Modern dance is a dance form that developed in the early twentieth century. Partly as a rebellion against the traditional, more highly technical forms of dance such as ballet, as well as a way to express contemporary social concerns. While strongly influenced by classical ballet, the movement of modern dance can be quite different in dynamics and style; many movements are weighted and close to the earth.
For any dancer, being exposed to as many different styles of dance as possible is always a good thing. Incorporating Modern Dance into a young dancer’s Ballet training is essential if you are wanting to develop a well-rounded dancer and performer. The more versatile a dancer can be, the better chance that dancer has of having a sustainable career! Modern also builds a strength in a dancer that you cannot acquire through ballet alone.
Modern Dance Classes
Age 10+Using the principals of dance learned in their ballet classes, students will explore a diverse syllabus of modern technique. Modern helps students gain confidence as they learn to move and strengthen their bodies and develop a stronger core.
Inna’s Hall of Fame’s modern dance classes provide knowledge and proficiency in this genre, thereby increasing the student’s repertoire of movement and choreography. Emphasis is placed on learning the particular movements and positions to its unique style and technique. Improvisational techniques will at times be demonstrated and practiced. The freedom to explore space outside the classical spectrum enriches the student’s vocabulary of movement, enabling the dancer to convey ideas and express inner feelings.
Lyrical dance is a form of dance that branches from ballet. It takes the technical training that dancers receive and softens it, while still keeping the foundation. The music in the lyrical dance classes often tells a story, and the movement corresponds. This type of dance is a very expressive form of dance. The dancer becomes the actor and tells a story through technique and emotion with their bodies instead of their voices.
Lyrical students usually have a good background in ballet and/or jazz as these dance classes assume that technique is already present and primarily focus on emotion. It is the progression from technical ballet class to learning how to actually “dance” a ballet.
Blending classical and modern techniques, Lyrical class incorporates leaps, turns, extensions, and choreography, challenging each student to develop their individual artistic voice.
Lyrical Dance Classes
Ages 14+
This class is for dance students over the ages 14, and who love to express themselves through their physical body. The lyrical dance classes will consist of a warm-up, stretches, working on body isolations, across the floor exercises and a center combination. An emphasis is placed on interpreting music and emotion into movement and dancing from the heart.
Improvisational skills are introduced as well. Dancers will often be asked to take an intention or emotion and move freely to explore the music, describing this emotion through dance. As they get older these exercises will get more challenging and become a large portion of their training.
This is an expressive class for students who like to move in a creative and musical way. The movement style is a combination of ballet technique mixed with modern and contemporary.