You may have probably heard of the term "modern dance, " but you don't have any idea how different it is from other types of dances, say, ballet. Of course, you cannot tell its history or how it came about.

Modern dance was born during the early part of the twentieth century. It stemmed from the need of dancers to veer away from the rigid structures or techniques of dances during that time, specifically ballet.

The dance may have paved the way for the quote "Dance is the expression of the soul." This is because one of the main characteristics of this contemporary dance is free style. This means the dancer doesn't follow any particular or definite step. Rather, he or she looks into his or her heart and interprets the music he or she hears according to the build-up of emotions inside.

Moreover, it's not uncommon to see a dancer inventing his or her own routines on the spot. However, if dance is being performed in a group or for a particular show, it may become necessary that steps have to be remembered. Nevertheless, you would notice that the movements are definitely much freer. In fact, almost all parts of the body are involved.

There is no clear uniform or costume for a modern dance. Some may even perform nude or scantily clad. Again, going back to the main idea of the modern dance, it's all about self-expression, and the costume should be able to enhance the message the dancer wants to impart to his or her audience. This is in stark contrast with ballet, where women must wear their tutus and ballet shoes, and men should don on their leggings.

If you notice, ballet is all about being light and airy. Ballet dancers always give off elegance and class from their movements down to their routines. Modern dances don't have these. Rather, they make full use of gravity where dance steps are further emphasized through their body weight.

Many types of dances already fall into the modern dance category. First, you have the lyrical dance. It is called as such because the words of the song are the main inspiration for the dancers in creating their movements and expressions. Popular instrumental or sung music often accompanies the dance performance.

The vernacular dance of the African American is believed to have inspired jazz. Nevertheless, the jazz is actually a combination of various techniques--from hip-hop to ballet and even tap.