Level: Advanced Beginner

Format: Studio-based training with live and recorded music

Recommended for: Dancers developing or refining modern dance skills

Course Description: Modern Technique I introduces dancers to the foundational principles of modern dance, emphasizing breath, weight, and grounded movement. This course provides a comprehensive exploration of modern dance fundamentals, including floor work, contractions, spirals, and the efficient use of momentum. Dancers will learn how to initiate movement from the core, develop fluid transitions, and explore the relationship between strength and release. With an emphasis on musicality and spatial awareness, students will begin to cultivate their own expressive movement quality while gaining a solid technical base rooted in modern dance traditions.

Throughout the course, dancers will engage in structured exercises designed to enhance core stability, articulation of the spine, and dynamic shifts in weight. Movement phrases will incorporate a blend of classical modern techniques and contemporary influences, encouraging versatility and adaptability. Improvisational exercises will be introduced to foster creativity and deepen the dancer’s connection to movement initiation and intention. Additionally, students will be introduced to the theoretical foundations of modern dance, gaining insight into the historical and cultural contexts that have shaped the form.

By the end of Modern Technique I, dancers will demonstrate improved strength, control, and dynamic movement quality while embodying modern dance principles with confidence. They will develop a strong technical vocabulary, increased spatial awareness, and a greater ability to move with clarity and intention. This course serves as an essential step in a dancer’s technical progression, preparing them for more advanced modern and contemporary dance studies.

Course Expectations:

• Demonstrate control in grounded and elevated movements

• Commit to full physical expression and technical precision

• Engage with both structured choreography and improvisation

Assessment Methods:Technical evaluations, composition projects, and performance assessments.

Attendance Requirement:Consistent attendance ensures physical and artistic progression.

Course Attire: Flesh Tone Leotard and Flesh Tone Convertible Tights 

Notes:Complements Contemporary courses for dancers pursuing stage and concert performance careers.