Year 9 Dance · Responding — Analyse and Evaluate · 10m read

Dance History — From Ballet to Modern Dance

From royal courts to rebellious modern pioneers, dance history explains why dance looks the way it does today.

Learning objective: Trace key developments in Western theatrical dance.

By the end of this lesson you can:

• I can describe Romantic and classical ballet.
• I can explain the rise of modern dance.
• I can identify key figures.

Dance history is a family tree. Ballet is the grandparent; modern dance is the rebellious child who left home; contemporary dance is the grandchild mixing everything. Each generation reacted to the one before.

How dance evolved

BALLET:
• Origins in Renaissance Italian and French courts; Louis XIV founded the Royal Academy of Dance (1661).
• Romantic ballet (1830s–40s) — "Giselle", pointe work, the supernatural.
• Classical ballet (late 1800s) — "Swan Lake", "The Nutcracker" (Petipa, Tchaikovsky).

MODERN DANCE (early 1900s):
• Rebellion against ballet's rules: Isadora Duncan (natural movement, bare feet), Martha Graham.

POSTMODERN AND CONTEMPORARY:
• Cunningham, Judson Dance Theater, everyday movement.

| Era | Development | Key figures |
|---|---|---|
| 1600s | Ballet at French court | Louis XIV |
| 1800s | Romantic and classical ballet | Marius Petipa (*Swan Lake*) |
| Early 1900s | Ballets Russes; early modern dance | Diaghilev, Nijinsky, Isadora Duncan |
| 1930s–50s | Modern dance techniques | Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey |
| 1960s–70s | Postmodern dance | Merce Cunningham, Trisha Brown |
| 1980s– | Contemporary and dance theatre | Pina Bausch |

Key ideas at a glance

• Each era reacted to the last: Rebellion drives change.
• Know key figures: Names and contributions.
• Link to society: Changing values shaped dance.
• See the influence today: Echoes in current work.

Worked example (Medium)

Why did modern dance emerge?

1. Ballet. Strict rules and fairy-tale stories.
2. Modern. Wanted natural movement and personal and social expression.

Answer: As a rebellion seeking freer, more expressive movement.

Worked example (Medium)

Explain why Isadora Duncan rebelled against ballet.

1. Ballet. Corsets, pointe shoes, strict rules.
2. Duncan. Barefoot, loose tunics, natural movement.
3. Why. Wanted dance to express the soul freely.

Answer: She rejected ballet's restrictions for natural, expressive movement.

Common mistakes

• Assuming ballet never changed Ballet evolved through periods. Fix: Distinguish Romantic and classical.
• Thinking modern means "recent" Modern dance is early-mid 20th century. Fix: Distinguish modern, postmodern and contemporary.

The Rite of Spring riot

In 1913, the Ballets Russes premiered *The Rite of Spring* in Paris with music by Stravinsky and choreography by Nijinsky. The pounding rhythms and turned-in, stamping movements shocked the audience.

Reports describe shouting and scuffles in the theatre. Today it's seen as a turning point for modern art and dance.

Practice questions

1. Isadora Duncan is known for:

   1. Pointe shoes
   2. Barefoot natural movement
   3. Hip hop
   4. Tap

   (1 marks)

2. Name a classical ballet.

   (2 marks)

3. Ballet developed at the court of:

   1. Louis XIV
   2. Henry VIII
   3. Napoleon
   4. Queen Victoria

   (1 marks)

4. Who danced barefoot in loose tunics, rejecting ballet?

   1. Isadora Duncan
   2. Marius Petipa
   3. Anna Pavlova
   4. Louis XIV

   (1 marks)

5. Explain how modern dance differed from classical ballet.

   (2 marks)

Summary

• Ballet from court to classical.
• Modern dance rebelled.
• Postmodern and contemporary.
• Dance evolved through rebellion and innovation.