Similarities and Differences between Traditional Modern Dance and Post-modern Dance

Western modern dance is an ever-extending system, forming different stages in its development history, which is tentatively categorized into Western modern dance in the early 20th century and Western modern dance in the late 20th century. The former includes the pioneer period of modern dance and the founder period of modern dance, known as "traditional modern dance", and the latter includes the new American pioneers period and the European dance theater modern dance, known as "post-modern dance", and there are both links and differences between the two.

First of all, the social roots of art is the same, are the 20th century capitalism to monopoly capitalism stage, the high development of large industrial civilization and the two world wars to establish and develop the cultural products. Secondly, the class roots of art are the same, it is the reflection of the worldview, thoughts and feelings as well as aesthetic interests of the European and American middle and small bourgeoisie in culture and art. Thirdly, the philosophical foundation and ideological roots on which art depends are the same, mostly influenced by various idealistic philosophies and advocating irrationality. Fourth, the roots of culture and art are the same, all of them are the reverse movement to the direction of traditional art development. Fifth, the spirit of art is the same, both oppose idolatry and advocate continuous innovation in art. Sixth, in the pursuit of artistic concepts, both are constantly searching for the origin of dance art, and keep up with the changing times to adjust the function of art.

As the artists are in different social stages, their feelings and experience of life will be very different, which will bring about different aesthetic orientation of the artists, and their art will be characterized by many different features.

(a) Pioneer generation

Pioneer generation of dancers living at the turn of the century, the main artistic practice in the historical changes, cultural transformation, the rapid development of scientific and technological civilization in the era, the artists bathed in the sunshine and rain of modern European culture, the pursuit of the liberation of individuality and freedom of human nature in the arts, their art is with the modernism of the new ideological factors, but also in many aspects with the style of Romanticism. Their art not only carries the new ideological elements of modernism, but also carries the style of romanticism in many aspects.

(2) Foundation Generation

The artists of the Foundation Generation lived under the cover of the fire and smoke of the war, and struggled under the difficult predicament of the turbulent times and the poverty of life. The devastating blow of the world wars to the dignity and value of human beings brought serious trauma to their spirit and mind, therefore, their art or with a strong expressionism or with a distinctive critical realism tendency, showing a strong humanistic concern, focusing on revealing the value and dignity of human beings, action style is tense, coarse, depressing, heavy. The action style is tense, coarse, depressing and heavy. And it has created a personalized and systematic action system and technical school.

(C) The American New Vanguard School

The American New Vanguard School dancers have experienced various cultural impacts of the post-war Western society, experienced the economic depression to the economic recovery of the social upheaval, and have been subjected to all kinds of modernist philosophy, aesthetics, and the influence of literature and art, and their art has a distinctive tendency to post-modernism. They agree with the meaninglessness of life and are keen on formalism, believing that form is everything and the image of art works has uncertainty. Their art style pursues novelty, grotesqueness and strangeness, and they introduce concepts from other fields into their works, creating a series of choreographic methods, such as improvisation, chance, collage, and so on.

(D) European Dance Theater

The dancers of the European Dance Theater, once again returned to the theatrical tradition of dance and the tradition of expressionism, further releasing the movement, the dance can talk to the audience, can self-humming, shouting, chasing, walking at will, eating, sleeping. Sometimes intertwining traditional ballet with modern art forms, sometimes intermingling dance, dialog, and mime, the structure is often disjointed fragments, but again, all of this has been explored at length and carefully crafted.