Isadora Duncan (1877-1927)

• "mother of modern dance"
• inspired by nature & greek culture, reflected in costumes & poses.
• vocabulary: locomotor movements (runs, skips, hops, leaps, etc)
• opend her school: The Isodorables

Ruth St. Dennis (1878-1968)

• former show girl: "Miss Ruth"
• her and her husband created a school/company: denishawn

Tod Shawn (1891-1972)

• developed 1st male company that toured the US.
• founded Jacob's Pillow: summer camp/ performance venue.

Martha Graham (1894-1990)

• came from Denishawn
• most influential modern dancer/ choreographer of 20th c.
• choreogrphed 181 dances
• developed constraction/ release
• articulated the spine
• established Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance
• also developed the Martha Graham Dance Company, NYC (still in existence)
• no humor in her work

Louis Horst

• music director
• used pre-classic music

Iscimu Noguchic

• famous sculiptor/sets
• produced the greatest number of influenctial & famous modern dancers and chorographers to dance (like martha)

Erick Hawkins (1917-1994)

• 1st male dancer in Martha Grahams company
• married and divorced Martha
• developed his own work and company (1951): Erick Hawkins dance company (still in existance in NYC)
• emphasis on ease, flow, and circular movements

Merce Cunningham (1919-2009)

• "the father of post-modern dance"
• member of Martha Graham Company
• developed own company(1953): Merce Cunningham Dance company
• developed Cunningham technique; worked with abstraction, "dance by chance"
• lifetime partnership with avant garde composer John cage (prepared piano)

May O'Donnell (1906-2004)

• Martha Graham's 1st lead dancer
• choreographer that explored abstract themes in dance
• influenced by americana (native americans/pioneers)
• developed own technique based on "constraction/release" called the May O'Donnell technique
• had own company 1950-1988

Steve Paxton (1939- )

• dancer/ choreograper with Judson dance theater (1960's)
• developed contact - improvistion
• 4 elements:

1. weight-bearing or sharing
2. weight resistance or counterbalnce
3. "set the table"
4. negative space

Pilobolus (1971- )

• non-dancers from darthmouth

Doris Humphrey (1895-1958)

• dancer/ choreograper
• used visualization
• inspired by nature, american experience and architectural/ pattern design
• Humphrey-Weidman school of dance & company

Paul Taylor (1930- )

• student of Martha Graham
• member of Cunninghams company
• has an athletic body
• created the Paul Taylor Company
• use both traditional and post-modern work

Charles Weidman (1901-1975)

• Doris Humphreys partner
• co-founder of the company/ school: Humphrey-Weidman school & company 1928-1945
• his choregraphy incorporated humor & pantomime
• developed "fall and recovery"
• emphasis gravity, balance, breath, suspension
• wrote famous book codifying choreography

Jose Limon (1908-1972)

• student of Humphrey-Weidman
• powerful power
• mexican-american influence
• developed the Limon technique (based on the "fall and recovery")
• one of the most influential male modern dancers & choreographes of 20th century

Rudolf Van Laban (1879-1958) 

• "father of German dance"

*germany had a major frce in modern dance

Labanotation

• system of dance notation
• vertical staff (opposite of musical staff)

Effort Shape

• a system of movement analysis

-four elements: space, weight, time, flow

-heavy/light, fast/slow, direct/indirect

Mary Wigman (1886-1973)

• student of laban/german dancer/ choreographer
• started school in Germany

Expressianistic

Absolute Dance Theory

• dance exitsts independent of music with emphasis on dance
• music-percussion intruments for music
• dance not dependent on literary (interpretive content)

Hanya Holm (1898-1992)

• student of Mary Wigman
• established a Wigman school in US
• combined Wigman's theories with her own
• moved into musical theater, became broadway choreographer

Katherine Dunham (1912-2006)

• researcher, scholar, anthropologist
• produced 1st black dance concert (negro rhapsody)
• combined native and caribbean and modern dance
• appeared in many musical  theater productions and movie musicals

Lester Horton (1906-1953)

• west coast dancer/choreographer
• focus/inspiration: native american indian culture
• developed the "Horton technique" (emphasis: strong torso, flat back, lateral movement. linear symmetrical and asymmetrical use of arm/legs.)

Alvin Alley (1931-1990)

• student of Lester Horton
• dancer/choreographer
• established school/company
• concern in making dances that were accessible to the public
• combined modern dance, jazz and world dance to create unique style

Dance Theater

• form of dance covering broad spectrum of creations
• infusing dramatic actions into performances

Butch

• Japanese dance-theater form "dark soul dancing" "dance of utter darknest"
• slow sustained movement
• white makeup/shaven heads
• presents painful images of devastation preceived to be in world around them

Sankai Juku (1975)

Kabuki

• japanese dance form
• combines dance, drama, music
• employs very stylized movement, quicker and more acrobatic then predecessors
• spectatular presentation
• elaborated scenery, costumes makeup

Africa

• barefoot, often flat footed, favors gliding, dragging or shuffling steps
• frequently performed from crouch kneww flexed, body bent at waist
• imitates animals
• emphasize hip movements
• performs to propulice rhythm (percession/drums)

Jazz

• rooted back from africa
• syncopated rhythms and varying dynamics
• uses pile`

Tap Dance

• the blend of irish jig and english clog with negro shuffle
• syncoapted rhythms
• vocabulary with prescribed steps but mostly improvisational
• different styles: hoofers, class acts

Musical Theater Dance

• enhances storyline
• sequences can stand alone as artistic works
• strong relationship: script, music, lyrics, and dance

Bill Bojangles Robinson

• greatest tap dancer
• in shirly temple
• graceful, delicate style perfected over 60 year career

Nicholas Brothers

Fayard & Harold

• tap dancing act flash act
• incorporat3e athletic fleats

Fred Astaire

• most popular dance group
• graceful, elegant
• combined tap, ballroom, and ballet

Gene Kelly

• combines tap, ballroom, and ballet
• physical and acroatic
• singing in the rain

Bon Fosse

• jazz choreographer
• vocabulary: angular shape, hip isolations, turned legs
• choreographed chicago