“The body says what words
Ballet
cannot.” -- Martha Graham
and
Modern
Dance
Ballet
A system of dance based on formalized
movements and positions of the arms,
feet, and body designed to enable the
dancer to move with the greatest
possible agility, control, speed,
lightness, and grace.
The first ballet company in the Philippines is the
Cultural Center of the Philippines Dance Company
(now Ballet Philippines).
Ballet Philippines is widely recognized today as
cornerstone of the Filipino cultural identity.
Ballet Philippines is globally recognized as the
country’s flagship company in ballet and
contemporary dance.
Lisa Teresita Pacheco Macuja-Elizalde
(born October 3, 1964) is a Filipino prima
ballerina. In 1984, she became the first foreign
soloist to ever join the Kirov Ballet.
Prima ballerina- is a title awarded to the
most notable of female ballet dancers. To be
recognized as a prima ballerina assoluta is a
rare honour, traditionally reserved only for the
most exceptional dancers of their generation.
Modern Dance
• Use own interpretations instead of structured steps
• Looks improvised
• Loose movement and gravity plays an important role
• Uses more of the torso on horizontal rather than a
vertical plane
• Tells a story through the dance
• The feet are not always turned out and are either
pointed or flexed
• Proper costumes must wear to the overall dance
The pioneers of modern dance
movement Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn
and the Denishawn Company performed
at the Manila Grand Opera House in
1922.
This year, Alice Reyes, who was just
recently honored as National Artist
for Dance, is the recipient of the
Natatanging Gawad Buhay for her
legacy as “the mother of Philippine
modern dance.”
Modern Dance Ballet
–Do a lot of floor work and – Upright choreography like
choreography on the ground leaps and turns
–C-Shaped spine – Erect spine
–Barefoot or light shoes – Point shoes or ballet
–Heavy movements slippers/ballet shoes
–Costumes made to show – Light on their feet
movement – Elegant structured costumes
to show beauty
The Pioneers
of
Modern Dance
RUTH ST. DENIS & TED SHAWN (1877-1960)
• Created a dance wherein she portrayed
an Egyptian goddess.
• Founded Ruth St. Denis School of
Dancing and Related Arts
• Denishawn Company
• Performed at Manila Grand Opera
House in 1922
MARTHA GRAHAM (1894-1991)
• American dancer and choreographer
• Learned to dance at Denishawn Studio in
NYC
• She danced and choreographed for over 70
years and preferred the term contemporary
dance over modern dance.
• Founded her own dance company Martha
Graham Dance Company founded in 1926.
ISADORA DUNCAN (1877-1927)
• American dancer
• Solar plexus or emotional center
• “Her dances appeared natural
and so free-flowing that it looked
like it was being created on the
spot”
MARIE LOUISE FULLER
(1862-1928)
– She was an American actress
and dancer who was a pioneer
of both modern
dance and theatrical
lighting techniques
– Multicolored lights on silk
“The dancer’s body is simply the
luminous manifestation of the
soul”
--Isadora Duncan
