4.3: The Language of Modern Dance
- Page ID
- 292820
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Though Isadora Duncan had advocated for individualism, creativity, and freedom in movement, no specified or replicable technique had been codified. The dance of the future, beyond the individual practitioner, would be lost to history. It was Doris Humphrey (1895 – 1958) and Charles Weidman (1901 - 1975), having come from the Denishawn School in Los Angeles, who wanted to fix this problem. Second generation modern dancer pioneers that wished to continue innovating the new dance of the future, eventually relocated to New York and renamed it ‘Modern Dance’. Establishing the Humphrey-Weidman School of Dance in 1928, they set about developing and codifying a language for modern dance. The creation of vocabulary and choreographic tools for dance makers in the 20th century set modern dance on a new path.
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Humphrey-Weidman embraced the use of gravity and displayed thoughtful rhythmic design (Cohen, 1974). The choreographic toolkit included principles of muscular relaxation and breathe work related to anatomy, kinesiology, and natural movement fundamentals (Oak Park, 2020). Their concepts such as free flow juxtaposed to bounded flow, or connected and continuous movements were counterpoint to tight, discontinuous, and contained. They articulated a distinction between movement qualities as sharp accent, sustained flow, and rest embedded within movement patterns including unison, succession, and opposition. This modern dance movement system was replicable, teachable, and could be transmitted for future generations, just as the codified ballet had been, and world dance as oral histories before that.
Humphrey’s nuanced choreographic style came to be known as Fall and Recovery. Her writings about choreographic procedure in The Art of Making Dances (1959) emphasized her theories on weighted gravity, tension, and release as explored through a dancer’s struggle for stability – both physically and emotionally – reflected in the choreographic climactic counterpoint between falling and recovering (Au, 1988). Her use of ensemble over solo work, as well as the articulated choreography tools and methods eventually influenced her student, José Limón.
3 Movement Qualities: Sharp Accent, Sustained Flow, and Rest
Form groups of 4 dancers and create one movement that depicts each of the HumphreyWeidman movement qualities. Link the three different and dynamic movement together in a seamless phrase and perform for your peers.
3 Movement Patterns: Unison, Succession, and Opposition
Now, each of the groups are assigned one of the Humphrey-Weidman movement patterns.
Each group of 4 dancers take their Humphrey-Weidman movement qualities phrase and manipulate the phrase by adding one of the three different patterns in unison, succession, or in opposition. Perform for your peers.
If your teacher wishes to advance the assignment one more level, now combine 2 different groups of 4 to make a group of 8 dancers. Coalesce the two different choreographed phrases to be intermingled, contrasted, or combined. Adopt the dynamic qualities and the movement patterns in order to align the two groups' creative work. Embody the Humphrey-Weidman concepts... and perform!