by Infoshelter

Created on: July 05, 2009

It has been stated, in order to highlight the origin of the art of dancing, that the history of dancing is older than the human history. What we know is that the first human beings were mimicking different animals trying to imitate their movements while they were fighting or when they were in search of food or partners. For primitive people, dancing was connected with the desire to express themselves, to share their joy or sorrow, to celebrate or mourn, using the most direct instrument in their possession: their bodies. For the man of today, no other kind of dancing is more appropriate in demonstrating such feelings than modern dance.

The beginning of diversification from the classical ballet, opened the way to what we would later call modern dance. Modern dance appeared in the early 20th century. Studying its history, we observe that its development is directly linked to the evolution of society and the various stages of social, political and artistic status. It is a vague and generic term, covering different styles and trends, having in common the digression from the classical dance idiom.

Pioneers in this movement of cooperation between different styles were famous choreographers and equally famous composers of that era. Such was the momentum of these partnerships that new paths were discovered even in the music of absolute self-expression. As a result, plays such as "The Fire bird" are considered as landmarks in the history of music.

Moreover, the true representatives of modern dance had a very dynamic relationship with music. Isadora Duncan was a choreographer of many classical music plays not originally written for dance. Every kind of art in the early 20th century began to seek a new way of expression, a new language of expression. The trend of modern dance was characterized by an increased sense of freedom, which derived from the already existing fact that there was no need for the word "discipline" in the classical dance vocabulary.

Speaking in terms of technique, modern dance has its roots in genuine human motion. Its technique is differentiated and evolving, having created so many styles today, such as modern, postmodern, minimalism, a combination of theater and dance, contact improvisation, etc., which often coincide in time and aesthetic with the corresponding styles in other arts.

The basic principles of modern dance are directly related to natural phenomena e.g. gravitation, oscillation, and momentum, and influenced by the martial arts, which means controlling breath, using leverages to save muscle energy, intensity, laxity, concentration, accuracy.

We could say that in modern dance the function of the body's motion is equally important to the static form that the body produces, in many cases more important than that. As a general conclusion, it can be said that modern dance involves the cooperation of two arts, music and acting, with the art of dancing itself.

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