Summary
Modern dance was a movement that began at the turn of the 20th century when American dancers Loie Fuller, Isadora Duncan, and Ruth St. Denis broke from formal dance traditions with their own personal vision of movement. Soon, their visions evolved through Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, and Charles Weidman, who would all go on to teach their methods and present modern dance as a serious art form. Avant-garde choreographers, including Merce Cunningham and Paul Taylor, stripped dance down to the essence of movement itself, while Alwin Nikolais, Alvin Ailey, and Twyla Tharp incorporated unconventional influences and elements to create a diverse and unique tapestry of dance. In Modern Dance, Second Edition, students can read about the innovators who shaped this dance form.
Specifications
Full-color photographs. Sidebars. References. Glossary. Further reading. Web sites. Index.
About the Author(s)
Janet Anderson is a dance critic at the City Paper of Philadelphia and was previously a dance critic at the Philadelphia Daily News. She has written about dance for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Seven Arts Magazine, PBS Applause Magazine, and several other publications. She conducted and wrote Pew Charitable Trust's study on improving the quantity and quality of arts journalism. Anderson has an M.A. in art history from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Texas-Austin.