MODERN DANCE STORY

LATE 16TH AND 17TH CENTURY

● A period in the history of dance in Italy, France, and England was a pleasantly deep and
rich.
● In the late Renaissance and the Baroque periods, dancers and personalities exerted
remarkable influence as the builders of ballet.
● France became the forerunner in dance during this period.
● With Catherine de Medici’s transfer to France and the production of Le Ballet-Comique
de La Reine in 1581, influence on dance began to transfer from the Italian court to the
French Court.
● With Louis XIII and Louis XIV, dancer increased as a court amusement and during the
latter’s reign, it transformed into professional entertainment.
● Male Dancers played both male and female roles in court ballets.
● In 1681, Mila La Fontaine, the first female professional dancer produced by the
Academic Royale de La Musique et de Dance, performed in Le Triomphe de L’Amour,
the first ballet in which women took part. She was hailed as the Queen of the Dance
after the performance.

AMONG THE MOST SIGNIFICANT BALLET

PRODUCED IN THE 17th CENTURY FRENCH COURT

1. BALLET DE LA UNIT (1653)

● In this Ballet, Louis X/portrayed the "Sun King", after which he became known by the
name.

2. LE BUURGOEOIS GENTILHOMME (1670)

● This is Moliere's comedy play, which featured music and dance sequences.
 3. LE TRIOMPHE DE L'AMOUR (1681)
● A ballet created by Jean-Baptiste Lully, in which the first female dancers appeared.

18TH CENTURY

● As the century continued, dance in ballroom and in theatrical performance began

to separate technically and aesthetically.
● The French and English theaters grew as major dance centers, while Austria and
Germany reduced their centers in court theaters.
● With the establishment of the Paris Opera, both male and female professional
dancers were given equal opportunity to take lead roles rather than just character
parts
● During this period, the professional male dancers or danseurs nobles took the
leading roles in ballets.
● The professional female dancers explored their techniques and skills beyond the
court dances by enhancing their movements with beats, turns and leg extensions.
● Dancers used five positions of the feet, both on the stage and in the ballroom.
● Mythology, fantasy, realism, and humanism were the common themes showcased
in ballets.

19TH CENTURY
 ● During the Romantic era, the female dancers took the lead roles in ballet
performances. They appeared as winged, unearthly beings such as nymphs and
fairies.
● To have illusion of dancing in points, dancers stood at the tips of their toes and
this became an essential feature of the ballerina's art.
● Meanwhile, the male dancers took the supporting roles in romantic ballets, but
offstage they continued as dance masters and arranged the ballets.
● During this century, male and females must strictly follow the code of etiquette
when attending a ball or they will not be admitted.
● The masters of ceremonies prepared a set of written ballroom guidelines,
activities, and written instructions for the dances.
● Dance manuals, which included instructions and directions for dances and
manners in the ballroom, were also developed by the dance masters.

BALLROOM DANCES

COTILLION
● The Cotillion, a forerunner of the American square dance, had many figures that
required practice by the group.
● The complexity of the dance made it a special performance at a ball or presentation by a
dance master at a recital hall

POLONAISE
● The Polinaise, which opened a court ball involved partners dancing side by side behind
a lead couple and moving through a various choral figures.
● Performed in triple time, it had one step that was repeated throughout the dance.
● The dancers started with bows, then they proceeded down the center of the room,
creating two columns from which they can change places, from squares or wheel
around, and moving forward or back.
● For the final part of the routine, the dancers were led down the middle of the hall
QUADRILLE
● The Ouadrille was performed in a stately manner and an accelerated one.
● The "Queen of the London Society", Lady Sarah Jersey, introduced the quadrille
to English society at Almack's in 1815.
● The original figures were determined by the dancers,as in in a country dance.
● In 1818 dancing master Thomas Wilson explained some 50 movements and
wrote instructions on how to combine them into figures in his book, Treatise on
Quadrille Dancing.

WALTZ
● Many scholars believe that the waltz was derived from the German landler and other
Southern German folkdances.
● It was performed in triple time by single couples in close embrace and featured with
hopping, stamping, and throwing of the female partner into the air

POLKA
● The Polka, which may have originated in Poland or the former Czechoslovakia, was a
popular social dance in the first part of the century.
● This half-step dance in 2/4 time was introduced in the ballrooms of Prague in 1830s.
● Dancing masters brought it to Paris and it reached the stage in 1840.
● The dance had five figures on the stage.
● By 1843 polka already invaded the city and eventually swept Europe and the United
States.
● The dance entered English ballrooms by 1844.
 20TH CENTURY
● The early part of the 20th century can be best described as a period of "dance fever",
wherein the young and old alike were not limited to express their emotions through
dance.
● By 1843 polka already invaded the city and eventually swept Europe and the United
States. The dance entered English ballrooms by 1844.

20th CENTURY DANCES

RAGTIME
● It is a type of music known for its syncopated melodic Line and regularly accented
accompanied played especially on the piano.
● Scop Joplin, an African-American composer and pianist, created the influential ragtime
piece "Maple Leaf Rag", which made him famous among both black and white societies.

CASTLE WALK
● After the decades, the collaboration of husband and wife, Vernon and Irene Castle
transformed social dance from a set structure of steps to a series of figures for couple.
● The Castle Walk, accompanied by the song "Castle Rag was Performed in the close
dance position with the men walking backward and the women moving forward
● Despite the criticism from anti-dance groups, the Castle continued to introduce more
steps that imitate animal moves such as the Turkey trot, Fox trot, bunny hug and Grizzly
bear with scandalous close embraces. With these fresh move, people got more
interested in dancing.
TANGO
● It is developed in Buenos Aires, a mixed cultural elements from African, Native
American and Latin dances and popular Argentine music.
● It is highly sensual and erotic dance performed by a couple with close body contact and
direct eye contact.
● The increasing acceptance for the dance reached Paris, Europe, London and New York.

FOXTROT
● In 1914 another dance was developed The FOXTROT.
● Arthur Carringford's famous two low steps followed by four quick steps gained popularity
in society and were brought in dance halls.
● His stage name was Harry Fox and he performed in New York vaudeville theaters.

During the early 1920s, also known as the "Jazz Age" or the "Roaring Twenties" the
following dances were introduced.
19205 DANCES
CHARLESTON
● It is originated in harbor city of Charleston, South Carolina, was done in 4?4 time
and can be performed solo, with a partner or with a group.
● Though it is usually performed in place, it looks like a normal walking.

BLACK BOTTOM
● It is originated in New Orleans and has movements similar to Charleston
● The original Black Bottom Dance was printed in 1919 and the dance became a
fad in American society in the mid-20's.

LINDY HOP
● It is originated in Harlem, New York City.
● It was a combination of many dances such as jazz, tap, breakaway, and
Charleston.
● It was sometimes referred to as street dance because of its improvisational and
social nature

LATIN DANCES In 20th Century

 ● Latin dance and music have been identified as a fusion of American music styles.
● Dances such as Rumba, Mambo and Cha-cha-cha from Cuba and Samba from
Brazil became popular in America during the 1930s and 1940s, As they
popularized movie stars.

RUMBA
● It is considered the "grandfather of the Latin Dances"
● It is a dance that narrates love and passion between a tough male lover and a
timid, mischievous woman.
● With its sensual hip action movements and intense sharp eye contact, it is
considered to be the sexiest ballroom dance.

CHA-CHA-CHA
● It was derived from the mambo and the swing.
● The dancers' feet remain close to the floor, the hips are relaxed to allow free
movement in the pelvic area, and the upper body shifts over the supporting foot
as the steps are taken.

SAMBA
● It has a distinct look and feel because of its "samba bounce action", a light,
effortless and carefree movement from the knees and ankles.
● In 1950, after World War II, there was a shift from dance bands to concerts in
nightclubs.
 ● Most of the movements of the teenagers were varied in steps and style but were
still swing-based.
● among, the prevalent, dances were the jitterbug or swing, Lindy, rock n roll, and
the boogie- woogie or Bop.
● Bop was new then but was usually referred to as Charlestone-like steps danced
in place, sometimes without a partner.

BOSSA NOVA
● It emerged in this decade and earned its popularity in the early 1960's.
● It is a latin dance in 2/4 syncopated time.
● It is combination of Samba rhythm and jazz, resulting in a Latin mix.
● Eydie Gorme recorded the first bossa nova dance music entitled, "Blame it on the
Bossa Nova"

BOOGALOO
● It gained its fame through the songs, "Boogaloo Blues", and "I Like It Like That'
● The dance is a combination of Latin, African American, rhythm and blues, rock 'n'
roll, and soul music.
● It lasted during the decade but returned the following decade in the West Coast
with a funky style that featured head and body rolls and unconventional leg
movements
TWIST
● In the early 1960's, Chubby Checker first performed and introduced the twist on
American Bandstand.
● The dance was accidentally invented while he was drying himself with a towel
after taking a shower.
● The twist was an expression of individualism-there were no definite roles for men
and women.
● The dancers danced apart, stood in one place and twisted their hips from side to
side, pivoting on their feet.
● The movements were free and provocative.

MOD DANCE
● British introduced the Mod dance and it was brought to America in 1963.
● The "Cool" narcissistic teenagers who rebelled against the emotionalism of
Rock'n'Roll were among the first to perform this dance.
● It was free-flowing and jerky dance that required a partner. Some example of
Mod Dances are the Pony, The Crow, Monkey and the Boomerang, the Saw,
Jump-up, The slop, The skate, The Jerk, The kick and The Let Kiss.
PSYCHEDELIC DANCE
● it was introduced during the widespread use of francisdelic drugs in 1967 at Haight
Ashbury, San Francisco.
● The dance was experimental and freeform in nature, affected by drug-induced
exhibitionism.
● Psychedelic culture and the dance aimed at ecstasy and individual self-absorption that
representing the lifestyle of people who refuse and reiect rules established by society.

HUSTLE DANCE
● It is a Cuban dance that originated in New York City became popular and was
used in the movie "Saturday Night Fever"
● In the last two decades of the 20th century, choreographers, dancers continued
to explore new directions.
● Individual statements, revised old themes, and stretching the medium through
the collaboration and technology were the main focus.
● In 1983. "King, of Pop" Michael Jackson released his music video ThriLLer ,
while Madonna had “Like a Virgin"
● In the 1980s there was a continuous innovation in social dances
● In 1983, the popularity of disco dance slowly declined; but other dances were
introduced such as pop rock, rap, techno and rhythm and blues.
● In 1990 disco came back to be part of pop and hip-hop dances again and its
influence on the said dances can still be seen and heard today.

FUNK MUSIC
● It is started in the late 60's by James Brown, Jimi Hendrix and Earth, Wind and
Fire introduced the Funk rock.
● Lyrics became more explicit in music synthesizers in the early 80s and from the
mid-80s to 90s.
● Funk rock and funk metal were popular among rock artists.
● The era of funk nostalgia began in the mid-90s
YMCA
● It is a popular fad dance emerged in the 80's and the 90's.
● The group used cheerleading arm positions to spell out the letters of the song.

MACARENA
● It hit the US 100 song charts for 60 weeks and became the dance craze among
the youth with its arm movements and hip swiveling.

STREET DANCE
● It began in the California during the 70's and was performed both in nightclubs
and streets.
● It is associated with funk, breakdancing, and hip-hop.
● Through the improvisations in movements and style.
● The vernacular style, which is very common among the urban communities and
became the source ot dance battles as a substitute for street fighting.
● From this informal dance battle knows as jamming
● Transformed into a global event, an annual breakdance competition known as
"Battle of the year".