do this in order to give some contextualisation to the style of dance that is now known as dance theatre, within which my own choreography practice is situated. Contemporary dance has, from its inception, gone through different periods of moving away from, and going back to, incorporating narrative as one of the premises from which to create choreography. Between the late 19th Century and the 1930s, those regarded as the forerunners of contemporary dance moved away from traditions of romantic ballet narratives that often portrayed women as and “passive Theatre, 2016). Forerunners, such as Isadora Duncan, fragile” (Pittsburgh Ballet sought to use dance to tackle and express more such as nature, “lofty ideas” individual will and evolution (Jowitt, 1999, p.3). Duncan was influenced by philosophers such as Nietzsche and Rousseau, (Morrison Brown, 1979, p.7; Carter and 2010, p.10). Loie Fuller worked with light and fabric (Morrison Brown, O’Shea, p.13) to create images of ethereality and transformation and Mary Wigman saw dance as a possibility to express the being (Jowitt,1999, p.20; Climenhaga, dancer’s 2009, p.5; Morrison Brown, p.37) by creating work of any literary, “independent (Morrison Brown, p.35). interpretative content” Later choreographers commonly referred to as the pioneers of modern dance, working approximately from the 1930s to the 1950s (Morrison Brown, 1979; Banes, 1998), focussed on narrative based p.4) with “thematic concerns” (Banes, choreographers such as Martha Graham producing what Jowitt describes as “great dance (1999, p. 5). Another shift in the 1950s, saw contemporary dance dramas” change from an expression of the condition to the presentation of movement “human for its own (Morrison Brown, 1979, p.87). Merce Cunningham exemplified this sake” notion and rejected the idea of choreography with (p.89). “expressive content” Cunningham was concerned with dance for its own sake and had no interest in the
do this in order to give some contextualisation to the style of dance that is now known as dance theatre, within which my own choreography practice is situated. Contemporary dance has, from its inception, gone through different periods of moving away from, and going back to, incorporating narrative as one of the premises from which to create choreography. Between the late 19th Century and the 1930s, those regarded as the forerunners of contemporary dance moved away from traditions of romantic ballet narratives that often portrayed women as “passive and fragile” (Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, 2016). Forerunners, such as Isadora Duncan, sought to use dance to tackle and express more “lofty ideas” such as nature, individual will and evolution (Jowitt, 1999, p.3). Duncan was influenced by philosophers such as Nietzsche and Rousseau, (Morrison Brown, 1979, p.7; Carter and O’Shea, 2010, p.10). Loie Fuller worked with light and fabric (Morrison Brown, p.13) to create images of ethereality and transformation and Mary Wigman saw dance as a possibility to express the dancer’s being (Jowitt,1999, p.20; Climenhaga, 2009, p.5; Morrison Brown, p.37) by creating work “independent of any literary, interpretative content” (Morrison Brown, p.35). Later choreographers commonly referred to as the pioneers of modern dance, working approximately from the 1930s to the 1950s (Morrison Brown, 1979; Banes, 1998), focussed on narrative based “thematic concerns” (Banes, p.4) with choreographers such as Martha Graham producing what Jowitt describes as “great dance dramas” (1999, p. 5). Another shift in the 1950s, saw contemporary dance change from an expression of the “human condition to the presentation of movement for its own sake” (Morrison Brown, 1979, p.87). Merce Cunningham exemplified this notion and rejected the idea of choreography with “expressive content” (p.89). Cunningham was concerned with dance for its own sake and had no interest in the