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Bring on the Bare Feet
By Nancy
Wozny
Modern dance makes a mark in private studios
Modern dance began
in the United States and Germany at the beginning of the 20th
century, but it has taken its own sweet time to make it onto
the “ballet, tap, jazz” list in neighborhood studios. It’s
still not a
commonplace class offering, but some school owners, like Lisa
Simko Schumann and Diane Giattino, have dared to be different.
Instead of sneaking in modern dance under a lyrical or
contemporary heading, they offer strong programs that have
clear ties to specific techniques such as those of Martha
Graham and José Limón.
Schumann, owner of
Dance Expression Dance Arts in Hamburg, NJ, for 20 years,
values well-rounded training and it shows in her modern
program. When Virginia Kennedy walked in the door with an idea
to teach modern and start a company, Schumann felt an
immediate connection. “Although our dance backgrounds are
different,” says the school owner, who trained primarily in
jazz and musical theater, “we share the same values.”
Kennedy, who trained
with May O’Donnell and Ruth Currier and performed with Carolyn
Dorfman Dance Company, a leading New Jersey troupe, has
watched the program she launched blossom over the past 15
years. “The idea that every single [person] can move from
inside themselves with the genuine spirit and experience of
being human inspired our program at Dance Expression,” says
Kennedy, speaking passionately about the roots of modern
dance. “Modern dance, and the historical premise which
motivated it, approaches technique differently.” She
emphasizes that modern dance accommodates all body types and
sizes and movement qualities.
One former student
who benefited from the modern training at Dance Expression is
Tara Madsen, a Philadelphia-based professional performer,
choreographer, and educator. She found that her exposure to
modern dance was a definite plus at Slippery Rock University,
where she earned a BA in dance, and at Smith College, where
she completed an MFA in performance and choreography. “I
realize what a powerful impact this early training had on my
overall experience in the arts. Miss Virginia and Miss Lisa
were always so passionate about delivering the technical and
historical concepts in each class,” says Madsen. “As a young
dancer, I embodied a deep appreciation for modern dance.”
When Schumann
initiated her modern program, the competition circuit was in
its infancy. “We were one of the first to show true modern
pieces at regional competitions in the early 1990s,” says
Schumann. “We did not have fouetté turns or switch leaps.
Instead we showed pieces demonstrating Limón and Graham
technique. We didn’t have a lot of judges who understood the
vocabulary of modern dance.” Finding competition judges who
have the appropriate training to critique modern dance remains
an ongoing obstacle, but according to Schumann, the situation
is improving.
The 35-member Dance
Expression competition team, which competes regionally in the
modern category, is required to take two modern classes per
week. Schumann likes to remind her performing team (also her
competition team) that competing is about getting performance
opportunities, not trophies. She believes that modern-dance
training gives her students a depth that she does not see in
other young dancers. “I think that what modern gives our
dancers is a respect for themselves and other performers, and
a kind of earthiness,” she says. “There’s more of a connection
from inside to what they do outside. That’s why modern dance
started; it took ballet out of the courts and brought dance
back down to earth.”
Dance Expression
offers eight modern-dance classes each week, and children can
begin training as young as age 7. Of the school’s 240 students
(ages 2 through adult), 45 take the modern classes.
It’s not unusual to have some students study only modern dance
while others mix it up. “Often people see the modern piece in
our show and want to do [it,] whatever it’s called,” says
Schumann. Her biggest problem is getting her kids to put their
shoes back on for ballet and jazz classes. “I have to confess
I too got hooked on taking a ballet barre with bare feet,” she
says. “It feels so good.”
Running the program
now is lead teacher Ellen McGovern, one of Kennedy’s early
students. She continues her modern training at the Martha
Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York City,
combining classes there with jazz and hip-hop classes at
Broadway Dance Center. McGovern was deeply influenced by
Kennedy’s approach. “She taught us that we are artists first
and foremost,” she says. “I remember her telling us to compare
ourselves to a painting to help get the concept across.”
Slipping in key
points about modern-dance history is an important part of the
program at Dance Expression. “My students can tell you the
difference between a contraction, a suspension, and fall and
recovery. In addition, they can name the choreographers that
started the major techniques: Graham, Cunningham, José Limón,
and Doris Humphrey,” says McGovern. She believes that written
material is a great asset in establishing the importance of
the art form; consequently the modern-dance students are given
folders where they can place handouts on the various
techniques. That way, “they can read [about it] if they want
to,” McGovern says. “We also cover a lot of this information
in class.”
McGovern concedes
that young students might not have heard of modern dance per
se, but the more generic “contemporary” dance they see on
So You Think You Can Dance and at recitals and
competitions interests them. “They are eager to give this cool
stuff a try,” she says. “Kids are getting smarter and want to
learn more.” She uses props to demonstrate modern-dance
principles; for example, a scarf comes in handy when
explaining the concept of suspension.
McGovern notices a
distinct difference onstage between her students and others.
“They know how to relax into the movement and use [an
appropriate amount] of force,” she says. Professional
modern-dance companies do not perform in Hamburg, but McGovern
takes older students to local college performances; recently
they took a trip to New York City to see Alvin Ailey American
Dance Theater. More field trips are in the works. McGovern is
guided by Graham’s principle that dance is a sacred ground. “I
try to teach my students that every second in class is very
important and we can’t throw it away.”
**
Diane Giattino,
owner of Stage Door School of Dance in (East Patchogue) Long
Island, NY, felt something was missing in her program before
she began offering modern dance to her students. She had given
her students a taste of modern dance in summer workshops for
many years but didn’t add it to the year-round curriculum
until this past year. “I guess it was lack of confidence that
the program would sell and lack of demand from students,” says
Giattino. “After meeting Nuala [Potts], our modern teacher,
and witnessing the positive response of our students to this
‘new’ dance form, we are now sold on modern. Parents have come
on board as well. This is New York, so we have our fair share
of parents who have some knowledge of modern dance, but we
have those that don’t too,” she says. “But when they see their
10-year-olds saying they love modern dance, that’s all it
really takes to get their support.”
Giattino also had
concerns about sending her students to college programs
unprepared for the modern-dance classes they would likely
encounter there. “Even if they are going to minor in dance
they are going to need some training in modern dance,”
she says. “I feel that now we are providing our students with
a more rounded dance education.”
Potts, a dance and
theater graduate of Queens College who has been teaching for
19 years, teaches most of the modern classes for ages 10 to 18
at Stage Door. She has the advantage of a varied modern-dance
education and has developed an encompassing class that is
based on the Simonson Technique (a modern-based method of jazz
education that emphasizes anatomy, body awareness, and
alignment methods). “I don’t want my students to think that
modern is just one technique,” she says. “There are so many
different styles out there; I want my students to be exposed
to many, just as I was.” Potts’ proximity to New York while
she was in college proved valuable, giving her the advantage
of learning from guest artists from major companies on a
regular basis.
Potts has put a lot
of thought into how she blends modern techniques. Her class is
structured into three parts: a linear section based on Horton
and Cunningham techniques, a more organic section based on
Graham and Limón, and a third section that draws from contact
improvisation and postmodern styles. Even young students are
introduced to contact improvisation elements such as lifting
and turning each other. “The younger ones tend to giggle a lot
at first because it’s so new,” says Potts. “Teens are used to
their own personal space, so it takes a little longer for them
to become comfortable with the concepts, but eventually they
see how it enhances choreography.” Potts says she sees a good
deal of imitation modern dance outside of Stage Door and is
determined that her students learn the lineage of modern
dance.
Modern dance means
bare feet, of course, and that’s another issue for Potts. She
has a “no foot protectors” policy. “I told the [students] that
if they go to a modern class in the city, they will see no one
wearing those things,” she laughs. “I tell them that real
modern dancers don’t wear [them].” The choice of music is
another important part of the authenticity; Potts likes to use
world music in her classes. “I want my students to know that
if they go to see a professional modern-dance company, it’s
rare to see them dance to popular music,” she says. “Dancing
to music with no lyrics takes some getting used to, but after
a while they think it’s really cool and enjoy the diversity.”
The modern program
at Stage Door has been growing rapidly (currently 100 students
study modern dance out of total enrollment of 500), mostly due
to satisfied dancers and strong support from Giattino. The
school owner is pleased with the number of students who
continue to train and hopes to add more classes in the
fall. “She’s been amazing at promoting the class and letting
students know that it’s different than lyrical or jazz,” says
Potts, who is convinced that support from studio owners is key
to the success of any modern-dance program. The school will
enter a competition piece in the modern category for the first
time this season. “We are very excited to be expanding in this
way,” says Potts.
Potts says that
other teachers at Stage Door notice remarkable improvements in
their students’ progress in jazz and ballet when they study
modern dance as well. “Modern teaches them to move through
space in ways that are more organic to the body,” she says.
“It’s a freer type of movement.”
Running a strong
modern program takes commitment and a well-trained, dedicated
teacher—plus that pioneering spirit that got modern dance
started in the first place.
Above picture: Stage Door School of Dance teacher Nuala
DeGeorge (right) demonstrates in a senior company modern
class.
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