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The twentieth century was to be an important period for the world of dance, as it saw a number of developments such as the birth of modern jazz dance and the emergence of contemporary dance. But what were the differences between these two dance styles? We'll explain everything in this article.
Modern dance was born around 1920. It favours individual expression through techniques based on exercises in coordination, mobilisation and articulation of the body. It revolutionised the codes of classical dance.
Loïe Fuller and Isadora Duncan are the pioneers of modern dance. Both were American women. Loïe Fuller made her name with the serpentine dance in 1892. This choreography left its mark on the history of dance and cinema. It consists of dancing while twirling the sides of one's dress. This art of movement produces abstract shapes with arm and fabric movements that activate lighting effects. The costume that the dancer wears is conceived as a technical device that makes the body play in space.
For her part, Isadora Duncan reflected a new freedom through "free" movements and bare feet. She proposed a new form of dance based on improvisation and harmony of body and mind. As a result, modern dance would become barefoot and would have to express something personal.
François Delsarte was a precursor of modern dance. He believed that "every gesture has a profound meaning". He was to influence modern dance in America and Germany. He was passionate about gesture and developed a theory of it. For him, gestures were the expression of feelings. Every movement was linked to an emotion. He deduced rules from this. Following his death, one of his students, James Steele MacKaye, developed and passed on Delsarte's theory in America, under the name of "Harmonie Gymnastique". Among his pupils was Genevieve Stebbins, Isadora Duncan's teacher. Analysis of movement is important for understanding movement and giving it meaning.
Later, Émile Jaques-Dalcroze proposed a new method of learning music through the body. He called it "rythmique". He was the originator of rhythmic gymnastics and dance.
Modern' Jazz dance was born at the same time as the arrival of jazz music in the United States. This dance is based on rhythmic and technical work. It offers a certain fluidity and freedom of movement. However, despite the great freedom of movement on stage, it has its own technique and codes, like other dances.
It owes its origins to Katherine Dunham, an anthropologist who set up the first jazz dance company in the 1940s: the Katherine Dunham Company.
At the same time, choreographer Jack Cole introduced jazz dance to musicals. This contributed to the development of this style of dance.
Ruth Saint Denis and Ted Shawn are also the main pioneers of modern dance. They are convinced that dance expresses our innermost being. So they work on individual expression, energy and dynamics.
The term 'Modern' Jazz was coined by Matt Mattox, an American. He codified jazz through a system of isolation techniques.
In 1978, Serge Alzetta founded one of France's first jazz dance companies, Jazz Perspective. Then, in the early 80s, other jazz dance companies sprang up, contributing to the expansion of this new style.
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Modern dance made a major contribution to the development of contemporary dance. This new style of dance uses new techniques with even lighter, more fluid movements. It also uses modern dance techniques such as floor movements and improvisation.
The two precursors of contemporary dance are Merce Cunningham and Trisha Brown, two American choreographers. Merce Cunningham marked the transition from modern dance to contemporary dance, introducing a degree of chance into his choreography and creating a split between dance and music. For her part, Trisha Brown pushed back the limits of movement demanded by choreography. She influenced modern dance and inspired postmodern dance.
In the 1970s, this style of dance was democratised in France by Alwin Nikolais. He brought aesthetics to this new style of dance with his own conception of movement and by playing on the visual intensity of his choreographies. He founded the Centre National de Danse Contemporaine in 1978.
During the 20th century, modern dance evolved into contemporary dance and broke with the codes of classical dance. In fact, dance is rich in history and significant developments thanks to choreographers and dancers who were able to question the codes, the techniques taught, the relationship with music, etc.