Modern Dance - 30 Days For Beginners

A brief history of modern dance and the elements of dance; space, time, force, and body. In addition, Miranda explains Important elements of the styles and includes some suggestions about how to train.

Setting the tone of the work to come. Miranda teaches basic knowledge of the core and arm movements.

Learning to fall and suspend using the body. We will practice how the body is used to generate movement.

Starting to incorporate different elements. This will increase the body's capability and improve coordination.

Beginning to focus on elongating the muscles of the legs and torso. In addition, we want to be able to work the legs and body independently.

Swings are one of the foundational gestures of Limón. In this lesson, we will use the rebound expressed in the bounces exercise to create motion and drive momentum.

Students will learn the drop and suspension movement of the leg in the hip socket. This will help us to have an understanding of the leg dynamics and how the leg generates suspension.

Bounces are the foundation exercises of the Limón Technique. Learning to drop the body’s weight helps create momentum. The drop and rebound are learned and perfected through the bounces exercise however, this concept is used throughout the style.

We are learning to condition the leg and to develop a “line.” In addition, it's important to nurture an understanding of how the legs move in combination with the feet, adding in the torso's signature movements

We begin to learn to use the leg and foot movement more quickly while we enhance our understanding of using the foot. In addition, we continue to strengthen and condition the legs for jumps.

We begin Incorporating more elements of the Limón Technique into one exercise, enhancing the difficulty of dance combinations. The lung uses more fully the body and the quality of fall and suspension in space.

Pliés develop strength and control in the legs. In addition, it's important to learn how to bend the legs with knees over toes safely and how to condition the legs to land jumps safely.

Utilizing the fall and suspension while sitting on the floor in the second position helps with the coordination of the body, legs, and arms in motion. Swinging side to side, it is the momentum that builds strength in the core and enables us to lift and stretch the body.

Enhancing the coordination of the body with drops, spirals, and turns. The body & leg coordination must work together to harmonize movements.

An advanced exercise incorporating the elements learned thus far. This is a fundamental Limón exercise is typically connected with the following lesson, Fast Threes.

Fast Threes is an extension of the previous exercise, Slow Twos. In Slow Twos, we move slowly through all the positions of this exercise, but in Fast Threes, we incorporate the rebound and suspension. In addition, Fast Threes can incorporate movements that are off-balance or with turns.

We begin to learn more complicated combinations of movement. In addition, we take bigger risks, moving through space with strength and flow. The Parallel Swings use momentum through drop and suspension.

Here we explore the fall and suspension of the legs in the hip socket, similar to our warm-up in the floor work. Now working in a standing position, we introduce the arms and other movements in addition to moving through space.

In the Developé Series, we will learn the slow sequential movement of the legs. We use adagio exercises to improve leg strength and stamina.

The Body is Orchestra is taught in three parts; legs, arms, and body. This is an excellent exercise for coordination. You will move through space inverted and sideways positions while simultaneously using the legs and arms in a pattern. Each body part is meant to represent a different section of the orchestra.

The Piqué Series is done in three parts; with arms, with turns, and with jumps. Learning the Piqué position we will use the position in an exercise, further developing the legs and building strength by moving through space.

Triplets are common in both Graham and the Limón Technique. This exercise uses music in a 3/4 time signature and moves through space along the diagonal. If you have lots of room, try and propel yourself forward, strengthening the legs.

It is important to start to learn more complex combinations of movement. If you are a beginner transitioning from one side to the other may be difficult. With practice, you will enhance this skill which is important for learning choreography. In addition, moving through space with strength and with ease comes with practice.

Grand Battements condition the legs and enhance strength and flexibility. In addition, they develop coordination throughout the body while moving more fully in the dance space.

In order to gain height in jumps, it is important to strengthen the legs and calves. This is done through several exercises and variations of movements. To protect the legs, a dancer should begin with a warm-up exercise. The warm-up serves as an introduction of how to use the feet and to land softly.

Once the legs have been properly warmed up for jumps, we can begin to ask for more height in the jumps and movement from the legs and feet. Propelling yourself through space is never easy but we are always seeking to challenge our ability to do so.

Jump combinations require the full breadth of movement and ability from the body. This is the highlight of the class. We have to combine all of the elements together in one exercise, such as strength, coordination, quality of movement, memorization, and the ability to perform combinations on both sides.

It's important to cool down the body after jumps and high-energy exercises. Congratulations! You've learned a full Limón class. If you'd like to move through the entire class without introductions, skip forward to the final video.

It's important to stay strong and supple while dancing. In this video, I share a few of my favorite body conditioning exercises but feel free to add your own. Yoga and Pilates are also great ways to keep fit at home.

Enjoy the full Limón dance class without breaks or introductions. Once you've learned and perfected the exercises, you can flow through the class and each exercise with music.