Natural Rebels Slides Natural Rebels
The Forerunners of Modern Dance
Revolution I: Fuller & Duncan
The Fabric of Motion
Activity: Silk Scarf Exploration
Pick up your silk scarf. Without overthinking, move the fabric through the air.
How many different shapes can you make?
Can the fabric show sorrow?
Can the fabric show ecstasy?
What happens when you add light?
Classroom Movement Space
Breaking the Mold
The Ballet Rigidty
Pointed toes & stiff shoes
Corsets (restricted breath)
Set vocabulary (positions)
Hierarchy of performance
The Shift
The Modern Freedom
Bare feet & grounded weight
Loose tunics (natural breath)
Individual expression
Movement as "Nature"
Loie Fuller
"The Electric Fairy"
Innovation: Used hundreds of yards of silk and early stage lighting to transform the body into flowers, flames, and butterflies.
Philosophy: Dance is not just the body; it is the visual impression of movement through space.
Serpentine Dance (1891)
Naturalism in Motion
Isadora Duncan
"The Mother of Modern Dance"
Innovation: Discarded the tutu for Greek-inspired tunics. Used classical music (unheard of for dancers at the time).
Philosophy: Movement should originate from the solar plexus—the source of individual spiritual breath.
"I am an enemy to the ballet..."
— Isadora Duncan
If you were a dancer in 1900, why would bare feet be considered a political act?
Natural Rebels Teacher Guide Teacher Guide: Natural Rebels
Sequence: Modern Dance Revolutions | Lesson 1
Grade 10
Art History & Dance
Learning Objectives
Identify the specific technical and aesthetic elements of ballet that early modern dancers rejected.
Analyze how Loie Fuller and Isadora Duncan utilized non-dance elements (lighting, fabric, nature) to redefine choreography.
Connect the "unbinding" of the female body (removal of corsets) to early 20th-century feminist movements.
Essential Question
In what ways can the breaking of artistic rules serve as a reflection of broader societal rebellions?
Key Vocabulary
Solar Plexus
Duncan's belief that all natural movement begins in the center of the body.
Art Nouveau
The artistic style characterized by flowing, organic lines—closely linked to Fuller's work.
Naturalism
Seeking movement through observation of waves, wind, and animals.
Instructional Flow
00-10
Hook
The Silk Exploration
Distribute light silk scarves or strips of fabric. Ask students to move them in a space-filling way. Challenge them to express 'heavy' vs 'light' with just the fabric. Discuss: How did the fabric change the way you *thought* about your body's size?
10-30
Lecture
Direct Instruction (Slides 1-5)
Focus on the "Why." Why did ballet feel like a cage? Connect the physical corset to the social expectations of women in 1900. When Duncan showed her bare ankles, it wasn't just a costume choice—it was a scandal.
"Note: Be sure to mention Loie Fuller's background in theater and lighting tech. She wasn't just a dancer; she was an inventor."
30-50
Workshop
Natural Movement Lab
Ask students to find one "Natural Wave" movement (Duncan) and one "Technological Light" movement (Fuller).
Discussion Questions:
Does Duncan's movement feel more 'authentic' than ballet? Why?
How does Fuller use technology to hide the body? Is it still dance?
Success Criteria
Students can name two specific differences between ballet and modern dance and attribute those differences to the philosophies of Fuller or Duncan.
Differentiation
For students with limited mobility: Focus the movement lab on upper body and arm movements with the fabric. For advanced dancers: Challenge them to choreograph a 16-count phrase that transitions from 'balletic' to 'duncan-style'.
Natural Rebels Worksheet Natural Rebels Worksheet
Modern Dance Revolutions: Lesson 1
Name:
Date:
Part I: The Great Rejection
Modern dance began not as a "new style," but as a "no" to the rules of ballet. Compare the two below based on class discussion.
Classical Ballet (The "Cage")
Early Modern (The "Rebellion")
Costume / Body Constraint:
Costume / Body Freedom:
Movement Source:
Movement Source:
Relationship to Gravity:
Relationship to Gravity:
Part II: Pioneer Analysis
Loie Fuller: The Visualist
Fuller famously said, "I wanted to create a new form of art... which would be a synthesis of all the arts." How did she use technology (lighting and fabric) to change how the audience saw the human body? Be specific.
Isadora Duncan: The Naturalist
Duncan believed the "solar plexus" was the spiritual center of movement. Why do you think she felt that moving like waves or wind was more "truthful" than the precise geometry of ballet?
Part III: The "Manifesto"
If you were a "Natural Rebel" dancer today, what is one "rule" of modern life or modern dance that you would break to make your movement feel more free? (Example: "I will not use a screen for 24 hours to find movement in the real world.")
Inner Landscapes Slides Inner Landscapes
Martha Graham: Psychology and Contraction
Revolution II: The Architecture of Emotion
The Physical Exhale
Sit tall. Take a deep breath. Now, exhale sharply as if you've been struck in the stomach.
Where does your body curve?
What emotion does that shape feel like?
Is this movement "pretty" or "honest"?
"The center of the body is the center of the truth."
The Engine of Technique
1. Contraction
A sharp, percussive hollow of the torso. It is the physical manifestation of pain, grief, or desire. It starts in the pelvis.
2. Release
The return to a tall, elongated spine. It is the breath of life and the moment of suspension before the next surge.
Kinesthetic Map
Movement as a
Staging the Subconscious
"I wanted to show the landscape of the human soul on stage."
— Martha Graham
Influences:
Sigmund Freud (The Ego)
Carl Jung (Archetypes)
Greek Mythology
Graham believed dance could express things words cannot. Her choreography often focused on a central female protagonist grappling with inner demons, memory, and fate.
The movement was angular, jagged, and forceful—rejecting the "pretty" facade of dance to find a deeper psychological truth.
Lamentation
Case Study: The Tube of Grief
Analysis: Physicalizing Sorrow
Dancer is encased in a tube of stretch jersey. The fabric acts as a skin that she pushes against, visualizing the internal tension of mourning.
Contraction Architecture
"Movement never lies."
Why do you think Graham preferred a "heavy" body that acknowledges gravity over a balletic body that tries to defy it?
Grounded
Psychological
Angular
Inner Landscapes Teacher Guide Teacher Guide: Inner Landscapes
Sequence: Modern Dance Revolutions | Lesson 2
Unit: Early 20th Century Pioneers
Martha Graham Focus
Focus & Framing
This lesson moves from the "naturalism" of Duncan to the "psychological realism" of Martha Graham. While Duncan looked outward to nature, Graham looked inward to the messy, percussive, and angular reality of the human subconscious.
Key Concepts
Contraction & Release: The fundamental technique based on the cycle of breathing.
Gravitational Weight: Embracing the floor rather than trying to escape it.
Archetypal Characters: Using Greek myths (Medea, Jocasta) to explore universal human emotions.
Materials Needed
Open floor space
Video clip: Lamentation
"Inner Landscapes" Activity Sheet
Stretch fabric tube (optional/DIY)
Lesson Delivery
00-15
Somatic
The Biological Engine
Lead the "Exhale" activity from Slide 2. Have students sit on the floor in a cross-legged position. Focus on the pelvis. As they exhale, they should curve their spine into a "C" shape. This is the contraction. As they inhale, they return to a tall neutral. This is the release.
Teacher Prompt: "Don't try to look pretty. Try to look like you've been hit with a hard truth."
15-35
Analysis
Visualizing Grief (Slides 4-5)
Watch a video of Lamentation . Ask students to observe how the fabric limits the dancer's movement while amplifying her struggle. How does the tube represent the "walls" of sadness?
Discussion Point: Compare Duncan's "flowing" nature-based movement to Graham's "jagged" soul-based movement. Which feels more "modern" to them?
35-50
Workshop
The Psychological Gesture
Students work in pairs. Student A shares an emotion (Envy, Fear, Joy, Shame). Student B creates a movement based on a contraction that physicalizes that emotion. They refine the movement to be "angular" and "grounded."
Teacher Insight: Freud and Jung
Students often struggle to connect "dance" with "psychology." Explain that Graham was living in the era when people first started talking about the "Subconscious." Just as Freud was dissecting the mind with words, Graham was dissecting the body with movement. If a thought is sharp, the movement must be sharp. If a memory is heavy, the feet must stay heavy on the floor.
Inner Landscapes Activity Sheet Activity: The Architecture of Emotion
Sequence: Modern Dance Revolutions | Lesson 2: Martha Graham
Archive No. MG-1926
Somatic Log
1. Anatomy of a Contraction
In Graham technique, the contraction is not a "crunch"—it is a percussive response to an internal emotion. Perform 5 contractions in your chair or on the floor. Answer the following:
Physical Sensation: What happens to your spine and your breath during the moment of maximum contraction?
The Narrative: If this contraction were a sentence, what would it be saying? (e.g., "I refuse," "It hurts," "I want.")
Visual Analysis
2. Analysis: Lamentation (1930)
"Lamentation" is a solo piece where the dancer is sitting on a bench, encased in a tube of purple fabric. Only her face, hands, and feet are occasionally visible.
Why did Graham choose to trap the dancer in fabric?
How does the "angularity" (sharp elbows, knees) help communicate grief?
3. Staging the Subconscious
Graham believed in "Archetypes"—universal symbols or characters that exist in everyone's mind (The Mother, The Warrior, The Temptress, The Victim). Choose one archetypal emotion below and describe how you would use Contraction and Angular Movement to show it on stage without using your face.
Betrayal Deep Ambition Guilt Pure Obsession
PHASE 1:
PHASE 2:
PHASE 3:
"Movement is the barometer telling the state of the soul's weather." — Martha Graham
Chance Encounters Slides Chance Encounters
Merce Cunningham and Chance Operations
Revolution III: Removing the Ego
The Dice Decide
Movement A
Spin
Movement B
Jump
Movement C
Fall
Roll a die 4 times.
Write down your sequence (e.g., A, C, B, A). Perform it exactly as the dice told you.
"Was that your choice? Or the universe's choice?"
Breaking the Bond
Before Cunningham: Dance followed the beat, the rhythm, and the mood of the music.
After Cunningham: Dance and music are independent events happening at the same time in the same space.
"The dancers often didn't hear the music until opening night."
I Ching & Randomness
The Tool
Cunningham used the I Ching (Ancient Chinese book of changes) and coin tosses to make choreographic decisions.
The Variables
"How many dancers?"
The Goal
To find movements that the human mind would never think of. To remove the ego of the choreographer.
"I am not interested in my own ideas, but in what happens when I give up control."
Points in Space
No Story. Just Dance.
Abstract: Movement does not have to represent a feeling or a story. It is simply movement.
Democracy: Every part of the stage is equally important. There is no "center" stage.
Complexity: Because of chance, movements are often physically demanding and "awkward" in a way that feels modern and industrial.
"Chance is a discipline..."
If we use a computer or a coin to decide our art, is it still creative?
Debate: Human Intent vs. Universal Chaos
Chance Encounters Teacher Guide Teacher Guide: Chance Encounters
Sequence: Modern Dance Revolutions | Lesson 3
Cunningham & Cage
Post-War Experimentalism
The Philosophical Shift
In the mid-20th century, Merce Cunningham (dancer/choreographer) and John Cage (composer) revolutionized dance by arguing that expression is not the point of art. While Graham was obsessed with the "Why" (emotions), Cunningham was obsessed with the "What" (the physical act of movement). This lesson introduces Aleatoric composition—creating through randomness.
Instructional Flow
00-15
Game
The Chance Hook
Use Slide 2. Give each group of students 3 simple movements (A: High Reach, B: Floor Touch, C: Balance). They must roll a die to create an 8-count sequence. They perform it exactly as rolled, regardless of how "clunky" it feels.
Discussion: Did the sequence feel different when you didn't choose the order? Did you find any "happy accidents"?
15-30
Content
Non-Representational Art (Slides 3-5)
Explain that Cunningham wanted to remove human "taste" and "ego" from art. Just like nature doesn't "try" to look beautiful, it just is—Cunningham wanted dance to just "be."
Key Concept: Independence of Dance and Music. Use the analogy of a person walking down a street while a car honks—the walk and the honk are happening together, but they aren't "about" each other.
30-50
Workshop
The Chance Matrix Activity
Distribute the "Chance Encounters Worksheet." Students will use coins or dice to fill in a matrix of movement variables (Direction, Body Part, Speed). They must then link these randomized variables into a short phrase.
Discussion Questions
1. If a dance is "random," is it still skilled?
2. Why might a choreographer want to "give up control"?
3. Does music *have* to tell the dancer what to feel?
Teacher Warning
Students often find Cunningham's work "boring" or "weird" because it lacks a story. Pivot this frustration: "Why do we always need a story to enjoy movement? Can we enjoy a bird flying without it being a metaphor for freedom?"
Chance Encounters Worksheet Chance Matrix Workshop
Cunningham & Aleatoric Choreography
Student Copy
"The best way to do it is to do it." — Merce Cunningham. Today, you are not the choreographer. The coin is the choreographer. Follow the steps below to build a dance that bypasses your habits.
1 Roll the Dice: Building the Library
Variable A: Lead Body Part
1: Right Elbow
2: Left Knee
3: Nose/Head
4: Pelvis
5: Right Heel
6: Your Choice
Result:
Variable B: Direction
1: Facing Upstage (Back)
2: Facing Downstage (Front)
3: Facing Stage Left
4: Facing Stage Right
5: Diagonally Right
6: Facing the Floor
Result:
Variable C: Level
1: High (On Toes)
2: Mid (Standing)
3: Low (Kneeling)
4: Ground (Lying Down)
5: Mid-Low (Crouched)
6: Changing Levels
Result:
2 Synthesis: The Composition Map
Combine your results to create 3 distinct movement phrases. Do not worry if they look "ugly."
Phase Combination (A + B + C) Personal Notes / Description 1 ________________________ _____________________________________________ 2 ________________________ _____________________________________________ 3 ________________________ _____________________________________________
Post-Performance Reflection
The "Habit" Challenge
Did the random combinations force you to move in a way you usually avoid? Explain.
The Music Question
If we played heavy metal music vs. silence, would the *meaning* of your dance change for the audience? Why?
Name:
Date:
Stage Sentinels Slides Stage Sentinels
Dance as Social Protest
Revolution IV: The Political Body
The Silent Argument
Observation: Kurt Jooss's The Green Table (1932)
Watch the opening scene. Ten men in masks sit around a green table, arguing with their bodies. No words are spoken.
What does their posture say about power?
How does the rhythm of their gestures mimic a debate?
"A Dance of Death in Eight Scenes"
The Stage as a Newspaper
Universal Narratives
Using the body to represent larger societal groups: The Politician, The Refugee, The Oppressor.
Symbolic Prop Usage
The "Table" is not just furniture; it is the boundary between life and war.
Key Works
Revelations
"Blood Memories"
The Theme: Faith, community, and survival in the face of racism and poverty.
The Movement: A fusion of modern dance, ballet, and African-American spirituals.
The Impact: Using beauty as a form of resistance.
"Wade in the Water"
Observe the use of the blue fabric to represent the river—a symbol of baptism and the escape to freedom.
Can a jump be a protest?
Can a gesture be a law?
Tension
Shows systemic pressure
Unison
Shows collective power
Collapse
Shows the toll of war/racism
The Responsibility of the Artist
If a dance makes an audience uncomfortable, has it failed as entertainment? Or succeeded as art?
Case Study Debate: Jooss vs. Ailey
Stage Sentinels Teacher Guide Teacher Guide: Stage Sentinels
Sequence: Modern Dance Revolutions | Lesson 4
Social Justice & Art
Context: 1930s Germany & 1960s USA
Focus
This lesson examines dance as a vehicle for socio-political critique. Students will analyze how choreographers use movement metaphors to represent systemic issues—specifically war (Jooss) and racial liberation (Ailey). The goal is for students to move beyond seeing dance as "pretty movement" and start seeing it as "physical rhetoric."
Kurt Jooss: The Green Table (1932)
A satire on the failure of diplomacy. The "Politicians" around the table are portrayed as masked, robotic, and ultimately indifferent to the death they cause. Key Movement: Sharp, rhythmic pointing, slapping of the table, and the grotesque character of "Death."
Alvin Ailey: Revelations (1960)
A suite of dances exploring African-American heritage. It uses the spirituals of the South to build a narrative from sorrow to jubilation. Key Movement: Reaching toward the sun, "Wading" in the water (unison low walks), and percussive hip movements in "Rocka My Soul."
Instructional Flow
00-10
Hook
The Body Language of Power
Ask two students to sit opposite each other. Tell one they are "The Boss" and the other they are "The Petitioner." They cannot speak. How do they show their status using only their torso and hands? Discuss how this "natural" body language becomes the foundation for political choreography.
10-35
Analysis
Case Study Deep Dive (Slides 2-4)
View clips of both works. Guide students through the "Analysis Grid" on their worksheet. Focus on how Unison (everyone doing the same thing) shows power or unity, while Isolation (one person against the group) shows the individual's struggle against society.
35-50
Discussion
The Ethics of Beauty
Should dance about war be "beautiful"? Discuss the quote: "Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it." (Brecht). Did Jooss use a hammer or a mirror?
Contextual Note for Teachers:
Alvin Ailey created 'Revelations' at the height of the Civil Rights movement. Kurt Jooss created 'The Green Table' as the Nazi party was rising to power in Germany. Both works were dangerous and revolutionary for their time. Remind students that these were not just performances; they were acts of courage.
Stage Sentinels Analysis Sheet Analysis: The Political Body
Case Studies in Social Protest Choreography
Sequence: Modern Dance Revolutions
Part I: Movement as Metaphor
Fill in the grid based on the video clips shown in class. Focus on how movement choice creates a political message.
Work / Choreographer
Central Movement Motif
Social/Political Message
The Green Table
Kurt Jooss (1932)
Revelations
Alvin Ailey (1960)
The "Green Table" Logic
Why does Jooss use Masks for the politicians? How does this choice affect the way we view their responsibility for war?
The "Revelations" Logic
In the section "I've Been 'Buked," the dancers move in a tight, heavy Unison . How does moving as a "single unit" reflect the Black experience in 1960s America?
Your Turn: Physicalizing a Cause
Identify a modern social issue (e.g., Climate Change, Mental Health Stigma, Cyber-bullying). If you had to create a single gesture to represent that issue, what would it look like? Describe it and explain the symbolism.
Selected Issue:
Gesture Description & Symbolism:
Student: _____________________________________
Date: ________________
Ordinary Icons Slides Ordinary Icons
Post-Modernism and the Pedestrian Body
Revolution V: Art as Life
Is this Dance?
"I'm going to ask one of you to simply walk across the room. Just walk. Naturally."
The Debate:
Was that dance?
Does dance require skill?
Who gets to decide?
Judson Church (1962)
The Space An old church in Greenwich Village where dancers, musicians, and visual artists gathered to experiment.
The Goal To strip dance of all "theatricality"—no costumes, no stories, no expert technique.
"We didn't want to be special. We wanted to be present."
Everyday Objects
Boxes, mattresses, food.
Non-Dancers
Inviting anyone to perform.
Task-Based
"Eat a sandwich for 5 minutes."
Real Space
Streets, roofs, galleries.
The "No" Manifesto
No to spectacle.
No to virtuosity.
No to transformations.
No to magic.
Yvonne Rainer (1965) wanted to strip dance down to its barest, most literal form. If you're walking, you're just walking. You aren't "playing" a character who is walking.
Trisha Brown
"Walking on the Wall" (1971)
Dancers wore harnesses to walk vertically down the side of a building.
The Shift: Changing the context of a pedestrian act makes it extraordinary.
Gravity Reframed
"Art is anything you can get away with."
If anyone can do it, and it happens every day , why is it still worth watching on a stage?
Perspective
Duration
Context
Ordinary Icons Teacher Guide Teacher Guide: Ordinary Icons
Sequence: Modern Dance Revolutions | Lesson 5
Post-Modernism
The "Judson" Era & Pedestrianism
The Final Rebellion
We have seen dance move from the spectacle of ballet to the naturalism of Duncan, the psychology of Graham, and the randomness of Cunningham. Post-Modernism (1960s-70s) took the final step: the rejection of dance itself as a specialized skill. This lesson challenges students to find art in the "Ordinary."
Pedestrian Movement
Walking, sitting, eating, talking. Everyday actions performed with deliberate focus.
Democratization
The belief that anyone can be a dancer and any space can be a theater.
Task-Based Composition
Choreography that consists of completing a specific physical job (e.g., "folding a pile of laundry").
Instructional Flow
00-15
Hook
The Walking Debate
Perform the activity on Slide 2. Have a student walk naturally. Then have them walk "artistically." Ask the class: "What changed?" (Usually: rhythm, focus, or audience attention). This is the core of Post-Modernism: Art is a matter of attention, not just action.
15-30
Lecture
Judson & The "No" Manifesto (Slides 3-4)
Focus on Yvonne Rainer's "No Manifesto." Why did she want to say "No" to magic and spectacle? (Answer: Because she wanted the audience to see the work of the human body, not a fantasy).
30-50
Project
The Pedestrian Score Activity
Distribute the "Ordinary Icons Project" sheet. Students will create a "Score" (a set of instructions) for a 1-minute pedestrian dance. They must choose 3 everyday tasks and perform them with a specific "constraint" (e.g., extremely slow, in a circle, or while holding a book).
Exit Ticket Challenge
Ask students to write down one thing they did today (brushing teeth, walking to class) and explain how they could turn it into a "Modern Dance" based on what they learned in this sequence.
Ordinary Icons Project Guide Final Project: The Pedestrian Score
Sequence: Modern Dance Revolutions | Lesson 5
Project No. PM-1970
Objective: Find Art in the Ordinary
In Post-Modern dance, a "Score" is a list of tasks for the dancer to follow. Your job is to design a 1-minute pedestrian score using everyday movements. You will perform this score for a small group.
1 Selecting Your "Ordinary" Tasks
Choose three everyday actions. Examples: Checking your phone, tying a shoe, leaning against a wall, adjusting a collar, yawning, drinking water.
Task 1:
Task 2:
Task 3:
2 The Composition Score
Post-Modernism often uses "Constraints" to make the ordinary look interesting. Apply a constraint to each of your tasks below.
01
Task 1 + Slow Motion
02
Task 2 + Repetition (3x)
03
Task 3 + Extreme Focus
04
Final Exit (Walking)
3. My Personal "No" Manifesto
Inspired by Yvonne Rainer, write three things you are saying "NO" to in your dance today. (e.g., No pointing toes, No looking at the audience, No smiling, No music).
NO TO:
NO TO:
NO TO:
Name:
Date:
