Introduction

When tracing the origins and development of modern dance, many people will think of rebellious modern dance pioneers, two major schools of German-American rebel elites, and the connection and separation of modern dance and ballet in past one century.  In fact, after a century, today's modern dance has exposure at the large cultural background of the world. Various religions, different styles of national psychology, historic customs, habits and all kinds of folk art all closely related with the formation of modern dance. And this relationship with the combination of variety of artistic forms with modern dance is becoming sharper and stronger. Modern dance was not unaware of a superior pure modern art, nor is enclosed in unconventional and overweening narcissism art, and not the simple decor and stiff mix of tradition and folk cultural. I believe that art is generated from the life.

With the development of society, all aspects of human life are deeply penetrated and affected by feminist thinking. When women realize that the researches and analysis of humanity, and the pass concept of the world are separation of a binary premise, they began to question, reflect and critic the setting rules of the world. Feminist art as a product of feminism and female awakening, in today's world is no longer a new topic. Dance as an art, a kind of unique cultural phenomenon, which is unique for human beings. It is closely related to the development of human society. Although the relationship between female and dance is quite close, before the twentieth century female dancers, women are threated as "puppet" or the object that being watched. And at that time, dance was neither the way for women to express their emotions, nor the way for communicating with the outside world. Until the emergence of modern dance and feminism thinking, female modern dancers are given a certain of space for expression.

Here, I hold five typical distinctive female modern dancers, who are Isadora Duncan, Mary Wigman, Martha Graham, Hanya Holm, and Doris Humphrey. And I commit three main features of these female modern dancers, which are setting independent spirit as a starting point, using freedom to express inner mind, and making true self-liberation as the goal.

Mary Wigman (1886-1973):

Mary Wigman born in Hanover, Germany. Her father is a businessman. With a superior family, and adventurous from childhood, she went to Switzerland, and Netherland to chasing her dreams after graduating from high school. Finally, Mary heard a school, which is founded by a Swiss musician Dacromet and aimed to reconcile the rhythm of the music and the rhythm of the body.

In this school, Mary found her desire of wanted to move. She also understood the possibility that dance according to rhythm from heart rather than external music rhythm. In 1913 Mary joined Pradesh’s dance school. From the exploration of movement, Mary showed a more distinctive improvisational dance.

She believed that dancers should start with the action itself, then it is able to directly result the purest forms of dance. And it is better for dancer to listen their inner rhythm instead of existing music, and manifest the nature of the action.
 Collaborating with Pradesh, Mary also explored her own side of the road.  After World War I, her thrilling dance attracted the profound attention of audience. Moreover, she was also known for the famous German modern dancer. In 1920, Mary founded her first dance school. In 1928, she brought students to do the tour in places such as Britain and America, spread out the German modern dance, and established branch schools in many countries as well.  The basic law “tension-relaxation”, which is presented by her, also affected the American modern dance master Martha Graham.

After Hitler came to power in 1933, Mary’s career was affected, and she could not carry out the teaching activities. Then the dance school was forfeited. In 1945, she rebuilt a dance school in Leipzig. Four years later she moved the school to West Berlin, then it became the place where modern dancers from all over the world meet. Mary created over one hundred works in her life. Among these works, some reflected the need of substance, some reflected the mood, and the rest of works reflected the spirit of the world. In addition, there are three monographs left by her.

In 1973, Mary died at the age of 87. In order to collect, preserve and do the research on the Wigman dance system, Germany set up a "Mary Wigman Association".

My point of view:

Wigman do not agree with identity secularization of modern dance, for her, dance is not entertainment, but the faith and sermons, and she was the pastor.

In order to fully express the extreme emotions, Wigman not fear for use some "ugly" actions, her work is never lack of passion and energy. On the other hand, her dance was known for masculine, tough, solemn, abstract and dark, which can be shown from the names of her works.

Isadora Duncan (1878-1927):

Isadora Duncan was the famous American dancer, as well as the founder of modern dance. She was the first one who performed barefoot on stage.

Duncan loves dance, and showed a strong dance talent since childhood. However, she did not receive any formal dance education, since she could not bear the strict boring stylized teaching method of ballet. The technique of Ballet was too mechanization, besides to show off skills, the whole form and content cannot express the profound feelings. Duncan absorbed inspiration from ancient Greece, where is the origin of the Western culture. She put on a white robe, took her shoes off, and expressed the praise to life and nature. She not only promoted the development of modern dance, but also led to innovations of classical ballet. She said that dance was a great original art, which can wake up the other kind of arts.

            1899, Duncan began touring in Europe. In 1921, on the fourth anniversary of "October revolution", she traveled to Moscow, and danced in the Bolshoi Theatre.

In the end, Lenin stood up and applauded for her, she then performed dance "The Internationale", causing the chorus of entire audience. Duncan later joined the Soviet citizenship.

At a small party, Duncan and her Sergei Yesenin loved at first sight, and then married. But divorced a few years later.

In September 14, 1927, after the party in France, on the way back to home, Duncan’s long scarf twisted into the wheel. Although the car immediately stopped, she neck still fractured, and died at the age of 50.

My point of view:

            Duncan’s healthy strong body, big running jump dance, is the symbols of the new century. She was the forerunner of modern dance and new women. She was a huge legend.