Making Legends and Breaking Boundaries
AMERICAN MODERN DANCE
Dance 1 S - Ms. Kadets
ISADORA DUNCAN (1877 – 1927)
Dancer, choreographer, and teacher.
THE “MOTHER” OF MODERN DANCE
No extensive dance training
Influenced by Greek arts
Costumed in togas, tunics, hair
loose and always barefoot
Simple movement vocabulary
(walks, skips, jumps, running)
Worked with free and natural
rhythms
Colored work with dynamics,
pauses, and moving from torso
“flowing and ethereal”
ISADORA DUNCAN
RUTH ST. DENIS (1878-1968)
Dancer, choreographer, and teacher.
CANONIZING RUTHIE DENNIS
Trained in ballet, ballroom, and
Delsarte (meaning in every movement)
Began dancing in vaudeville
and musical theater shows
Influenced by ethnic dances
“music visualizations”
1906: “Radha” premiers in NY
Explored religious themes and
Egyptian and Asian cultures
RUTH ST. DENIS
DENISHAWN DANCE COMPANY
Ted Shawn studied dance with
Denis as therapy after illness
1915: they marry and found the
Denishawn school in L.A.
Eclectic curriculum spanned
ballet to ethnic dances
1st school for non-balletic dance
Credited as origin of modern
dance studies
Company toured and other
schools opened across country
Fostered several future legends
of modern dance
TED SHAWN
“EARLY” MODERN DANCE FAMILY TREE
MARTHA GRAHAM (1894-1991)
Dancer, choreographer, and teacher.
AMERICAN DANCE PIONEER
Moved to CA and saw Works based on Greek
Denishawn performance mythology and Americana
Began dancing at themes
Denishawn school (age 22) Worked with Japanese
After 7 years with sculptor Isamu Noguchi
Denishawn, left for NYC Music commissioned by
Developed technique based Aaron Copeland, Samuel
on “contract and release” Barber, among others
1929: founded Martha Martha Graham School of
Graham Dance Co. Contemporary Dance in NYC
Choreography known as MGDC also still performing
angular, dramatic, and often Graham technique is taught
full of angst around the world