Solar Plexus Lab Notes Movement Rebellion
Lesson 1: The Forerunners (Duncan & Fuller)
Lab Report 01
Researcher Name
Date
The Constraint Experiment
Perform a simple reaching gesture (reaching for an apple, waving hello) while wearing a restrictive jacket or holding your arms tightly to your sides. Then, repeat the gesture freely with no restrictions.
Restricted Feeling
Free Feeling
1
The Solar Plexus Investigation
Isadora Duncan believed all movement originated in the solar plexus (the center of the torso), rather than the extremities. Unlike ballet, which focuses on limbs, Duncan used the breath to initiate movement from the core.
Trial A: Breath-Led Initiation
Inhale deeply and let the expansion of your chest lift your arms. Exhale and let the deflation pull your body downward.
Record the physical sensation of "Internal to External" flow
Trial B: Nature as Muse
Observe a video or image of waves or swaying trees. Attempt to replicate that continuous, never-ending rhythm through your spine.
Observations on fluidity vs. the "Staccato" of traditional ballet
2
The Alchemy of Loie Fuller
Fuller transformed her body into shifting shapes using massive amounts of silk and colored electric lights. She wasn't just a dancer; she was an inventor.
Reflect:
How does Fuller's use of "External Appendages" (the silk sticks) differ from Duncan's "Internal Center"?
Sketch a Fuller-inspired silhouette below
Nature and Freedom Slides Nature & Freedom
The Forerunners of Modern Dance
Module 01: Rebellion Against the Pointe Shoe
The Victorian Cage
01 // CONTEXT
In the late 19th century, ballet was the only "high art" dance. It was defined by:
Restrictive corsets and stiff bodices
Defying gravity (upward focus)
Codified, geometric positions
"The ballet school is a tomb... the poses are hideous, and the movements are like those of a jumping-jack."
— Isadora Duncan
Isadora Duncan
02 // THE IDEALIST
Visual Reference
Duncan in a Grecian Tunic (c. 1905)
Philosophy of the "Natural"
Inspired by Ancient Greek art and the rhythms of nature (waves, wind, trees).
The Center
The Solar Plexus as the origin of all movement and emotion.
The Costume
Bare feet and loose tunics (rejection of the corset).
Loie Fuller
03 // THE TECHNICIAN
"The Butterfly of Light"
Fuller was a pioneer of theatrical lighting and stagecraft. She didn't focus on her body's anatomy, but on visual transformation .
Patented chemical dyes for textiles
Used bamboo wands to extend arm length
Created the famous "Serpentine Dance"
Why was this a REBELLION?
Political Act
Discarding the corset was a statement about Women's Suffrage and physical autonomy. Duncan believed a woman's body should be free to move as nature intended.
Philosophical Act
Movement was no longer about entertainment or virtuosity. It was an expression of the soul and the subconscious mind.
Forerunner Facilitation Guide Teacher Facilitation Guide
Lesson 1: Forerunners - Nature, Greek Ideals, and Freedom
Archive Ref: 01-T
Essential Question
In what ways is the rejection of established dance forms a political or philosophical act of rebellion?
Duration
60 Minutes
1
The Hook: Constraint Experiment (10 min)
Have students wear their school jackets or heavy sweatshirts. If not available, ask them to keep their elbows glued to their ribs.
Prompt: "Perform a simple 'goodbye' wave. Feel the tension in your shoulders."Transition: "Now, take the jacket off. Imagine the wave starts in your lungs and travels through your fingertips."Discussion Point: Connect this physical release to the historical release from the corset.
2
Direct Instruction: The Rebels (15 min)
Use the Nature & Freedom Slides to introduce Duncan and Fuller.
Key Insight: Emphasize that for Isadora Duncan, bare feet were scandalous because they represented a "low" or "earthy" connection, whereas ballet was always trying to be "heavenly" and "elevated."
3
Movement Workshop: Solar Plexus (25 min)
Distribute the Solar Plexus Lab Notes . Facilitate a movement exploration.
Duncan Drill
Have students stand with feet slightly apart. Ask them to breathe into their bellies. As they exhale, the body should "collapse" forward, and as they inhale, the "spirit" should lift them back up.
Fuller Drill
Give each student two long strips of tissue paper or light fabric. Have them move their arms in giant circles, focusing on the *shape* the fabric makes in the air rather than their own bodies.
4
Debrief: Rebellion Synthesis (10 min)
Ask: "If Duncan was rebelling against ballet, what is the 'modern-day ballet' (the rigid standard) that you might want to rebel against in your own movement or art?"
Differentiation Strategies
Scaffolding (For Beginners)
Focus on the breath solely while sitting. Use a balloon as a visual metaphor for the expansion of the chest/solar plexus.
Extension (For Experienced Dancers)
Challenge students to choreograph a 32-count phrase that *must* alternate between Duncan's core-initiation and Fuller's peripheral focus.
Architecture of the Soul Slides Architecture
of the Soul
Martha Graham and the Interior Landscape
Lesson 02: 1920s - 1940s
Contraction & Release
01 // THE BREATH OF DRAMA
The Contraction
A percussive pull-back of the belly, hollowing out the torso. Inspired by the sob or the act of a punch to the gut .
The Release
The counter-balance. A surge of energy from the center, returning the spine to its vertical axis. Not a relaxation, but an extension.
"Movement never lies. It is a barometer telling the state of the soul's weather."
— Martha Graham
Psychological Modernism
02 // INTERIORITY
Graham moved away from Duncan's "nature" and toward Freudian Psychology .
"I wanted to reveal the inner man... his fears, his tragedies, his dark places."
Angular & Sharp
Graham's movements were floor-bound, percussive, and jagged. She rejected the "pretty" curves of ballet and Duncan.
Gravity as Resistance
She used the floor as a partner. Falling was not a mistake; it was a psychological descent.
Case Study: Lamentation
03 // GRIEF IN A TUBE
The dancer is encased in a purple jersey tube, seated on a bench.
The fabric represents the "skin" of grief. The movement is restricted to the internal struggle—stretching the fabric from the inside out.
Analysis Prompt:
How does the restricted space emphasize the intensity of the emotion?
Clip Placeholder: Lamentation
Rebellion: The Gut
If ballet was about the HEAD (elevation, thought) and Duncan was about the HEART (nature, spirit)...
Graham was about the GUT.
It was a political act to show women as strong, grounded, and possessing a complex, sometimes "ugly" interior life.
Lamentation Analysis Sheet Psychology in Motion
Case Study: Martha Graham's Lamentation
Name: ____________________
Lab Ref: ARCH-SOUL-02
Phase 1: The Fabric Experiment
Using a "jersey tube" or a heavy, stretchy fabric draped over your torso and thighs, sit on a chair or bench. Attempt to express "Internal Grief" without using your face or hands.
Physical Sensation
How does the fabric fight back? Where do you feel the tension?
The 'Contraction'
Sketch or describe the shape of your spine during a "sob" contraction.
Phase 2: Visual Evidence Analysis
While watching the clip of Martha Graham in "Lamentation," observe her specific movement choices.
Observation Category Evidence (What did you see?) Direction of Force Relationship to the Seat Quality of Movement (Sharp, Fluid, Heavy?)
The Synthesis
Graham famously said: "There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action."
Critical Question:
How is choosing to show ugly or painful movement a rebellion against the dance traditions that came before her (Ballet and Duncan)?
Contraction Technique Guide Technique Facilitation Guide
Lesson 2: Martha Graham & The Psychology of the Gut
Core Objectives
Identify the mechanics of Contraction and Release .
Connect physical interiority to psychological themes.
Compare Graham’s groundedness to balletic elevation.
Historical Context
Graham's "Big Four" era (1930s-40s) coincided with the Great Depression and World War II. Her work reflects this social weight, moving away from the light-hearted or purely decorative into the dark, human "tragedy."
1
Physical Warm-Up: The Contraction (15 min)
"Don't just round your back. Think of being hit with a heavyweight in the stomach."
Teacher Tip: Have students sit on the floor in "butterfly" position. Ask them to imagine a wire pulling from their belly button out through their spine, creating a deep 'C-curve'. The chin should NOT tuck to the chest; the neck follows the curve of the spine.
2
Visual Analysis: Lamentation (20 min)
Play the clip of Lamentation . Before playing, set the purpose for viewing:
Look For:
The struggle between the feet and the bench. How does she use the seat to create leverage?
Listen For:
The sharp, dissonant music. How does the sound match the percussive nature of her breath?
3
Movement Lab: Fabric Struggle (20 min)
Provide students with "Fabric Analysis" sheets. If jersey tubes are unavailable, use large t-shirts or throw blankets.
Facilitation Script:
"Imagine the fabric is your grief. You want to break out of it, but it pulls you back. Find the moments of resistance. This is not about 'pretty' movement. It is about the TRUTH of how it feels to be trapped."
Discussion Starters
1. Why did Graham decide that "Contraction" was the most honest human movement? (Think about crying, laughing, or protecting oneself).
2. How does Graham’s costume in Lamentation function differently than Duncan’s tunics? (Duncan = Freedom; Graham = Constraint).
3. If you had to choose a fabric to represent "Anxiety" or "Joy" , what would it be? How would it change your movement?
The Gravity Arc Slides The Arc
Between Two Deaths
Humphrey-Weidman & Gravity
Fall and Recovery
01 // THE THEORY
Doris Humphrey proposed that all human movement exists on an arc between:
Stasis (Static)
Standing upright—perfect balance. The "death" of movement through total control.
Collapse
Giving in to gravity—lying on the floor. The "death" of movement through total surrender.
"Movement is situated on a diagonal: the arc between standing and lying."
Humphrey believed the EXCITEMENT of dance happened in the journey between these two points.
Gravity as a Partner
02 // PHYSICS
Weight
Unlike ballet, which hides weight to look "angelic," Humphrey emphasized the heaviness of the body.
Suspension
The peak of the arc before the fall. A moment of breath where the body hangs in space.
Succession
Movement that flows through the joints like a wave , rather than moving as a single block.
Charles Weidman
03 // CHARACTER
Kinetic Pantomime
While Humphrey was interested in the abstract arc , Weidman brought humanity and humor to the technique.
Used "Fall and Recovery" to show character struggle.
Incorporated rhythmic, percussive gestures from daily life.
Rebelled by proving dance could be funny and satirical.
Rebellion: The Reality of Physics
Ballet is a lie about gravity.
By embracing the fall, Humphrey and Weidman rebelled against the 19th-century obsession with the "supernatural." They made dance about human bodies in the real world , subject to the same laws of physics as everyone else.
Gravity Comparison Chart The Gravity Comparison
Analysis: Ballet vs. Humphrey-Weidman
Name: ________________
In dance history, gravity is more than just a force—it is a statement . Classical ballet seeks to defy gravity to create a "celestial" illusion. The Humphrey-Weidman technique seeks to embrace gravity to explore the "human" condition.
The Ballet Ideal
Goal: To look weightless, as if the dancer could float.The Point: En pointe (on the tips of the toes) to move away from the earth.The Spine: Held rigid and vertical to maintain a "perfect" axis.The Fall: Avoided at all costs; a fall is a mistake or a failure of technique.
The Modern Truth
Goal: To show the weight of the body and the thrill of the "near-collapse."The Point: Parallel, grounded feet that "push" off the earth.The Spine: Succesive and fluid; able to "arc" and curve.The Fall: Used as a primary tool; the fall is where the most energy lives.
The "Breath of Gravity" Drill
1. The Suspension (The Peak)
Stand on your tiptoes with arms high. Inhale and "hang" at the very top of your breath for as long as possible.
Describe the tension required to "hold" against gravity
2. The Fall (The Release)
Let the breath out suddenly. Let your head, then shoulders, then torso "drop" toward the floor in a curved arc.
Describe the sensation of "giving in" to gravity
Critical Synthesis
"Movement is situated on a diagonal: the arc between standing and lying." — Doris Humphrey
In your opinion, which is more honest to the human experience: the attempt to be weightless or the acceptance of the fall? Why?
Fall Recovery Teaching Kit Technique Lab: Managing the Fall
Lesson 3: The Humphrey-Weidman Theory of Fall and Recovery
Instructional Goal
Students will physically experience the "Arc Between Two Deaths" —the thrill of losing balance and the strength required to recover it. This lesson emphasizes the use of breath and weight.
Safety Note
Ensure students have enough space (arm's length in all directions) and that the floor is clear. Do not force the fall; let the weight do the work.
01
The Pendulum (Warm-up)
Stand with feet parallel. Shift weight to the balls of the feet, then the heels. Find the furthest point forward and backward you can go without stepping.
Teacher Prompt: "Feel the tension in your calves and shins. This is the body fighting to maintain its 'upright death' (stasis)."
02
The Successive Wave
Introduce "Succession." Start with a wave in the hand, then elbow, then shoulder, then head, let it travel down the spine into a deep fold.
Key Difference: Contrast this with ballet's "Block" movement. In ballet, the torso moves as one piece. In Modern, the torso is broken into segments like a chain.
03
The Fall Trio
Conduct these in sequence to build the Arc :
A. The Side Fall: Stand tall. Tip to the right until you "give in." Cross the left leg behind and slide onto the floor using the hip.
B. The Breath Recovery: From the floor, use a sharp inhale to "pull" the chest up first, letting the rest of the body follow until standing.
C. The Suspension: At the top of the recovery, hold the breath. This is the "high point" of the arc.
Discussion Questions
1. When you fell, did you feel vulnerable or powerful ? Why?
2. Weidman believed comedy could be found in the fall. How does falling down—and getting back up—tell a human story that a perfect pirouette doesn't?
3. If a "Fall" represents failure and "Recovery" represents resilience, how is this technique a political statement about the 1930s (The Great Depression)?
The Pedestrian Protest Slides NO.
The Post-Modern Dismantling
Judson Dance Theater // 1960s
Anything is Dance
01 // THE SHIFT
By the 1960s, Modern Dance had become just as "rigid" and "codified" as ballet.
The Judson Dance Theater (a group of artists in NYC) decided to strip dance of everything—costumes, music, sets, and even virtuosity (specialized skill).
The Post-Modern Rule
"A person walking across a room can be art. Washing dishes can be a dance. Sitting still can be a performance."
The "No" Manifesto (1965)
02 // THE DOCUMENT
NO to spectacle.
NO to virtuosity.
NO to transformations and magic and make-believe.
NO to the glamour and transcendency of the star image.
NO to the heroic.
NO to moving or being moved.
NO to involvement of performer or spectator.
NO to style.
NO to eccentricity.
NO to seduction of spectator by the wiles of the performer.
NO to camp.
Why "NO"?
Rainer wanted to democratize dance. If dance is "special," it excludes people. If dance is "spectacle," it lies to people.
Discussion Challenge:
If we say "No" to everything that makes dance "art," what is left?
Pedestrian Style
03 // THE PRACTICE
Task-Based
Movement focused on completing a real task (e.g., building a wall of boxes) rather than "performing" for an audience.
Chance
Using dice or coin tosses (Merce Cunningham) to decide where a dancer moves, removing the "ego" of the choreographer.
Found Space
Dancing in churches, rooftops, or subways. Rebellion against the "Grand Theater" and its tickets/rules.
Rebellion: The Everyday
Post-Modernism was a rebellion against ELITISM .
It claimed that every body is a dancing body and every moment is a potential performance. It took dance off the pedestal and put it on the street.
Manifesto Maker Worksheet The "NO" Project
Manifesto & Pedestrian Sequence Creator
Artist Name
Manifesto Ref
PM-1960-XX
Part 1: Your Personal "NO"
REJECTING THE STATUS QUO
Yvonne Rainer rejected "spectacle" and "glamour." Think about what you dislike in modern entertainment or art today (social media filters? over-editing? perfection?). Write 5 of your own "NO" statements.
NO TO:
NO TO:
NO TO:
NO TO:
NO TO:
Part 2: Pedestrian Sequence
TASK AS DANCE
Select 3 mundane "pedestrian" tasks from daily life (e.g., tying a shoe, scrolling a phone, opening a door). List them below. Then, use a "Chance" element (like a coin flip) to determine their order.
Task A
Task B
Task C
The Performance Score
Perform these tasks in your "Chance" order. The key is to perform them with ZERO EMOTION and ZERO ARTISTRY . Just do the task.
1. ____
2. ____
3. ____
Post-Performance Reflection
When you performed these everyday actions as "dance," how did your perception of the movement change? Is it still "just a shoe-tying," or is it something more?
Avant Garde Discussion Cards Breaking the Fourth Wall
Discussion Cards: Post-Modernism & Elitism
Card 01
The "Art" Problem
Yvonne Rainer said "NO to spectacle." If we remove costumes, lighting, and stage, is it still a performance? What makes something art—the object itself, or the context (the fact that we are all looking at it)?
Prompt: Context vs. Content
Card 02
The "Talent" Problem
Judson Dance Theater used non-dancers. They believed "technique" was a wall that kept regular people out of art. Does needing 10 years of training make an art form better , or just more exclusive ?
Prompt: Skill vs. Accessibility
Card 03
The "Ego" Problem
Merce Cunningham used dice to choreograph. He said, "I don't want my feelings to decide the dance." Is art supposed to be an expression of the artist's soul , or can it be purely mathematical ?
Prompt: Intention vs. Chance
Card 04
The "Audience" Problem
Post-modern dance often bored audiences on purpose. They were rebelling against "entertainment." Should art have a responsibility to be interesting, or is the audience's boredom part of the art?
Prompt: Art vs. Entertainment
Teacher Facilitation Tips
• The Fishbowl: Place 4 students in a center circle to discuss one card while others observe and take notes.
• Devil's Advocate: If students agree that "anything is dance," challenge them: "Is breathing a dance? Is blinking? Where is the line?"
• Connection: Relate the "No Manifesto" to modern "anti-trends" (e.g., #nofilter, raw photography, lo-fi music).
Tanztheater Vision Slides Total Theater
Pina Bausch & Tanztheater
The Emotional Landscape
Tanztheater
01 // THE DEFINITION
A blend of Dance (Tanz) and Theater . It rejects the "pure movement" of Post-Modernism to return to Human Reality .
Dancers speak, sing, and yell.
Costumes are evening wear (suits, heels).
Sets use natural elements (dirt, water, chairs).
"I'm not interested in how people move, but what moves them."
— Pina Bausch
The Power of Repetition
02 // PSYCHOLOGY
Bausch used Repetition to explore human relationships and social conditioning.
A dancer might repeat a violent or desperate gesture 20 times. At first, it looks like a dance. By the 20th time, it looks like truth .
Theme: The struggle between men and women.
Repetition = Intensity
The Material World
03 // SCENOGRAPHY
Visual: Rite of Spring (Pina Bausch)
The stage is covered in deep, brown peat moss (dirt).
Why the dirt?
The natural elements force the dancers to interact with a hostile environment .
• Water makes the floor slippery (Danger).
• Dirt clings to the skin and white dresses (Exhaustion).
• Chairs create obstacles (Social Barriers).
The Rebellion of Honesty
Bausch rebelled against the idea that dance should be "beautiful." She used the stage to mirror the trauma, desire, and absurdity of modern life.
"Dance, dance, otherwise we are lost."
Modern Rebellion Final Assessment Final Assessment
Modern Dance: The Philosophy of Rebellion
Sequence Synthesis
Student Name
Date
01 Conceptual Alignments
Match the pioneer to their primary philosophical rebellion. Write the letter in the space provided.
Isadora Duncan
A. Rebellion against "Virtuosity" (Pedestrian movement).
Martha Graham
B. Rebellion against "Artificiality" (The Natural Body).
Doris Humphrey
C. Rebellion against "Beauty" (The Reality of Trauma).
Yvonne Rainer
D. Rebellion against "Prettiness" (Psychological Truth).
Pina Bausch
E. Rebellion against "Weightlessness" (Gravity as a Partner).
02 The Rebellion Thesis
Essential Question: In what ways is the rejection of established dance forms a political or philosophical act of rebellion?
Choose two pioneers from our sequence. Compare how their rejection of tradition served as a commentary on the society they lived in. Use specific examples of their technique or choreography (e.g., Lamentation , No Manifesto , or the Solar Plexus ).
03: The Future Rebel
If you were to create a dance "rebellion" today, what is one rule or tradition of modern culture you would say "NO" to? How would that look on stage?
Sequence Synthesis Rubric Grading Rubric
Modern Rebellion Sequence Synthesis
Part 1: Answer Key
1. Isadora Duncan: B
2. Martha Graham: D
3. Doris Humphrey: E
4. Yvonne Rainer: A
5. Pina Bausch: C
Part 2: Essay Rubric
Criteria Exemplary (4) Proficient (3) Developing (2) Historical Context Clearly connects movement style to specific societal pressures (e.g., Suffrage, WWII, 1960s counter-culture). Mentions societal context but lacks specific details or nuance. Describes the dance style but fails to connect it to the broader world. Technical Analysis Uses specific terminology (Contraction, Fall/Recovery, Solar Plexus, Pedestrian) correctly and deeply. Uses terms correctly but does not explain their philosophical weight. Uses general terms (jumping, falling) without historical/technical specificity. Comparative Synthesis Synthesizes how two different rebellions addressed a similar or evolving problem (e.g., elitism). Discusses two pioneers but treats them as separate entities without comparison. Only focuses on one pioneer or provides superficial differences. Argumentation Strongly argues *why* movement is a political act with compelling logic. States that movement is political but relies on basic observations. Argument is unclear or lacks supporting evidence from the course.
Score Conversion
18 - 20 pts: Exceptional Performance (A+)
15 - 17 pts: High Mastery (A)
12 - 14 pts: Approaching Mastery (B)
"Movement never lies." — Martha Graham
