Modern dance is a style of free and expressive theatrical dancing that is not bound by the classical rulres of baller, but rather, responds and reacts to them. It is also sometimes referred to as contemporary or concert dance. 

Modern dance encourages dancers to use their emotions and moods to design their own steps and routines. It is not unusual for dancers to invent new steps for their routines. Another unique characteristic of modern dance is the delibarate use of gravity. Whereas classical ballet dancers strive to be light and airy on their feet, modern dancers often use their body weight to enhance movement.

Modern Dance Vocabulary

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• Contraction & Release 
  Contraction: use of abdominal muscle contraction and flexion of the back muscles to curl the spine forward into a "c" shape
  Releasing the contracted muscles and expanding through the spine to recover to standing

• Spiral
  An exploration of how the spine can move in a twisting motion, keeping the hips and pelvis stable and rotating the torso in either direction

• Drop Swings
  Starting with arms above the head and releasing control of the torso and relaxing core muscles to drop the torso towards the floor and simultaneously swiming the arms forward and down. After swinging forward and down as much as possible, allowing the flow of energy to return the body to upright position following the same pathway in reverse. There is a focus on allowing gravity to create the energy and guide the movement.

• Leg Swings
  Standing in a parallel position the dancer lifts one leg then releases the leg muscles and allowing gravity to pull the leg down. Dancers then allow the energy created by gravity to swing the leg through to the opposite side of where it began. All of this is done while maintaining the stability in the rest of the body. These can also be done on the floor with the foot maintaining contact with the floor the whole time.

Additional Resources on Modern Dance

Jazz Dance Vocabulary

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• Jazz Walk
  A stylized walk, knees slightly bent or "soft" with weight traveling downward into the ground through the balls of the feet with heels raised off the floor. Shoulders or hips rotate in a natural but exaggerated motion

• Pivot Turn
  An abrupt change in direction without movement of the feet

• Pas De Bourree
  A 3 step combination stepping back, then side, then front and done with a synchopated rhythm used frequently in jazz

• Battement
  A large kick of the leg in any direction, trying to reach its height with minimal change to the torso and standing leg

• Piroutte 
  A turn on one leg with the other leg raised and bent with the raised foot connecting to the standing knee

• Isolations
  Movement of one singular part of the body at a time while maintaining stability in the rest of the body. Commonly the head, shoulders, or torso.

Additional Resources on Jazz Dance