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Modern Dance During The 20th Century Essay Example

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Pages: 2 (495 words)
Published: April 28, 2022

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Modern dance was aiming at increased freedom within the styles it used as well as use of increased gravity. Modern dance for instance would make use of the floor while dancers in ballet are known to stay on their feet (Foulkes 5). With the emergence of modern dance, performance themes changed. Another dance by name contemporary developed later in time. Choreographers as at this time became experimental.
Ballet on the other hand started in the course of 15th century where it developed into a dance technique which was sophisticated especially in France and Russia. Ballet has a curriculum that is defined. The positions (movements) practiced in the course of training are movements that are applied while on stage (Foulkes 21). Another point is that Ballet is known to move away from gravity where it has a characteristic of being romantic and go

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ing up towards the heaven. Those dancing appear as if they move effortlessly and are weightless.

War is one of the topics that Graham worked on. This is brought out through a song by name “Deep Song” which was composed in 1937 (Foulkes 31). This was a way of responding to the civil war in Spain. Trojan Warwas also featured in the song “Clytemnestra”. Human and societal complexities was explored through works such as “Errand into the Maze”, “Dark Meadow”, “Appalachian Spring”, and “Deaths and Entrances”. In some of her works for instance “Cave of the heart”, Graham explored on the topic of love ("Martha Graham" 1).

Merce Cunningham worked under a movement referred to as Merce Cunningham Dance Company (Larson Associates 1). Merce Cunningham’s use of narrative and music has come up with some differences fro

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the previous modern dancers. Merce came up with a new technique, which did not take into consideration the relationship between music and dance. He came up with the option of dance transforming to a nonlinear activity. In this way, he has altered the audience’s way of viewing what constitutes of a dance. Merce in addition has come up with a technique of using chance operations in order to create choreography (Larson Associates This would range from throwing dice to shuffling pieces of paper.

Ailey’s solo “Cry” was the best of all his pieces. This solo danced by Judith Jamison was the most celebrated of his works (Foulkes 15). In releasing this solo, Ailey was inspired by the fact that her mother was coming all the way from Texas in order to see the works of his son in New York. It was dedicated to black women especially our mothers. It would express the journey of brutal hardship, bitter sorrow they go through. This piece was received by the audience in a positive way.

Works cited

Foulkes, Julia L. Modern bodies: dance and American modernism from Martha Graham to Alvin Ailey. Univ of North Carolina Press, 2002.
Larson Associates, New York City (http://www.larsonassoc.org). "Home - Merce Cunningham Trust". Mercecunningham.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
"Martha Graham". YouTube. N.p., 2016. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.

Modern Dance During The 20th Century Essay Example

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