In the early 1900s, some European ballet dancers had begun to separate from the rigidness of traditional ballet toward a “freer” type of dance. They abandoned the classical technique, costumes and shoes, and focused rather on movement and expression.

Choreographers such as Francois Delsarte, Émile Jaques-Dalcroze and Rudolf von Laban developed theories of human movement and expression, and methods of instruction that led to the development of European modern and Expressionist dance. Their influence extended far beyond the borders of their home countries, gathering disciples in such areas of the globe like Russia, the United States and Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

United States particularly produced a crop of instructors who secured their places in the history of dance by creating unique forms of modern movement. Some of these legendary figures include Loie Fuller, Isadora Duncan, Ruth St. Denis, Doris Humphrey and Martha Graham.

While rooted in ballet, modern dance diverges from the structure of classical ballet and rather embraces free-spirit and emotion. Contemporary dance is a form of twentieth century theatre dance. It is non-story dance, which means it is open to interpretation. It’s fresh, stimulating and risk-taking. Instead of the padded-toe shoes and perceived weightlessness of ballet, dancers usually perform barefoot and close to the ground. At the same time, modern dancing requires a vast array of skill, as routines can become quite elaborate and complicated.

Modern dance arrived in Canada relatively late in its evolution. Canadians tend to focus outside of the country for guidance and inspiration. In the case of modern dance, these inspirations were first European, derived from the teachings of Emile Jacques-Dalcroze, an Austrian who believed in the translation of rhythm into body movement, and the Hungarian Rudolf von Laban, who viewed dance as an art experience.

The modern dance movement in Canada received a boost in the 1970s by the formation of a dance department at York University. Although its founding head, Grant STRATE, was rooted in traditional ballet, he was a brilliant innovator and seeker of new forms of expression. He proved a visionary and inspirational teacher at York, attracting distinguished artists to the faculty and encouraging the appearance, often for the first time in Canada, of notable American modern-dance artists to teach and perform.