Looking back into the past.

I remember learning Graham walks in my modern dance class, but it was not the step that left an impression on me, it was the story behind the step that I learned, remembered and wondered about. We don't often pause to think about the steps we learn and the fact that somebody, somewhere, once upon a time had the inspiration to dance a new step.

Many years later I find myself wondering about the origins of dance techniques again. Although this time I was in a stretching and strengthening class and I thought, "hey, isn't this exercise from Horton technique? or is it an adaptation? And does the guy teaching the class even know about the Lester Horton technique?".

If you're a ballet dancer, you probably don't even know who Martha Graham or Lester Horton are. Or maybe you do, because with the need to keep ballet fresh and exciting for the younger generation dancers we find classical ballet blending more and more with contemporary dance and these days going to watch a new ballet by the San Fransisco Ballet or the Royal Ballet companies one can't always be sure whether to expect the traditional classical ballet or a more contemporary ballet. So what do the Alvin Ailey American Dance company perform anyway? In my novice opinion their dancers have better classical technique than our own South African Ballet Theatre dancers. In truth the differentiation between dance forms and techniques is no longer as simple as whether or not the dancer is wearing point shoes or not. Todays modern dancers are expected to be trained in ballet and likewise our classical dancers are expected to be trained in modern and contemporary dance... and well, dancers being dancers, they'll all probably throw in a bit of Hip Hop and Salsa too - just for the fun of it.

On this note, in my next few posts I would like to share with you some of what I have learnt and read about a few of the pioneers of modern dance that have influenced my life and whether you as a dancer or dance appreciator know it, have probably influenced your life in some small way.

The photo above was taken by Rosalie O'Connor of the work "Barbara" performed by the ABTII. The picture comes from the review by Susan Reiter on the Dance View Times website.