While ballet follows a strict structure of steps and strives for a feeling of lightness, modern dance nurtures a freer style and responds to the pull of the earth. Projecting a feeling of weight, modern dancers fall to the floor, move close to the ground, then overcome gravity by rising up and regaining balance. Rejecting the formality of tutu and toe shoes, they dance in bare feet and simple costumes. Rather than portraying idealized fairy-tale creatures, they retain their own personalities.
Martha Graham, the mother of modern dance in America, created a technique based on the twisting of the torso and the powerful contractions and releases of the pelvis. Other distinctive styles were developed by inventive choreographers such as Doris Humphrey, Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor and Twyla Tharp. Pilobolus, an ensemble founded by four male non-dancers at Dartmouth College, pioneered a form of organic partnering that turns supple bodies into fantastic and often humorous shapes. Post-modern choreographers focus on everyday movements performed in gym clothes and tennis shoes. Contemporary companies present eclectic programs that mix modern dance with elements of ballet, jazz, martial arts and national traditions. The audience need not identify the style to enjoy the show. But it’s fun to try to pick out influences that inspired the choreographer.
At PlayhouseSquare’s Dance Showcase on September 9, look for this style from Dance/Theater Collective, The Dancing Wheels Company, The Greene/Medcalf Movement Project, Inlet Dance Theatre, Neos Dance Theatre and Sara Whale.
To find out more about appreciating dance, please visit playhousesquare.org/danceedu.
Written by Wilma Salisbury, Plain Dealer dance critic (retired)
Tags: appreciating dance, Dance Showcase, Martha Grahm, modern dance, Pilobolus, PlayhouseSquare
