Lester Horton Dance Essay

From ballet and modern to hip-hop and jazz, today’s dance world is a dizzying array of different qualities, techniques, pedagogies, and artistic intentions. As dancers, we are told that the key to being a successful dancer in today’s world is versatility; yet, a dancer’s entire entity is often molded by the technique in which they primarily train. Therefore, it can be challenging to adapt and learn different styles of dance depending on the isms developed from training in a certain technique. However, the Horton technique is intended to produce dancers with well-rounded dancers with strong basic facilities that can aid them in any style or technique they pursue. Lester Horton once said that,
“I am sincerely trying now to create a dance technique …show more content…
Lester Horton expressed that wanted to create a technique that would “prepare a dancer for any type of dancing he may wish to follow”. This can be accomplished by training in Horton because in many ways it is not a definitive stylized technique. Lester Horton generated a series of movement exercises that drew from many dance styles with the intention to strengthen and increase the expression and technical range of every type of dancer, not just classically trained ones. Although he studied classical dance styles such as ballet, and modern at the Denishawn school, Lester Horton was also influenced by other dance styles. Horton developed his own approach to dance that incorporated diverse elements including Native American Folk Dance, Japanese arm gestures, Javanese and Balinese isolations for the upper body, particularly the eyes, head and hands. Horton also included Afro-Caribbean elements, like hip …show more content…
Much like a ballet barre, a Horton class sequentially moves from simple to complex exercises with each section targeting a certain part of a body. Namely, the 17 fortification studies each focus on a different part of the body, such as descent/ascent and laterals, or body parts such as the Achilles tendons or abdominals. The fortifications also explore different qualities of movement. These exercises are so beneficial because the movements are never arbitrary; all elements from the beginning of the class can later be applied to a more complex dance phrase. For example, the lateral “T”, which is the hallmark of the Horton technique, can be transformed from a simple balance to a turn, jump or transition to the floor. Although the exercises from a Horton class are distant and codified, they still do not determine the creative or qualitative outcome of a dancer who trains in Horton. Horton uses flat backs and lateral stretches, tilt lines and lunges, all movements that could be found in a jazz warm-up. Horton technique also incorporates lyrical, circular movements focusing on stretching in opposite