Benefits of Modern Dance?

[annaliesey]

I'm questioning how worthwhile it is for my dd to carry on with modern dance syllabus. It just seems so old fashioned I can't understand the benefits of her carrying on with these exams when she seems to cover so much else with lyrical, contemporary, jazz and tap. Is it really important to have these grades for anything in the future?

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Ds has always found Modern to be very good for technique.

[annaliesey]

That's what her dance teacher has said but I don't really understand what technique they get in modern syllabus that they don't get anywhere else

[invisiblecircus]

Which syllabus is it?

[annaliesey]

ISTD modern theatre

[sarahw]

I have a related question which is what is the difference between modern and jazz?

[Guest]

There isn't a difference. ISTD just call it modern instead of jazz

[Picturesinthefirelight]

I've always thought that there is a difference as dd dies modern at the moment but when she is year 10 she will do jazz.

[2dancersmum]

I'm curious when you mention lyrical, contemporary, jazz and tap - if your DD follows a syllabus in these and has exams? Tap is an aside but I thought the ISTD Modern covered some jazz and some lyrical?

[annaliesey]

There is a difference .. There's is ISTD graded syllabus in Modern theatre and some of these dances can be either lyrical amalgamation or jazz amalgamation (teachers choice). Then there is ISTD Jazz which is bronze, silver and gold rather than several numbered grades.

 

The other classes she does in lyrical or contemporary are all non syllabus and freework if that makes sense

 

I suppose I just see the modern theatre syllabus as quite old fashioned and not sure if it's worth the time and money getting through the grades if it's not particularly useful

[Anna C]

My dd stopped ISTD Modern after Grade 5 as classes moved to Saturday so clashed with Associates. She loved Modern though and felt it gave her excellent preparation for the Jazz section at a recent audition. Also it was a nice contrast to Ballet. :-)

 

If your dd is doing Modern and a separate Jazz class there may be no need for her to do both - what does her teacher think?

[taxi4ballet]

If the jazz class is largely 'street jazz' it is probably worth continuing with modern as well, but perhaps talk to the teacher, as others suggest. DD has always thought of modern as 'West End musicals' and jazz as 'pop video', although that's probably a bit of a generalisation.

[aballetlife]

I did ISTD modern and I really liked it, I felt like it gave me a base for other dance styles such as contemporary as before vocational school i'd never had proper lessons but found it quite easy to pick up. I also just generally enjoyed it as a dance style.

the ISTD jazz and modern are quite similar though as the Jazz branches off from the modern section if that makes sense? I feel like the Jazz is probably more old fashioned although they have been changing and updating to make it more jazzy I think.

having said that if your dd already does Jazz and contemporary she probably wouldn't loose much from stopping it. maybe it's worth asking the teachers opinion?

[invisiblecircus]

I don't know anything about ISTD grades apart from what I have seen on youtube videos (!) Some of it does look old fashioned but if your DD is looking for a professional career, there are still shows that use that style. However, exams in any style are not necessary for anything other than a teaching certificate in that syllabus although lots of people find them rewarding to work towards.

 

If she's enjoying the classes, they're worthwhile!

[annaliesey]

She is enjoying the classes (not as much as ballet and others but enough to stick with it) and it's just me that's questionning it really in terms of usefulness

 

She's doing her gold jazz and there isn't any more levels after that so will just revert to doing just modern syllabus. Although she is in a commercial jazz competition team which she hugely enjoys.

 

Her teacher thinks she should definitely carry on with modern as says she needs it for college courses lately or will be made to do it anyway. She says that the ballet students she danced with all had to do modern and vice versa.

 

It just looks quite boring compared to do many other exciting dance styles but that's me talking and not my daughter I've just found myself questionning why she's doing it for the first time.

 

I can't decide whether it's worth her time and my money if it could be better spent elsewhere but at an hour a week it's no big deal to stick with it all the while she enjoys it and just in case it's useful later

 

We went to a festival this weekend and watching the older girls sections just made me think a bit about the whole style and whether it genuinely is of benefit

[Harwel]

I think it is useful for building technique. It you look at jazz and other modern forms of dance there are a lot of things like knee drops and dropping onto backs etc. with the modem sylabus they learn to do this with control and build up the strength gradually. When watching festivals etc you can see the ones who have thrown in these things before they are trained in them as the kids just drop, and I seriously fear for their bodies.

 

DC dislikes the modern sylabus but loves jazz however, his teachers tell me they can see he has done modern to a good level as his technique is there for jazz. In my opinion it is worth it, if only to help protect growing bodies.

[annaliesey]

Thank you Harwel that's a really good view and helped me loads if it's for technique and safety aswell as strength then that'll keep me happy to support her

[Picturesinthefirelight]

I agree with Harwel

 

Modern is very precise & the technique is built up carefully.

 

I was involved with a group of children who did jazz/musical theatre dance & whilst their usual teacher was on maternity a cover teacher came in & did a term of modern.

 

The difference was phenomenal.

[Harwel]

I'm glad it was helpful. ????

[Nana Lily]

If you manage to get to see the finals of Janet Cram Awards or have a DC take part, you will observe the ISTD Modern Theatre genre at its best. There are three catergorie; junior, senior and premier. The dancers have to perform a couple if elements of the set syllabus, then the rest is free work, followed by the dancers own solo. The standard is outstanding and the solos breathtaking at the finals. Here you can see what that syllabus can lead to for the most talented dancers.

[Dancingdreams]

if it helps my son only started taking modern lessons @ vocational school @ intermediate level - when I first heard some of the syllabus music and saw some of the set work I thought it did seem very dated.  I can only say that Adv 1 and Adv 2 are much better, the content is much more flexible and allows more free work from the student. 

[BankruptMum]

There isn't a difference. ISTD just call it modern instead of jazz

 

There is a difference, Jazz is a completely different syllabus with only bronze, silver and gold grades.  Our teacher told us that Modern is where you learn the correct technique and foundation to allow you to perform Jazz, lyrical styles correctly.

[BankruptMum]

if it helps my son only started taking modern lessons @ vocational school @ intermediate level - when I first heard some of the syllabus music and saw some of the set work I thought it did seem very dated.  I can only say that Adv 1 and Adv 2 are much better, the content is much more flexible and allows more free work from the student. 

 

The Adv 1 and 2 have recently been updated - I assume this will continue down through the grades.  My daughter is doing Adv 1 and its very challenging/comprehensive - she wont be speeding through this grade :-)

[Guest]

There is a difference, Jazz is a completely different syllabus with only bronze, silver and gold grades. Our teacher told us that Modern is where you learn the correct technique and foundation to allow you to perform Jazz, lyrical styles correctly.

Sorry my teacher always told me when I asked about jazz that there was only the modern syllabus. Obviously she was mistaken. Very sorry

[Mrs Brown]

sorry to butt in but could I ask what the difference is then between Modern Jazz which some boards do like IDTA and Modern Theatre (and then the jazz awards) that ISTD do? I was assuming that jazz was a sort of off shoot/associated style of modern but that modern jazz and modern theatre were just different names by different boards? I have a feeling I have already asked this question at some point but I do get confused.

[BankruptMum]

Sorry my teacher always told me when I asked about jazz that there was only the modern syllabus. Obviously she was mistaken. Very sorry

 

Sorry if my response was abrupt I didnt mean it that way.  There are lots of teachers with different opinions but Jazz is something which can be studied separately and exams taken in.

[2dancersmum]

That always puzzled me too Brown- I think as best I can make out that the ISTD Modern contains elements from both the IDTA Theatre Craft and IDTA Modern Jazz. Like Taxi said - think 'west end musicals' The IDTA modern jazz is I think a much more in depth syllabus of jazz than the medals from ISTD. It starts simple and builds up strength and technique as you progess. There is a lot about control, isolations, contractions and release and rhythm and it develops for use in both lyrical and more funky jazz styles. Its most definitely not 'pop music' style. My DDs have done IDTA though elder DD has done some ISTD Modern at vocational school also. The two syllabi perhaps become more similar as they reach the advanced grades, I don't know but DD found little difference between them.

[Mrs Brown]

I suppose though 2dancersmum that people wouldn't generally JUST go and do the ISTD Jazz medals, they would have already done all the gentle and structured build up with isolations, rhythm etc in the Modern Theatre grades and then go on to do the jazz as an extra alongside it where as in IDTA it would be either following Modern Jazz or Theatre Craft or both?  I hadn't heard of theatre craft until a few weeks ago - to me the name would imply doing general theatre stuff including singing, acting and behind the scenes stuff, certainly doesn't imply dancing to me at all but I suppose they all want to pick names that are specific to their board and obviously wanted something which would cover a range of theatre dancing (I would have thought 'theatre dance' would have been a more accurate name mind jazz implies just dancing to jazz music to me too and modern would sound like current pop songs so I obviously have no idea what I am talking about!!!)

[RhodaKuc]

Re: IDTA Dance Syllabi:

I have taken both the IDTA Modern Jazz and Theatre Craft at Intermediate level (As an add-on to Ballet). They have different focus and I can say that the Modern Jazz was fantastic in terms of developing core strength, alignment, special awareness and control along with a great range of dance styles from early Jazz/Charleston to a current "chart" number via a range of traditional and abstract music all in one exam! Whilst feeling like a rebel in working in parallel in bare feet, it was great fun!

The Theatre craft was different again with the focus on stagecraft and show style performance in developing flexibility for in-ward and out-ward round (fan) kicks! While mostly wearing ballet/light Jazz shoes there is also a large proportion working in heels, and a requirement for a "prop" routine.  There is no singing TC, but a focus on counting vocally in some exercises with a view to preparing perhaps for becoming a "dance captain".

My daughter has followed the Musical Theatre syllabus which does involve singing and monologues as well as group exams where a short piece of drama is taken from a Musical along with a song and dance number.

As you can see all three together offer a slightly different view of dance as a performance art.
Below are extracts from the IDTA web-site on these styles. 

Modern Jazz: Modern Jazz is fun. You will learn to develop many different movements reaching to a broad choice of varying rhythms and musical styles. Classes are structured to begin to prepare the physical strength and flexibility required to demonstrate emotion through interpretation of any musical genre, one minute you may be dancing to the rhythm of a drum, the next to a funky jazz style. You may explore contrast between expansion and relaxation or learn to isolate in a slick stylish mood, whatever the atmosphere of the class, it will be a wonderful opportunity to react and interact with other members of the class and really dance to express your feelings.

Theatre Craft: The exciting Theatre Craft syllabus exists to develop the versatile show dancer. Full to the brim with varied styles including Musical Theatre, Pantomime, Cabaret and Commercial Dance. Essential elements - kicks, turns, and rhythmic awareness are all explored, whilst props and accessories are used to assist the styles. The fully orchestrated musical pieces add to the excitement and atmosphere of this unique performance based syllabus.

Musical Theatre: So you wanna be a star? Or maybe you just want to have the moves - and the fun - of the stars. So start with the IDTA's Musical Theatre Syllabus! A fusion of all modern music and dance styles, Musical Theatre takes you to inspirational heights. The spotlight's on you!

 

Hope this helps!

 

RK

[2dancersmum]

That's why I say I think there is a lot of overlap. Mine did IDTA - Theatre Craft up to and including grade 1 and that was started before IDTA modern jazz DD stopped part way through Ad 1. The school stopped the theatre craft at grade 1 and now no longer teaches it. The IDTA modern jazz does have min ages for each grade though and quite often mine did a medal after a grade rather than progress straight onto the next grade as the teacher felt students needed a bit of maturity sometimes to do the syllabus justice as she felt some of the moves looked wrong done by the more capable but younger students.

[RhodaKuc]

At our studio the classes usually alternate Modern Jazz with Theatre Craft to give a change of focus and time to develop between Grades too!

 

RK

[Dance*is*life]

We don't follow a syllabus for anything but ballet in our school, but I can assure you that there is a huge difference in modern/contemporary and jazz dance.  We have separate teachers for both genres and I think the dances for the end of year performance are quite distinctive.  The interesting thing is that none of the teachers will accept a child in their classes who hasn't done ballet.  In our school that wouldn't happen, but I believe they apply that rule elsewhere too, because they all insist on a level of technique which is not possible without a ballet foundation.  We start preparatory modern around Grade 3 level and jazz is introduced in Grade 5. 

 

The repertoire of a classical ballet company is very different from what it was when I was at vocational school, so we didn't have modern classes as part of the timetable, although I had learnt it at my performing arts school.  I don't think you'll find a vocational school today that doesn't include modern or jazz - all professional classical ballet dancers need to be versatile nowadays to cope with the varied repertoire they are expected to perform.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Grade 3 is very late to start modern! Children at dds previous school tended to start around the age of 5/6, just slightly after tap.

 

Contemporary is started later around the age of 11.

Edited March 14, 2015 by Picturesinthefirelight