Modern Dance

Modern Dance began in America in the early part of the 1900's as a rebellion against the strict codification of ballet. Early modern dance pioneers threw off their shoes and decided to use gravity and the suspension and release of falling as a means of dance expression. They scorned the restrictions of tight tu-tu's and corsets and pointe shoes. Modern dancers at that time began to explore unaffected human movement as a means of dance expression. That tradition continues to this day.

Today, modern dance embraces all human movement as grist for the choreographic mill. Walking, running, skipping, rolling, leaping are all part of modern dance technique. Modern dance is concerned with movement rather than positions, and experiments with the quality of that movement. Modern dance explores the emotional connection to movement for both the dancer and the onlooker, investigating, not necessarily what a movement "means', but how it makes us feel.

The master class with Paul Frasz will be a fast-paced modern dance experience, including a short improvisation, technical center exercises, movement across the floor, and a lengthy combination of movements. Frasz classes each have a concept or "theme" that unite the movements of the class.