ABSTRACT
The evolution of much of theatrical dance in Europe since the middle of the twentieth century can be characterized as a movement towards freedom. It was freedom conceived in various ways. One was as the liberty to say what one wanted to say, rather than what a cultural or political bureaucracy demanded be said. Quickly in some areas, more gradually in others, ethical and political restraints, which had narrowed the range of themes that dance could depict, were pushed away. Then there was liberty to move. Classical ballet technique had already been found inadequate to portray contemporary themes, but by mid-century even the then-accepted styles of modern dance were deemed insufficient. Further experiments were undertaken. In time, some choreographers found the exploration of newly discovered movements so absorbing in itself that they chose to reject subject matter altogether. They wanted only to devise movements that were interesting for their own sake.
