A studio course in modern dance technique for intermediate students. This course will consist of four units focusing on prominent movement innovators of the 20th century: Katherine Dunham, Martha Graham, Lester Horton, and José Limón, taught by experts in their respective dance techniques — Marcea Daiter on Dunham, Denise Vale on Graham, Ana Marie Forsythe on Horton, and Risa Steinberg on Limón. The relevance and impact of these techniques will be underscored by examining and practicing Contemporary Dance to understand the influence of these pioneering movement systems on 21st century dancing artists. Readings and viewings of performances will further enhance students’ knowledge of the major trends in 20th century modern dance.
Contact instructor Tina Fehlandt — fehlandt@princeton.edu — with any questions about this course.
Guest Instructors:
Risa Steinberg — teaching the technique of José Limón. As a solo artist, teacher, rehearsal coach, and former principal dancer with the José Limón Dance Company, Risa has toured the world performing and teaching extensively. As a reconstructor of the works of Limón, she has worked with companies and dancers around the world including Nureyev and Friends, Frank Augustyn, Karen Kain, and the Pennsylvania Ballet. Risa, one of the last dancers trained by Jose himself, is a current faculty member at Juilliard.
Denise Vale — teaching the technique of Martha Graham. As rehearsal director for the Martha Graham Dance Company for the past five years, Denise handles the coaching and exercising of the dancers. She was one of the last dancers to work directly with Martha Graham.
Marcea Daiter — teaching the technique of Katherine Dunham. Marcea is a Research Consultant, Choreographer, Performing Artist, NYS Licensed Dance Educator, Certified Dunham Technique Instructor, Pilates Mat Trainer, a Teacher of the Zena Rommett Floor-Barre®, Capoerista, and Artistic Director of Kaleidoscope of Kultures Dance Theater.
Ana Marie Forsythe — teaching the technique of Lester Horton. Ana Marie began teaching the Horton technique in the 1960s and has devoted more than twenty years to documenting the Lester Horton technique. She is an internationally-recognized master teacher of the technique and has been invited to teach in more than a dozen countries. In preservation of the Horton technique, she co-authored The Dance Technique of Lester Horton, and was artistic director of three Horton videos documenting this important modern dance technique. She is the head of the Horton Program at the Ailey School.
Sample reading list:
Nancy Reynolds and Malcom McCormick, No Fixed Points in Space: Dance in the 20th Century
Marion Horosko, Martha Graham: The Evolution of her Theory and Training
June Dunbar, Jose Limon: The Artist Re-Viewed
Joshua Legg, Introduction to Modern Dance Techniques
Elizabeth Chin, Katherine Dunham: Recovering An Anthropological Legacy
Bradley B. Shelver, Performance Through the Dance Technique of Lester Horton
Reading/Writing assignments:
3-4 papers on development of Modern Dance in the 20th century
Prerequisites and Restrictions:
Must have taken DAN219, DAN220, DAN307, DAN319, DAN320, DAN408, DAN419, DAN420, DAN431, DAN432 or equivalent dance experience. Email instructor with questions (Fehlandt@princeton.edu). Recommended for dance certificate students.
