MODERN

DANCE

REGINA E. RAMOS
PE Instructor
 NAVOTAS POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE
Bangus St., Corner Apahap St., NBBS, City of Navotas

Course Title PE2: Fundamentals of Rhythmic Activities

Section
Schedule
Name of Faculty Regina E. Ramos

Module Number 10 of 10
Lesson Title MODERN DANCE
Week number TEN

Intended Learning At the end of the module, the students should be able
Outcomes: to:
• Describe Modern Dance
• Explain History of Modern Dance
• Enumerate Benefits of Modern Dance

Learning and Teaching Support Materials

1. Guided Questions
2. ASSESSMENT TASK
3. Video Lessons
4. Rubrics
 LECTURE PROPER/DISCUSSION

What is Modern Dance?

Modern dance (often referred to as contemporary or lyrical, but we will go into more detail
about that below) is a genre of dance that was introduced in the early 1900s. Modern dance
came along in part as a rebellion against the traditional, more highly technical forms of dance
such as ballet, and has since become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers
throughout the world. Modern dancers strive to connect the mind and the body through fluid
dance movements while focusing on spontaneity and self-expression.
Modern dance is a term that describes many types of dance techniques. It is a category of
dance styles, often referred to as a genre of dance. Many of the main styles in this genre are
credited to specific choreographers who pioneered new and unique ways of moving and
created new movement vocabularies based on their personal philosophies: their views of
how dance functions as an artistic tool.

Contemporary dance usually means that it has been created recently, and is performed to
contemporary music. This style of dance is all about versatility and improvisation while
focusing on emotional and physical expression. This style of dance is a fusion of jazz, ballet,
and modern styles.

Lyrical dance is most often performed to songs with lyrics and is all about smooth, fluid
movement and expression of emotions. The music can be of a wide range of genres, as long
as it is emotionally charged and expressive, and the lyrics/nature of the music used will serve
as inspiration for choreography. This style of dance is a fusion of jazz and ballet styles.
 HISTORY OF MODERN DANCE

Modern dance, theatrical dance that began to develop in the United States and Europe late
in the 19th century, receiving its nomenclature and a widespread success in the 20th. It
evolved as a protest against both the balletic and the interpretive dance traditions of the
time.

The forerunners of modern dance in Europe include Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, proponent of the
eurythmics system of musical instruction, and Rudolf Laban, who analyzed and systematized
forms of human motion into a system he called Labanotation (for further information, see
dance notation). A number of the modern dance movement’s precursors appeared in the
work of American women. Loie Fuller, an American actress turned dancer, first gave the free
dance artistic status in the United States. Her use of theatrical lighting and transparent
lengths of China-silk fabrics at once won her the acclaim of artists as well as general
audiences. She preceded other modern dancers in rebelling against any formal technique, in
establishing a company, and in making films.

Dance was only part of Fuller’s theatrical effect; for another American dancer, Isadora
Duncan, it was the prime resource. Duncan brought a vocabulary of basic movements to
heroic and expressive standards. She performed in thin, flowing dresses that left arms and
legs bare, bringing a scale to her dancing that had immense theatrical projection. Her
revelation of the power of simple movement made an impression on dance that lasted far
beyond her death.

Formal teaching of modern dance was more successfully achieved by Ruth St. Denis and Ted
Shawn. St. Denis based much of her work on Eastern dance styles and brought an exotic
glamour to her company. Shawn was the first man to join the group, becoming her partner
and soon her husband. Nonballetic dance was formally established in 1915, when they
founded the Denishawn school.
Another influential pioneer of modern dance was dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist
Katherine Dunham, who examined and interpreted the dances, rituals, and folklore of the
black diaspora in the tropical Americas and the Caribbean. By incorporating authentic
regional dance movements and developing a technical system that educated her students
mentally as well as physically, she expanded the boundaries of modern dance. Her influence
continues to the present day.

Like Dunham, Trinidadian-born dancer and choreographer Pearl Primus studied

anthropology. Her studies led her to Africa (she ultimately took a Ph.D. in African and
Caribbean studies), and her choreography explored African, West Indian, and African
American themes.

Lester Horton, a male dancer and choreographer who worked during the same period as
Dunham and Primus, was inspired by the Native American dance tradition. He was involved
in all aspects of the dance, lighting, sets, and so on and also was a noted teacher, whose
students included Alvin Ailey, Jr., and Merce Cunningham,

Eventually rejecting psychological and

emotional elements present in the
choreography of Graham and others,
Cunningham developed his own dance
technique, which began to incorporate as
much ballet as it did modern dance, while his
choreographic methods admitted chance as
an element of composition and organization.
Also in the 1950s Alwin Nikolais began to
develop productions in which dance was
immersed in effects of lighting, design, and
sound, while Paul Taylor achieved a
generally vigorous and rhythmic style with
great precision and theatrical projection in
several works responding to classical scores.

Cunningham was a prime influence on the development of postmodern dance in the 1960s
and later. Based especially in New York City, a large number of new dancers and
choreographers—Trisha Brown, Yvonne Rainer, Pina Bausch, and many others—began to
abandon virtuoso technique, to perform in nontheatre spaces, and to incorporate repetition,
improvisation, minimalism, speech or singing, and mixed-media effects, including film. Out
of this context emerged artists such as Twyla Tharp, who gradually reintroduced academic
virtuosity, rhythm, musicality, and dramatic narrative to her dance style, which was based
in ballet and yet related to the improvisatory forms of popular social dance. (See also Tharp’s
Sidebar: On Technology and Dance.)

Since its founding, modern dance has been redefined many times. Though it clearly is not
ballet by any traditional definition, it often incorporates balletic movement; and though it
may also refer to any number of additional dance elements (those of folk dancing or ethnic,
religious, or social dancing, for example), it may also examine one simple aspect of
movement. As modern dance changes in the concepts and practices of new generations of
choreographers, the meaning of the term modern dance grows more ambiguous.

Watch out!

Visit the www.youtube.com and

search this video link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
UaCIpIcoz80

The Benefits of Modern Dance:

Creative Thinking - The impact that artistic training in general,

and modern dance training specifically, can have on a student’s
life is often grossly underestimated. Whether your student plans
to become a professional dancer, an attorney, a teacher, or a
mechanical engineer, they’ll have a distinct advantage over
competitors. In study after study, employers list creative thinking
as one of the employable skills they want most, and the total of a
candidate’s employable skill set weighs as heavily in their hiring
decisions as job-specific skills, training, and experience.

Stress Reduction - Modern dance classes contribute to

healthier kids today and better-balanced adults in the
future by teaching students to access their emotions and
translate them into physical motion. Both physical
exercise and introspection help to alleviate stress, and
even on days when students come to class feeling the
weight of the world on their shoulders, they’ll leave class
in a more positive mood, less prone to anxiety and
depression. The endorphins produced as a result of a
dance class will give the student a sense of peace, well-
being, and optimism.
 Self-Expression - Not only does modern dance
training teach students how to access their
emotions and give them physical conditioning and
training to express them, but it also gives them a
sense of empowerment. Creatively rendering
emotion and thought into physical movement gives
students a kind of unique “voice” with which to
express themselves, so they can find ways to
express themselves, even when words aren’t
sufficient. This can be especially helpful for shy
students or students with learning disabilities and
builds confidence in students who might otherwise
feel invisible and unheard.

Different Types of Modern Dance

1. BALLET - Tutus, pointe shoes and men in tights

are what come to mind when someone mentions
ballet. Yet Ballet is so much more than that. Said to be
the most difficult genre to master, ballet is a rigorous
style of dance that is the foundation of most forms of
dance training. It is usually set, but not limited to,
orchestrated music and is often the first dance style a
child will experience as they begin their dance
classes. Ballet shoes are usually worn until the
dancer's feet have developed enough strength to
progress into pointe shoes, often happens around the
age of 12 and only after the students have been given
permission by their teacher. Ballet is an excellent
teaching tool for all dancers as it is a complex mixture
of technique, coordination and musicality.

2. JAZZ - is the most popular style of dance

among dancers. Jazz combines all dance styles in a
high energetic dance that is without conventional
boundaries. It has been influenced by ballet,
modern, tap, hip-hop, African dance and many
more styles. Jazz is most often accompanied by
upbeat, currently popular songs. Jazz shoes
typically have a leather split sole which offers the
dancers foot more freedom to bend and move. Due
to the upbeat music, dramatic themes and cool
choreography, it isn’t hard to see why this is the
most popular dance style!
3. TAP DANCE is best described as "musical feet".
Tap is a form of dance where dancers use their feet
as percussive instruments. Tap shoes are that are
specially designed with percussive metal plates on
the toe and heel, called taps. There are many
different styles of tap dancing however the two most
noted are Rhythm Tap and Broadway Tap. Rhythm
Tap is more musically driven, where Broadway Tap
is more dance and movement-oriented. Tap is great
for fostering rhythm in dancers, as it turns their feet
into a musical instrument.

4. LYRICAL Though the basis of lyrical dance

is ballet merged with jazz and modern. It is dynamic
while simultaneously subtle, and focuses on
conveying feelings and emotions through
movement. Set to popular songs that emphasize
deeper feeling and emotion, such as grief, longing,
love and despair. Lyrical shoes provide protection
for the dancer while allowing them to feel the dance
floor as much as possible. Though proper dance
techniques are important, the true heart of lyrical is
found in its expressive nature.

5. HIP HOP is an edgy, raw and intense urban dance

style also known as Street Dance. The origin of
popping, locking and crumping, Hip Hop is mostly
danced to rap, urban and not surprisingly, hip hop
music. Funky, high-top dance sneakers are normally
worn by dancers. What sets Hip Hop apart from
most dance genres is that its original street dance
was freestyle in nature and did not follow a
predefined choreography. A style of dance that is
open to personal expression, Hip hop artists were
free to interpret the dance in any way they could,
and this lead to many innovative and exciting dance
styles.
 6. Contemporary dance embodies ballet, modern,
jazz and lyrical. It uses a technique such as ballet as its
fundamentals and creates many more movements that
do not adhere to the strict rules of ballet and modern.
There are different categories of contemporary dance
such as Contemporary Ballet and Contemporary Jazz.
Contemporary dance can be danced to all types of
music and in non-traditional costumes. Contemporary
dancers often wear lyrical dance shoes, and sometimes
no shoes at all.

7. Line Dancing is a social dance that

is made up of a sequence of repeated
steps and is traditionally associated with
country-western music. It is a solo dance
that is danced in a straight line, a circle or
in a “follow the leader” pattern. Footwear
is decided by the dancer and is if often
cowboy boots for the men and heels for
the women. Many women choose to wear
a Cuban heel shoe as it offers great
support and is the perfect heel height for
any age!

Characteristics of a Modern Dance

1. Graham :
This was named after Martha Graham. This style basically focuses on the use of contraction,
release, recovery, and fall. Graham is distinguished by floor work and the use of pelvic and
abdominal contractions. The style is much grounded and the technique is visibly contrary to
the slender and graceful, airborne ideals of ballet.

2. Limon :
This was named after Jose Limon. It involves exploring the use of energy in relation to gravity
and working with weight in terms of rebound, fall, suspension and recovery. Limon
technique uses the feeling of “heavy energy” and weight in the body, and movement is
initiated using breath to lift, and swings through the body to create and halt movement and
thus it feels very nice to perform.
3. Release :
Placing emphasis on minimizing tension in the search for fluidity and clarity and the efficient
use of breath and energy. In Release technique just as it sounds, we release through the
muscles and joints to create ease of movement, releasing the breath to support the release
of the body. A dance style as well as a great relaxation technique.

4. Improvisation :
It mainly focuses on the relationship between movements and performance and on the
investigation of movements. Development of individual movement material is made possible
through a variety of creative explorations.

5. Contact Improvisation:
Contact improvisation describes a duet dance form characterized by fluid movement, weight
exchange, and touch. Partners improvise the dance using the natural movement of the body.

Learning Activity

GUIDED QUESTIONS!

1. Do you know anything about the history of Modern Dance?

Who started it?

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When?
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Where?
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ASSESSMENT TASK

A. Perform an example of Modern Dance. You can join any member of the
family or friends. Record your presentation through video.
B. Send your outputs in my Facebook Messenger.

Rubrics for the performance of Modern Dance

criteria’s 1 2 3
Knowledge of Demonstrates some Demonstrates good Demonstrates
Choreography knowledge of knowledge of excellent
choreography, but choreography. knowledge of the
Memory of the unsure of some Keeps up with choreography.
routine and movements. group. Few errors, <BR>
execution of the Sometimes hesitates/ however it does not and does it well.
moves looks true watches others and interfere with
to the moves that makes several errors performance.
were
choreographed.
Technical skills Only some Dance performed Dance performed
understanding of with attention to with great attention
Pointing toes, technical elements details of technique, to quality of
back straight, arm (ie. footwork, quality has attained movement, body
placement is not of movements, body proficiency in dance position, placement
sloppy, moves are positions) style. on stage and other
executed demonstrated in details of dance.
smoothly. performance. Also demonstrates
an excellent
understanding of
dance style.
Performance The dancer is The dancer The dancer draws
Skills generally focused, but communicates with the audience in to
only some attempt audience through want to watch them
Projection of eye made to grab eye contact and and is able to
contact and attention of the facial and body engage the audience
cheerful facial audience with eye expression. Is able completely through
expressions with contact and good to engage the their performance.
the audience. The facial expression. judges. A true joy to watch!
dancer is
confident with
movements.
Rhythm/Tempo Shows a basic Accurate in beat, Shows a complete
understanding of tempo, rhythms of understanding of
Staying on count tempo and beat, but dance sequences tempo and beat and
and with the beats falls behind and/or throughout the stays on rhythm
of the music. speeds up in places or dance. throughout the
makes errors in dance.
rhythm.

Reading and other Online Resources

References • AlaskaDanceTheatre.(2018).Modern. (online).Available at
https://www.alaskadancetheatre.org/post/modern-dance-how-it-
benefits-your-dancer
• Britannica.(2018).Modern dance. (online).Available at
https://www.britannica.com/art/modern-dance
• InspirationDanceWear.(2016).Introduction to Carinosa.
(online).Available at
https://www.inspirationsdancewear.com/blogs/dance-news/the-
top-10-types-of-dance
• YOUTUBE. (2020). History of Modern Dance. (online).Available
at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaCIpIcoz80

Prepared by: REGINA E. RAMOS PE Instructor