Modern Dance I-IV

Fall Semester

Students will understand why modern dance emerged as a rebellion against ballet.

Students will examine social and cultural influences of the early 20th century. 

Students will explore foundational techniques including contraction and release, fall and recovery, breath, and grounded movement. 

Students will analyze the contributions of Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, Ruth St. Denis, and Ted Shawn.

Students will develop technical proficiency in contraction and release, spirals and torso articulation, floor work transitions, and across-the-floor combinations.

Students will explore improvisation as a form of emotional communication. 

Students will choreograph a short expressive movement study that demonstrates control, dynamics, and artistic intent.

Students will participate in a focused improvisation lab designed to strengthen spontaneity, risk-taking, and movement exploration. 

Students will respond to prompts using the elements of dance (body, space, time, energy) and demonstrate beginning skills in motif development. 

Students will reflect on how improvisation informs choreographic decision-making.

Students will refine choreography through rehearsal and revision.

Students will demonstrate performance quality including projection, focus, clarity, and expressive intent.

Students will understand stage directions, spacing, formations, and transitions.

Students will apply constructive feedback to improve technical execution and artistry.

Students will demonstrate responsibility, collaboration, and professionalism in rehearsal settings..

Students will reflect on personal growth in technique, creativity, and performance.

Students will evaluate their understanding of Modern dance as an art form.

Students will articulate how Modern dance can communicate meaning and emotion.

Students will participate in a final Modern dance showcase demonstrating skills learned throughout the semester.

(1A–C) Foundations – Alignment, body awareness, safe dance practices

(3A–B) Historical & Cultural Relevance

(4B) Dance vocabulary and critique

(1D–F) Demonstrate expressive qualities and coordination

(2A–B) Create and perform original movement

(4A) Reflect on personal performance

(2B) Develop movement studies through improvisation

(1F) Demonstrate expressive performance qualities

(4A) Reflect on creative growth

(2C) Perform dance phrases with expression and technical accuracy.

(2D) Present choreographed works for an audience.

(4B) Analyze performance effectiveness.

(4C) Apply feedback to improve performance quality.

(4A) Reflect on and evaluate artistic growth.

(4B) Analyze strengths and areas for improvement.

(2D) Perform with expressive intent and confidence.

(3A) Connect dance to cultural and historical relevance.

Spring Semester

Students will understand and analyze how modern dance evolved as a reaction to ballet and became a global art form.

Students will identify major modern dance pioneers and companies and their influence on concert dance.

Students will understand how modern dance reflects social issues, cultural identity, and artistic freedom.

Students will analyze the role of media, universities, and professional companies in shaping modern dance today.

Students will evaluate the positive and negative impacts of commercialization in the dance world.

Students will demonstrate proper alignment, breath control, and core engagement in modern technique.

Students will execute contraction and release, fall and recovery, spirals, and floor work safely and effectively.

Students will understand how strength, flexibility, and conditioning improve modern dance performance.

Students will apply movement qualities such as sustained, percussive, suspended, and vibratory.

Students will demonstrate increased body awareness and control through center and across-the-floor progressions.

Students will explore improvisation as a tool for generating movement.

Students will understand and apply choreographic devices such as canon, retrograde, repetition, accumulation, and motif development.

Students will create a structured modern dance phrase demonstrating use of levels, pathways, dynamics, and expressive intent.

Students will understand how theme, emotion, and social ideas can be communicated through movement.

Students will give and receive constructive peer feedback using appropriate dance vocabulary.

Students will refine choreography through rehearsal and revision.

Students will demonstrate performance quality including projection, focus, clarity, and expressive intent.

Students will understand stage directions, spacing, formations, and transitions.

Students will apply constructive feedback to improve technical execution and artistry.

Students will demonstrate responsibility, collaboration, and professionalism in rehearsal settings.

Students will reflect on personal growth in technique, creativity, and performance.

Students will evaluate their understanding of modern dance as an art form.

Students will articulate how modern dance can communicate meaning and emotion.

Students will participate in a final modern dance showcase demonstrating skills learned throughout the semester.

(1A) Demonstrate knowledge of dance terminology and elements.

(3A) Analyze characteristics of dance genres and historical development.

(3B) Examine dance in its cultural and historical contexts.

(4A) Evaluate dance using critical thinking and appropriate vocabulary.

(4C) Respond to dance performances with informed judgment.

(1B) Demonstrate safe dance practices including warm-up and conditioning.

(1C) Demonstrate anatomical awareness and body alignment.

(2B) Develop and refine technical dance skills.

(2C) Perform movement sequences with accuracy and expression.

(4B) Analyze personal performance strengths and areas for growth.

(2A) Generate movement through improvisation and exploration.

(2B) Develop and refine choreography using compositional principles.

(2D) Perform original dance works for an audience.

(3B) Demonstrate understanding of cultural influences in choreography.

(4C) Provide constructive peer feedback using dance terminology.

(2C) Perform dance phrases with expression and technical accuracy.

(2D) Present choreographed works for an audience.

(4B) Analyze performance effectiveness.

(4C) Apply feedback to improve performance quality.

4A) Reflect on and evaluate artistic growth.

(4B) Analyze strengths and areas for improvement.

(2D) Perform with expressive intent and confidence.

(3A) Connect dance to cultural and historical relevance.