100 Modern Dance Moves...how many do you know? | Post-Modern Dance, Somatic Dance, Classical Dance

What is modern dance?
Modern dance is one of the most diverse styles of American dance comprised of various techniques.
Some techniques (most featured in this video) include Horton Technique, Graham Technique, Limon Technique, Post Modern Dance, Cunningham Technique, Taylor Technique, Forsythe Technique, *Contact Improvisations, and more.
Modern dance techniques are created by modern dance pioneers and their students that carry on the artistic practices, philosophy, and choreography.
For this reason, modern dance has been preserved for the past century, and now with technology and video sharing sites such as Youtube, everyone can experience the beauty of modern dance.

Chapters
0:00 - Introductions
0:07 - 1. Modern Dance Turns
0:09 - 2. Lateral T Turn (Horton Technique)
0:13 - 3. Ronde De Jambe Initiated Turn
0:20 - 4. Chaine Turn Variations
0:25 - 5. Off Balance Pirouette
0:32 - 6. Pencil Turn
0:37 - 7. Sharp Pivot
0:40 - 8. Goal Post Arm Turn (Horton Technique)
0:44 - 9. Fan Turn
0:49 - 10. Head Initiated Turn
1:00 - 11. Leg Spiral to Ronde De Jambe
1:04 Modern Dance Jumps
1:06 - 12. Passe Hop
1:08 - 14. Echappe Jump
1:11 - 14. Graham Hop (Graham Technique)
1:14 - 15. Passe Chug Hop Variations
1:20 - 16. Overhead Passe Hop Release
1:28 - 17. Barrel Jump
1:32 - 18. Suspended Hop
1:35 - 19. Flying Squirrel
1:39 - 20.Helicopter
1:44 - Traveling Modern Dance Moves
1:46 - 21. Step Ball Change
1:52 - 22. Cross Ball Change
2:00 - 23. Zig Zag Pathway
2:03 - 24. Skip Step
2:06 - 25. Modern Dance Triplet Step
2:09 - 26. Modern Dance Pony Step
2:12 - 27. Chug Step
2:14 - 28. Drag Step
2:17 - 29. Circular Running
2:22 - 30. Across the Floor Circular Pathway (Trisha Brown Inspired)
2:28 - 31. Modern Dance Combo 1
2:36 - 32. Modern Dance Combo 2
2:40 - 33. Modern Dance Combo 3
2:44 - 34. Modern Dance Combo 4
2:52 - 35. Modern Dance Combo 5
3:01 - 36. Paul Taylor Run
3:08 - 37. Gallop
3:09 - Modern Dance Balancing Moves
3:11 - 38. Hinge Variation 1
3:15 - 39. Hinge Variation 2
3:24 - 40. Pitching
3:32 - 41. Suspended Passe
3:37 - 42. Passe Slide
3:41 - 43. Bison/Buffalo Contraction (Graham Technique)
3:47 - 44. Temps Lie to Attitude
3:58 - 45. Attitudes
4:04 - 46. Penche Arabesque Variation 1
4:11 - 47 Penche Arabesque Variation 2
4:17 - 48. Lateral T (Horton Technique)
4:19 - 49. Modern Dance Low Leg Passe
4:21 - Modern Dance Rolls
4:22 - 50. Lunge Roll Variation 1
4:27 - 51. Lunge Roll Variation 2
4:32 - 52. Seat Roll
4:38 - 53. Egg Roll
4:46 - Modern Dance Abdominal Work
4:48 - 54. Seat Balance
4:52 - 55. Pleading (Graham Technique)
4:57 - 56. Contraction (Graham Technique)
5:01 - Modern Dance Arm Positions
5:02 - 57-62 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th Position
5:10 - 63. Bird Arms (Horton Technique)
5:12 - Modern Dance Tendu Work
5:15 - 64. Parallel Tendu
5:19 - 65. Temp Lie
5:24 - 66. Horton Walks (Horton Technique)
5:35 - 67. Tendu Release Throw
5:47 - 68. Battement
5:53 - Modern Dance Leg Work
5:53 - 69. Parallel Plie
5:57 - 70. Plie Turn
6:01 - 71. Plie Second Contraction
6:06 - 72. Parallel Plie Contraction
6:12 - 73. Leg Kicks
6:16 - Modern Dance Back Work
6:19 - 74. Standing Body Waves
6:26 - 75. Seated Body Wave
6:35 - 76. Seated Spinal Twist
6:38 - 77. Standing Spinal Twist
6:41 - 78. Standing Spinal Rotation
6:48 - 79. Sway Rock
6:55 - 80. Standing Spinal Flexion
7:01 - 81. Roll Down
7:10 - 82. Bounces (Graham Technique)
7:15 - Modern Dance Upper Body Work
7:17 - 83. Standing Arm Circles
7:23 - 84. Arm Rotators
7:33 - 85. Drop Swing
7:38 - 86. Drop Swing with Jump
7:42 - 87. Arm Swing w/ Lunge
7:58 - 88. Arm Variation
8:06 - Leg Swings and Leg Circles
8:08 - 89. Ronde De Jambe
8:13 - 90. Leg Swing
8:21 - 91. Ronde De Jambe Hop
8:23 - Isolations and Melts
8:25 - 92. Head Isolation
8:33 - 93. Body Melt
8:39 - Flat Back Series
8:41 - 94. Standard Flat Back
8:54 - 95. Lateral Flatback
9:03 - Other Skills
9:05 - 96. Arm Variation 1
9:10 - 97. Arm Variation 2
9:15 - 98. Gestures
9:20 - 99. Yoga-Modern Dance Fusion
9:33 - 100. Improvisation Demonstration
9:55 - Video Outro

If you would like to learn any specific moves please let me know down below.
This video is intended to be a reference resource for coaches, creatives, and creators seeking ideas and inspiration for tutorials, choreography, art reference drawing, skill growth, curriculum building, exercise sequencing, and more.

I would love to know how many of these fun skills do you know? what was the most interesting? What were the most challenging skills?

Keep dancing, moving, and learning!

[olivxa_aa]

turns 0:08
jumps 1:15
traveling moves 1:45
balance 3:10
rolls 4:21
abdominals 4:46
tendu work 5:13
leg work 5:50
flexion, extension, rotation 6:16
upper body work 7:15
leg swings and circles 7:06
head isolations and melts 8:24
flat backs 8:40
upper flow 9:03
yoga fusion 9:19
improvisation 9:30

[abbey]

coming back to these
pencil turn 0:30
echappe jump 1:08
passé chug hop 1:15
overhead passé hop release 1:20
flying squirrel 1:36
cross step ball change 1:52
triplet step 2:08
hinge variation 3:14
pitching 3:25
suspended passé 3:33
passé slide to ground 3:37
martha graham contraction 3:45
temps lie attitude 3:48
attitude 3:59
penche arabesque 4:08 4:16
lunge roll 4:24
seat balance 4:49
contraction 4:56
bird arms 5:10
tendu release 5:36
plié second contraction 6:01
parallel plié contraction 6:08
standing body wave 6:19
seated body wave 6:27
standing spiral rotation 6:41
standing side spinal flexon 6:55
drop swing w jump 7:39
arm swing lunge 7:44
arm slice lunge 8:00
leg swing 8:14
body melt 8:35

[DosYeobos]

A lot of those jumps and ballet-esque moves are things I just naturally learned dancing alone at home, when no one is watching so I don’t feel silly.

[crystalpowser]

I do not have any dance knowledge but you make it look so easy. You’re very graceful. Most definitely one of my favorite all time YOuTube videos. Thank you

[LuxeGeek]

This video is ap incredible for choreographers, dancers and non-dancers! Thanks for breaking it down for us. ❤

[meganchristoferson]

dont mind me ;) thank you for this! as someone who is new to dance, i have done these moves in class but when i am required to choreograph i forget everything, so this is so helpful thank you!

1:14 passe chug hop
1:46 step ball changes
3:25 pitching
3:33 suspended passe
3:48 temp lies to attitude
3:59 attitudes
4:57 contraction
5:37 tendu release
6:19 standing body wave
9:15 gestures

[brookem]

Using this to keep track of my favorites:

Turns:
0:09
0:15
0:25
0:31
1:01

Jumps:
1:06
1:15
1:20

Traveling moves:
2:06
2:14

Balance:
3:25
3:34
3:37
3:59

Rolls:
4:24

Upper body work:
7:34
7:44

Isolations and melts:
8:34

[양정원-nh]

Dont mind me just time marking what i want to use:

2:06
5:47
6:13
8:13
3:32
0:37
1:46
3:25
4:19
3:58

[QiGrace]

My favorite is the demi pleae! Took modern dance in high school and absolutely loved it! ❤❤❤🎉🎉

[gauriwayal]

0:33- Pencil Turn
3:16- Hinge Variation
4:18- Lateral T
4:48- Seat Balance
7:03- Roll Down

[lalalalalalalala]

6. sharp pivot 0:38
7. goal post 0:40
11. passe hop 1:06
17. barrel jump 1:27
18. suspended jump 1:33
21. step ball change w/ rock 1:47
23. zigzag slide 2:00
24. skip step 2:02
40. pitching 3:25
41. suspended passe 3:33
64. tendu walk 5:15

[lreidgrassia]

i know this video is a couple years old but commenting anyway because oh my goodness thanks for this video, i teach modern dance but its been a long time since I've been able to take consistent classes in my smallish town and this video is helping me remember so many important skills to make sure and incorporate, thanks!

[phoenixwerd]

This is amazing. If you ever did more videos breaking down the individual modern dance moves, that would be so wonderful.

[afrosipafrosip]

Thank you Deja, i do not know any but you are a great inspiration to my 9 year old niece. Keep up the great work.

[Chiakinanami-dz]

This is for me

off-Balance Pirouette 0:25
pencil turn 0:30
Passe hop (maybe) 1:06
Barrel jump (maybe) 1:31
Drag step 2:16
Pitching (maybe) 3:26
Passe slide 3:38
Attitudes 3:58
swaying 6:50
rotators (going back) 7:26
Arm work variation 1&2 9:05 - 9:14

[amybithertounge]

Thank you for sharing this resource! It's incredibly an incredibly helpful free resource. Really appreciate it.

[cadenceculver]

Ronde de jambe 0:14
Posse Hop 1:10
Barrel jump 1:28
Suspended passe 3:37
Passé slide to the ground 3:40
Attitudes 4:04
Arm swing w/ lunge 7:52
Lunge roll 4:29
Pencil turn 0:32

[georgia]

favs

turns:
0:15
0:21
0:25
0:33
0:44

jumps:
1:14
1:20
1:28

travelling moves:
2:15

balance:
3:25
3:33
3:37
3:59

rolls:
4:34
4:39

abdominals:
4:57

tendu:
5:35
5:47

7:25
7:58
8:14

[sapphireglory]

This was so needed for me... To not have any dance training or education... But being gifted with the ability to dance and choreograph dance pieces on any level... It is really difficult and a little uncomfortable to be able to perform, visualize, or complete a dance movement but not know what it is called or how to explain it to someone you are teaching... This video is gonna make things much easier... Thanks

[cholsyyy]

0:32 pencil turn
1:14 passe chug hop
1:25 slice hop
2:15 drag step
3:26 pitching
3:33 suspended passe
3:38 passe slide