Modern Dance - A Brief History

When someone says "modern dance," the image thatwomen, a group of dancers went out to show that
most often comes to mind is a dancer dressed inother forms of movement could be as graceful and
black spandex rolling around the floor. Thoughbeautiful as traditional forms of ballet, without the
dancers do use alternative costuming and oftenconstraints of such baroque styles.
dance barefoot, the style is much more than artsyMany similar forms of expressive dance came before
people expressing themselves in strange ways.what we know today. Free dance and a style based
Perfected in the early 20th century, modern danceon the philosophies of Nietzsche paved the way for
was developed as a direct response to the rigidthe likes of Alvin Ailey, possibly the most famous
structure of ballet. Led by German and Americanchoreographer of our time.