I chose to study modern dance because it is a diverse dance genre. The movement is unique to each pioneer. I specifically chose Ruth St. Denis because her innovations to modern dance were the roots to the modern style I am used to, which is Martha Graham’s. Martha Graham focuses on how inner forces and flow of breath produce movement. Ruth, on the other hand, was all about the creativity of numerous aspects coming together to produce a distinctive performance. While watching dance pieces, I love discovering the meaning behind it and how the music, movement, props, etcetera supplement it.
While watching Ruth St. Denis’s “Indian Noche” piece, I
could feel the passion she has for not only dance, but culture in general. The movement looks free and enjoyable
to do. It shows sensuality as she twists
her wrists to make poses. As she
twirls around in a circle, it reminds me of being a careless child again,
something we all long for. The
movement she is performing is influenced by traditional East India
culture. Her costume highlights
customary clothing of women in India.
By watching this performance, I am not only learning about this modern
dance style, but about India as well. Image courtesy of strawberige.blogspot.com | Because Ruth St. Denis based her dances off of oriental
experiences, I believe Ruth was very open-minded. She didn’t judge other rituals or customs as she
toured. Instead, she took it as a
learning opportunity to incorporate these new ideas into a new dance style. She took her dancing ability and
creative mindset to another level by founding a dance studio, company, and
organization to spread her love for dance to everyone. This shows just how large Ruth’s passion and dedication is
for the art of dance. |
By Jessica Baetz