In spite of its name modern dance is not new. In fact it began in the early 1900’s in the United States. A women named Isadora Duncan was the first Modern dancer. She is often called the “Mother of Modern Dance.” She did not like classical ballet because she felt held back by the rules. So she refused to wear ballet slippers and danced in barefoot. She also refused to wear a corset which is a tight undergarment worn by women at the time. Instead she wore a tunic which is a long shirt that comes down to the knees. She surprised a lot of Americans with her new form of dance.
 

Modern dance Pioneers

 

          Two people that started their own forms of Modern Dance were Martha Graham, and Doris Humphry. Martha Grahams technique is called contraction and release. It is based on breathing. Breathing out I contraction and breathing in is release. These torso movements make Graham’s dance dramatic and powerful. Doris Humphrey’s technique is known as fall and recovery. The idea behind fall and recovery is that dance happens only when the dancer is off-balance.   The fall is when a dancer moves from standing to laying down. The recovery is the exact opposite. When the dancer moves from laying down to standing up.      

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

Preparing to dance

 

          Modern dancers usually dance barefoot. This has some advantages it is more comfortable and you don’t have to spend money on dance shoes. Since you don’t have to wear shoes you should probably tape your feet. Tape is the best way to protect your feet. Be sure to use cloth tape because it stretches and easily and can be wrapped around feet easier. You should also wear knee pads because you do a lot of exercises on the floor. With out kneepads you risk serious injury. Modern dancers often wear one-piece unitards or loose-fitting pants. However, what you wear depends on where you study. Some teachers like unitards because they do not hide the body. Others allow loose fitting clothing such as sweatpants.

Basic Exercises

 -   First, with your knees straight, your feet should be parallel at your side.

-         Raise your arms above your head. As you do this, bring your palms together.

-         Look up at your hands, they should be slightly in front of your head. From there, open your arms to the side, then bend at the waist until you are looking at your feet.

-         Now bring your fingertips to the floor in front of your feet.

 

Those are some basic positions of Modern Dance.              

 

 

 
 

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