BRITISH POST MODERN DANCE

Features of British Post Modern Dance of The Seventies And Eighties That Can Be Shown To Have Been Significantly Influenced By Judson Dance Theatre

Features of British Post Modern Dance of the Seventies and Eighties That Can Be Shown To Have Been Significantly Influenced By Judson Dance Theatre

Introduction

Expressionist contemporary dance derived from the model of Martha Graham in the mid-1960s. Model ordered the concepts that the dance was mainly through the phenotype, and was first founded alternative to the ballet in Britain. One of the main turning points was the transformation of Ballet Rambert from a classical to contemporary dance company in 1966. The founding of the London School of Contemporary Dance (LSCD) in 1966 and London Contemporary Dance Theatre (1967) followed this. In some respects, these events created a movement: for the first time, contemporary dance had a professionalism that stood parallel to ballet, which allowed public and critical recognition of a new genre of dance. This importance in the history of dance in Britain cannot be overstated. (Carroll, 2002, pp65-85)

Postmodern dance was an American dance movement during the 1960s and 1970s. Like other cultural phenomenon of the time, it was a rebellion against traditional ideas and assumptions. Postmodernists questioned the established parameters of dance and pushed dance and art to new levels. The movement was short-lived, but it planted the seeds for new genres in dance and performance art. The postmodern dance movement grew out of the modern dance movement, which began in the early 20th century in America. By the 1950s, dancers began to move past the rigid formality and traditions of genres like ballet and modernism and develop new styles. The most famous of these pioneers was probably Anna Halprin, who based her choreography on real experiences, not classical works. Her group, the Dancers Workshop, usually avoided traditional technique and often performed outdoors instead of on a conventional stage. Another modern dance pioneer, Robert Dunn, believed that the process of art was more significant than the end product. Merce Cunningham experimented with the relationship between dance and music and created choreography that was unrelated to the music it was accompanied by. (Carroll, 2003, pp 95- 6)

Discussion

Expressionist American and Central European modern dance forms had reached Britain not long after their first creation. Britain changed the term 'modern dance' to 'contemporary dance' in the mid-1960s to establish a new movement amongst the British dance scene. Many teachers of modern dance had already established a base for themselves in Britain such as Kurt Jooss, who based his company in Britain from 1934 to 1947. (David, 1983,pp 138) By the 1960s there were many small modern dance companies operating in Britain however, the founding of a professional representation by the LSCD prompted many artists to question the aesthetics of the art form and create a counter movement, which was to become contemporary dance. In 1960, Martha Graham's aesthetics were already called into question in America, his predecessor, such as Merce Cunningham, who is no longer thought about the ...