Informative article, thanks for sharing..

I think modern dance will always be modern...because it looks to the future and for 'newness' and 'nowness' more than any other? Just my two cents... =)

I'm sure choreographers will come up with new dances and new names for the type of dancing. Modern dancing is not contemporary anymore, but it's still "modern dancing", just like ballet will always be "ballet"

Good article, I appreciated it as an ex-ballet dancer. Sometime I go to see dance pieces and really see the influences of past choreographers. But other times, something really exciting and new happens. Someone incorporates technology in a new way, puts it all together differently and voila! Just as music keeps morphing, I think you will have the same with dance.

We can dance if we want to We can leave your friends behind 'Cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance Well they're no friends of mine Dancing is good for the soul!

Very nice article!

Dances are so timeless. Modern dance is still mesmerizing even if it's not absolutely fresh. I don't think the situation is worrisome for dance at all.

I think the same could be said of any art form at different times in history. There always seem to be times of great innovation as well as times when the opposite would appear to be true. I can't wait to see what next leap of artistic expression is right around the corner!

Love dancing!!! Great article! Thank you!

Great article!! I can't dance though.. lol

Dancing is very important in my life, and I don't think that only modern dance will transform into something new. Other styles of dancing also get's new shapes and interpretations! Thank you for interesting thoughts!

I agree with what you say...yet still think that Martha Graham is sooooooooooooooo ahead of her time...she might always be fresh!!! :) To me she is like a moving eames chair...always timeless always modern!!!

Awesome article! Thank you!

This subject of a particular artform is beautiful to see right now. I hear Alexandra's points and use it to push forward with my hands in the pot of times where our bodies become tools for infinite expressions. Dance is alive and if you take care to watch, support breathe and visit the performances.. it is a brave new world out there. The underground of upcoming bubbles are rising to the top in order to pave a path we have never seen before. It's delicious, modern is the perfect word for every generation. Again, thank you so much for publishing this article. Brilliant. I'll see you on the dancefloor.

Great subject and love that image

Great article! Love your images as well!

Being the mom of two professional ballet dancers, I will always love the classical ballet pieces, as I think the older genaration will. Modern and contempory dance is the way dance in going now and in the future. Great article!!!

Great article and photos!

I love the article and images. My daughter studied at Martha Graham and says it has been her best experience of her life. I know as the bystander who has enjoyed her work,I have to agree. Modern dance is Beautiful and Brilliant. Thanks for sharing.

I just love to dance, I don't really care what it's called. Modern is still modern when compared to classical ballet, which is very tradition-based and archaic in a lot of ways. But, even ballet has morphed in to a new form in the last 100 years. Everything evolves!

I was dancing when the Broncos won! I'd call what I did modern! Seriously though, I admire dancers. Of all types. Wish I could dance.

I took modern dance classes for years! My ambition faded out near the end of high school. When I started college I remember seeing Bill T Jones and yearning to start modern dance class again. I love dancing.

How wonderful. The documentary about Pina Bausch looks so great, hoping it comes to America soon: http://www.pina-film.de/en/trailer.html “Dance, dance or we are lost.” ~ Pina Bausch Congrats Lucy for having one of your photos featured here, yay!

Loved the article and the comments. As an ex dancer I still can't get enough of it. The image was so eye catching I was pulled in straightaway :) Anything Dance is still so compelling to me. I have 3 daughters, all dance :) I agree with lWillFly Since Ballet was created and modern Dance came to light with Martha Graham it has evolved and will continue to do so as choreographers further explore their imagination and dancers push the boundaries of their bodies.

Modern dance...over it.

I'm so glad to see an article about dance on Etsy because the creative mind can be physical in many ways. The use of the hands to create tangible items the use of the body to express and create visual artwork, there are so many ways in which our artistic worlds collide. The state of modern or contemporary dance can reflect an imprint of that time, but it can also be timeless and innovative even decades later. I don't think it's a matter of what hasn't been done yet to make it modern, rather, I think it's a question of whether it has a different perspective or unpredictable demeanor. The possibilities are endless...we, as artists, feed off of that.

Nice article. Although I'm a die hard ballet and jazz fan, I do enjoy watching a modern piece as one would find in the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. However, I do not care for the heaviness I often see in a modern dance. Sometimes I just want to enjoy the pure beauty of the movement without having to think about a theme or symbolism or political statement a choreographer is trying to get across. I believe the new term for "modern" dance is "contemporary".

If modern still modern? in many artistic fields good question..maybe post- modern or even post post post- modern...

Thanks for posting this article! Being a professional contemporary music composer who also had the chance to work with a modern dance company, the artistic struggle that resides in the creative process of active individuals in every artistic genre nowadays referred to in your posting seems too familiar. On the other hand, this same type of struggle and frustration as the result of constant innovation has always been there throughout history. The attacks and criticism Claudio Monteverdi received during his lifetime only proved that his compositional innovation - which he himself didn't quite understand or could even justify, either - was a huge step forward from the Renaissance to the Baroque. However, constant innovation and artistic exploration requires audience's ears and eyes and open mind to reach its fruition. We NEED audience!

Like tmcdesigns1 stated, I believe it is important to clarify the term modern dance because the genre of modern dance refers to turn of the century dance that rebelled against ballet and there are few true modern dance companies left. After modern dance came the experimental post-modern of the 60's and 70's and it hasn't been until the 80's and 90's that contemporary dance (or dance of the now) emerged and is what is most commonly seen today and what most people refer to as "modern dance". It's confusing, I know, but it is important because even I was a bit confused reading this article wondering if they were referring to modern dance or contemporary dance.

That is a very subjective statement: "Dancers, like so many other artists, are now confronted with the oppressive feeling that it’s all been done before." Perhaps the writer instead of instilling fear and negativity into the hearts and minds of the faint of heart, should consider this quote regarding closing the US Patent Office: "Everything that can be invented has been invented". Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. patent office, 1899 (attributed)

A decade or so ago, I use to dance with a 'contact improv' company. With strong roots in modern dance, they would not classify themselves as such. I suppose it's a bit similar to the 'modern' music industry. What someone in the industry refers to as commercial music- means music that is of a modern nature, written for the general populace, to earn commercial gains. But if you say 'commercial music' to a classical musician, they'd assume you are talking about actual commercials. Interesting subject, thanks for the post.

Modern Dance and all of the Arts are not flourishing in these poor economic times. Many theaters present what they know the consumer has verified as ticket worthy. What you see may continue to be just a ghosting of previous productions. I believe civilization has true riches when the Arts thrive. Two many decades are passing with an emphasis on advertising products, corporations, etc., Too many artists have been waylaid in their honest artistic pursuits by a desire to just survive. I want to note that was lucky enough to study with a student of Martha Graham and to take a class with Merce Cunningham. These two were just a few Modern Dancers at a time when music, dance and the visual arts were supported . . . even by the government! Dance is primal and will go on despite these difficult times.

Alvin Ailey has always been my favorite company that embraces "modern" dance. I thought, however, that "modern" dance emerged during the 30's with Martha Graham? Dance of the 60's and 70's was definitely different than even the "modern" dances, aka. not classical ballet, of the 30's. Martha is considered the "mother of modern dance." Thanks for the article. I miss dancing every day of my life.

This is absolutely fascinating... thank you!

i see a lot of theme dancing and technical dancing on tv but not real honest performance art. dance has become more about competition and costumes and less about expression of deeper thoughts and higher realms.

how beautiful! love lucy snowe's photo, too.

beautiful dance photos. I'm proud to say i'm friends with Lucy snowe! :) interesting article!

Gorgeous photos you've chosen!

I like this article and that it can stimulate so much discussion. I'm hoping to see the documentary on Pina Bausch by Wim Wenders. Thanks for writing this and the photos are wonderful.

What a great article - so true about the challenges of remaining creative in all artistic fields! And what great photography you've included! From the beautiful ThePaintedPhoto's piece , to the blow-my-mind EXQUISITENESS attained by LucySnowePhotography - so artistically satisfying and inspiring!

I don't know. It reminds me of what we use to say in architecture school, that everything has already been done. Walls are walls, doors are doors, and body movement is body movement. It is what you do with it, how it is put together that makes something great or something redundant.

beautiful!

Nice one Lucy!

What a fantastic article! Love the beautiful photographs! Congrats to all featured (especially, you Lucy ♥).

beautiful!!

I really adore dance! Tnx for the article!

Loved the article. We enjoy going to many dance performances over my lifetime. I recently aquired the Martha Graham Sixteen Dances a first edition but, without a dust jacket. I'm not ready to part with it yet...it's gorgeous!

Interesting subject! I agree with what many seem to be saying above--the newness, or "now"ness of modern dance will always be there as new performers and choreographers continue to explore their medium. Just as you were still moved by a piece that was 25 years old, modern dance is also about expression and communication, and can still be relevant decades later. Thanks for your thoughtful article!

great article! I've been a dancer for years and continue to teach. Such a relevant subject for today. Thanks!

And a HUGE CONGRATS to LUCY! Your photo looks great up there!

Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

Gorgeous! I agree - that photo by Lucy Snowe is enchanting!

Great article and great photo selections!

Thanks for writing about modern dance- great article. I've taken modern dance classes off and on for 50 years- still taking modern dance (and it's called modern dance)- both through a community arts school and a university. You're never too old to dance!! Modern dance is the best! Even if there is confusion about what it is.

Great article! And such amazing photo selections (congrats, Lucy Snowe!). Suddenly I have happy feet!

Beautiful photos ! Great article !

Great discussion. I love the point about the body's infinite capacity for articulation. We'll never run out of new creative ideas as long as we're creating new human beings.

thanks for letting me offer my ten cents: as a dancer (modern, no less) teacher, and choreographer, i understand the limbo that modern dance and a modern (contemporary) dance audience find themselves in. as a student, i was often confused as to where i fit in: is this 'modern dance'? is this 'post-modern'? is there a 'post-post-modern'??? when i talk about modern dance to my students, they often assume i'm referring to the contemporary stuff they see on programs like 'so you think you can dance' and 'america's best dance crew.' i think that modern dance is not suffering so much am identity crisis but a crisis of identity. i'll explain. just like any art form, the future of modern dance rests with its new artists. choreographers like maura donohue (http://www.inmixedcompany.com/) are constantly contemplating contemporary themes and innovating movement. the biggest problem for modern dance, however, is not the lack of innovation and new blood, but that the modern (contemporary) audience cannot identify modern dance because they've yet to be exposed to it, or a best have limited exposure. without the ability to reach a wider audience, i'm afraid dance - modern, ballet, flemenco, you name it - will be threatened with stagnation or (more horrifically) homogenization and commercialization.

Wonderful article! And you're looking mighty gorgeous up there, Ms. Lucy Snowe ;)

Gorgeous work Lucy!!!! Love it!

an intriguing read! and beautiful art to go with it!

Being a former modern dancer and choreographer I can honestly say I never felt stifled as I sometimes do now. My life has changed from dancer to visual artist to metalsmith. There are litterally no limits to modern dance. So many up and coming companies are stretching modern dance beyond anyone's imagination creating beatuful mixtures of dance, theatre, art, language, film. Having dabbled in so many forms of art both performance and visual, I miss dance to my very core. I can understand finding older modern dance pieces still relevent today but that is because they are! You are witnessing the freedom of an individual right infront of you! It will be new everytime, and with each dancer that performs the piece. I don't think modern dance as a whole is in a rut it is just going places Cunningham never imagined. I love this post! Thank you for starting a discussion on this beautiful artform.

I enjoyed this article! I love dancing!

Hmm. The term 'modern' could have been better articulated in the article. A modern (or contemporary for that matter) work of art could have been created in 1945, fitting the definition in terms of genre not vintage. Also, comparing commercial dance on reality TV with concert dance is a whole other debate for another article. That said, classic movies used to feature song and dance so it is nothing new to see dancing in the mainstream.

Love this, especially Lucy's photo! LOVE!

modern dance is a unique american art form - truly with roots reaching back much much further than the 1970s. It is a living, breathing art form and you only have to look at today's companies and choreographers to see the new depths and heights to which the art form is expanding - from technology-driven works to dances in lakes :) I would not think that much of the choreography you are seeing on dance reality shows is a true and authentic representation of the work being created in today's MODERN companies. interesting insights and discussions... so exciting to see a dance topic on etsy :) <3 <3 <3

My joy at your article and it's huge discussions is fueled by my love of dance, and the post post modern dance form I am working on premiering soon. I loved what you said about articulation of the body being infinite- so interesting the word articulation... It is all about communication, expression, and self-expression. As a former ballet and modern dancer, I know the elitism that those art forms are based on: For today we need a dance form that is pluralistic, inter-active, expressive of our deepest yearnings and highest aspirations. Also, a dance form not requiring years of pain-riddled over arching distortions, anorexia, ego mania, or saint-hood! We are back at the origins of tribal dance- to express and serve our tribe, have fun, keep all ages involved together, and find performance serving the need to free politix! Beyond folk dancing, this is folks dancing- a gestural communication and expression of our joy to be alive and to create the world of our ideals. No, I don't think Modern Dance is modern, though it was ground-breaking at the time. The genius-saint choreographers and dancers of Modern Dance need to be acknowledged and applauded for sometimes incredible breathtakingly beautiful work, as the dancer in your photograph so well illustrates. She makes us glad to be human. But we all are dancers, we all need to dance, and we all CAN, beyond "Modern" dance.

Everything about the art form is beautiful

As one who studied modern dance back in the 70's, maybe it is time for the choreographers to study once again Martha Graham and Isadora Duncan - the founders of modern dance. My teacher actually studied with Martha Graham, and she was incredible in passing on the fact that modern dance can really be anything you want it to be, and doesn't even need music. It is "freeform" dance at its best, and feel maybe these choreographers have lost their way if they believe that repetition rather than innovation in form and style has come to an end. Hope some truly great choreographers appear soon that have studied the masters.

Lovely article! And congrats, Lucy! You are looking beautiful up there!

The issue is simply with the name we have given this broad genre of dance - Modern. The name outlived its own name. I say we just remove the label and mmmmooooooooove...........

chris brown changed it all! http://www.etsy.com/shop/LexisDesigns

Thank you for this article! I am so thrilled to read a discussion about dance happening here on etsy... sort of brings my worlds together as I am a professional modern dancer and lover/creator of all things handmade. For me the two worlds are inseparable... for both give honor to the gift of beauty and creativity... both are articulations of the spirit offered through the craft of the body. Modern dance will remain modern as long as we honor our past and nurture our future!

I think (as a contemporary and burlesque dancer) that the repertoire of modern dance is invaluable, the same with ballet, and that it's renewed in a way by the youngest ones brought to the theatre. Both on stage and in the audience. I think the future of dance is with the current generation that makes a true fusion of styles. Taking from jazz, ballet, modern, hip hop, disco, broadway, and more.

Simply and nicely put. The frustration in identifying with modern dance is evident in the ROBO gyrations of today... both art forms, both opposites in tempo and form.

thank you so much for this article! I just finished a dance history course at college with a focus on modern dance, so this makes me happy! I don't see the contemporary dance performances as just recycling, though. Not at all. There's a tendency towards re-enactments which can be very interesting as dance is so ephemeral. How do we perceive dances that were once new and fresh today? Fabian Barba's Mary Wigman Dance Evening e.g. didn't just show her choreography, but also how a dance performance in the '30s would have been, which made the contemporary audience a little uneasy and out of place. Modern dance goes much farther than just new moves...

You could consider modern dance to be timeless, if a dance was created 25 years ago and hasn't aged a day you could take the opposing view that its not a bad thing which I guess is somewhat controversial stance.

to be modern always lead to dark narrow street

After many years I've just started taking clasical ballet classes and I love it! All forms of dance is an excellent way to express yourself and work out your body beautifully and gracefully. Now about the rut...I think that apply to all the arts in our days. It's so dificult to introduce something entirely new...

Love the quote about the Patent Office from 1899! "NEW" happens, but until the spark ignites, it's out there percolating!

There is modern dance, post-modern dance and the categorized. The words "modern dance" codifies the form in relationship to history.

oops I meant uncategrozied. Guess they isn't a recognizable word -- which is a great metaphor for experimentation. And, there are some very fresh ideas out there. Check out the Performance Mix Festival at Joyce SoHo March 13-18 -- luciana achugar and Daniel Linehan -- WOW.

Great article and amazing photos! Thanks for sharing it with us.

How am I not surprised so many Etsians are dancers. YES! Thank you for lighting this fire of a discussion. :)

love the feature-- watching dancers perform is always so magical-- and I love the photos accompanying the article-- wonderful work!

Great article, and wonderful photos! Congrats LucySnow! I love your art!!!

I totally agree with the sentiment; 'it's all been done before'. As a dancer, choreographer & instructor, I struggle with that all the time. This is a new era of dance, where it must be speed, gymnastic, or harsh, what happened the grace in movement? I believe the purity of the dance has been compromised with the focus on competition. It saddens me when a 7 year old breaks into hip hop moves during her ballet class. It's up to the 'older' teachers to maintain the original art, so for my students, it's Chopin, Mozart, etc. hoping to carry on the beauty.

Thanks for the post! So happy to see the artsy Etsy community extend to the world of dance :o)

wow just beautiful, lightness of poetry and the metamorphosis of the body seems to fly to happiness, love bravo!!!!! +++++

such gorgeous forms

I'm a dancer and its great to see an article like this! Very nice.

What an interesting article! Thanks for posting!

I think the focus on art being "new" is so strange and unfortunately common in the dance world. As a dance artist, I feel that the limits of the individual dancer's body and the feeling that "it's all been done before" are actually freeing. Once you realize you're not making anything new, you can get down to making considered and consequential art.

just wondering whats the time frame on modernisity, does it expire, sooner or later it should be called "old school" dance. but if someone can keeps putting there own twist to it, i would amagine it would eventually morf into something completely diffrent. like futuristic freestyle dancing. new Etsy.Mini(6692035,'gallery',4,3,0,'http://www.etsy.com');

I've not been to see any dance for ages, I have seen some really innovative contemporary dance in the past though. I'm sure there are always new ideas to wow us.

A friend of mine is doing well choreographing and performing, her latest "Finite and Infinite Games" was very intriguing. It gained a lot of attention from NYTimes and teh dance community!

great article, congrats Lucy's :))

Inightful article and interesting take on modern dance. I wonder if you could argue that the art of dance is timeless and it is the dancer that evolves. Though I can understand a perceived idea that dancing has regressed regarding tribal syles and going back to the roots. After taking into consideration what Loandaco spoke of I think that though modern tribal styles offer what has already been done but with an additional element that justifies it's modern element. We are building upon what we know.

Insightful article and interesting take on modern dance. I wonder if you could argue that the art of dance is timeless and it is the dancer that evolves. Though I can understand a perceived idea that dancing has regressed regarding tribal styles and going back to the roots. After taking into consideration what Loandaco spoke of (by the way great comment) I think that though modern tribal styles offer what has already been done but with an additional element that justifies it's modern twist. We are building upon what we know. It takes many years to learn the basic elements of dance and to stick with it to the point of taking it to a new level requires very dedicated dancers and possibly a whole lifetime. You can't just pick up where someone left off without first learning the basics.

I enjoyed the article and was excited and surprised to see the article and discussions on the Etsy blog. As a former dancer (from early Alvin Ailey Dance Theater and Martha Graham) and now a family nurse practitioner in rural Vermont, I have been fairly removed from the world of dance. I have noticed over the years though, when ever a dance troupe visits Vermont that there is an increasing emphasis on competition and gymnastic skills. I miss the elegant grace in movement and heart felt soul from dancers like Carmen de Lavallade and now realize that modern dance has evolved in a way that is far from my days as a dancer. I don't see modern dance as being in a rut but more or less reflecting on our world today.

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Great article and artistic photos. For me, dance and movement is one of my biggest inspiration. When I'm happy or sad, I just dance to a different beats that goes in one line with my heart and then I create! Thank you for sharing! Gravityjewels.

I'm also a former ballet dancer; I danced six days a week from the age of 10 to about 19, and I thought I would try to go pro. But ultimately, I did feel stifled by the structure and rigidity of the ballet world. And when I tried modern, it was so much less structured that I hardly knew what to do with myself - I felt like I didn't know if I was doing the movements "right" since there weren't so many rules! As a writer - my other passion, and the one I ultimately decided to follow, as I quit ballet during college and am now in a fiction M.F.A. program - one of the things that disturbed me most about dance was the fact that the teachers at the dance studio rarely heard the voices of the dance students. I mean that literally - they were quite caring, involved instructors, but they knew nothing of our inner lives and personalities. I wonder if I would have felt less that way had I become involved initially with modern dance, which does seem to allow more freedom and expression. Anyway, thank you for the great post! Chloe www.abirchformonday.etsy.com

I don't think being NEW or FRESH has anything to do with art. The only goal what you have to do is be honest, and search for the truth in what you have to accomplish, then originality comes by itself, as no tow person are alike. Being original for the sake of being ORIGINAL is nothing. It will fade out fast and everyone will forget about it. Modern or classic, who cares, the only thing that matters is honesty and truth.

MANY years ago I was doing abstract but figurative sculpture I had the opportunity to sit in on a modern dance group's practice sessions, where sequences were repeated over and over. Wonderful inspiration. Only Matisse was ever able to catch the dynamic successfully.

I took my first modern dance class in 4th grade, I loved it instantly and I continue to love and appreciate it as an art more and more every day. Thank you for sharing this article!