What is Modern Dance?

Modern Dance is an evolution from Classical Ballet. It breaks the rules of Classical Ballet and creates new ones of its own. It therefore has fewer restrictions, and can be seen as a fusion of many dances.
http://www.danceclass.com/modern-dance.html

The beginnings of modern dance in the United States (Germany also had a related and influential dance movement) are traced to the early 20th century to a group of dancers often labeled the forerunners of modern dance. Isadora Duncan, Loie Fuller, Ruth St. Dennis, and her husband and partner Ted Shawn, each made significant contributions to a new type of concert dance in America. Their dance reflected and challenged the art, philosophy, and issues of their time, explored the cultures of other places and times, made new advances in theatrical lighting and spectacle, and discarded the costumes and artificiality of ballet. They were exploring and expressing themselves in a way that had never been seen before, and they were guiding others to do the same.

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From this small family tree, emerged another generation of dancers. This group, considered the founders of modern dance, broke whatever rules had been laid down by their predecessors. Instead of borrowing movement from other cultures, they created movement based on the experiences of their own era. They were interested in presenting the inner self and all of it’s complex emotions on the concert stage. These founders, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, and Lester Horton, among others, also created their own techniques which they taught in independent dance schools and universities. Their work established modern dance as a legitimate art form.

Modern dance, although defined in many dictionaries as “a form of contemporary theatrical and concert dance employing a special technique for developing the use of the entire body in movements expressive of abstract ideas,” is a label that has begun to feel outdated for describing works created in the 21st century. The term has recently been dedicated more to the techniques (both the structured styles like Graham, Limon, or Horton and the less codified systems) that are studied by contemporary dancers than works currently performed on the concert stage. To understand Modern Dance, therefore, it is a good idea to become familiar with these techniques as well as with its history and its role in the development of the constantly transforming art form of contemporary dance, which is not a technique but a collection of principles regarding movement and the choreographic/performance process which are closely related to the goals of the original modern dancers and their techniques.

http://danceadvantage.net/2008/06/18/what-is-modern-dance/

Contemporary Giselle - Themes

Putting the 4 main themes of the Contemporary Giselle into context;


The four main themes of the Contemporary Giselle are Control,, love, mental health and treatment of woment.

1. Control -   This theme is shown  by the social link between men and women in 1982.   This is shown in the movement by the villagers; the men are swinging the women around on their stick. The men are the ones holding the sticks over the women which shows they have more power.
2. Love - Love is showing in Giselle by her character being very flirty towards Lloys. They constantly hug and play with each other. At one point they pretend that they have a baby (using a cushion), they stroke each other, they each have their shy moments and then carry on flirting. She runs at him and both hold their arms wide open and hug.
3. Mental Health - Mental health has gone from been great and one of the best systems where the patients got treated to the best of the doctors ability to then get treated badly where no one really cared.
4. Treatment of women - Women got treated very different in the 1982 to what they do now a days which is why Mats Ek decided to use this in his choreography. You can see in the production of Giselle the treatment of women in the section when they women villagers come on set rolling eggs. This shows that the women's job is to be at home looking after their children and the house - cooking and cleaning. The men then come over the women as they are sat on their eggs and they doing an arching arm movement carrying their sticks over their right shoulder. This suggests that they are arching over the women and men are the most important.

Modern Dance

What Is Modern Dance?

By Treva Bedinghaus, About.com Guide

Born in the early 20th century, modern dance is a dance style that centers on a dancer's own interpretations instead of structured steps, as in traditional ballet dancing. Modern dancers reject the limitations of classical ballet and favor movements derived from the expression of their inner feelings. During the 1900's, European dancers began rebelling against the rigid rules of classical ballet. Turning against the structured techniques, costumes and shoes of ballet, these dancers favaored a more relaxed, free style of dancing. Modern dance pioneers often danced in bare feet and revealing costumes. In the United States, several dance pioneers paved the way for American modern dance, including the legendary Martha Graham.
Modern dance encourages dancers to use their emotions and moods to design their own steps and routines. It is not unusual for modern dancers to invent new steps for their routines, instead of following a structured code of technique, as in ballet.
Another characteristic of modern dance in opposition to ballet is the deliberate use of gravity. Whereas classical ballet dancers strive to be light and airy on their feet, modern dancers often use their body weight to enhance movement. A modern dancer rejects the classical ballet stance of an upright, erect body, often opting instead for deliberate falls to the floor.

Martha Graham:

Martha Graham is considered one of the foremost pioneers of American modern dance. In order to express the passion, rage and ecstasy of humans, she developed her very own language of movement. She created a new dance technique similar to classical ballet, but with several differences. She focused heavily on basic human movement, concentrating on the movements of contraction and release. Instead of striving for long, fluid movements, Graham's movements were sharp and jagged. Her dancing aimed to expose basic human emotions through movement. Graham's brave vision for modern dance earned her several awards and honors.

Costumes used in the production

Albrecht dressed up as Loys - he is wearing white so he stands out. I know that you can't wear white to go to work which implies he doesn't do much work.
You can see and tell who the royals are because of what they are wearing - white costumes - pure, clean.
Black costume - in mourning
Head Banage - maybe showing surgery

Taking coat off - means business and it shows he is staying and not going. Giselle is undressing Albrecht which suggests the relationship is becoming more sexual.

Main themes of the production!

The main theses within the production are:

- Control
- Love
- Mental health
- Treatment of women

The style of the productions and the movement used within Mats Ek's Giselle.

Mats Ek used things that he learnt in his life time/past.
Lots of ballet is used in the piece however movements that aren't ballet are also used - eg Giselle is dancing in the dark, rolling and kicking on the floor and she is twisitng on the floor. All of the movement that is used implies something. Giselle is running around the stage which implies she is free and doesn't have a care in the world.
The farmers and marching in unison. Men pull women around which shoes the men are in control. Albrecht and Hillarion's movement is in the air - very high.

The Social, Political and Historical contect that influenced Mats Ek in making his production

In the 1950's in Sweden it was an odd place, stuck between 2 great countires who threatened each other.
Capitalism - An individual has rights and can make the best of themselves.
Communism - Equalling out the classes of people.

Sweden made it clear it was neutral but had to become military to protect itself.
In the 1960's people in Sweden were encouraged to be detectives and look out for war in their own country. The Swedish welfare states were created (people who were less well off were supported) The country was finacilally well off.

1980's - Giselle was choreographed. The health care systel (IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF THE THEMEMS OF MENTAL HEALTH EK USED IN HIS GISELLE)
The health care in Sweden changed, moved on from being focused on the patient and their quality of care and equality to. This made people with mental health feel unsupported. It had changed in the way patients felt - they felt unsupported and negative.