Analytic post-modern dance differed from modern dance in the way that it wasn’t about the music, or the meaning of the dance. In fact, post-modern dance choreographers defined dance as almost any type of action: walking, running, games and even contests. To them, it wasn’t about the content – it was about the context. They believed that a dance for the audience should only be the dance itself, without the special effects, lighting, or even music. Anyone could become a dancer, whether they were trained or not. It was all about the movement of the “natural” body.
Steve Paxton’s contact improvisation is the epitome of the belief of the analytic post-modern dance. It only consisted of dancers using their bodies as their own props, and nothing else. With each interaction, the dancers knew a little more about their partners. It was not about the glamour of dancing, but about movement and the body itself. There was no music, but the way the dancers were interacting almost made you think as if there was some silent song playing in their heads. It’s almost like a pendulum, the way one dancer moves and interacts with the other and how the other will respond back to the movements of that dancer. This un-choreographed dance is fluid even with the sudden hesitations and whatnot. For post-modern dance, only body and movement mattered and Paxton’s contact improvisation embodies this idea.
As Linda articulately explained, analytic post-modern dance was a departure from post-modern dance in many ways. The main distinction between the two movements was the practicality of dance. Post-modernism was an extravaganza: every beautiful movement was a hidden statement about society’s problems, every trained dancer was an extension of history. Analytic post-modernism, on the other hand, wasn’t nearly as theatrical or opinionated. It was simply dance. No bells and whistles, no complex choreography, no luxurious costumes. Dance suddenly became simple and approachable. Its main aspect was movement, which didn’t have to be full of technique or “beautiful.” It just had to be movement.
Trisha brown exemplified analytic post-modern dance. Her choreography exemplified what this new dance form was all about. Brown didn’t use music or lavish costumes in her dances, and wasn’t trying to make a controversial social statement using her dancers. She simply sought to test the limits of the human mind and body, creating non-mainstream dances that weren’t necessarily always physically appealing or technically advanced. One of Brown’s dances – “Solo Olos” – consisted of three dancers performing the same choreography in different times, and changing their movements mid-dance according to Brown’s immediate instructions. This mathematized dance and intellectually challenged both the dancers and the audience. This dance didn’t necessarily look like an aesthetic masterpiece, but it was an experiment of movement and self-expression, which is what analytic post-modern dance was all about.