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Modern Dance - History, Styles, Dancers, Trends & Competitions

Modern dance, as an art form, embodies a dynamic fusion of creativity, expression, and innovation. Rooted in the rejection of traditional ballet techniques and conventions, modern dance emerged in the early 20th century as a platform for choreographers and dancers to explore new forms of movement and self-expression. Characterized by its fluidity, versatility, and emotive storytelling, modern dance transcends boundaries, inviting performers and audiences alike to engage with contemporary themes, social issues, and personal narratives.

CONTENT Introduction to Modern Dance History of Modern Dance Basic Movements of Modern Dance Popular Modern Dance Styles Most Famous Dancers Current Trends in Modern Dance Competitions USA / International FAQ about Modern Dance

Introduction to Modern Dance

Modern dance has many flavors. There are stark differences in the choreography of Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn, who formed "Denishawn", in dances like "Americaine" or "Radha" and today's Pilobilus, "Symbiosis," or the Swiss dance group, Mummenschanz, whose ultra-dramatic choreography is set to modern dance movements. Compare this to the style of modern dance in the film "Holiday Inn". Note the sequence where Danny Kaye performs a modern dance routine entitled, "Choreography," a kind of spoof on the contrast between modern dance, jazz and tap dance. The movements in "Choreography" are deliberately exaggerated to show the purpose of modern dance steps and movements.

History of Modern Dance

Modern dancers still rely on many ballet steps as part of their choreographed modern dance routines. Modern dance is deeply embedded in ballet syllabus. Historically, modern dance began as free form style lyrical ballet among a community of professional ballet dancers who refused to stop dancing. Isadora Duncan and Ruth St. Denis promoted modern dance as a way of continuing their dance careers, according to their biographies. The first modern dances choreographed required no dancing en pointe or rigid adherence to ballet movement.

A historical study of modern dance makes evident three phases of this dance style:

• The early period from 1880 to 1923
• The middle period from 1923 to 1946
• The late modern dance period from 1946 to the present

Basic Movements of Modern Dance

Basic movements in modern dance are fluidly free style. The ballet step, arabesque, in modern dance is often performed with oblique angles of the body and in turns. Other ballet steps like chasse, pas de bourree and port de bra of the arms are similar ballet movements used in modern dance choreography. Certain modern dance steps are performed on half pointe in bare feet or in modern dance sandals for stage performances.

Modern dance may include chaine tour (chain turns), glissade (gliding steps) that predicate jetes (jumps) and tour de basque (leaps) and front-to-back and side-to-side steps, like the ballet step " chasse ". In groups, modern dance choreography often includes geometric shapes like triangular, rectangular and circular shapes using from dancers' bodies. The use of geometric shapes in modern dance helps the audience to "see" the theme and subject of each modern dance routine.

Today, modern dance is often confused with "jazz dance", a dissimilar dance form that also relies on basic ballet movement. It is performed to faster tempos in contemporary music.

The difference between modern dance and jazz is that modern dance choreography is performed with a theme in mind. Jazz dance is free form and employs a variety of sharp turns, hops, jumps, leaps and jazz walks set to an upbeat style of music. In modern dance, these movements are softer and more fluid.

Popular Modern Dance Styles

Modern dance from 1990 to the present has taken a very different approach. Some choreographers and dancers include in modern dance styles hip hop, lyrical, free style and fusion, a combination of dance forms like tap, jazz, modern and ballet.

Since modern dance is usually performed in themed choreographic sequences, it projects a message. Choreography of hip hop, fusion and free style dance tends to be improvisational and without specific themes. Lyrical dance may have a choreographed theme. It leans more toward interpretative dance. Todays modern dance choreography may or may not be interpretative.

Most Famous Dancers

Isadora Duncan is considered the First Lady of Modern Dance. Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn , Hanya Holm and Doris Humphrey are earlier famous modern dancers.

In the US, Martha Graham is revered and honored for her modern dance technique. Among the most famous modern dancers is the statuesque Judith Jamison, whose style is a virtual testament to fluidity, grace and stature in dance.

Other famous dancers include Bela Lewitzky, Lester Horton, Twyla Tarp, Jerome Robbins, Paul Horton, Daniel Nagrin, Pearl Primus and Erick Hawkins.

Twyla Tarp is an actress/dancer/choreographer who is a legend in contemporary modern dance. Others include David Winters, Eliot Feld and Jaime Rogers. Jazz/modern dance choreographers include Bob Fosse, Gus Giordano and Luigi.

Current Trends in Modern Dance

Current trends in modern dance focus less on interpretation and more on acrobatic and aerial movements in groups and with partners. Articulating crossover dance styles by adding words, drama and illusion are the most current trends.

Here are more current trends in Modern dance

• Incorporation of Technology: Modern dance choreographers are increasingly integrating technology, such as projections, interactive visuals, and digital soundscapes, into their performances. This trend allows for innovative storytelling and multidisciplinary collaborations.
• Socially Conscious Themes: Many modern dance works are addressing pressing social issues, such as climate change, racial injustice, gender equality, and mental health awareness. Choreographers are using their artistry to spark conversations and promote social change.
• Hybridization of Styles: Contemporary dance continues to evolve through the fusion of diverse movement vocabularies and techniques. Choreographers are blending elements of classical ballet, hip-hop, jazz, martial arts, and cultural dance forms to create dynamic and eclectic performances.
• Site-Specific Performances: Site-specific dance, performed in non-traditional spaces such as parks, museums, and urban landscapes, is gaining popularity. These immersive performances often explore the relationship between movement, architecture, and environment.
• Interdisciplinary Collaborations: Modern dance is increasingly intersecting with other art forms, including theater, visual arts, music, and digital media. Collaborative projects between dancers, musicians, visual artists, and filmmakers are pushing the boundaries of creativity and experimentation.
• Inclusive and Diverse Representation: There is a growing emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion within the modern dance community. Choreographers are actively working to amplify underrepresented voices, celebrate diverse bodies and identities, and create more inclusive spaces for dancers of all backgrounds.
• Environmental Sustainability: With increasing awareness of environmental issues, some modern dance companies are adopting sustainable practices in their productions. This includes minimizing waste, reducing energy consumption, and exploring eco-friendly materials and production methods.

Competitions USA / International

Modern dance competitions are a relatively new addition to the dance world. In the past, competitions were limited to established dance organizations and dance schools. Today, dance competitions are found in the US and internationally. These include, The Macedonia Open , The USA " Turn it Up " dance competition and annual Korean International Modern Dance competitions.

FAQ about Modern Dance

What is modern dance.

Modern dance is a form of contemporary dance that emerged in the early 20th century as a rejection of traditional ballet techniques and conventions. It prioritizes freedom of movement, self-expression, and experimentation with choreographic styles, often incorporating elements of improvisation, emotion, and personal narrative.

Are there different styles of modern dance?

Yes, modern dance encompasses a wide range of styles and techniques, each with its unique characteristics and influences. Some examples include Graham technique, Cunningham technique, Horton technique, Limón technique, release technique, and post-modern approaches to movement and choreography.

Who invented modern dance?

Modern dance as a distinct art form emerged through the pioneering efforts of several choreographers in the early 20th century. While it's challenging to attribute its invention to a single individual, figures like Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, and Ruth St. Denis played pivotal roles in breaking away from traditional dance forms and laying the groundwork for modern dance as we know it today.

Who are some influential figures in modern dance history?

Modern dance history is rich with influential figures who have shaped the art form. Pioneers such as Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, and Alvin Ailey made significant contributions to the development of modern dance through their innovative choreography, technique, and artistic vision.

Who is the most famous modern dancer?

The title of the most famous modern dancer is subjective and can vary depending on personal preferences and historical context. However, Martha Graham is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern dance history. Her groundbreaking choreography, expressive movement style, and innovative approach to dance technique have left an indelible mark on the art form and continue to inspire dancers and choreographers worldwide.

What are some key characteristics of modern dance?

Modern dance is characterized by its rejection of rigid ballet techniques and embrace of freedom in movement and expression. It often features fluid, organic movements, use of breath and weight, emphasis on individuality and emotion, and incorporation of everyday gestures and pedestrian movements.

How is modern dance different from ballet?

While both modern dance and ballet are forms of dance, they differ in technique, style, and purpose. Modern dance prioritizes freedom of movement, self-expression, and experimentation, whereas ballet emphasizes precise technique, formalized positions, and storytelling through classical repertoire and narrative ballets.

Is modern dance suitable for beginners?

Yes, modern dance can be suitable for beginners, as many classes cater to dancers of all levels, including those with no prior experience. Beginners can expect to learn fundamental movement principles, explore creative expression, and develop strength, flexibility, and coordination through guided exercises and choreography.

What should I wear to a modern dance class?

It's recommended to wear comfortable, form-fitting clothing that allows for ease of movement, such as leggings or dance pants and a fitted top. Most modern dance classes are done barefoot or in socks, but some may require specific dance shoes or footwear depending on the instructor's preference.

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What Is Contemporary Dance?

A Combination of Several Dance Genres

• Musical Theater
• Stand Up Comedy

Contemporary dance is a style of expressive dance that combines elements of several dance genres including modern , jazz , lyrical and classical ballet . Contemporary dancers strive to connect the mind and the body through fluid dance movements. The term "contemporary" is somewhat misleading: it describes a genre that developed during the mid-20th century and is still very popular today.

Overview of Contemporary Dance

Contemporary dance stresses versatility and improvisation, unlike the strict, structured nature of ballet. Contemporary dancers focus on floorwork, using gravity to pull them down to the floor. This dance genre is often done in bare feet. Contemporary dance can be performed to many different styles of music.

Pioneers of contemporary dance include Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham , and Merce Cunningham because they broke the rules of the strict forms of ballet. These dancer/choreographers all believed that dancers should have freedom of movement, allowing their bodies to freely express their innermost feelings. It's important to note, however, that while Graham moved into what is now known as modern dance, and Duncan's style was uniquely her own, Cunningham is often spoken of as the father of contemporary dance.

Historic Roots of Contemporary Dance

Modern and contemporary dance has many elements in common; they are, in a way, branches stemming from the same roots. During the 19th century, theatrical dance performances were synonymous with ballet. Ballet is a formal technique that developed from court dance during the Italian Renaissance and became popular as a result of the support of Catherine de' Medici.

Around the end of the 19th century, several dancers began to break the ballet mold. Some of these individuals included Francois Delsarte, Loïe Fuller, and Isadora Duncan, all of whom developed unique styles of movement based on theories of their own. All focused less on formal techniques, and more on emotional and physical expression.

Between about 1900 and 1950, a new dance form emerged which was dubbed "modern dance." Unlike ballet or the works of Duncan and her "Isadorables," modern dance is a formalized dance technique with a specific aesthetic. Developed by such innovators as Martha Graham, modern dance is built around breathing, movement, contraction, and release of muscles. 

Alvin Ailey was a student of Martha Graham's. While he maintained a stronger connection with older techniques, he was the first to introduce African American aesthetics and ideas into contemporary dance.

During the mid-1940's another student of Graham's, Merce Cunningham, began exploring his own form of dance. Inspired by the radically unique music of John Cage, Cunningham developed an abstract form of dance. Cunningham took dance out of the formal theatrical setting and separated it from the need to express specific stories or ideas. Cunningham introduced the concept that dance movements could be random, and that each performance could be unique. Cunningham, because of his complete break with formal dance techniques, is often referred to as the father of contemporary dance.

Today's Contemporary Dance

Today's contemporary dance is an eclectic mix of styles, with choreographers drawing from ballet, modern, and "post-modern" (structureless) forms of dance. While some contemporary dancers create characters, theatrical events, or stories, others perform entirely new creations as they improvise in their own unique style.

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124 Dance Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Dance is a captivating art form that allows individuals to express themselves creatively through movement. Whether you are a dance student, a professional dancer, or someone who simply enjoys watching dance performances, writing an essay about dance can be a rewarding and exciting task. To help you get started, here are 124 dance essay topic ideas and examples that can inspire and guide your writing process.

The evolution of dance throughout history.

How does dance reflect the culture and traditions of a society?

The impact of technology on contemporary dance performances.

The influence of ballet on other dance styles.

The role of dance in storytelling.

Analyzing the dance techniques of prominent choreographers.

The importance of dance in physical fitness and well-being.

The portrayal of gender roles in dance.

The connection between music and dance.

The influence of social media on the popularity of dance.

Examining the cultural appropriation in dance.

The therapeutic benefits of dance for individuals with mental health issues.

The role of dance in religious ceremonies.

The challenges faced by professional dancers and how they overcome them.

The impact of dance on self-confidence and body image.

Analyzing the role of dance in musical theater.

The representation of emotions through dance.

The influence of different dance styles on each other.

The portrayal of identity and ethnicity in dance performances.

The role of dance education in schools.

The influence of dance on fashion trends.

The challenges faced by male dancers in a predominantly female industry.

The relationship between dance and architecture.

The impact of dance competitions on the dance community.

The portrayal of social and political issues through dance.

Analyzing the use of props and costumes in dance performances.

The portrayal of love and relationships in dance.

The impact of globalization on dance styles and techniques.

The representation of historical events through dance.

The role of dance in preserving cultural heritage.

The portrayal of masculinity and femininity in dance.

The influence of different dance cultures on each other.

The impact of dance on cognitive development in children.

The challenges faced by dancers with disabilities and how they overcome them.

The portrayal of fantasy and imagination in dance performances.

Analyzing the role of improvisation in dance.

The representation of social justice issues through dance.

The influence of dance on popular culture.

The portrayal of power dynamics in dance.

The impact of dance on social bonding and community building.

The role of dance in promoting diversity and inclusivity.

The challenges faced by dancers in maintaining a work-life balance.

The portrayal of mythology and folklore in dance performances.

Analyzing the role of the choreographer in the creative process.

The influence of different dance techniques on each other.

The impact of dance on brain development and cognitive abilities.

The portrayal of spirituality and transcendence in dance.

The role of dance in promoting physical and mental well-being in older adults.

The challenges faced by dancers in dealing with injuries and how they recover.

The representation of social media culture in dance performances.

The influence of dance on the fashion industry.

The portrayal of dreams and aspirations in dance.

The impact of dance on the tourism industry.

The role of dance in promoting environmental awareness.

The challenges faced by dancers in navigating the competitive nature of the industry.

The portrayal of war and conflict through dance.

Analyzing the use of lighting and stage design in dance performances.

The influence of different dance genres on each other.

The impact of dance on self-expression and individuality.

The portrayal of spirituality and ritual in dance.

The role of dance in promoting social change and activism.

The challenges faced by dancers in achieving work-life balance.

The representation of fairy tales and folklore in dance performances.

Analyzing the role of music in dance choreography.

The influence of dance on body image and self-esteem.

The impact of dance on the rehabilitation process for individuals with physical disabilities.

The portrayal of cultural assimilation and identity in dance.

The role of dance in promoting empathy and understanding.

The challenges faced by dancers in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

The portrayal of historical figures and events in dance performances.

Analyzing the role of rhythm and timing in dance.

The influence of different dance traditions on each other.

The impact of dance on stress reduction and mental well-being.

The portrayal of spirituality and religion in dance.

The role of dance in promoting social cohesion and unity.

The challenges faced by dancers in dealing with rejection and criticism.

The representation of nature and the environment through dance.

Analyzing the role of partnering and lifts in dance choreography.

The influence of different musical genres on dance styles.

The impact of dance on body awareness and physical literacy.

The portrayal of cultural appropriation and misrepresentation in dance.

The role of dance in promoting teamwork and collaboration.

The challenges faced by dancers in maintaining a positive body image.

The portrayal of human rights issues through dance.

Analyzing the use of symbolism and metaphor in dance performances.

The influence of different dance movements on each other.

The impact of dance on self-discipline and perseverance.

The role of dance in promoting social justice and equality.

The challenges faced by dancers in dealing with performance anxiety.

The representation of fantasy and mythology in dance performances.

Analyzing the role of breath and energy in dance.

The influence of different cultural practices on dance techniques.

The impact of dance on emotional intelligence and empathy.

The portrayal of cultural diversity and inclusivity in dance.

The role of dance in promoting body positivity and acceptance.

The challenges faced by dancers in managing their mental health.

The portrayal of human emotions and experiences through dance.

Analyzing the use of space and dynamics in dance performances.

The influence of different dance aesthetics on each other.

The impact of dance on social skills and communication.

The portrayal of spirituality and mindfulness in dance.

The role of dance in promoting cultural understanding and appreciation.

The challenges faced by dancers in balancing artistic expression and technical proficiency.

The representation of social inequality and injustice through dance.

Analyzing the use of rhythm and musicality in dance choreography.

The influence of different dance traditions on contemporary dance styles.

The impact of dance on self-esteem and body confidence.

The portrayal of cultural identity and heritage in dance.

The role of dance in promoting emotional well-being and resilience.

The challenges faced by dancers in maintaining a healthy body image.

The portrayal of environmental issues and sustainability through dance.

Analyzing the role of lines and shapes in dance.

The influence of different dance cultures on each other's storytelling techniques.

The impact of dance on cognitive abilities and memory.

The portrayal of cultural appropriation and authenticity in dance.

The role of dance in promoting social integration and inclusion.

The challenges faced by dancers in managing performance pressure.

The representation of dreams and aspirations in dance performances.

Analyzing the use of improvisation and spontaneity in dance choreography.

The influence of different dance genres on body awareness and movement.

The impact of dance on self-confidence and self-expression.

The portrayal of cultural assimilation and diaspora in dance.

The role of dance in promoting physical and mental well-being in diverse populations.

These dance essay topic ideas and examples provide a wide range of options for you to explore and expand upon. Choose a topic that interests you the most and allows you to showcase your knowledge and passion for dance. Remember to conduct thorough research, provide supporting evidence, and present your ideas in a clear and concise manner. Happy writing!

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Contemporary Dance Essays

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Modern Dance by Jiri Kylian Essay (Critical Writing)

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Jiri Kylian as one of the most prominent ballet-masters of the twenty-first century is known to perform a wide spectrum of emotions and feelings in his works, which fascinate with their perfection and beauty of movement. No exception is the “performance “Petite Mort”, which was first represented to public in The Nederlands Dans Theater in 1996 and was the part of the so-called “Black & White Ballets”. [Riding, 1999]

The performance consists of the two parts, which are thematically bound. They express the harmonic integrity of the personality and movements, which is accompanied by ideally matching motive by Mozart.

On the whole, analyzing the first part of the ballet from the beginning, we have to point out the appropriateness of the absence of sound accompaniment, which leads the onlooker to concentrate on the pattern of movements the six men perform.

It has to be mentioned, that group ballet without musical accompaniment is rather uneasy task, because each movement and breath has to be worked out in team so as to achieve synchronism and perfection. However, the ballet group managed to overcome the difficulties and dance simultaneously even with no sound.

We should acknowledge the unveiled “hand of the master”, Jiri Kylian, who has succeeded in showing the power of the men at the beginning of his performance. As a matter of fact, these are not only swords, which indicate the strength and beauty of the men, but also a certain set of movements, most of which are quite sharp and confident. From time to time the movements are altering from quick to slow; however, it only amplifies the feeling of men superiority and influence.

When the first notes of Mozart’s Adagio can be heard by the viewer, the picture drastically changes. According to the music, the way the men move alter from sharp to smooth, from confident to insecure.

We cannot but point out the beauty of the tissue raised, which has served a special effect of the cloudy sky or the thick fog (there the onlooker can apply his/her own imagination) and has prepared the viewer to the idea of the “petite mort” in the performance.

Further, there appear new characters, women, which, together with the men, execute a dance of tenderness and harmony, of great affection and, probably, even love. The performance proceeds with the solo dance of one couple, which evokes in the onlooker the same feelings. Without any doubt, a two-person dance is more impressive in terms of concentration of each kind of motion, every muscle movement every touch and gesture. The two-dance is indisputably more intimate and feeling-provoking.

However, the group ballet strikes the onlooker with its own peculiarities. For example, the performance by the same author called “Falling Angels”. Sharp synchronic movements in combination with fully expressed percussion music do not seek for perfection, because they already possess it.

Generally, belonging to the “Black & White Ballets”, which are devoted to eternal issues, the idea of the dance is expressed explicitly clear. The women dancing, who symbolize deprivation, inequality in rights and lack of freedom, are moving with their hands in a way the fallen angels would.

What is more, the lighting plays quite a significant part in interpreting the performance. Having a form of squares directed on each of the eight dancers, the ballet-maker creates an atmosphere of “being caught in a cage, being limited due to our inability to achieve complete perfection or satisfaction.” [Harkarvy, 1994]

Jiri Kylian is indisputably one of the most famous choreographers of our century and deserves this title practically, by having created a lot of such masterpieces, as the two discussed ballet performances.

Works Cited

Harkarvy, Benjamin. “In conversation: Jiri Kylian on the choreographer’s art – Interview”. Dance Magazine. 1994. Web.

Riding, Alan. “ DANCE; With a Celebration Of Dutch Freedom, He Frees Himself “. The New York Times. 1999. Web.

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The Crisis in Contemporary Ballet

How emotion left dance.

It is a striking fact that intimacy and emotion are so hard to find in ballet today. This was not always so, even in the twentieth century, when choreographers from Nijinsky to Cunningham and Balanchine were intensely preoccupied with form and abstraction–with taking the body apart, sending it off balance, turning it askew. They made human physics and architecture–the mechanics of how we move–the subject of dance. This might have been a dry formal exercise, but it wasn’t, because the best of them were also emotionally and intellectually fearless, and they made dances about feelings and things in life and our society that mattered–not just to them, but to us all. Love, loss, eroticism, anger, betrayal, chance, fate, daring: these were the kinds of words their dances and dancers brought to mind.

The curious thing about dance now, and ballet in particular, is that it has taken the form but left the feeling. Artists today seem more attached to form than perhaps ever before - wedded to concept, abstraction, gymnastic moves and external appearance. There has been some dissent, to be sure; but mostly what we have seen is a strange reverence for pure physical form, and a deeper bow to detachment than the moderns or postmoderns themselves dared–or wished–to make. Is this a slow trailing off and misconceived tribute to the twentieth century, or is it the beginning of a new way of thinking? 

We are about to find out. The guard is changing in ballet. A new generation is taking the reins of power in its most venerated institutions. The Paris Opera Ballet, which has been directed by Brigitte Lefèvre for the past eighteen years, has just announced the accession—and in France it is an accession—next year of Benjamin Millepied, who is just thirty-six. At the Royal Ballet in London, Monica Mason recently retired after eleven years and the company’s new director, Kevin O’Hare , has settled on an artistic team led by the choreographers Wayne McGregor (forty-three), Christopher Wheeldon (forty), and Liam Scarlett (twenty-six). In New York, the change is softer: American Ballet Theater (ABT) and the New York City Ballet (NYCB) have been led by Kevin McKenzie and Peter Martins for twenty-two and thirty years respectively, and although—astonishingly—there is little sign of change at the top, new voices are coming to the fore. The Russian-born choreographer Alexei Ratmansky (forty-five) has become the leading artistic voice at ABT, and at City Ballet the young choreographer Justin Peck (twenty-five) is being hailed as the latest new talent .

Russia, where ballet probably matters more than anywhere else in the world, might have joined the change, but instead it has fallen captive to the distracting and at times violent political intrigues characteristic of Putin’s Russia. The Bolshoi’s new director Sergei Filin (forty-two) began by boldly recruiting dancers, including the American David Hallberg, but was then attacked —and nearly blinded—by an acid-throwing thug and is now recuperating in a German hospital. In St. Petersburg, the once progressive Mikhailovsky Theater is now run by a billionaire oligarch, and the ballet recently looked westward and imported the well-meaning but predictable Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato. Meanwhile the Maryinsky’s glorious dancers seem to have very little new choreography of value to perform.

All eyes are on Benjamin Millepied, poised as he is to take on the leadership of one of the most powerful cultural institutions in France and probably the best ballet company in the world. He will inherit Brigitte Lefèvre’s powerful legacy . Unlike Millepied, who is French but never danced at the Paris Opera, Lefèvre was a consummate insider. Trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School from the age of eight, she entered the company in 1960 at sixteen and went on to become its director of dance in 1995. But in between, like so many of her generation, she broke ranks, and in 1972 she left the company for more than a decade to found and direct (with Jacques Garnier) a new company devoted to experimental choreography. When she returned to the Paris Opera, she aligned the company on the principles that had governed her life and art—which also, not coincidentally, describe France itself: tradition and revolt, Louis XIV and 1968.

This meant that the company still did the classics, from Baroque dances and Giselle to Balanchine, but Lefèvre also opened the doors of the Paris Opera to contemporary choreographers such as Merce Cunningham, Trisha Brown, and William Forsythe; and more recently to Wayne McGregor, Emanuel Gat, and Anne-Teresa de Keersmaeker—few of them, with the notable exception of Forsythe, grounded in ballet. She even pushed the company into German dance-theater, commissioning works by Pina Bausch and Sasha Waltz. This season saw a new Bolero by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, whose background lies in voguing, hip-hop, and the Belgian contemporary dance scene. He collaborated on the piece with the conceptual artist Marina Abramovic. No one could accuse Lefèvre of not keeping up.

The results have been mixed, and a sign of the problems facing ballet for the last several decades. The art has had trouble innovating from within, so Lefèvre wisely looked out toward contemporary dance, making her company into a laboratory, even as it also focused on the classics. The downside was that the choreographers whom she invited to the Paris Opera did not always know how, or care, fully to use the tremendous physical and technical skills of its classically trained artists. This could result in ballets such as Sasha Waltz’s Romeo and Juliet (2007), which is more concept than dance—the story is jumbled, the sets designed to disorient, the movement more walking, posing, swooshing, and parading than real dancing. To watch some of the most highly trained dancers in the world perform this kind of simplistic movement, and to so little effect, is frustrating and dispiriting. Waltz has made powerful dances for her own company, but here the collaboration diminished both her and the dancers performing the work.

Millepied, who spent his early career in the United States at the New York City Ballet, has said that he wants to do something different. Rather than crossing over to the world of contemporary dance, he wants to return the emphasis to ballet itself—and to classically trained artists. Not, I think, in the sense of conservation or preservation: true to the legacy of Balanchine, he seems to believe that ballet itself can be a radical art. He has said, understandably, that when he worked at City Ballet he yearned to work on more “conceptual” projects, which sounds like a nice way of admitting that he was bored and did not always feel intellectually or artistically engaged. So he wants to broaden ballet and open it to cinema (Millepied choreographed the movie Black Swan and married its star, Natalie Portman), the Internet, technology, and contemporary movements in art. Echoing Diaghilev a century ago, he wants to make the “ballet of today.”

This all sounds ambitious and good, but a recent performance in Paris of the L. A. Dance Project —a company that Millepied founded last year as an “artist collective” with the composer Nico Muhly, the art consultant Matthieu Humery, the producer Charles Fabius, and the film producer Dimitri Chamblas—pointed in a disheartening direction. The program featured the world premiere of Reflections , which Millepied himself created “in collaboration” with his dancers, to original music by David Lang (including sections called “diet coke,” “cello,” “beach”) and with original costumes and designs by Barbara Kruger. The second piece was an old Cunningham dance from 1964 titled Winterbranch ,to music by La Monte Young ( 2 Sounds ) and with décor and costumes by Robert Rauschenberg. The evening finished with Forsythe’s Quintett , choreographed in 1993 while his wife was dying of cancer, to a passage from Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet , by Gavin Bryars. 

Millepied says in the program notes that the choice of these dances, and of the Cunningham piece in particular, is an artistic manifesto of sorts. Yet seeing Winterbranch at the Chatelet Theater in a sold-out house of Parisians eager to glimpse Millepied’s taste was like entering a time machine. What are we today to make of Rauschenberg’s car headlights scanning a bleak, empty stage (he operated them differently at every performance), or of the music, an aggressively unpleasant collection of sounds and scraping noises screeching through the auditorium? The movement is no help: it is simple, abstract, and performed in half darkness, as if the dancers were objects or shapes—sought out by the headlights—coldly manipulated in space. At one point, a robotic monster machine (constructed, it turns out, of “found objects” from around the theater) propels itself across the stage.

Many of Cunningham’s dances revolved around chance and his famous rolls of the dice before a performance to determine which dances would be performed to what music with which sets. Performances were designed to be unstable and in flux—to come together on stage, in the moment, and the dancers had to find their way within the limits “set” by chance and circumstance. This made the performers hyper-sensitive and aware of each other, and gave each performance the quality of a live experiment. There was an almost utopian quality to his project: behind the disorder lay a deeper man-made order—and we watched it come into being. Winterbranch was one of Cunningham’s darker visions, a kind of dystopian nightmare—provocative at the time, perhaps, but not his best work. Today it just looks dated and hard to follow. I can understand it as an historical artifact—Cunningham died four years ago at the age of ninety—but is it really interesting or worth doing in 2013? The opportunity cost seems very high. And I doubt the people who walked out of the performance at Chatelet were shocked; more likely they were annoyed and bored. 

To judge from Millepied’s Reflections , though, Winterbranch is not only worth it, but precisely the point he wants to make. On the surface, his affinity for Cunningham might seem surprising: Millepied has so far shown himself a capable if conventional choreographer, with a firm command of classical vocabulary. But here he abandons what he knows in favor of a Cunningham-like experiment, absent Cunningham’s rigor, to silly music by David Lang, and with a predictable and not particularly interesting or attractive—or shocking (or anything)—pop-artish design featuring a bright red backdrop covered with words (“Stay,” “Think of me thinking of you”) in large print letters. Worst of all, the dances—or rather, the steps that he and his dancers came up with—consist of tedious pedestrian movements and lots of simplistic back-and-forthing—walking, skipping, falling to the floor, noodling around.

If this is a new manifesto, it is strangely beholden to old ideas, reminiscent not only of Cunningham and Rauschenberg, but of the Judson Church dancers (Rauschenberg was there, too) and even of the choreographer Yvonne Rainer’s notorious “NO” manifesto (which she later repudiated), in which she loudly proclaimed NO to everything that ballet and past performance traditions stood for: no to spectacle, no to virtuosity, no to the heroic, no to the anti-heroic, no to style, no to eccentricity, no to transformations and magic and make-believe, no to involvement of the performer or spectator, and finally (after a few more no’s): “NO to moving and being moved.”

As with many avant-garde moments, the idea was in part to liberate—to free dancers and dance from the perceived constraints of artifice and technique, of bourgeois entertainment and commercial culture. It was a distinctly leftist attack, made on a supposedly aristocratic art in the name of something new and forward-looking, a dance that emerged above all from the everyday movement of ordinary people. The idea at the time was not “accessibility”—today’s catchword—but something more sharply political.

William Forsythe, the second pillar in Millepied’s performance, is a different story. An American trained in ballet who has spent most of his career in Germany (more work, better conditions), he was the artistic director of the Frankfurt Ballet from 1983 to 2004 and now runs the Forsythe Company in Dresden and Frankfurt. Forsythe spent years rigorously and meticulously analyzing—some said deconstructing—classical ballet, working from within its formal structures to extend, invert, and at times undermine the art. Drawing on a range of artistic and intellectual sources, his fascination with improvisation, tension, and release, unfolding interconnected movements, all came together in early works such as In the Middle Somewhat Elevated , to a score by Thom Willems, created for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1987. But although his dances can appear shattered and disjointed, the movement is in fact highly organized and coordinated: physically and intellectually complicated, with multiple and competing impulses and a sinewy and elastic style.

Forsythe set a new standard and style in ballet—a new aesthetic normal—with which we are still for better (Forsythe himself) and worse (his imitators) living today. He has long since moved on from In the Middle , and although his ballets are now standard repertory in major ballet companies around the world, his more recent work—which uses sound, voice, spoken word, images, improvisation, and dance—is performed only by his own company of dancers: it is collective, experimental, non-transferable. And if over the years his work drew deeper into theater and away from ballet (even as he himself had redefined it) and could at moments be alienating, his dances are always still dances, with rhythm, swing, kinetic movement. Forsythe knows more, and more deeply, about ballet and its codes, gestures, limits, and possibilities than most choreographers working today. And he has not said NO to skill, technique, rigor, or even—see the powerful reflection on mortality in his I don’t believe in outer space— emotion. 

What we are seeing, I suspect, in Millepied’s evident admiration for Cunningham and Forsythe has more to do with their experimental approaches than any particular dance. He seems to be looking for an avant-garde stance that might free him—and us—from the dull lockstep and conventions of so much ballet today. In a way, Reflections is not a new manifesto but an old expression of anxiety—a fear of irrelevance and a desire to “connect” somehow with the society and the culture at large. This may explain in part the appeal of pedestrian movement (what better way to reach “real people,” or so the thinking goes, than to move as they do?) and a Cunningham- or Forsythe-like real-time experiment instead of a polished or fixed dance.

The irony is that reviving Winterbranch is if anything artistically conservative and deadening, whatever the dance’s historical merits. Forsythe is a harder call since he often re-stages his own dances, but here again the ballet as danced by Millepied’s company pales by comparison with its original production with Forsythe’s own dancers. Dance is like that: it is easy to reproduce steps, but it is very, very difficult to reproduce the emotions and the ideas that made the work in the first place, and even harder to reproduce the experiment that created them. What we are left with is strangely cerebral and form-driven, a theater of shapes and images rather than of emotions and people—the opposite of what Millepied seems to yearn for.

Millepied is not alone. Many choreographers today are preoccupied with form and with pedestrian movement, with improvisation and “process” over set performances. In Brussels, Anna Teresa de Keersmaeker, founder of the company Rosas in Belgium and a prominent figure on the European dance scene, has based the training at her prestigious and impressive school P.A.R.T.S. on two pillars: ballet and the release-techniques and practices that grew out of the Judson Church movement. Physically and intellectually, this makes some sense—ballet is the base, the rules, the linear symmetries that postmodern choreographies undo—and indeed the idea recalls the earlier work of Lucinda Childs (another Judson Churcher) and others who found a similar affinity for ballet, even as they also opposed it. A revival last year of Robert Wilson’s Einstein on the Beach with Childs’s beautiful and translucent dances—pure, non-narrative, balletic in their formal arrangements—was a reminder of the power of this kind of thinking and dancing. 

Yet a recent performance of Partita 2 , a new work by De Keersmaeker and Boris Charmatz to music by Bach, was depressing—and depressing in ways that brought to mind the kind of thinking, and lack of feeling, behind Millepied’s Reflections . It is difficult to know what de Keersmaeker, who has made better dances than this, was thinking or trying to achieve, but the movement in this piece is so diminished, so lackluster (skips and hops and running around in tennis shoes for no apparent reason), so self-consciously serious and obtuse, and so far from dancing , that it seems like a kind of renunciation. NO to everything! But why? 

Wayne McGregor, who directs his own company, called Random Dance, and is now also resident choreographer at the Royal Ballet, is another case in point. His dances ask us to care about a series of unfolding physical movements, which have no discernable point but their formal appearance and the process of unfolding. In a recent TED talk, McGregor explained his approach by making a dance with two of his dancers based on the letters T—E—D. First he improvised on the external shapes of the letters—body riffing on a theme. His dancers in turn imitated and ornamented his movements until they had a phrase and, finally, a dance. The movement is seductive, febrile, full of physical tension and release. Many of McGregor’s finished dances are like this too, and we feel that the movement should somehow lead to human drama or emotion. But it doesn’t, and it is not clear that he wants it to. In the end, we are left wondering if all that “process,” all that focus on external appearances, and how one movement morphs into the next, isn’t an artful way of avoiding the inner life of dancers and the dance. YES to moving, but NO to being moved?

Another big idea in ballet today is stories. We all live by stories, it is regularly said, which are easier to absorb than straight-up knowledge or facts—or dance for the sake of dance. So alongside McGregor and his highly abstract dances, and in keeping with its own traditions, the Royal Ballet is also throwing its weight with renewed vigor behind the full-evening story ballet. Thus in 2011, Christopher Wheeldon created Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to an original score by Joby Talbot, and he is scheduled to premiere The Winter’s Tale this year. The objective, presumably, is family entertainment—nothing wrong with that—except that Alice is a very long and very dull parade of sets and costumes, interspersed with trivial character dances, presumably in the tradition of English pantomime but utterly lacking in charm and wit. 

It is hard to see this ballet as anything but a sleight of hand and a dumbing down—as evidence of a strain of cynicism across the ballet world that comes, I think, from what might be called the curse of The Nutcracker and Swan Lake . Story ballets sell— Alice sold out at Covent Garden—and have become a kind of tourist industry. Artistically, though, the story ballet is hard to defend in its present form. We think of it as a nineteenth-century taste, and dances such as Alice do little to change this. 

It is worth recalling that when Sleeping Beauty premiered in Russia in 1890, it was like watching Technicolor for the first time: controversial, visually overwhelming, a new way of seeing. When Kenneth MacMillan made Romeo and Juliet in 1965, it was breathtaking for its harsh realism. (He coached the dead Juliet: you are like a slab of meat.) Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has none of that excitement and no new ideas. And it is not alone: contemporary productions of Sleeping Beauty at ABT and at NYCB, or the new restaging of La Corsaire at ABT, all uncritically reproduce old ideas in old ways. Which is one reason why Matthew Bourne—not a choreographer of any note—has had such tremendous success with his multi-media remakes of the ballet classics. No one else is doing it. And what about The Artist , Michel Hazanavicius’s moving silent and danced film—a story ballet if ever there was one? Or Black Swan , which for all its faults at least attempted to rethink Swan Lake ?

Even the Russian- (more precisely, Soviet-) born Alexei Ratmansky, who invested much of his early career in making conventional evening-length narrative dances, seems to be slowly abandoning, or at least reconsidering, the form. His most recent work at ABT is an ambitious and serious full-evening ballet called Shostakovich Trilogy —not a single work, but three separate and related ballets, Symphony #9 , Chamber Symphony ,and Piano Concerto #1 , that take on themes of Shostakovich and the broken Soviet twentieth century. It is as if Ratmansky had decided that for this kind of vast theme—a memory ballet expressing a man and his century—the story ballet is too much (or perhaps too simple), but pure “abstract” dance is not enough.

So he gives us something in between, a hybrid half-story of gesture-laced dances made up of fragments and images, memories and patterns. There is agitprop imagery and decor, movement heavy with Soviet-style melodrama, and even a protagonist—a tormented artist, perhaps, although he appears only in the second ballet. There is of course Shostakovich’s own story along with the controversies over his politics and musical style, which might be brought to bear on the understanding of the work, but do not really emerge clearly from the dances. Even the dances of the second ballet, the Chamber Symphony , which anchors the trilogy, and whose music, an arrangement of the String Quartet No. 8, written by Shostakovich after touring the wasteland of Dresden as a kind of requiem and reflection on his own mortality, feel cut off, the inner despair dimmed by the outward melodrama. The evening pulls between this kind of overwrought movement and a cool dance exposition, but we are not sure why. The little emotion that does come through seems evasive. We are far away; we can watch the fragments pass before us, but we cannot enter or follow, much less feel.

Emotions do exist in ballet today, but they are often hidden, marked off and secluded in inner sanctuaries. The most obvious example is the pas de deux. Traditionally, ballets were structured to show public lives and private feeling, social circumstances and love, and they built up and out from the group to the individual, from the individual to the couple. The pas de deux could be formal and social (say, a wedding dance) or private and intimate, the summit and apex of feeling. 

Today this is rarely the case. Ratmansky has little feel for the pas de deux, and his dances all but ignore it: his subject is society and the individual. For Wheeldon, the opposite is true: his lens is focused on the couple, and the rest disappears. Consider his most recent ballet for the Royal Ballet, Aeternum , to Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem , with décor by Jean-Marc Puissant. The ballet as a whole is unremarkable, but the pas de deuxperformed by Marianela Nuñez and Federico Bonelli is extraordinary. And yet it is not a climax to anything. Indeed, the group dances and the pas de deux—the public and the private—seem to have nothing to do with each other. Wheeldon’s ballets are often broken-backed in this way: After the Rain was also two unrelated ballets stuck together—we don’t know why—and today the pas de deux is generally performed on its own. It has no society.

The pas de deux in Aeternum works because it makes ballet look normal—not pedestrian, but contemporary, the way we might imagine ourselves moving even if we never will (or could). It has no nineteenth-century manners, nor does it recall Balanchine-style jazz and nonchalance. It is clean, clear, intensely physical, sexual even, two bodies in a sustained manipulation to Britten’s understated yet passionate music. The dancers are almost nude, bare-legged with simple dress that shows the body but not the clothing. The detail of bare legs and feet in toe shoes without tights makes the point: the dancer has a direct connection with herself, with her partner, and with the floor—something grounded and organic, not airy or costumed.

Wheeldon has been criticized for making duets that are old-fashioned and sexist—men manipulating women, women who never support themselves or dance on their own; men who spend their time maneuvering women and fail to explore other possibilities fully, homosexual or otherwise. While it is true that Wheeldon’s duets involve a man and a woman and that the partnering is deeply dependent, this seems to me a misreading. The man and woman in Aeternum are each other’s other halves, sensually engaged in a moment of mutual dependence and intimacy that comes from the ways their bodies mold and move together. If anything, the old power dynamics—man supporting a woman, woman on a pedestal—are lost in the pure sensuality of the moment. It is erotic but plainspoken, a constant unfolding and refolding of limbs and skin. Not flesh—that would be the bedroom and Romeo and Juliet . Here we are inside the body—or bodies—his and hers at the same time. It is a dispassionate erotics, a physical fact.

Wheeldon is not the only one. Justin Peck recently made a new ballet for NYCB titled Paz de la Jolla , to Bohuslav Martinu’s Sinfonietta la Jolla . The ballet itself is perfectly fine, if a bit confused, with lots of energetic dancing and Ratmansky-like wisps of story and ideas that never quite cohere. The pas de deux for Sterling Hyltin and Amar Ramasar, however, is in another league. Here again the ballet doesn’t really build to it—it is just there, hidden in its outer shell. Hyltin was once like that too—hidden behind a competent technique and girlish appearance. But in the course of this dance, she (more than he) is transformed.

Suddenly the girl is a woman. There is weight and focus, and yet she is also translucent, transparent almost, in the fluidity of the movement, which is so fleeting and airy that it can hardly keep up with itself—she can hardly keep up with herself, and loses herself in its momentum. There is nothing showy or self-conscious here, and the choreography pushes her, without force, into a pure physicality at the edge of her capacities. It is a dance that gives her no time or wherewithal for anything but dancing. The selling, the smiles, the seductions, the girlishness: they all fall away. We are—finally!—inside of a dance. YES to moving, and being moved. 

What are we to make of all these choruses of yes and no, the ambivalence about emotion, the preoccupation with appearances and surfaces, the cult of form, the fraying of old balletic habits and assumptions? What about the desire to renew, to experiment, and to innovate, and the impulse to rely on old ideas to do so? Artists are rifling through the past even as the past caves in beneath them; it will not support them, because it does not entirely make sense anymore. I am not thinking about the old and by now comfortable postmodern instability, the cracking up of modern certainties for the sake of uncertainty. Something more is taking place. We are in the midst of a technological and social revolution that is changing how we think and feel—together and in ourselves: no wonder ballet is in a state of doubt and rethinking. If  there is an underlying mood in the field, it is anxiety, a nervous-to-the-quick fear of being out of touch, or out of sync, or “not connecting” with people, audiences, a new generation, ourselves.

If it is fair to say that art is not a calculation but an instinct, a series of small choices backed by knowledge and skill—this color, that step—then it must also be fair to suppose that the instinct is not blind, that it has a direction, however vague. An artist’s instinct might aim toward idealism or realism or surrealism, more toward form or more toward expression, or art for the sake of art, or art for a political cause. But it never aims at nothing—even nothing would be something, a kind of nihilism. The problem in ballet now is that it is hard to say who is aiming where, or if there are any clear signposts at all. There is ambition and curiosity, too much athleticism, and too many cold shapes and hard surfaces. Above all, there is a confusion about form and a fear of feeling. 

Jennifer Homans is the dance critic for The New Republic .

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Ballet: The Art and Science of Dance

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The Impact of The Rite of Spring on Contemporary Dance

Neurological pain tolerance and dancers, the history of jazz dance in america, the art of ballroom dance and its complexity, collective identity and dance in modern urban society, dance exposes socio-political psychology, social media and its effects in the dance world, neoliberalism and the art of dancing, the handicapped and the disabled in ballroom dancing, an argument of the qualification of dancers as athletes, my first dance experience and lessons learned, mikhail nikolayevich baryshnikov: the story of ballet dancer, dance performance review: the rocky horror show, history of the performance of ballet and indlamu dance in south africa, the best music for ballroom dancing, the influence of martha graham on present day move, the symbolism of ballroom dancing, where to learn ballroom dancing, bollywood dancing history and origin, the biography of agnes de mille.

Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value.

The most popular types of dance are: ballet, ballroom, contemporary, hip hop, jazz, tap dance, folk dance, irish dance, modern dance, swing dance.

Fred Astaire, Michael Jackson, Carmen Amaya, Martha Graham, Patrick Swayze, Gillian Murphy, Margot Fonteyn, Michael Flatley, Isadora Duncan and many others.

Dancers are known to be disciplined, focused and high achievers who tend to be successful students and hard workers. Because of high physical demand on their bodies, most professional dances retire from dancing during their mid-30s. Researches prove that dancing also reduces stress and tension for the mind and body. Dancers have better coordination, agility and flexibility.

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Essays About Dance: Top 5 Examples Plus Prompts

If you are writing essays about dance, see our essay examples and prompts below to inspire and guide you for your next essay. 

Dance refers to a sequence of rhythmic body movements, usually in sync with a beat or music. The earliest historical dance records can be found in cave paintings and are suggested to be associated with religious purposes. Today, one can dance for several reasons. It can be a channel to express their emotions and ideas, release energy, conduct a ritual, celebrate a tradition, or simply exercise. 

Check out our round-up of five great essays that can inspire you in writing your piece about dance: 

1. Are Humans The Only Species That Enjoy Dancing? by Jason Goldman

2. ballet and modern dance: using ballet as the basis for other dance techniques by helen kantilaftis, 3. bollywood dance explained by lucy townsend, 4. essay: when i broke up with ballet by stephanie wolf, 5. explained: breaking rules, moves and format by aarish ansari, 1. dance as a passion., 2. types of dances. , 3. health benefits of dancing., 4. preserving traditional dance., 5. the most iconic dance moves of all time. , 6. protecting choreographic works., 7. dance as an expression of culture., 8. animals that dance., 9. dance as a source of livelihood., 10. life values learned from dancing..

“Snowball became famous on the internet when videos were uploaded of the twelve-year-old cockatoo appearing to dance to a Backstreet Boys song. He seems to bob his head up and down in sync with the beat of the song… Could it really be that humans aren’t unique in their abilities to dance?”

The article amusingly explores certain animals that are proven to have a beat for dancing. While videos of dancing animals are a rave on social media, the article reveals that the discovery of dancing animals may have been as early as the time of Charles Darwin. The naturalist discovered and theorized that birds use dance to pick their mates, a process that a study showed is more common in humans than we thought. 

“Ballet is like the mother of all dance techniques. Most Western dance styles today can be traced back to ballet, and its codification has been extremely influential in all styles of dance.”

Ballet can improve one’s musicality, awareness, tempo, strength, and agility. Kantilaftis explains that other dances borrow many techniques and moves from ballet. For example, if you take hip-hop or jazz class, chances are there will be movements that could be enhanced by learning ballet first. The author then provides tips on how dancers can incorporate ballet to enhance their routines and be well-rounded dancers overall. You might also be interested in these essays about color .

“Bollywood dance is easy on the eye. Dramatic facial expressions and cinematic pizzazz mean any viewer, dance aficionado or not, can follow the story. But beneath the fizz is a series of historic symbols and traditions, which originate in India’s numerous traditional dance forms.”

No good Indian film is complete without the famous Bollywood dance. In this article, the author uncovers the symbolisms behind the hand gestures, facial expressions, neck movement, footwork, and vibrant costumes in Bollywood dance. It turns out that each movement and accessory contribute to telling a story with themes ranging from weather to animals and destinations.

“After 12 years of fighting for my dance career, it became clear this was not an injury from which I could bounce back. My body had already been through too much, and I felt fatigued from chasing my dreams. While I had always had outside interests, I was now forced to really look at what life would be like post-dancing.”

A former ballet dancer talks about her heartbreaking story of ending a dance career over two decades ago. The breakup was the inevitable consequence of an irreversible injury, causing emotional shock over a loss of identity. Several years forward, Wolf admits that she remains to grieve over the end of her dancing chapter but continues to find new sources of hope to continue living.

“From the streets of New York in the 1970s to the grand stage of the Olympic Games, breaking has charted a course not many would have thought was possible… breaking has evolved into a proper dance sport, with a fixed set of rules that make for fair competition.”

The article celebrates breakdancing’s breakthrough to be part of the Olympic 2024 as a silver medal event. In addition, the article dives into the signature moves that define breakdancing and judges’ criteria for selecting the winning breakdancers. 

10 Prompts On Essays About Dance

For more essay ideas, take a pick from one of our prompts below:

If you have a passion for dancing, write your story about how you have discovered this passion. Describe what dancing does to your mind and body. Write about your dance style, how often you dance and what kinds of music you love dancing to. If you’re not into dancing but know others who are passionate about this art form, interview them instead. 

Research about the different kinds of dances. There are many popular ones, such as ballroom, ballet, contemporary, hip-hop and jazz. To narrow down the scope of this prompt, pick five that interest you the most. Then, describe each and elaborate on their influence on art, culture, and society. 

Dance can strengthen cardiovascular health, reduce stress and improve balance and flexibility. Cite other physical and mental health benefits of dancing. Explain how each of these contributes to one’s overall well-being. For example, some communities have been promoting dance to fight obesity and strengthen heart muscles. You can also add how your community encourages dance in its health programs. 

Modern dance is so pervasive that it is feared to bump off folk dance from the stage. Recount the ways your country or community is preserving its traditional dances. Describe these dances and provide a brief historical overview of their importance to your country or community’s culture. Finally, think and write about what other efforts should be taken to allow traditional dances to share the spotlight with modern dance.

Many of us have witnessed different dance crazes, from the moonwalk popularized by Michael Jackson to the shimmy dougie and the fierce hair whip. Analyze what makes this dance move iconic enough to bring the whole world to dance to one beat and movement. 

Choreography is protectable copyrighted work. Provide dancers with a guide on how they can best protect the copyright of their dance masterpieces. Outline copyright protection issues, such as cross-border jurisdictions and digital piracy. Then, provide tips on how performers can best enforce their copyright. For example, one way is to register their work at the intellectual property office of their country. 

Waltz across several traditional dances and show how each of these dances helps express a community’s culture, identity, and belief system. Research the kinds of dance that are deeply embedded in a tradition. Describe the movements involved in this dance and how they symbolize the community’s beliefs and ideals. Then, add how communities pass on the dance to preserve it from generation to generation. 

Build on our essay example on dancing animals. List down the animals that studies are found to possess some dancing prowess. Describe their dancing styles and discover the factors that entice them to dance. For example, is dancing for them mere entertainment, or does it serve a more practical purpose, as with birds? 

Find out what the average income of a dancer or choreographer is. Interview dancers and ask about their level of satisfaction with their current income. Dive deep into the barriers that prevent their incomes from rising and what reforms they would like to see in choreographers’ and performers’ livelihoods. You can also write about how entertainment platforms have expanded the industry’s earning opportunities. 

Dancing is not just a skill or a hobby. It could be a way to learn essential life lessons that will help you get ahead and conquer challenging experiences. Enumerate the lessons one can learn from dancing. Discipline, determination, and creativity are just a few. Explain how one develops these traits from dance and why it makes for a great extracurricular activity for children.

For help with this topic, read our guide explaining how you can achieve persuasive writing .

If you’d like to learn more, our writer explains how to write an argumentative essay in this guide.

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• What was Isadora Duncan’s dancing like?
• What was Isadora Duncan’s family like?
• How did Isadora Duncan become famous?

modern dance

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modern dance , theatrical dance that began to develop in the United States and Europe late in the 19th century, receiving its nomenclature and a widespread success in the 20th. It evolved as a protest against both the balletic and the interpretive dance traditions of the time.

The forerunners of modern dance in Europe include Émile Jaques-Dalcroze , proponent of the eurythmics system of musical instruction, and Rudolf Laban , who analyzed and systematized forms of human motion into a system he called Labanotation (for further information, see dance notation ). A number of the modern dance movement’s precursors appeared in the work of American women. Loie Fuller , an American actress turned dancer, first gave the free dance artistic status in the United States. Her use of theatrical lighting and transparent lengths of China-silk fabrics at once won her the acclaim of artists as well as general audiences. She preceded other modern dancers in rebelling against any formal technique, in establishing a company, and in making films.

Dance was only part of Fuller’s theatrical effect; for another American dancer, Isadora Duncan , it was the prime resource. Duncan brought a vocabulary of basic movements to heroic and expressive standards. She performed in thin, flowing dresses that left arms and legs bare, bringing a scale to her dancing that had immense theatrical projection. Her revelation of the power of simple movement made an impression on dance that lasted far beyond her death.

Formal teaching of modern dance was more successfully achieved by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn . St. Denis based much of her work on Eastern dance styles and brought an exotic glamour to her company. Shawn was the first man to join the group, becoming her partner and soon her husband. Nonballetic dance was formally established in 1915, when they founded the Denishawn school.

From the ranks of Denishawn members, two women emerged who brought a new seriousness of style and initiated modern dance proper. Doris Humphrey emphasized craftsmanship and structure in choreography , also developing the use of groupings and complexity in ensembles. Martha Graham began to open up fresh elements of emotional expression in dance. Humphrey’s dance technique was based on the principle of fall and recovery, Graham’s on that of contraction and release. At the same time in Germany, Mary Wigman , Hanya Holm , and others were also establishing comparably formal and expressionist styles. As in Duncan’s dancing, the torso and pelvis were employed as the centres of dance movement. Horizontal movement close to the floor became as integral to modern dance as the upright stance is to ballet . In the tense, often intentionally ugly, bent limbs and flat feet of the dancers, modern dance conveyed certain emotions that ballet at that time eschewed . Furthermore, modern dance dealt with immediate and contemporary concerns in contrast to the formal, classical, and often narrative aspects of ballet. It achieved a new expressive intensity and directness.

Another influential pioneer of modern dance was dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist Katherine Dunham , who examined and interpreted the dances, rituals, and folklore of the black diaspora in the tropical Americas and the Caribbean. By incorporating authentic regional dance movements and developing a technical system that educated her students mentally as well as physically, she expanded the boundaries of modern dance. Her influence continues to the present day.

Like Dunham, Trinidadian-born dancer and choreographer Pearl Primus studied anthropology. Her studies led her to Africa (she ultimately took a Ph.D. in African and Caribbean studies), and her choreography explored African, West Indian, and African American themes.

Lester Horton , a male dancer and choreographer who worked during the same period as Dunham and Primus, was inspired by the Native American dance tradition. He was involved in all aspects of the dance, lighting, sets, and so on and also was a noted teacher, whose students included Alvin Ailey, Jr., and Merce Cunningham ,

Eventually rejecting psychological and emotional elements present in the choreography of Graham and others, Cunningham developed his own dance technique, which began to incorporate as much ballet as it did modern dance, while his choreographic methods admitted chance as an element of composition and organization. Also in the 1950s Alwin Nikolais began to develop productions in which dance was immersed in effects of lighting , design, and sound, while Paul Taylor achieved a generally vigorous and rhythmic style with great precision and theatrical projection in several works responding to classical scores.

Cunningham was a prime influence on the development of postmodern dance in the 1960s and later. Based especially in New York City , a large number of new dancers and choreographers— Trisha Brown , Yvonne Rainer , Pina Bausch, and many others—began to abandon virtuoso technique, to perform in nontheatre spaces, and to incorporate repetition, improvisation, minimalism, speech or singing, and mixed-media effects, including film. Out of this context emerged artists such as Twyla Tharp , who gradually reintroduced academic virtuosity, rhythm, musicality, and dramatic narrative to her dance style, which was based in ballet and yet related to the improvisatory forms of popular social dance. ( See also Tharp’s Sidebar: On Technology and Dance .)

Since its founding, modern dance has been redefined many times. Though it clearly is not ballet by any traditional definition, it often incorporates balletic movement; and though it may also refer to any number of additional dance elements (those of folk dancing or ethnic, religious, or social dancing, for example), it may also examine one simple aspect of movement. As modern dance changes in the concepts and practices of new generations of choreographers, the meaning of the term modern dance grows more ambiguous .

A-Level Dance Guides

Supporting A-Level Dance Teachers and Students

How to explain and analyse the development of the Independent Contemporary Dance Scene in Britain (ICDSIB)

In an essay which is focused on the development of the independent contemporary dance scene in Britain your focus should be on the features of the ICDSIB and the impact that this has on the dance world. Your point in each paragraph should focus on these aspects, with your evidence coming from varied features depending on the question requirements. Your explanation should analyse these features, considering what is new, exciting and/or challenging in relation to the ICDS in Britain and the impact this has on revenue, audiences, experimentation and culture. The three things we should therefore consider when planning and writing these essays are:

• The 10 Characteristics of the ICDSIB
• The New Dance Philosophies
• The impact of the above (make sure you scroll down, this one is important!)

1. The 10 Characteristics of the ICDSIB

‘Developments’ can focus on new, original and exciting ideas or specific changes to the way that something is approached. The 10 characteristics below are some key features of the ICDSIB, which all focus on fusing, merging or collaborating in some way as well as personal, original ideas. An easy way to identify the common features of dancers and practitioners within the British contemporary dance scene is to remember EPIC CINEMA :

E clecticism P edestrian gesture I diosyncratic movement C ollaboration C hallenging themes I mprovisation N ew forms of staging E mbracing cultural differences M ultidisciplinary approaches A lternative approaches to aural accompaniment and unrestricted choice

Eclecticism in dance refers to the fusion of multiple dance styles which can include ballet, contemporary, jazz, urban etc which is a very common way that practitioners today have continued to develop and diversify the dance scene. Note how this differs from a multidisciplinary approach whereby multiple disciplines are used within a work – a discipline can include dance, drama, technology, media, yoga, mixed martial arts, physical theatre/tanztheatre and art. Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui notes that his multidisciplinary approach is influenced by Pina Bausch’s tanztheatre style, where a choreographer chooses whichever method of communication is the best for the particular moment or piece, whether this is dancing, acting, speaking or singing. Pedestrian gesture refers to the use of everyday, naturalistic movements and this can be done in an organic way (walking, looking, scratching your head) or in a stylised or over-the-top way for example at the beginning of Zero Degrees (Khan and Cherkaoui, 2005) or within the Royal Palace scene as the young prince is being prepared for the day in Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake (1995/2012).

The term ‘idiosyncratic’ means personal, and this refers to a choreographers own signature style and should consider any feature which is typical or recognisable of that choreographer across multiple works. Collaboration is key to the development of the dance scene and it is important that we consider not only what is shared (aural accompaniment, set/costume design etc) but how and why it is shared. This includes the collaborative process, how a choreographer and collaborator work together and make decisions, and the reasons why those choices are made in relation to the intention of the piece or the continued experimentation of contemporary dance. Challenging themes is another key feature of the ICDSIB as contemporary dance is continually used or encouraged to make a statement about history, politics or the economics of a choreographers situation. Themes which challenge, provoke, shock, educate or relate to the audience are what separate modern dance styles from traditional ballet, as they move away from mythical stories and instead force the audience to think, feel and react which is a very powerful motivator. Improvisation is a solid base in which experimentation occurs and we should consider how choreographers use it to develop their choreographic skills, bond with their dancers, and experiment through solo improvisation or contact improvisation. This should also include alternative methods or alternative results, for example the way in which Akram Khan and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui used ‘playtime’ whilst choreographing Zero Degree’s, a method which started with filming Khan telling a story to Cherkaoui which actually became the starting point and focus of the work they created. New forms of staging is another key feature of the British dance scene and we should consider firstly the place in which dance is performed: on stage, site specific in churches or outdoors, or in non-conventional places such as Glastonbury Festival, where Akram Khan’s Dust (2014) was performed shortly after its premiere. Secondly we can consider the way in which these choreographers experiment with set design if they choose to perform on a traditional stage, through moveable and transformable set design or props (think Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Sutra (2008) and Babel (2010) and Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake and The Car Man (2000), and the use of levels or multiple scenes happening at once for example in the shower scene of Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man.

Embracing cultural differences is a large part of British culture itself, and many successful choreographers have embraced culture through movement style (kathak in Zero Degrees, kung fu in Sutra), aural accompaniment (Khan and Cherkaoui are both known for using Eastern influences in their music), physical set design (the monks uniform in Sutra, the British Royal colours, designs and navy uniform in Bourne’s Swan Lake), and through the subject matter itself (Cherkaoui’s Babel). Alternative approaches to aural accompaniment and unrestricted choice is a lengthy feature, but one which truly separates 21st century dance due to technology and the diverse choice that choreographers now have. Choreographers can choose to use traditional scores eg Bourne’s use of Tchaikovsky or collaborate with composers such as Syzmon Broska and Nitin Sawhney to create original pieces of music which are truly specific to the subject matter of the piece. But they are not restricted to using classical compositions, as contemporary dance artists now often use popular songs with lyrics and many don’t use music at all, instead using the silence to set a mood. Found sound is also popular – the sound of a dancers breath, their feet sweeping across the stage and their bodies transferring their weight in and out of the floor. As is the use of voice through singing or speech: choreographers can push the boundaries of dance further by incorporating cultural or social sounds eg Khan’s use of bols in Zero Degrees to portray confrontation (the sharp syllables traditional to kathak); the use of kiai in Sutra which is known as a battle cry in martial arts, but more importantly is used to cultivate energy for intense movement; or Bourne’s casual ensemble ‘hoorah’ which can be associated with a celebration. These 10 features sum up the diversity and experimentation of the contemporary dance scene in Britain and can be used to discuss the development of the ICDSIB, as well as to describe a choreographers style.

2. The New Dance Philosophies

The New Dance revolution occurred roughly in the 60’s-70’s and its focus was on choreographic experimentation, rather than rebelling modern dance or ballet technique to create its own style. It was never organised by one single body of people and it never had a strictly defined aim, but there were key philosophies created which helped the development of dance in Britain. These philosophies transformed what dance could be, pushing it’s boundaries and opening the world of dance to more people than ever before. Some of them are still present in modern choreographers work, not intentionally, but because they are a key part of the independent contemporary dance in Britain and are what began its development in the first place. We can also connect these philosophies to the characteristics above.

• Dance takes many forms and styles which should be respected and taken seriously equal to ballet disciplines. All styles, irrespective of culture, influences, style and individual techniques, are interesting and relevant to the development of dance – Eclecticism, idiosyncratic style .
• Dancers and choreographers must be able to produce and perform whatever kind of dance they want, and should be free to work outside of established companies – Multidisciplinary approaches, unrestricted choice of music and staging, eclecticism, idiosyncratic style, challenging themes, pedestrian gesture etc
• Dance is not just a highly specialised profession, it is a basic part of living and anyone should be encouraged to do it, no matter what age, shape, colour they are etc – Use of non dancers (monks in Sutra), use of dancers of all ages (Sutra, Swan Lake). Choreographers such as Bourne and Cherkaoui started dancing late without early formal training – dispels the myth of needing to start ballet from the age of 3 to become successful in the dance world.
• Dance should not be divorced from the real world. Dancers should think about the politics and economics of their situation, and choreographers should not be scared of presenting work that makes some sort of statement about society – Challenging themes, embracing cultural differences.
• Dancers and choreographers should be given equal status and equal funding as artists working in other forms – How are choreographers respected or recognised? Eg Queen’s honours for services to dance. How are dancers funded in Britain eg Arts Council and Associate Artists for Sadlers Wells which helps to fund artists, and brings in revenue for the Arts Council which therefore funds new, emerging artists.

3. The Impact of the Developments of the ICDSIB

Now that we have identified our evidence of how the contemporary dance scene has been and continues to develop, evolve and experiment, we must understand, explain and analyse the impact that this has on the dance world. I have listed some key points below which can be used as stand-alone points, but they also lend themselves to each other:

• Increase in audience numbers.
• Increase in audience diversity.
• Increased accessibility to dance.
• Increase in awareness for dance or a topic.
• Challenging people’s understanding of world events or emotions.
• Increase in revenue to the dance scene.
• Challenging people’s perceptions of dance.
• Relating to or engaging with audiences for entertainment.

The contemporary dance scene has always received its criticisms and had to work hard to gain its audiences. Its popularity tends to vary and as it becomes more and more daring it can become more difficult to increase and maintain audience numbers in the face of change. We know this more than ever through investigating Richard Alston’s artistic directorship of Rambert Dance Company in the 1980’s, a time where the contemporary boom had started to fade as choreographers began to experiment further with postmodern approaches which continued to challenge the audiences perception of what dance was and what it could be. In Alston’s case, the Rambert audiences were not ready for his drastic change of the company style and aesthetic as he looked to work more with abstract formalism and introduced the used of complete silence and Cunningham Technique in Soda Lake (1986). Looking a little further ahead, the report of the Policy Studies Institute from 2001 showed that contemporary dance increased its audiences from the period of 1993-1999 and the European Director of CriticalDance stated : “While I do not have access to more recent figures, my impression is that various UK dance companies are performing in larger venues and several times I have seen the 1,500-seater Sadler’s Wells theatre sold out for contemporary dance, which would have been a rare event few years ago.” As contemporary dance continues to evolve, it is necessary for large bodies such as The Arts Council and choreographers to work to increase audiences. This can be done through increasing marketing and engaging via social media or other accessible channels (cinema, Sky TV, BBC, YouTube etc); collaborating with other dancers, composers or designers to merge artistic audiences together and create variety; making dance entertaining and accessible for all ages and abilities, something that Matthew Bourne achieves very successfully; and presenting work which is relevant, interesting, challenging and/or entertaining.

As mentioned, increasing the diversity of the audience can happen through collaboration as this increases the chances of audiences being introduced to contemporary dance through other fields. For example, an artist interested in or studying Antony Gormley’s sculptures might come across the plaster cast dummies used in Zero Degrees and the boxes used in Sutra in their research. A fashion student or fan of Lez Brotherston’s might come across Matthew Bourne’s ballets and decide to attend a show to appreciate the costume designs. Embracing culture also increases the diversity of an audience through background, religion and philosophy being explored within British dance techniques. Akram Khan’s dual national background is the foundation of Zero Degrees exploration of identity, where kathak dance and traditions such as Sufi turns and bols are used amongst other techniques to shine a light on Bangladeshi culture and beliefs, such as spiritual enlightenment and the way their society works different to Britain’s – this is most obvious when Khan tells the audience the story of when he came across a dead man on a train and he was not allowed to help him for he would be blamed and prosecuted if he was associated with him. Furthermore audiences can be increased and diversified by collaborating with other dancers and companies. Akram Khan choreographed Dust for the English National Ballet, introducing his style to ballet audiences which may invite them to explore the contemporary dance world. Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui collaborates with people who are not dancers at all, such as the monks from the Shaolin Temple. Again, this invites new audiences through the development and fusion of new styles and disciplines. Lastly, audiences can diversify by age and experience of dance, which Matthew Bourne is able to do by creating entertaining and witty ballets which can be understood without previous dance study at any age or social status. He does this by taking common and well known stories (Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, Edward Scissorhands, Sleeping Beauty) so that audiences have prior understanding of the general story and can enjoy, engage and immerse themselves within the dance without having to think about it too much. However, he does reinvent these stories so that they become relevant for the current time through contemporary (and often challenging, taboo) themes. This breaks down barriers to accessing and enjoying dance, which is key to the continued survival of the art.

Increasing the accessibility to dance has a major impact on the development of the art form as it increases audiences by number and diversity, increases job demand and increases revenue. As mentioned, Bourne is successful at this through his use of subject matter, but he and other contemporary artists are also able to do this through new forms of streaming. Bourne screened his updated version of Swan Lake in cinemas in 2018 and The Red Shoes in 2020. Firstly this breaks down financial barriers as a cinema ticket is cheaper than a theatre ticket, and secondly it removes geographical barriers where many towns may have access to a cinema but not a decent theatre. This especially opens up live performance to students and those on a budget, but people may also take the risk of trying something new in a more comfortable (and cheaper) place such as a local cinema. Another way to increase accessibility is through TV and social media. I have mentioned Matthew Bourne a lot already but he really is a major pioneer of accessibility; full length ballets such as Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, The Car Man and The Red Shoes have been made available on freeview channels such as BBC and Sky Arts, some available on BBC iPlayer for later streaming. Akram Khan also makes use of TV appearances to raise audiences and awareness by taking part in multiple documentaries such as MOVE on Netflix, Why Do We Dance? on Sky Arts, What Do Artists Do All Day? on BBC Four, Dancing Nation on BBC iPlayer and Extreme Combat: The Dancer and the Fighter and The Curry House Kid on Channel 4. Social media continues to be a popular marketing and engagement strategy for contemporary artists, with all of the ICDSIB artists on the A-Level Dance specification using Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter to engage with their audiences and offer virtual opportunities. This has been more valuable during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic than ever before, and independent contemporary artists have used it to offer a mix of free and paid virtual classes/workshops/Q+A sessions and to stream new choreographic work whilst the theatres remain closed. Not only has this opened up dance opportunities and experiences for people across the globe, it has completely thrown the art form into the world of technology, forcing practitioners to find new ways to create, perform and engage audiences. This can only be a good thing for the continued development and success of contemporary dance, and it is exciting to see how this virtual connection might be maintained even once theatres re-open.

Following on from the importance of increasing and diversifying audiences, another impact from the development of the ICDSIB can be the increased awareness of dance itself, and/or the topics which they explore. For example by performing Dust, a piece which commemorates the centenary of WW1, on Glastonbury stage, a place where crowds are there for music and socialising as opposed to a history class, Khan truly raises awareness of the centenary and forces viewers to spend 20+ minutes thinking about WW1 in an unexpected place at an unexpected time. This interruption of the festival pushes the boundaries of what dance can be used for and puts contemporary dance on a commercial stage in front of people who may have never heard of it before. And even if the audience wasn’t completely perceptive to the intentions of the work, at least Khan was able to reach new audiences and break the idea that dance must be performed on stages to audiences who are already appreciative of the art form. A further impact that this has is to challenge people’s understanding of world events or emotions. As we are aware Dust was commissioned by the English National Ballet to commemorate the centenary of WW1, but Khan explored this differently by focusing not on the standard topic of battlegrounds and gunfire but on the women who were left behind to pick up the pieces of society whilst coping with immense physical and emotional pressure. This challenges audiences preconceived ideas about WW1 and asks them to consider another perspective. Again, this shows us that dance can be more than just entertainment, it can make statements and educate people through an artistic vision.

The final impact which can be discussed when referring to the development of the ICDSIB is an increase in revenue for artists and theatres which subsequently impacts the funding available for dance in Britain. Simply put, all of the above = more ticket sales = more revenue. This keeps jobs in the sector and funds companies and choreographers to grow and to explore choreography, thus keeping the industry going. Sadler’s Wells plays a big part in this in Britain; it is the home of contemporary dance in Britain and is considered to be one of the most important theatres in Europe. In 2005 they started their Associate Artist programme, which supports and represents the most exciting talent working in dance today, which includes Matthew Bourne, Akram Khan and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (amongst 13 others). This marked Sadler’s Wells transition from receiving talent to producing it in-house, establishing the theatre as the world-leading, dynamic and inclusive dance house it is today. Sadler’s Wells support their Associate Artists by commissioning new works for them and providing access to their resources, such as rehearsal studios, technical expertise, office space and a creative base. ( Sadler’s Wells, n.d. ) In return, these artists sell tickets and create an income for Sadler’s Wells, which is a registered charity and must make up 91% of its revenue itself. Edward Scissorhands, for example, sold 95,000 tickets and ran for 11 weeks. It has been said that Bourne is a key factor in the financial success of Sadler’s Wells, so enabling more artists to be supported and a greater number of works commissioned. This reduces the pressure from the Arts Council, who fund the remaining 9%, leaving more money in the pot for supporting independent artists and new companies in the industry. However, as we move forward to the present day, the COVID-19 pandemic has added an immense amount of pressure on funding to keep companies running and artists in jobs whilst the world stands still. Much can be said for the way that the Arts Council has tried to support dance practitioners via emergency recovery grants, but maybe when the quarantine is over we can instead look at how our audiences have continued to support the industry through donations, paying for live streams and responding through social media channels.

In conclusion

The independent contemporary dance scene in Britain is a strong industry which thrives off of experimentation and out-of-the-box thinking to engage, challenge and increase audiences across the world. They do this through the 10 characteristics amongst many other features to create world-renowned, original and thought-provoking work which stands the test of time, based on the foundation of the New Dance philosophies stemming from the contemporary boom of the late 60’s onwards. As the dance scene continues to grow and evolve, choreographers must continue to find new movement language and new ways to perform, supported by Arts Council funding and the solid work of Sadler’s Wells Theatre. The ICDSIB is therefore built on a cycle of giving and taking which supports creative growth and education. Our A-Level students must place their named practitioners and set work choreographer in this cycle and understand the importance of their specific contributions to the industry.

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Essay on Dance

Introduction

In a small town, Nia found solace in dance after a tough day at school. With each step, her worries melted away. She hesitated when the annual talent show came around but eventually took the stage. As she danced, the audience was spellbound. Through her graceful movements, Mia showed the power of dance to uplift and inspire. From that day on, she became the town’s dancing star, spreading joy wherever she went.

Dance is a universal expression that slices over linguistic and cultural boundaries. It’s a vibrant art form communicating emotions, stories, and traditions through movement. From classical ballet to energetic hip-hop, dance captivates audiences worldwide. With roots deep in human history, it’s evolved into countless styles, each with rhythm and flair. This essay will explore dance’s beauty, diversity , and significance.

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Historical Perspective

A historical investigation into dance reveals a tapestry of inventiveness, cultural legacy, and artistic expression that enthralls and inspires people of all ages:

• Ancient Origins: Dance’s roots extend to ancient civilizations, evidenced in rituals and social gatherings. Archaeological findings in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India depict its integral role, marking dance as an early form of human expression and cultural practice.
• Classical Antiquity: Ancient Greece elevated dance to a sophisticated art form, emphasizing its role in religious festivals, theater, and social occasions. The Greeks valued body, mind, and spirit harmony, evident in their diverse dance forms and performances.
• Medieval Metamorphosis: In medieval Europe, dance transformed remarkably, shifting from its roots in pagan rituals to a staple of courtly entertainment. Elaborate dances took center stage at royal courts and noble gatherings, with the emergence of ballet during the Renaissance era marking a significant milestone in the history of dance.
• The Dawn of Modern Dance: The 19th and 20th centuries witnessed a revolution in dance as modern dance emerged to challenge the traditional ballet conventions. Leaders like Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, and Isadora Duncan led the way, introducing new forms of expression and using dance for personal and social commentary.
• Global Influences: Dance has become a universal language , transcending geographical and cultural boundaries. Influences from diverse cultures, such as African tribal dances and Indian classical forms, have enriched contemporary choreography, reflecting the interconnectedness of global societies.
• Continuity and Evolution: Despite evolving, dance has maintained its essence as a powerful form of human expression. Its ability to captivate and inspire across cultures underscores its enduring significance, honoring its profound impact on human creativity and collective consciousness.

The Artistic Elements of Dance

The artistic elements that form the foundation of dance, illuminating how they blend seamlessly to create captivating performances that resonate with audiences worldwide:

• Movement: At the heart of dance lies movement—the fundamental language through which dancers communicate and express themselves. Movement encompasses various techniques, styles, and gestures, each imbued with unique symbolism and significance. From the graceful arabesques of classical ballet to the dynamic leaps and spins of contemporary dance, movement is the primary means of conveying emotion, narrative, and intention on the stage.
• Music: Movement and music are intricately intertwined; music is a crucial element that gives dance rhythm, melody, and atmosphere. Whether it be the classical compositions of Tchaikovsky in ballet or the pulsating beats of contemporary electronic music in modern dance, music is the driving force that guides and inspires the choreographic process. Moreover, the relationship between music and movement in dance is symbiotic, with each influencing and complementing the other to create a harmonious synthesis of sound and motion.
• Expression: Central to the art of dance is expression—the ability of dancers to convey emotion, narrative, and meaning through their movements and gestures. Expression in dance is a deeply personal and subjective endeavor rooted in choreographers’ and performers’ individual experiences, interpretations, and intentions. Through subtle nuances of facial expression, body language, and gestural motifs, dancers communicate a rich array of emotions—from love and longing to anger and despair.
• Costume and Set Design: Costume and set design, in addition to movement, music, and expression, are essential components that greatly influence how dance is experienced visually and artistically. Costume design encompasses a wide range of elements, including fabric, color, texture, and silhouette, each of which contributes to the overall look and feel of the dance. From the elaborate tutus and tiaras of classical ballet to the avant-garde costumes of contemporary dance, costumes serve not only to enhance the beauty and grace of the dancers but also to evoke the mood, theme, and atmosphere of the performance.

Dance as a Performing Art

Each of these styles carries its unique history, techniques, and significance, contributing to the rich tapestry of human creativity and expression:

Dance as a Social and Cultural Phenomenon

This essay delves into the multifaceted nature of dance, exploring its roles as a cultural and social activity through the lenses of ritual and ceremonial dances, social dances, dance in festivals and celebrations, and its potent capacity as a form of protest and expression.

• Ritual and Ceremonial Dances: Deeply entrenched in cultural tradition, ritual and ceremonial dances bridge the earthly and the divine, serving diverse purposes such as honoring ancestors, invoking blessings, marking rites of passage, or commemorating historical events. Examples include the Maasai Adumu, symbolizing strength, and Bharatanatyam, embodying religious devotion and storytelling through movement.
• Social Dances: Social dances, such as the waltz and salsa, transcend cultural borders, facilitating social bonds and expressions of identity. They evolve with societal changes, exemplified by hip-hop’s emergence, which empowers marginalized groups through improvisation and self-expression, illustrating dance’s adaptive nature across diverse communities.
• Dance in Festivals and Celebrations: Festivals and celebrations unite communities in joyous gatherings enriched by music and dance. They honor history and religion while fostering social bonds. From Brazil’s carnival to Spain’s Feria de Abril and India’s Holi, these events showcase cultural diversity and preserve heritage through traditional dances, costumes, and music, reinforcing a sense of belonging and inclusivity.
• Dance as a Form of Protest and Expression: Throughout history, dance has been a powerful form of dissent, challenging oppressive systems and advocating for social change, as seen in movements like the civil rights struggle and anti-apartheid protests. Contemporary choreographers and performers continue to utilize dance to address pressing issues, fostering empathy , dialogue, and solidarity for a more equitable world.

The Physical and Mental Benefits of Dance

From enhancing cardiovascular health to fostering emotional resilience, dance practice is a transformative force that enriches lives.

Physical Benefits

At its core, dance is a physical activity that engages the entire body. Whether it’s ballet’s graceful movements or salsa’s rhythmic footwork, every dance form demands strength, flexibility, and endurance.

• Cardiovascular Health: Dance is an aerobic exercise that elevates heart rate and improves cardiovascular endurance. Regular dancing courses can reduce the risk of heart disease, enhance circulation, and lower blood pressure.
• Muscle Strength and Endurance: The repetitive motions used in dance routines aid in the development of muscular strength and endurance, especially in the arms, legs, and core. This not only improves physical performance but also enhances posture and balance.
• Flexibility: Dance involves a wide range of motions that promote flexibility and joint mobility. Dancers expand their range of motion by stretching and reaching, which lowers their risk of injury and increases their general flexibility.
• Weight Management: Dance is an effective calorie-burning activity that aids in weight management and body composition. It offers a fun alternative to conventional forms of exercise, making it easier for individuals to adhere to a regular fitness routine.

Mental Benefits

Beyond its physical attributes, dance profoundly impacts mental well-being, fostering emotional expression, cognitive function, and social connectivity.

• Stress Reduction: Engaging in dance triggers the release of endorphins, neurotransmitters known for their mood-enhancing properties. This inbuilt “feel-good” reaction encourages emotional well-being and relaxation while reducing stress, anxiety , and despair.
• Improved Cognitive Function: Learning and mastering dance routines require cognitive engagement, including memory recall, spatial awareness, and coordination. Regular dancing has been associated with enhanced brain health, memory retention, and cognitive function, lowering the risk of age-related mental decline.
• Enhanced Self-Confidence: Dancing fosters a sense of empowerment and self-confidence by promoting self-expression and self-discovery. As individuals master new steps and techniques, they gain greater competence and self-assurance, both on and off the dance floor.
• Social Connection: Dance often occurs in a social setting, whether it’s a group class, performance, or social dance event. This lessens emotions of loneliness and isolation by promoting social connection, companionship, and a sense of belonging.

Dance Education and Training

Let’s delve into the significance of dance education and training, exploring formal training in dance, the role of dance schools and academies, and the importance of integrating dance education into the school curriculum:

• Formal Training in Dance: Formal dance training provides aspiring dancers the foundation to hone their craft. Whether classical ballet, contemporary, hip-hop, or any other style, structured training instills discipline, technique, and artistic expression. Through rigorous practice and guidance from experienced instructors, dancers develop strength, flexibility, coordination, and spatial awareness, which are essential for mastering their chosen dance form.
• Role of Dance Schools and Academies: Dance schools and academies are more than just learning places. They are nurturing grounds for aspiring dancers, fostering a vibrant dance community . These institutions provide a supportive environment where students can fully immerse themselves in their chosen dance form, surrounded by peers who share their passion. Experienced instructors guide students through progressive levels of training, offering personalized feedback and mentorship to help them reach their full potential.
• Importance of Dance Education in Schools: Integrating dance education into school curricula fosters creativity, enhances physical literacy, and promotes holistic development among students. Dance education provides a platform for self-expression and encourages students to explore their artistic potential. By engaging in creative movement activities, students develop confidence, self-awareness, and communication skills, which are invaluable life skills.

Challenges and Controversies in the Dance World

Here are some points outlining the challenges and controversies in the dance world:

• Body Image and Health Concerns: Dancers face pressure to maintain specific body types, leading to eating disorders and injuries. Balancing rigorous training with self-care is crucial but challenging for physical and mental well-being.
• Gender and Diversity Issues: Dance has historically enforced gender norms, limiting expression and opportunities. Lack of diversity in choreography and leadership perpetuates inequalities, hindering progress towards inclusive representation.
• Exploitation and Labor Rights: Dancers often endure low pay, long hours, and unstable employment conditions. Freelancers lack benefits like healthcare, highlighting systemic issues of financial insecurity and exploitation within the industry.
• Cultural Appropriation: Borrowing from cultures without acknowledgment can offend and erase identities. The debate raises questions about power dynamics and ownership, emphasizing the importance of cultural sensitivity and respect in dance practices.
• Accessibility and Inclusivity: High costs and physical barriers exclude many from dance participation. Socioeconomic disparities and lack of accommodations for disabilities challenge efforts to make dance accessible to diverse communities.
• Competition and Pressure: Intense competition breeds stress, prioritizing achievement over well-being. The pursuit of perfection can lead to mental health issues like anxiety, highlighting the need for a healthier approach to success in dance.
• Ethical Concerns in Choreography: Exploring sensitive topics in choreography can provoke controversy. Balancing artistic expression with social responsibility , including respect for performers’ boundaries and consent, is essential for ethical dance practices.
• Online Presence and Privacy: Social media blurs boundaries between public and private life, exposing dancers to cyberbullying and privacy invasion. Managing online presence requires vigilance to maintain authenticity and protect personal well-being.

Dance is more than physical expression; it conveys identity, culture, and feelings. As we celebrate its beauty and diversity, let’s advocate for its importance in education and society. Support local dance programs, attend performances, and encourage young talent. By embracing dance, we enrich our lives and strengthen our communities. Let’s keep the rhythm alive, fostering creativity and unity through this timeless art form.

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Performing the Body: Somatic Influences in Dance

Through the work of a diverse gallery of artists including Jerome Robbins, Ohad Naharin, and Roy Assaf, the connections between dance and the practice of somatics is both explained and explored.

Introduction

The field of somatics was well underway before Philosopher Thomas Hanna coined the term in 1976, as defined by “the body as a lived experience.” The term derives from the Greek word for the living body, “soma,” and is the study of the body experienced from within. Sometimes there may also be an audience present during that experience.

The two practices that have most dominated the dance field are The Alexander Technique, founded by Australian actor F. Matthias Alexander in Melbourne and London in the early 20th century, and later The Feldenkrais Method, founded by nuclear scientist and judo master Moshe Feldenkrais in London and later Tel Aviv, during the mid 20th century.

Other roots of somatics can be traced back to the late 19th-century European Gymnastik movement, which used breath, movement, and touch to direct awareness. François Delsarte, Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, and Bess Mensendieck encouraged a kind of inside-out expression.

Americans also made significant contributions. Mabel Elsworth Todd’s classic text, The Thinking Body , introduced dancers to the role of the mind in dance training in 1937. And her student, Lulu Sweigard, developed “ideokinesis,” which is fully entrenched in dance training in the use of imagery. In fact, various somatic practices are now so embedded in contemporary dance training, the “somatic seep” is a real phenomenon.

Yet, dancers and others still struggle with a working definition of the field. In a 2018 PillowTalk about Jerome Robbins, Robbins and Somatics scholar Hiie Saumaa gives a vivid description of Somatics and how it penetrates more than movement practices, and actually influences her research.

Saumaa makes a marvelous case for a broad definition of the somatic experience. That said, dancers have always been deep explorers of the body as a lived experience. Consider the group of American women who came from the field, including Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen (Body-Mind Centering), Emilie Conrad (Continuum), Joan Skinner (Skinner Releasing), Elaine Summers (Kinetic Awareness), Susan Klein (Klein Technique), and Judith Aston (Aston-Patterning).

If we examine the values of the somatics field—the primacy of bodily sensation, the expression of pleasure in movement, the use of efficiency in action, a connection to everyday human movement—then we can see a multitude of connections between the field and what’s happening on contemporary dance stages. Choreographers and dancers need no certification in a codified method to manifest these values.

At Jacob’s Pillow we can start with founder Ted Shawn, who saw connecting to the flesh as the first step in training a dancer. Even in his early years running the Denishawn school with Ruth St. Denis, he included training in the Delsarte Method, an early iteration of a somatic practice founded by French musician and educator François Delsarte in the mid-19th century.

When Shawn moved his operation to Jacob’s Pillow to develop his all-male company, the Men Dancers built the place from the ground up, as well as growing their own food. It was the Depression, and they needed to eat and have shelter, but Shawn considered physical labor an essential training practice for his men dancers.

Adam Weinert recreated many of Shawn’s training practices, which included hard work in the garden, as part of his embodied research for a 2016 Doris Duke Theatre production entitled Monument. He mentioned in a 2015 PillowTalk that he did indeed feel more grounded in his dancing from his work on a farm, which led to his ongoing body of work recreating Shawn’s dances.

Adam H. Weinert

"Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" from Four Dances Based on American Folk Music

Shawn was bold when it came to showing off his body and the bodies of his male dancers. From the tea events where the men dancers served tea and sandwiches dressed in a pair of trunks to choreography which highlighted the male form, Shawn was consistently interested in the body in the natural landscape. Decades later Eiko continued that tradition in her own aesthetic with Eiko at the Pillow , a commissioned work on the Pillow grounds.

A Body at the Pillow

Pleasure in the Body

A consistent thread in somatic reasoning is an unapologetic appreciation of the body. Experiencing pleasure is often relegated to a private or sexual domain. Yet this internal sensing, where we as audience members act as voyeurs of a sort, has been around a lot longer than the somatic label.

Consider Jerome Robbins’s Bach ballet, A Suite of Dances , first performed by Mikhail Baryshnikov. Premiered March 3, 1994, as part of the the White Oak Dance Project at the New York State Theater, the ballet was performed by Daniel Ulbricht as part of an all-Robbins program presented by Stars of American Ballet in August, 2018.

Performed with an onstage cellist, A Suite of Dances revels in the camaraderie between the cellist and the solo dancer. But there is another relationship going on—between the dancer and his internal sensations. It’s subtle, almost as if the dancer gets lost in his own performance, forgetting about the rest of us. Robbins was a master of creating ballets that often turn inward, toward the other dancers on stage as in Dancers at a Gathering, or even deeper into their own sensing such as Afternoon of a Faun .

Saumaa discovered in her research that Robbins studied with an underrecognized dance and somatic educator, Alys Bentley, who was a pioneer in expressive movement forms and Dalcrozean eurhythmics. Robbins’s internal focus is subtle and it comes and goes, creating an vibrant dynamic between attending to the audience and one’s own delicious movement.

We can’t talk about reveling in the body without bringing in the Israelis, most notably Ohad Naharin, whose groundbreaking technique known as Gaga has influenced a generation of dancers and choreographers. Naharin discovered that dancers need another entry into their moving bodies aside from traditional training, a method to mine something more primal in the moving body.

Naharin gives a vivid description of Gaga in a 2018 PillowTalk when the Batsheva Young Ensemble was performing in the Ted Shawn Theatre.

And the Batsheva Young Ensemble performance of Naharin’s Virus offers a terrific example of sensual inner focus. Here we witness the dancers having an experience that is ravishing for both audience and performer. The focus is inward, yet the choreographer’s eye points outward. Virus is a key example of the performability of somatic concepts, as there exists a deep virtuosity in the dancers’ internal sensing.

Jerusalem-born Sharon Eyal takes this cathartic bodily reveling a few steps further in her club aesthetic-based piece House , performed at the Pillow in 2013. Eyal, a former muse, dancer, and choreographer at Batsheva, founded her own company known as L-E-V in 2013 with Gai Behar. Here the experience is otherworldly, approaching the cathartic.

Efficiency in Action

Somatic practitioners value efficiency and consider it an important neuromuscular concept to practice in order to maintain health and well-being. Efficiency, a core principle of the Alexander and Feldenkrais work, brings a different set of gifts to the performance experience. It’s visually alluring in a haunting way. The Israeli choreographer Roy Assaf brought two of his works to the Pillow in 2017. Both offer prime examples of the sure beauty of efficient movement. In Assaf’s deceptively minimal duet with Hadar Younger, Six Years Later, there’s a slipperiness to the movement, where effort appears invisible, and a palpable bodily connection between the two dancers. They move as if they share a central nervous system, which is curiously a familiar theme in most one-on-one somatic therapeutic work.

Assaf’s trio for three men, The Hill, performed by Igal Furman, Avshalom Latucha, and the choreographer, displays a similar efficiency, but with considerably more fervor.

Exploration and Novelty

Another tenet of Somatics is to value novelty, exploration and doing things in a new way. Jacob’s Pillow Award winner Liz Gerring’s expansive dances come to mind. She is certainly also a master of efficiency in her spare but stunning works. Gerring strips movement down to its essential components, eliminating unnecessary flourishes, so that we experience momentum and stillness in an arresting simplicity. Yet, there’s also a wonderful twisting of habitual patterns. Nothing is as expected, from the movement to the entrances and exits. Gerring employs novelty at every level.

Liz Gerring Dance Company

As the practice of dance employs a near endless examination of the body in motion, choreographers will remain at the forefront of the somatics field. Be it ease of movement, turning the ecstatic experience of internal sensing outward, or pushing the form to new heights, somatic principles will continue to charge dance stages with vital new ideas.

PUBLISHED october 2020

More essays in this theme, the jacob’s pillow costume collection, pointe spread: the marvel of regional ballet, when the ballet came to jacob’s pillow, what is dance’s relationship with live music, contemporary bharatanatyam at jacob’s pillow, uncovering jazz elements in the work of contemporary choreographers, the israeli delegation: artists from the holy land, broadway in becket: the american musical theater and jacob’s pillow, introduction to bharatanatyam and t. balasaraswati, explore themes | essays, men in dance, exhibitions, women in dance, dance of the african diaspora, discover more, get the latest in your inbox.

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Keeping the Spirit of Harlem Dance Alive

Meet three women who are celebrating, and remixing, black dance..

Text by Imani Perry Photographs by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr. Videos by Caroline Kim and Alan Lee Jensen

Every image here of the dancers Ayodele Casel, LaTasha Barnes and Camille Brown is strikingly contemporary. All artists at the cutting edge of dance today, they regularly perform for rapt audiences. But if you were to cast their angled bodies, brilliant smiles and euphoric turns in black and white, these dancers could almost fit in stills from a night club during the Harlem Renaissance.

In motion, these modern women bring to mind historical figures like the Whitman Sisters, who in 1931 took to the stage of the Lafayette Theater in Harlem to put on a raucous, mesmerizing show featuring brilliantly garbed chorus lines, jazz bands, comedians and child performers. According to The Pittsburgh Courier, one of the preeminent African American newspapers of the day, it was the “greatest stage attraction Harlem has ever seen.”

With the Great Migration from the rural South to the North, West and Midwest in the 20th century, Black dance traditions were remixed and funneled into newly energetic and virtuosic forms like the Charleston, the Lindy Hop and the Jitterbug, and older styles like the Cakewalk and tap evolved. Dance halls, ballrooms and music venues in Black urban centers were filled with hopeful migrants who found freedom in movement despite persistent adversity.

As part of what was called the New Negro movement, the four Whitman sisters — Mabel, Essie, Alberta and Alice — stood at the forefront of Black popular culture. Mabel led the company, while Essie was known for her deep and resounding voice, Alberta was an acrobatic “flash” dancer who performed in male drag under the name Bert and the lithe, blonde Alice was lauded as one of the greatest tap dancers of her time. In their four-decade run, they introduced the Cakewalk (a high-stepping dance originated by enslaved people on plantations) to the mainstream and gave big breaks to many other Black artists, including tap dancers like Jeni LeGon and Bunny Briggs .

In an article in Continuum: The Journal of African Diaspora Drama, Theatre and Performance, Nadine George-Graves, a biographer of the Whitman sisters, wrote that the siblings, once the highest paid act on the Black theater circuit, “pushed buttons and broke barriers left and right.” The fact that they aren’t better known in the broader dance world demonstrates how many groundbreaking Black female artists have faded into obscurity.

At the forefront of the movement to keep dance forms from the era alive stand women like Barnes, Casel and Brown — carrying countless long-forgotten artists of the Harlem Renaissance with them into the present with grace and conviction.

LaTasha Barnes Queen of Social Dance

LaTasha Barnes grew up dancing with generations of her family at their weekly Sunday gatherings. She fondly remembers her great-grandmother holding her hand as she leapt into the air. “It was the spot. That’s where you went after church,” she said. “My love for sharing really came out of that.”

After a youth spent as an athlete, a career in the military and years devoted to social dance, including hip-hop and house, Barnes found her way into the world of swing. As she studied its origins in African American communities, she became a revivalist for the Black tradition of the Lindy Hop, and is now a choreographer and a tenured professor of dance at Arizona State University.

Though Barnes holds a self-designed degree in ethnochoreology, the study of dance and culture through other disciplines, Black studies and performance studies, she is foremost a practitioner; she doesn’t ever want to be “known for only the scholastic.”

Barnes describes Black dance as a freedom practice, no less salient than the civil rights movement. “It is liberation,” she said. “It is freedom.” She also makes a distinction between choreographed dance and social dance, which is made up on the spot and therefore imbued with that sense of freedom. “It’s hope embodied,” she said. “Sometimes the truth that needs to be spoken doesn’t need to be verbal.”

“Dance was, and is, a space for Black people to find freedom in the midst of turmoil and strife.”

Through the study of social dance — with all of its electrifying turns, leaps and flips — one can witness the history of the Harlem and Chicago Black renaissances and the broader hemispheric Black expressive cultures, Barnes argues. Throughout that history, people were consistently reaching for freedom and movement — across geographies as well as dance floors — in response to being excluded and abused, she says. Barnes follows in the footsteps of well-known Lindy Hop pioneers such as Norma Miller , with whom she trained, and Frankie Manning . (Barnes is a board member of the Frankie Manning Foundation .) “My archivism is here,” she said, gesturing to her extended arm — indicating that the dancing is at once a visual chronicle and a collective song of hope.

Barnes’s performance piece “The Jazz Continuum,” which received a 2023 Bessie Award honoring exceptional performance in the arts, is a journey through the history of Black American social dance forms, including jazz, the Lindy Hop, hip-hop, house and more. For Barnes, each period’s different styles and sensibilities emerge from a common root. “Dance was, and is, a space for Black people to find freedom in the midst of turmoil and strife,” she said.

Ayodele Casel Queen of the Floor

Ayodele Casel is a tap dancer and a master of improvisation. Though constantly aware of her predecessors, including her teacher Gregory Hines , she is remixing and extending the classic form. “I am a conglomerate of every tap dancer and musician that has ever entered my psyche,” she said. Music, she said, as well as “the specific dance vocabulary of tap, makes it possible for me to approach the floor at any given time with reverence for the past and the thrill and potential of the present moment.”

Casel brings her whole self – queer, Black and Puerto Rican — into that vast body of work. As a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Study at Harvard University, she has explicitly taken on the “history of black women hoofers whose stories have been lost to history,” like Edith Hunt, Ludie Jones, Cora LaRedd and LeGon. In 2021, she was featured on a U.S. Postal Service stamp, a sign of the growing recognition of women in tap.

While many will remember Salt-N-Pepa as groundbreaking hip hop artists, an earlier duo of Black female artists actually paved the way for that moniker: Two tap dancers — Edwina Evelyn, known as Salt, and Jewel Welch, known as Pepper, both queer women who dressed in suits — headlined at the Apollo Theater in Harlem in the 1940s alongside Fats Waller and Count Basie.

“We are music and movement and the movement is magical.”

It’s these hidden figures of dance that propel Ayodele both onstage and off. “I think about Jewel and Edwina, they were closeted,” Casel said. “The fact that I’ve been able to live in a fully realized way, my own life is an honor and testament to their lives — the women who wore suits, flats and ties and wanted to swing.”

She continued: “We tap dancers are a very studied group of artists, so signature steps and approaches are always in my back pocket to shout out, but, most importantly, they have made way for my rhythmic innovation.”

Camille A. Brown Queen of Broadway

There’s a moment in Camille A. Brown’s 2015 dance piece “Black Girl: Linguistic Play” when you see the everyday beauty of Black expressive culture come to life. Two dancers move through space from what feels like a double Dutch routine into a block party dance into a version of the Lindy Hop and then into a finger-snapping carousel of a tap routine. With a background in concert dance, Brown has brought social dance into that space and expanded her reach to Broadway and film.

A four-time Tony nominee, Brown has become one of the most visible figures in contemporary dance, most recently recognized for her work on “Hell’s Kitchen,” Alicia Keys’s Tony Award-winning coming-of-age musical. When she worked on Ntozake Shange’s “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf” in 2022, she became the first Black woman to direct and choreograph a Broadway production in six decades, and in so doing, also drew attention to Shange’s legacy as a dancer as well as a playwright and novelist. In 2021, she became the first Black artist to direct a mainstage production at the Metropolitan Opera (alongside James Robinson) with “Fire Shut Up in My Bones,” which she also choreographed. She will next choreograph the upcoming revival of “Gypsy” starring Audra McDonald, opening in December.

On Broadway and at the Metropolitan Opera, she follows in the footsteps of the great scholar, dancer, choreographer and director Katherine Dunham . In 1962, Dunham choreographed, produced and directed “ Bamboche! ” on Broadway, and in 1963 she became one of the first African Americans to choreograph for the Met, with “Aida.” As an anthropologist and choreographer, Dunham used traditional dances of the African diaspora as a foundation for her work. Her success in the theater opened doors for artists of color on the American stage. And yet it took over half a century for Brown to become the second Black woman to choreograph a Broadway show. Like Barnes and Casel, Brown is conscious of the dance tradition from which she emerges, and she cites numerous influences, including Dunham. “I’ve always loved history,” she said. She described how, with theatrical work, she would research the social dances of the period and weave a story with sound and music.

“When I perform I’m actually singing, I hum whatever the melody, breath or dynamic it is.”

When she is dancing, she said, she is “listening and channeling.” And Brown believes that dancers are musicians, of a sort. “I have always looked to Ella Fitzgerald,” she said. “I studied her clarity and range. I wanted to do that with my body.” When performing, she added, “I am actively singing and humming.”

Though this is a renaissance moment for Black female dancers, Brown cautioned against getting too comfortable: “I continue to see the erasure of our history,” she said. To that end, she, like Barnes and Casel, is working hard to preserve the traditions of Black dance. “I believe it is always part of me,” Brown said. “It is important to understand it, to bring it into the present and move it into the future.”

Behind the Scenes

Seeing Dances of the Harlem Renaissance, in Vivid Color

By Marcelle Hopkins

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