Charismatic performer, prolific choreographer and model of elegance, José Limón (1908–1972) sought to humanize modern dance. Although it was never codified, his technique that incorporated Doris Humphrey’s theories of fall and recovery with an emphasis on breath and weight is considered a crucial component of the modern dance lexicon. Born in Mexico as the oldest […]
Following World War II, modern dance in Germany experienced a shift. Out of Mary Wigman and Rudolf Laban’s Ausdruckstanz, or expressionist dance, a new genre grew: Tanztheater (dance theater). Poetic and pedestrian movement mixed with text, drama and sets to form highly theatrical works. German choreographer Pina Bausch is most associated with Tanztheater, and her […]
In every class Kathryn Alter teaches, two things are immediately evident: how thoughtfully she chooses her words, and how much glee she gets from dancing the movement and style of modern choreographer José Limón. At the 2019 Limón summer workshop at Kent State University, Alter demonstrated a turning triplet with her arms fully outstretched, a […]
On a sunny Thursday morning in Berkeley, California, Robin Nasatir leads her modern class through a classic seated floor warm-up full of luscious curves and tilts to the soothing grooves of Bobby McFerrin. Though her modern style is rooted in traditional José Limón and Erick Hawkins techniques, the makeup of her class is far from […]
Former Korean National Ballet dancer Hee Ra Yoo has taught in New York City at Steps on Broadway, the Joffrey Ballet School, Peridance Capezio Center and Gibney; throughout the U.S. at American Dance Festival, Tulane University, Georgian Court University and Florida School of the Arts; and all over the globe, as a guest teacher in […]
Unlike a usual waltz, in which the lift and dip would come from the legs, this waltz from Paul Taylor’s Cloven Kingdom (1976) requires the up-and-down motion to come solely from the torso. The legs remain in plié the entire time, eating space. (When this piece is performed, dancers traverse the length of the stage […]
Once Adriana Pierce caught the choreography bug as a teenager, dancemaking came naturally. More difficult was navigating the tricky situations that would arise when choreographing on classmates and friends. “If a rehearsal didn’t go well, I’d worry that people didn’t respect me or didn’t like my work,” says Pierce, who went on to participate in […]
Choreographer Mandy Moore is perplexed about the way students in her convention classes transition from standing to the floor. “It’s like kids turn off their brains!” she says. “Why would you take the most difficult route to the floor? Why would you ever try to do a triple back flip to get there?” Despite its […]
Ellen Robbins’ modern dance classes for kids and teens are legendary in New York City. Robbins, who has been teaching kids how to dance since the 1970s (and whose pupils included the actresses Claire Danes and Julia Stiles), takes the standard recital model and turns it on its head. Her students—ranging in age from 8 […]
Martha Graham was the “Mother of Modern Dance,” influencing generations of dance artists with her incomparable choreography and technique that featured the pioneering concept of contraction and release. But did you know… 1. Graham frequently created her own costumes. In a 1989 interview, Graham commented, “Dance is theater and larger than life. Makeup and costume, […]