultural expression characterized primarily by five foundational components: graffiti, deejaying, emceeing, breaking, and knowledge.

Graffiti is“the visual language of the hip-hop community” (Durden). Graffiti gained attention in the late 1960s when political activists illegally “tagged” or marked public places in defiance of government policies. Later, crews used graffiti to claim territories.

Deejays (DJs), or disc jockeys, emerged as “the sounds and memories of the community” (Durden). DJs initially hosted dance parties as part of social events. Through their experimentation with turntables and records, DJs found innovative ways to manipulate, isolate, extend, and loop the musical rhythms for dance.

Emcees (MCing) are also known as the Master of Ceremonies. It was the emcees’ responsibility to pump up the crowd during parties. They became the community’s voice, using improvised spoken words and rhymes to tell the social conditions and experiences of the community, often shedding light on social injustices. This is known as rap today. Rapping has roots in West Africa, where griots, or storytellers, were responsible for preserving their people’s “genealogies, historical narratives, and oral traditions” (Britannica).

Breaking is considered the original street dance associated with the Hip-Hop subculture. Breaking is improvisational and emphasizes the dancer’s style and athleticism while responding to the musical accompaniment, typically funk music.

Knowledge is the culmination of the Afro-diasporic cultural components to recover power from oppressive systems through spiritual and political awareness. This refers to having gratitude for your heritage that will give you insight into your future and self-understanding.

During the 1950s, residents living in the East Coast boroughs of the Bronx, New York City, struggled to survive in dire socio-economic conditions caused by poor city management. The community was plagued by the decay caused by the destruction of homes with the Cross Bronx Expressway construction. Families lost their homes and left the city to move into the suburbs. As people left, local businesses closed, and job opportunities became scarce, causing high unemployment rates. Government-subsidized houses known as the projects were built to provide affordable housing to low-income families. These became overrun by gangs and a rampant drug scene.

By the 1970s, poverty among residents had significantly increased. In the 1977 World Series between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, Howard Cosell announced, “the Bronx is burning” (Wikipedia). “For a couple of years, fires had routinely erupted in the South Bronx” as people burned down buildings hoping to collect insurance money (Wikipedia). From 1973 to 1966, the Bronx “lost 600,000 jobs, more than 5,000 families were displaced, and some 30,000 fires were set in the area” (Durden).

Hip-Hop emerged from this socio-economic turmoil in the early 1970’s. Marginalized inner-city African American and Latinx youth found an outlet to release frustrations through a lifestyle informed by shared living experiences that brought the community together.

Terrance Michael Morgan: Born and raised in Louisiana, he is on a mission to improve the lives of today’s youth by promoting positive youth development through the act of art, dance, speaking and more. Morgan began as a self-taught dancer doing mostly free-style (improvisation) where he was introduced to the hip hop dance style of B-Boying. This led to him becoming an original member of a local dance group Kabuki Kru. He began traveling throughout the U.S. to participate in underground B-Boy Battles and continued learning about a variety of dance styles. He currently travels as a motivational and educational speaker/artist that performs in schools, libraries, festivals, and more weekly to spread his message of positivity. He has been affiliated with the Acadiana Center for the Arts since 2004 and is also currently a touring artist for Young Audiences of Louisiana.

Terrance Morgan Website

Clive Campbell

One of the earliest known DJs is Jamaican immigrant Clive Campbell, known as DJ Kool Herc. Kool Herc is considered a pioneer of Hip-Hop for developing a style of music that would lay the foundation for hip-hop music, giving him credit as the “Father of Hip-Hip.”

DJ Kool Herc hosted parties where he invented the “merry-go-round” technique. Unlike other DJs, Kool Herc didn’t play songs continuously; instead, using two turntables, he isolated the instrumental break in the music and extended them by replaying them continually on a loop. This musical innovation made the songs danceable and encouraged people to dance at house parties. Kool Herc would promote the interaction of dancers, whom he called “breakers,” “b-boys,” and “b-girls.” The term breaking meant “going off” on the dance floor, which he incorporated in the name of breakers. Breakers began practicing and honing their skills to battle or compete against one another for bragging rights of “best dancer.”

Universal Zulu Nation

Originally called the “Organization,” the Universal Zulu Nation was formed in the 1970s by reformed gang members, discouraging youth from the lifestyle. Lance Taylor, also known as Afrika Bambaataa, is one of hip-hop culture’s most influential pioneers who helped establish this organization. He used music to illustrate hip-hop’s youth culture and its global potential. Universal Zulu Nation was founded on ideas of “peace, love, unity, and having fun” to promote change in the community. The Universal Zulu Nation is credited with establishing the five foundational components of Hip-Hop. Today, the organization has branches in several world regions including, Japan, France, and South Africa.

Original Hip-Hop pioneers discuss the house parties hosted by Kool Herc.

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House parties became extremely popular and outgrew their spaces. They moved to the streets, where they were called block parties. DJs plugged their sound systems into the street lamps, creating a greater interaction among the neighborhood youth, Breakdancers began practicing their skills on the streets, and dance crews emerged. Dance crews became a second family to the youth where older members acted as mentors helping newer members with their dancing. The dance crews practiced for hours, perfecting their skills and styles and developing new moves, and inadvertently stayed out of trouble because they did not have the time to engage in other activities. Disputes were settled in dance battles rather than resorting to violence. These block parties laid the foundations of Hip-Hop as a movement, and Hip-Hop dance forms were established.

Hip-Hop Dance Types

The Hip-Hop movement began on the East Coast of New York City; however, it was not isolated to this location. Other street dances emerged on the West Coast in California.

Breaking, also called breakdance by the media, is the original street dance associated with Hip-Hop. This dance form is generally performed as a solo and is highly improvisational, emphasizing the dancer’s style and flair. Breaking consists of four primary components: toprocking, downrocking, power moves, and freezes.

Toprock refers to the movement that is performed from a standing position. Toprock highlights quick, percussive footwork paired with a relaxed upper body. Breakers generally begin with toprock to enter the cipher, a circle formation of people, where individual breakers take turns dancing.

Downrock or weight-bearing movement performed on the floor, where the dancers support their body with their hands and feet.

The 6-Step, a basic footskill sequence used in breaking.

Power moves are physically demanding acrobatic moves borrowed from gymnastics and martial arts requiring strength and endurance, such as spins, floats, slides, and windmills.

Floorwork and power moves were popularized by the Latinx community.

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Freeze or a held position consists of the breaker halting the body from movement to achieve a challenging body pose, such as a headstand.

Don “Campbellock” Campbell created a funk dance style called locking. Locking consists of briefly freezing movement into a held position before continuing. Locking is highly performative, using comedic mine-like actions by using large and exaggerated gestures. Dancers interact with the audience by giving high fives and performing acrobatic moves like knee splits.

In the early 1970s, Campbell founded a group of dancers called the “The Campbellock Dancers,” later shortening the name to the “Lockers.” The Lockers received wide attention as they performed on several television shows, including The Tonight Show, The Carol Burnett Show, and Soul Train. Locking as a dance style has been featured in films, music videos, and hip-hop competitions.

Don Campbell explain the creation of Locking.

Boogaloo and Popping

Sam “Boogaloo Sam” Solomon created two dance styles, called boogaloo and popping. Boogaloo is an improvisational street dance that uses a fluid upper body movement to give the illusion of the body not having bones. Popping is a funk dance style involving contracting and releasing the muscles to cause a jerking effect. These actions produce a robotic-like quality. Movements associated with popping include waving, ticking, strobing, scarecrow, and tutting.

Solomon formed the dance crew the Electric Boogaloos and made television appearances on Soul Train that further popularized the dance style.

Electric Boogaloos perform on Soul Train.

OTHER HIP-HOP DANCE STYLES

Waacking was created by the LGBTQIA+ community in the 1970s disco era. Waacking uses striking arm movements, poses, and footwork, with “emphasis on expressiveness” (Wikipedia). The moves are inspired by classic Hollywood film actors/actresses, 1960s comic book heroes, and 1970s martial art films. Waacking has undergone several name changes throughout its development and was originally called “Posing.” The first posers included Arthur Goff, Tinker Toy, Andrew Frank, and Lamont Peterson.

Waacking gained attention from the television show Soul Train featuring a battle between Tinker of the Outrageous Waackers and Shabba-Doo from The Lockers. Waacking lost attention during the 1980s and 1990s and was revived in 2003. Brian “Footwork” Green began teaching Waacking as a formal dance style, and in 2011, Kumari Surjai choreographed a Waacking routine on So You Think You Can Dance.

Kumari Suraj discuss the history of Waacking.

Uprock is known by several other names, such as Rocking or Brooklyn Rock. Uprock is considered a precursor to breaking. It is an urban street dance with opposing dancers or crews facing off in a line formation to challenge each other. The objective is to “undermine” their rival using movements that imitate fighting, such as burns, gestures used to ridicule opponents typically mimicking weaponry, like the bow and arrow or shotgun, and jerks, sudden body movements. In the early 1970s, Uprock was associated with gang culture as a way to settle disputes, gain recognition, and bragging rights.

Stepping, also spelled steppin’, also called blocking, is a complex synchronized dancelike performance that blends African folk traditions with popular culture. Stepping involves clapping, body slapping, vocalizations, and dramatic movements. The movements in this style of dance are discussed in chapter 5 and are related to hambone. This form of dance became extremely popular in the 1980’s with African American fraternity and sororities and has been fused with hip-hop and other forms of dance.

Stepping examples featuring Omega, Alpha, Zeta, Delta, Sigma, Kappa, Phi Beta Sigma – Tribute for Eddie Robinson NAACP Awards

Thomas Johnson, “Tommy The Clown,” created clowning, a dance style of energetic and humorous movements wearing a clown costume. Following the 1992 Los Angeles race riots when excessive force was used in the arrest of Rodney King, Johnson wanted to do something positive for the youth in the community. He attended birthday parties and encouraged the kids to take an interest in dance. Johnson founded his dance crew called the Hip Hop Clowns, performing at parties. His motto is “No gangs, No drugs, Do well in school (grades, attendance, and behavior) and be a role model by living a positive lifestyle at all times” ( https://www.tommytheclown.com/copy-of-home ).

See how Tommy The Clown and his squad of Clowns use this form of dance to express themselves and invite in others to join in.

Clowning is the predecessor of Krumping, created in the early 2000’s by Ceasare “Tight Eyez” Wills and Jo’Artis “Big Mijo” Ratti, former members of Tommy the Clown’s dance crew. Krumping uses aggressive improvised movements such as “stomps, jabs, chest pops, jumps, and arm swings” that mimic fighting (Wikipedia). However, the dance form does not condone physical violence. Dancers challenge each other to battles as an alternative to gang culture.

Choreography from the Urban Dance Camp featuring Krumping.

Query \(\PageIndex{8}\)

Mainstream Media and Globalization

In the 1980s into the early 1990s, Hip-Hop gained attention through mainstream media primarily due to the rise of popularity of rap music. Two biopic films introduced Hip-Hop culture to the world. Style Wars and Wild Style featured Bronx’s breakers, rappers, deejays, and graffiti artists. The Hollywood film Flashdance also featured a brief scene of the Rock Steady Crew dancing on the streets.

Rock Steady Crew

The Rock Steady Crew was founded in 1977 by Joe Torres and Jimmy D. The crew is credited with creating original breaking moves and helped popularize breaking. They became well-known in 1981 when they battled the Dynamic Rockers at the Lincoln Center Outdoors Program, garnering media coverage from National Geographic and 20/20.

The Rock Steady Crew.

These films were the onset of what would become a global phenomenon. Companies began capitalizing on the culture for monetary gains, selling instructional manuals and video tutorials on breaking. Breaking soon declined in popularity as many felt the media was trying to “sell the culture they had created back to them” (Durden, 2019). Around this time, music artists shifted the direction of Hip-Hip by using party dances or social dance movements to associate with specific songs in their music videos, like the Cabbage Patch and Running Man. As a result, Hip-Hop dance styles began appearing in commercials, television shows, documentaries, and movies that drew national recognition.

breakers discuss the influence the media had on breaking.

Hip-hop dance styles continue to be popularized through film and television shows. Competition-based television shows like America’s Best Dance Crew and So You Think You Can Dance feature dancers competing for the title of “best” dancer or crew.

The Jabbawockeez perform on America’s Best Dance Crew.

INFLUENTIAL HIP-HOP ARTISTS

In 1992, Rennie Harris founded the professional Hip-Hop dance company Rennie Harris Puremovement bringing street dance to the concert stage. To preserve the history and cultural influences of the dance form, he founded the Rennie Harris Awe-Inspiring Works (RHAW), an organization dedicated to providing educational opportunities, master classes, and mentorship to youth in 2007.

Steffan “Mr. Wiggles” Clement

Steffan “Mr. Wiggles” Clemente is a member of the Rock Steady Crew and The Electric Boogaloos. He has appeared in several music videos, dancing for Missy Elliot, Usher, and Madonna. Today, Mr. Wiggles holds outreach programs to teach youth about Hip-Hop culture.

Fatima Robinson

Fatima Robinson was described in the New York Times as “one of the most sought-after hip-hop and popular music choreographers in the world” and was once named by Entertainment weekly as one of the 100 most creative people in the world of entertainment. She has choreographed for Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time,” NAACP Image Awards, VH1 Hip-Hop Honors, 2006 movie Dreamgirls, Pepsi, Gap, Verizon, 2005 The Wiz Live! And the 2022 Super Bowl, just to name a few.

Emilio “Buddha Stretch” Austin

Emilio “Buddha Stretch” Austin created a Hip-Hop dance style called freestyle. He combines old-school with new-school moves that were popularized in Hip-Hop music videos. Buddha Stretch has choreographed and performed in several music videos in the 1990s, including Michael Jackson and Will Smith.

Query \(\PageIndex{9}\)

Hip-Hop is an umbrella term encompassing several sub-genres. Breaking is considered the original form of hip-hop dance. The Hip-Hop cultural movement of the 1970s was spawned from African-American and Latinx youth in marginalized, inner-city neighborhoods. During the 1980s, the media helped increase hip-hop’s popularity, gaining it widespread attention. In the 1990s, hip-hop culture, including dance, music, art, fashion, speech, and behavior, became a component of rap music. Hip-hop dance forms are now taught in dance studios and schools and have absorbed other dance influences like jazz dance, which incorporates codified dance techniques. It is essential to recognize that these Hip-Hop dance styles may not be in their most authentic form that respects the cultural values and traditions from which they emerge. For the people who created Hip-Hop, it was a lifestyle.

Directions: Please answer the following questions and cite any sources you use in your response.

• Breaking began as a male-dominated dance form, causing B-Girls to advocate for equality. Research a B-Girl and speak to their influences in hip-hop as a dancer. Here are a few suggestions: Asia One, Momz-N-Da-Hood, B-Girl Firefly (Andrea Parker), Lady Jules (Julie Ulrich), and Shana Busmente.
• Select a Hip-Hop dance from today (from YouTube, Google, TikTok etc.) and reflect on whether it holds the cultural aspects Hip-Hop is rooted in. Explain.
• Hip-Hop is grounded in self-expression. Create a 30 second video representing your Hip-Hop aesthetic informed by your individuality and upload. Please credit any artists that you use for inspiration.

“About.” RHPM, 22 Feb. 2021, www.rhpm.org/about-2/.

“An Artist with a Mission.” Terrance Michael Morgan. Accessed July 8, 2022. https://terrancemichaelmorgan.com/ .

Durden, E. Moncell. Beginning Hip-Hop Dance. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2019.

“Fatima Robinson (1971–).” Encyclopedia of Arkansas, February 14, 2022. https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/e...robinson-8213/ .

Gosa, T. (2015). The fifth element: Knowledge. In J. Williams (Ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Hip-Hop (Cambridge Companions to Music, pp. 56-70). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CCO9781139775298.007

“Griot.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Accessed February 9, 2022. https://www.britannica.com/art/griot .

“Hip-Hop: A Culture of Vision and Voice.” The Kennedy Center. Accessed May 26, 2022. https://www.kennedy-center.org/educa...ion-and-voice/ .

“Howard Cosell.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, May 16, 2022. https://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard..._is_burning%22 .

Kennedy, Lisa. “In L.A. Neighborhoods, Dancing Can Be Salvation.” The Denver Post. The Denver Post, May 8, 2016. https://www.denverpost.com/2005/06/2...-be-salvation/ .

“Krumping.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, May 7, 2022. https://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Krumpi...tic%20movement .

“Locking (Dance).” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, October 15, 2021. https://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Locking_(dance)#:~:text=Locking%20is%20a%20style%20of,the%20same%20speed%20as%20before .

“Meet Tommy.” Tommytheclown. Accessed May 26, 2022. https://www.tommytheclown.com/copy-of-home .

“What Is Popping? (Popping Dance).” STEEZY Blog. Accessed February 11, 2022. https://www.steezy.co/posts/what-is-popping-dance .

Shapiro, Peter, ed. (2000). Modulations: A History of Electronic Music . New York: Caipirinha Productions Inc. p. 152 . ISBN 978-1-891024-06-1 .

“Stepping.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Accessed May 25, 2022. https://www.britannica.com/art/stepping .

“Universal Zulu Nation.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, March 9, 2022. https://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Zulu_Nation .

Afrika Bambaataa [Aasim, Kevin Donovan]” . Oxford Music Online. Archived from the original on March 9, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2016.

“The True Mission Matters: Terrance M. Morgan.” The TMM Project. Accessed July 28, 2022. https://terrancemichaelmorgan.com/ .

“South Bronx.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, May 25, 2022. https://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Bronx .

“Learn What Is Uprock and How the Street Dance Style Was Created.” Red Bull. Accessed July 28, 2022. https://www.redbull.com/in-hi/street...nd%20freestyle .

• Discuss current trends in dance
• Analyze cultural elements in current dance trends
• Identify influential multimedia artists

“Dancemakers have naturally gravitated toward technological innovations that enable a deeper understanding of the human body in motion. Through the use of portable computers, wearable technologies, and software apps dancers may create, design, participate and move in new modes of performance. Opportunities between dancers and choreographers inherently explore new methods out of a desire to expand their imagination, talent, and intellect.” – Carl D. Sanders, Jr.

Dance and Technology

Many changes have come about in the dance world since the COVID pandemic. Dancers have learned to work remotely, taking classes online and even staging Zoom performances. Social media platforms were already popular, but there was a surge in dance videos during the pandemic, as well.

Social Media:

What exactly is social media? Social media can be defined as the creation or sharing of content, such as photos, videos, or written information through the use of websites or similar platforms that users post and share this content for social networking, business, or just to be seen. This platform has increased visibility for everything, but dance in particular. Because of the use of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, SnapChat, and TikTok dance has received so much more press and viewership. If you want to get noticed or seen as a dancer by others, if you have a dance studio and want others to see what you have to offer, or if you just want to showcase your work for classes that you teach, social media, with the use of the platforms mentioned above is a great way to do it. The majority of people use at least one or more of these social media platforms to gather information on the latest dance craze (TikTok), to watch a dance class or participate in one (YouTube), or just simply to be entertained without having to attend a dance concert or performance in person. Social Media has clearly changed the way in which we have structured our lives, but more importantly, it has created a generation of quicker accessibility to advertise, promote, and create dance on a much larger scale than ever before.

Dance Hybrids:

One way that dance teachers, studios, choreographers, and dance companies are surviving the changing times is by making the crossover to a hybrid model. They might teach in person or on the internet. Instead of a studio, they use a phone or tablet in their living room. They might create asynchronous material and sell the same class on-demand over and over. Or, a dance company might offer a workshop or performance for online viewing for a small fee. It is called omnichannel or integrated marketing, “a marketing approach that provides your customers with integrated shopping experiences, such as by providing a seamless experience between desktop, mobile, and brick-and-mortar.” In order to survive, dance entrepreneurs have to be flexible and create hybrid forms to deliver their dance content to the public.

Helanius J. Wilkins, a native of Lafayette, Louisiana, is an award-winning choreographer, performance artist, innovator, and educator. Rooted in the interconnections of American contemporary performance, cultural history, and identities of Black men, Wilkins creative research investigates the raced dancing body and the ways that ritual can access forms of knowledge. Intrigued by ideas about indeterminacy, he approaches performance-making and pedagogy as a means of re-framing perspectives, creative practices, linking the arts and social justice, and blurring the lines between performer and audience. As a choreographer for stage and as a filmmaker, he draws inspiration from his upbringing in Lafayette, LA, one shaped by resilience, and his identity as a Black American to create original works that allow for moments of recognition and transformation. In his inter media collaborations he works with artists from a wide range of disciplines, including film, video, and design.

Grounded in a belief that embodied practices give us ways of knowing ourselves and our communities: Dance, for Wilkins, becomes a vehicle for understanding complex issues around race, culture, and inclusivity. He embraces the fullness of his identity, including his Creole heritage and being a Lafayette, LA native as rich resources for defining an “American identity” shaped by hybridity, resilience and co-existence.

https://www.helaniusj.com/

Remote Work:

At the start of the pandemic in 2020, dance classes went online. Students used Zoom or other virtual mediums to continue their training. Teachers equipped themselves with microphones and learned how to present class online. Students found a space at home where they could dance. Thus, a new way to learn dance has opened up, making it possible to study all forms of dance with teachers around the world. A lot of dance class videos can be found on YouTube, Vimeo and Twitch. In addition, dance teachers, companies, and organizations offer live fee-based virtual classes for anyone to take.

Technology:

The use of technology in the 21st century has been difficult to remove dance from it. It is so prevalent that almost all forms of auditions for scholarships, dance companies, dance lines, and even dance studios will require an uploaded video of your dance presentation. It has been made possible through technology for the dancer to develop their artistry with various technological outlets to express themselves on a larger and definitely a much more creative scale. The effects are limitless. Lighting, costuming, and special effects, along with great editing techniques can make a dance performance or show very impressive and truly grab hold of a viewing audience.

Screendance:

Screendance combines dance and filmmaking to create a cinematic experience. Screendance focuses on the “dancing body as the primary subject of creative expression” (ACDA). The movements created are explicitly devised with the camera in mind, and the camera captures the performance and directs the viewers’ eyes. Through various editing techniques, the dance is further manipulated to bring an element of storytelling. Close-ups of the dancers can provide a sense of intimacy, while speeding the time of a frame can give a sense of urgency. Today, several dance film festivals occur worldwide, offering a platform for artists to share their works.

The San Francisco Dance Film Festival trailer.

The Tik-Tok Era:

TikTok has become a viral social media platform in the 21st century, providing a way for people to create and share dances. However, the app launched in 2016 became popular during the quarantine period of the pandemic. People began participating in dance-challenge videos, learning short routines set to popular songs and reposting. The dances used on the app have become dance crazes featuring hip-hop-inspired movements, like the Dougie and the Dice Roll and Throw. TikTok dances are based on the premise that “everyone can do it,” with movements being repetitive, “recognizable and easily reproducible” (Burke). This has allowed people to come together to learn the dances providing a social aspect. It has also offered a space to connect with people worldwide by enabling users to follow each other, share and download content, and make comments. Popular TikTok users who have gone viral may have financial opportunities with companies endorsing them to promote their products. Although TikTok has become an accessible way for people to engage with dance, issues concerning choreography and intellectual copyrights have become increasingly important in protecting artists’ work.

https://www.dancemagazine.com/popular-tiktok-dances/

Additional Trends:

The trend of dance as competition.

Prior to the twentieth century, most dance was a social activity or was performance based. Dance as a competitive sport is fairly new. Competition dance today is a lucrative business for traveling dance competition companies. It is a widespread sport in which competitive teams from different dance studios or schools perform in styles such as tap, jazz, ballet, modern, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, acro, and musical theater before a common group of judges. Dance competition events bring dancers together to showcase their talents, receive feedback from judges, and compete to earn recognition, typically by awards. The number of national competitions has ballooned into the hundreds since the 1980s. For individual competitors, the costs can easily top $1,000 per month.

In 2005, a dance competition reality show called “So You Think You Can Dance” premiered and spurred a number of dance-themed competition reality shows such as “Dance Moms,” “Dancing With the Stars” and “World of Dance.” Shows like this were highly influential in both the dance industry and with aspiring dancers as well.

Dance as competition has changed the way many young dancers see dance. Dance as an art form or for personal expression is not as valued in the competition world which stresses dazzling technical feats, group precision, high energy, and over the top facial expressions to catch the eye of the judges. It is not until these dancers enter a college dance program or begin to audition for professional concert dance companies that they begin to understand the complexities of dance aesthetics. Fortunately, there seems to be a trend merging the two seemingly opposite camps. Dancers who understand the commercial world as well as the concert world and who are trained in a wide variety of styles are increasingly sought after by film directors, music artists, TV productions, Broadway shows, as well as by professional dance companies.

Dance Health and Wellness

Dance is beneficial to our health and fitness. The exercise it provides leads to a strong and toned body, the endorphins it releases contribute to an improved mental outlook, and the socialization of shared dancing offers us support and community. Public dance classes are available in traditional genres. In addition, new hybrid dance classes aimed specifically at fitness have developed. Zumba uses salsa steps and rhythms in a dance class of non-stop movement. Jazzercise is a dance franchise that uses jazz dance in its fitness program. Other dance fitness trends emerge continually.

Around the globe there are organizations aimed at developing community dance programs. People Dancing, a UK group, supports dance programs for all across the country, including therapeutic dance, like dance for People with Parkinson’s. Similar programs exist world-wide including the US.

Dance and Movement Therapy

There are a variety of ways that dance and movement therapy can be used to enhance the quality of life among people. The American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) describes these techniques as “psychotherapeutic use of movement to promote emotional, social, cognitive, and physical integration to improve a person’s overall well-being (ADTA). Dance therapists work in a wide variety of settings, from hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, and drug treatment facilities to schools, nursing homes, community centers, and prisons. They can also work as freelancers or by founding private practices.

https://www.headway.org.uk/about-brain-injury/individuals/brain-injury-and-me/dancing-after-brain-injury/

An article in Headway, a journal for brain injury, quoted research fellow, Dr Gemma-Collard Stokes. She said, “What we have in dance is a uniquely rich sensorial experience that combines physical, cognitive and socially stimulating activities…“Stimulating our sensory systems through dance can assist in the process of rebuilding the pathways between cognition and our motor skills…”

https://www.dancemagazine.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-becoming-a-dance-therapist/

Dance/Movement Therapy Video

Dance for Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects a person’s ability to move, causing freezing, unintended, or uncontrollable movement of the muscles. Several programs offer specialized classes to aid people with Parkinson’s, helping to improve aspects such as balance, flexibility, coordination, and forming a mind-body connection.

Dance for Parkinson’s classes empower participants to explore movement and music in ways that are stimulating, refreshing and creative. The classes are designed for people with PD and their companions, offering a fun and creative outlet to them in the form of dance.

The Dance for PD® program was developed and implemented by the Mark Morris Dance Group of Brooklyn, NY. Dance for PD is internationally active and acknowledged as an effective way to manage symptoms of Parkinson’s through movement, music, imagery, and socialization. Extensive information on the program and its effectiveness, along with scientific research to support the work, can be found on the Dance for PD website. People suffering from other complaints like neuropathy, dementia, and traumatic brain injury also find benefit in attending these dance classes.

Meet members of Brooklyn’s flagship Dance for PD® class and learn why the program has become such an important part of their lives–and why you belong here too.

People Dancing is “the UK development organization and membership body for community and participatory dance.” They promote dance as a fun and healthy activity for all people by engaging “the general public in creating and performing dance with friends and families.”

National and Global Dance Initiatives

Through various initiatives, national and global dance events have allowed people to connect to the broader dance community. These events include celebrating dance as an art form, honoring dance artists, fundraising, and spreading awareness on important issues.

• International Dance Day was established in 1982 by The Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI). This event occurs annually on April 29, the birth date of Jean-Georges Noverre, in honor of his early contributions to ballet. International Dance Day aims to promote dance worldwide to heighten awareness and value in society.
• In the United States, National Dance Day celebrates all dance forms and is held on the third Saturday in September. Established in 2010 by Nigel Lythgoe and Adam Shankman of the dance competition show So You Think You Can Dance, with support from American congresswoman Eleanor Holmes. Every year, the Dizzy Feet Foundation creates a dance tutorial and uploads it online, encouraging people to learn the movement to support dance’s artistic expression and health benefits.
• Global Water Dances emerged from a 2008 Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies (LIMS) conference, addressing the theme “Dance and the Environment.” In 2011, Global Water Dances held its first event with 57 locations over 24 hours. Participants join a Movement Choir, “events that use community dance to create social cohesion through non-verbal communication,” dancing near a body of water to address local water issues for environmental and social change (Global Water Dances).
• National Water Dance is held annually, using dance as a platform for social change. Advocating for awareness of water-related environmental issues in participants’ respective geographic areas, like cleanliness, accessibility, and sustainability. Through the medium of dance and site-specific performance, participants begin their dance with the same opening and beginning movements to acknowledge the “shared movements link all of us together, which is the spirit and power of a movement choir” from National Water Dance Project (NWDP). Performances are held virtually, and all are invited to participate.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

The concepts of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion emerged in response to the 1960s civil rights movement as people of color protested for fair treatment as citizens. Social changes began in education and workplaces to increase awareness and respect for racial differences. In a society encompassing people of varying backgrounds, consideration of diversity to include representation of people came underway to embrace individual differences. This led to the implementation of creating equity, equal opportunities and resources for all persons, and inclusion to ensure people feel valued. In recent years, issues surrounding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) have surfaced in the dance field. Historically, dance has drawn from Euro-centric values and traditions that have caused barriers in the profession in areas like hiring and casting. Discriminatory factors of ethnicity, race, gender, age, body weight, sexuality, or disability have left dancers marginalized in the dance profession. Today, dance artists and educators strive to increase awareness of these issues to improve all realms of DEI.

There is no doubt that the world of dance has been changing rapidly and will continue to adapt in response to new circumstances in our social, political, economic situations as well as with advancements in technology. Dance and technology have partnered to create new ways of choreographing, performing, teaching, and dancing. Dancers around the world are more connected than ever before and this sharing means that the dance community is more diverse and inclusive than ever. Whether it’s through Zoom, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Twitch, Vimeo, TikTok, Pinterest, Reddit, Tumblr, or a new app that’s yet to be invented, dancers will continue to share their passion for the artform and to explore new ideas inspired by what they see.

National and global dance events have also allowed people to connect to the broader dance community. The world is learning that dance is not just fun, but beneficial to our health and fitness. The exercise it provides leads to a strong and toned body, the endorphins it releases contribute to an improved mental outlook, and the socialization of shared dancing offers us support and community.

Roque, Noel. “5 Trends That Will Change the Future of Dance.” worlddancegroup.com. Accessed July 28, 2022. https://worlddancegroup.com/blog/f/5...dance-industry .

National Water Dance Project. Dancing Out of Time. Facebook, 25, January 2022, Accessed 7, June 2022.

https://www.proquest.com/openview/34...l=18750&diss=y

“Parkinson’s Disease: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments.” National Institute on Aging. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed June 2, 2022. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/parkinsons-disease .

“Jazzercise.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, May 21, 2022. https://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazzercise .

“Zumba.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, May 30, 2022. https://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Zumba .

Johnson, Ali. “Copyrighting Tiktok Dances: Choreography in the Internet Age.” UW Law Digital Commons. Accessed June 4, 2022. https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/wlr/vol96/iss3/12/ .

Burke, Siobhan. “What Makes a Tiktok Dance Go Viral?” Dance Magazine, December 22, 2021. https://www.dancemagazine.com/popular-tiktok-dances/ .

“International Dance Day – April 29.” National Today, August 5, 2021. https://nationaltoday.com/international-dance-day/ .

“National Dance Day.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, October 5, 2021. https://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Dance_Day .

Admin. “National Dance Day.” American Dance Movement, January 6, 2022. http://americandancemovement.org/national-dance-day/ .

“Home.” Global Water Dances. Accessed June 7, 2022. https://globalwaterdances.org/about/ .

“About.” NDEO. Accessed June 7, 2022. https://www.ndeo.org/About/Thank-A-Dance-Teacher-Day .

Love, Alexandria. “When Did We Add the ‘Equity’ to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion?” Berrett-Koehler Publishers Blog. Accessed June 15, 2022. https://ideas.bkconnection.com/when-did-we-add-the-equity-to-diversity-equity-and-inclusion .

“Project PLIE – ABT: Membership & Support.” ABT. Accessed June 14, 2022. https://support.abt.org/projectplie .

Schupp, K. (2016). Dance Competition Culture and Capitalism. Congress on Research in Dance Conference Proceedings, 2016, 361-368. doi:10.1017/cor.2016.48

Friscia, Suzannah. “Is the Line between Concert and Commercial Dance Finally Fading?” Dance Magazine, December 9, 2021. https://www.dancemagazine.com/concer...mercial-dance/ .

Essay on Dance

500 words essay on dance.

Dancer refers to a series of set of movement to music which we can either do alone or with a partner. Dancing helps us express our feelings and get active as well. If we look back at history, dance has been a part of our human history since the earliest records. Thus, an essay on dance will take us through it in detail.

My Hobby My Passion

Dance is my favourite hobby and I enjoy dancing a lot. I started dancing when I was five years old and when I got older; my parents enrolled me in dance classes to pursue this passion.

I cannot go a day without dance, that’s how much I love dancing. I tried many dance forms but discovered that I am most comfortable in Indian classical dance. Thus, I am learning Kathak from my dance teacher.

I aspire to become a renowned Kathak dancer so that I can represent this classical dance internationally. Dancing makes me feel happy and relaxed, thus I love to dance. I always participate in dance competitions at my school and have even won a few.

Dance became my passion from an early age. Listening to the beats of a dance number, I started to tap my feet and my parents recognized my talent for dance. Even when I am sad, I put on music to dance to vent out my feelings.

Thus, dance has been very therapeutic for me as well. In other words, it is not only an escape from the world but also a therapy for me.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Hidden Language of the Soul

Dance is also called the hidden language of the soul as we use it to express ourselves when words fall short. The joy which comes with dancing helps us get over our sorrow and adversity sometimes.

Moreover, it is simply a translator for our hearts. What is most important to remember is that dance is not supposed to be perfect. There is no right way of dancing, as long as your heart is happy, you can dance.

When we talk about dance, usually a professional dancer comes to our mind. But, this is where we go wrong. Dance is for anybody and everybody from a ballet dancer to the uncle dancing at a wedding .

It is what unites us and helps us come together to celebrate joy and express our feelings. Therefore, we must all dance without worrying if we are doing it right or not. It is essential to understand that when you let go of yourself in dance, you truly enjoy it only then.

Conclusion of the Essay on Dance

All in all, dance is something which anyone can do. There is no right way or wrong way to dance, there is just a dance. The only hard part is taking the first step, after that, everything becomes easier. So, we must always dance our heart out and let our body move to the rhythm of music freely.

FAQ of Essay on Dance

Question 1: Why is Dance important?

Answer 1: Dance teaches us the significance of movement and fitness in a variety of ways through a selection of disciplines. It helps us learn to coordinate muscles to move through proper positions. Moreover, it is a great activity to pursue at almost any age.

Question 2: What is dancing for you?

Answer 2: Dancing can enhance our muscle tone, strength, endurance and fitness. In addition, it is also a great way to meet new friends. Most importantly, it brings happiness to us and helps us relax and take a break from the monotony of life.

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The history of Dance

A series of set of movements to music, either alone or with a partner. That is the definition of dancing. Dancing is a way to express one’s feeling and to get active. Dance has been a part of human history since the earliest records of human life . Cave paintings found in Spain and France dating from 30,000 -10,000 BC. have vivid drawings of dancing figures in association with ritual illustrating the pesents of dance in early human society . Many people around the world see life as a dance from the movements of the heavens and the turn of the seasons to the unique dance of every creature.

The history of dance reflects the changes in the way people see the world, relate to their bodies and experience the cycles of life . In India among the Hindus, the Creator is a dancer who dances the world through the cycles of birth, death and rebirth. In the early churches of Europe, Christian worship included dance while at other times in western history dancing was outlawed and banned. In Ancient Egypt, ceremonial dances were enacted by the pharaohs as a dancing priest- king representing his people .

These dances, culminating in ceremonies representing the death and rebirth of the god Osiris became more and more complex until ultimately they could only be performed by a highly valued professional class of dancers. In Ancient Greece, Egyptian dance influences were carried over by Greek philosophers who went to Egypt for general study. The dance rituals of the Gods and Goddesses of the Greek pantheon are recognized as the origins of contemporary Western theater.

Around Dionysus, the god of transformation and generation celebrated through wine, grew a cult of primarily of women followers known as the maenads who worshiped with captivating dance. These dances eventually evolved to include praise songs and myths that were enacted by trained dancers and actors. By the end of the 5th century BC, these dance dramas were part of entertainment and provided social and political commentary on the times. Amongst the Romans, dance waxed and waned in acceptance by the powers that ruled. Until 200 BC, dance brought life to Roman processions, festivals and celebrations.

However, in 150 BC all of the dancing schools were closed as Roman nobility considered dance as suspicious and even dangerous activity of the masses. Dancing has come a long way since ancient times. But there are still some similarities. When people thought up these dances they were trying to express themselves, their emotions, their problems and beliefs. Today we do the same thing. We make up dances according to our attitudes, beliefs, thoughts and feelings. The future will also contain dances that will reflect that society.

There are many different kinds of dances. There is ballet, line dancing, slow dancing, the list goes on and on. Some of these dances are slow. Some of them are fast. They all use different type of instruments. Each dance representing a time, an event, an expression or feeling. Each dance expressing something different. Dances will never die. They are too interconnected in the world’s society. They will live. They will show the generations ahead what the ancient 90s were like. Through dance our culture and society will be remembered to the end of time.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Dance — Importance Of Dance

Importance of Dance

• Categories: Dance

About this sample

Words: 606 |

Published: Mar 19, 2024

Words: 606 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Exploring emotions through movement, personal development through dance, fostering social cohesion through dance, cultural preservation through dance, the profound impact of dance.

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• Essay On Dance

Dance Essay

500+ words essay on dance.

Dance has occupied an important place in Indian culture throughout history. Dance is most commonly defined as a way of human expression through movement. People have seen dance as a performing art on stage, on-screen and in the media. Dance can also be a form of physical fitness or a prime means of expressing cultural heritage and identity. Historically, dance was often performed in rituals, worship, social celebrations, and as a means of entertainment and self-expression. Nowadays, dance has become a part of traditional events and also an element of new innovative performing experiences. This essay on dance will help students to understand the importance of dance and its different forms. For students’ convenience, we have also compiled a list of CBSE Essays on different topics to brush up on their essay writing skills.

Dance Is an Art

Dance connects us to society and culture in many universal and personal ways. It deepens our understanding of the world and ourselves. Synthesising personal knowledge and experiences with dance movements reinforces us to perceive the feelings and ideas evoked in a dance form. Dance makes us feel happy. When we dance, all our worries and stress go away. We get lost in pleasure and joy. Dance is also an exercise that provides numerous benefits to our health, such as improving blood circulation, developing muscles, promoting greater flexibility, improving body posture etc. People who dance daily are always fit and cheerful. That’s why dancers are very less likely to fall sick.

Dance helps us to connect to our inner selves. It provides us with mental peace and awakens the consciousness of our inner beauty. It helps develop self-confidence and self-esteem in a stimulating environment. Dance makes us feel more energetic and enthusiastic. It makes the brain learn things faster, so our capability to grasp new things increases.

Different Dance Forms of India

Dance has a long history in India. A large amount of material related to dance, dating from as early as the 2nd century BCE up to the 21st century CE, is available. For example, we have a bronze ‘dancing girl’ figurine from Mohenjo-Daro and a broken torso from Harappa in a dance pose. The history of dance can be traced back to the classical, middle and modern historical periods.

Indian dance forms fall into two broad categories – classical and folk. The present-day forms of classical Indian dances are performed on the stage on various occasions. The classical dance forms include Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Kathak, Sattriya, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam etc. Whereas the folk dance forms include Bhangra, Lavani, Ghumara, Kathi, Nakata, Koli, Gadhwali, Lezim, Savari, Painka, Chhau, Munari etc.

The presentation of Indian dance in Hindi cinema has projected modern dances. Dance in early Hindi cinema was primarily modelled on classical Indian dance styles. Modern films often use a fusion of Indian dance styles with Western dance styles. It could be a combination of inter-mixing of Indian classical, Indian folk dance, belly dancing, jazz, hip hop and even folk forms.

Students must have found this “Essay on Dance” useful for improving their essay-writing skills. They can get the study material and latest updates on CBSE/ICSE/State Board/Competitive Exams at BYJU’S.

Frequently Asked Questions on Dance Essay

How many dance forms have indian origin.

About 15 dance forms are said to be of Indian origin, and all these are practised and learnt even today.

Some positive effects of dance and dancing?

Dancing can be a stress buster for many and helps in the relaxation of the body and mind. It also has several health benefits such as improved blood circulation, nervous system coordination, etc.

Who invented dance?

The origins of the dance are said to be in India (9000 years old) and in Egypt (5300 years old).

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