NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Dance of the United States

Closely related to the development of American music in the early 20th century was the emergence of a new, and distinctively American, art form -- modern dance. Among the early innovators was Isadora Duncan (1878-1927), who stressed pure, unstructured movement in lieu of the positions of classical ballet. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... A contemporary dancer rehearsing in a dance studio Dance (from Old French dance, further history unknown) generally refers to human movement either used as a form of expression (see also body language) or presented in a social, spiritual or performance setting. ... photo by Arnold Genthe Isadora Duncan (May 27, 1878 - September 14, 1927) was an American dancer. ... 1878 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1927 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The main line of development, however, runs from the dance company of Ruth St. Denis (1878-1968) and her husband-partner, Ted Shawn (1891-1972). Her pupil Doris Humphrey (1895-1958) looked outward for inspiration, to society and human conflict. Another pupil of St. Denis, Martha Graham (1893-1991), whose New York-based company became perhaps the best known in modern dance, sought to express an inward-based passion. Many of Graham's most popular works were produced in collaboration with leading American composers -- "Appalachian Spring" with Aaron Copland, for example. Ruth St. ... 1878 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Ted Shawn (1891 to 1972) Founder of Modern dance in America. ... 1891 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... Doris Batcheller Humphrey (October 17, 1895 - December 29, 1958) was a famous dancer of the early twentieth century. ... 1895 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Martha Graham and Bertram Ross in Visionary Recital, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1961 Martha Graham (May 11, 1894 â€“ April 1, 1991), an American dancer and choreographer, is recognized as one of the foremost innovators in modern dance. ... 1893 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the United States, and is at the center of international finance, politics, entertainment, and culture. ... Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (November 14, 1900â€“December 2, 1990) was an American composer of modern tonal music as well as film music. ...

Later choreographers searched for new methods of dance composition. Merce Cunningham (1919- ) introduced chance procedures and composition by field. Alvin Ailey (1931-1989) incorporated African dance elements and black music into his works. Recently such choreographers as Mark Morris (1956- ) and Liz Lerman (1947-) have defied the convention that dancers must be thin and young. Their belief, put into action in their hiring practices and performances, is that graceful, exciting movement is not restricted by age or body type. Merce Cunningham is a choreographer born April 19, 1919, Centralia (Washington, United States). ... Alvin Ailey, Jr. ... 1931 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Africa is the worlds second-largest continent and second most populous. ... Mark Morris Mark Morris (born: August 29, 1956) is an American modern dancer and choreographer whose work is acclaimed for its craftsmanship, ingenuity, humor, and at times eclectic musical accompaniments. ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In the early 20th century U.S. audiences also were introduced to classical ballet by touring companies of European dancers. The first American ballet troupes were founded in the 1930s, when dancers and choreographers teamed up with visionary lovers of ballet such as Lincoln Kirstein (1907-1996). Kirstein invited Russian choreographer George Balanchine (1904-1983) to the United States in 1933, and the two established the School of American Ballet, which became the New York City Ballet in 1948. Ballet manager and publicity agent Richard Pleasant (1909-1961) founded America's second leading ballet organization, American Ballet Theatre, with dancer and patron Lucia Chase (1907-1986) in 1940. The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... // Events and trends The 1930s were spent struggling for a solution to the global depression. ... Lincoln Kirstein ( 1906- 1996) was an American choreographer, art connoisseur, and cultural figure in New York City, famous less for his own artistic achievement than for his generally positive social influence. ... 1907 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... George Balanchine (January 9 (O.S.) = January 22 (N.S.), 1904â€“April 30, 1983) was one of the 20th centurys foremost choreographers, and one of the founders of American ballet. ... 1904 is a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1983 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York City Ballet is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. ... 1909 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1961 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The American Ballet Theatre is one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century, and a leading company in America. ... 1907 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Paradoxically, native-born directors like Pleasant included Russian classics in their repertoires, while Balanchine announced that his new American company was predicated on distinguished music and new works in the classical idiom, not the standard repertory of the past. Since then, the American ballet scene has been a mix of classic revivals and original works, choreographed by such talented former dancers as Jerome Robbins (1918- ), Robert Joffrey (1930-1988), Eliot Feld (1942- ), Arthur Mitchell (1934- ), and Mikhail Baryshnikov (1948- ). Jerome Robbins (October 11, 1918–July 29, 1998) was an American choreographer whose work has included everything from classical ballet to contemporary musical theater. ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Robert Joffrey (Dec 24, 1930 - March 25, 1988) was a ballet dancer, director and choreographer. ... 1930 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Notable persons named Arthur Mitchell include: Arthur W. Mitchell, the first African-American elected to the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party Arthur Mitchell, the first African-American man to be a member of a major ballet company. ... 1934 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Mikhail Nikolaevitch Baryshnikov (in Russian ÐœÐ¸Ñ…Ð°Ð¸Ð» ÐÐ¸ÐºÐ¾Ð»Ð°ÐµÐ²Ð¸Ñ‡ Ð‘Ð°Ñ€Ñ‹ÑˆÐ½Ð¸ÐºÐ¾Ð²) (born January 28, 1948) is a famous Russian-American dancer and actor. ... 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Other American dancers of note include Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Gregory Hines and Savion Glover. Bill Bojangles Robinson (May 25, 1878 â€“ November 25, 1949) was a pioneer and pre-eminent African-American tap dance performer. ... Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (May 10, 1899 â€“ June 22, 1987), born Frederick Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska, was an American film and Broadway ballroom dancer and actor. ... Ginger Rogers (1911â€“1995) Ginger Rogers, (July 16, 1911 - April 25, 1995), was a legendary American actress and dancer. ... Gene Kelly (1912-1996) Eugene Curran Kelly Born in Pittsburgh on August 23, 1912, died February 2, 1996 in Beverly Hills, California) was an Irish-American dancer, actor, singer, director, and choreographer. ... Donald Danny OConnor (August 28, 1925 - September 27, 2003) was a singer, dancer and actor who came to fame in a series of movies in which he co-starred with Francis, the talking mule. ... Gregory Oliver Hines (February 14, 1946 - August 9, 2003) was an American actor, singer, and dancer, regarded by many as the greatest tap dancer of his generation, and one who transcended the stage. ... Savion Glover. ...

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