Modern Dance History

They say that dance is a manifestation of your expression. There is no emotion which is outside the purview of dance. For instance, you want to show your joy to the whole world, you dance. Dance is just about everywhere in our lives. Some of us have an inborn talent and have a sense of rhythm and grace, while some of us have to work really hard at dancing. But the question which keeps coming in my mind is that how and when did it all start? I found out quite a few interesting things about modern dance. Let us go through it in details!

Timeline of Modern Dance

Even before dance started in the west, the Orient, specifically in India and around, classical dance forms had already started taking root with Bharartnatyam and a few others, based on 'natya shastra' (the science of dramatics). Dance was then perceived to be an extension of drama in India. Now we take a look at how things were in the west.

1903
History of modern dance cannot be complete without Isadora Duncan, thus we start off with that. In 1903, Isadora Duncan devised a dance technique, inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy. Another thought process associated with this was the belief that the dance which the ancient Greeks did was the dance of the future. She proposed the concept of dance as a high and spiritual art.

1905
Well, another person who was going to be credited for what dance as we know it now was Ruth St.Dennis. She was greatly influenced by Sarah Bernhardt and a Japanese artist, rather dancer, Sada Yacco. Based on that, she came up with her own translations and performances based on Indian culture and mythology. She toured a lot researching on Oriental culture and arts.

1915
This was a major breakthrough in modern dance. Ruth St. Denis again took a big leap ahead and founded with her husband Ted Shawn the Denishawn school and dance company. It was a perfect husband wife collaboration. Ruth took care of the creative department, while her husband looked after teaching technique and composition. The students of this school later on became members of the dance company and then formed their own dance schools.

1923
Martha Graham, a famous student of Denishawn got out of the school and started working as solo artist.

1928
A couple of other students, Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman establish their own dance school and company.

1933
Again a significant event occurred when Shawn starts his own all male dance group called Ted Shawn and his men dancers.

1949
Originally published in 1949, The Borzoi Book of Modern Dance captured the genesis of modern dance history. Margaret Lloyd comes up with a detailed, insightful and witty overview of the dance since its inception.

1958
In March 1958, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater started along with a performance by Alvin Ailey and a group of young, black modern dancers. It was held at the 92nd Street Y, at Lexington Avenue.

1960s
Trisha Brown, at the age of 23, became one of the leaders of New York's Judson Dance Theater. Judson theater was a pioneering revolutionary movement that drastically altered the face modern dance in the year 1962. This was again a landmark in its history.

1970s
This decade witnessed radical, revolutionary and uplifting forms of dancing. It was a period of mixed happenings. Even though to some extent modern dance was gaining ground all over the world, the concept of indigenous modern dance companies still seemed to be a difficult proposition in Britain. Ballet dancing and other dance forms were becoming rapidly popular, though.

1980s till Now
In this decade the dance scene was flourishing with a number of dance schools, especially ballet and new dance forms emerged. The dancers in this era were not relegated to the traditions and conventions. These dancers started relying more on theatrical and literary elements, coupled with a strong visual impact, most evident in ballets and ballroom dancing. Mark Morris, who worked with Twyla Tharp and ballet dancer Eliot Feld and Karole Armitage - choreographer of the 'Mollino Room', are notable entities of the postmodern dance era. This was also the period - late 1980s and early 1990s that Michael Jackson shot to stardom with his killer moves, especially his trademark moonwalk along with his songs like Black or White, Dangerous and a caboodle of hits. The Europeans and Latin American countries were significant contributors in the development of modern dance.

The fundamental essence of modern dance is to look ahead and even though there is a divide between this and the other stream of ballet, these can never lose their niche in the whole dance scenario. They have now paved way for innovations and contemporary dance forms. However, one does not know what are the steps ahead for modern dance, few years down the line.

One thing though, is sure. Dance will still have a very very strong socio-cultural connect and the platter of dance would get interesting and thought provoking as ever!