Are there any rules for Modern Dance?
As the others have said. Dance is not a sport. However, there are definite rules in different disciplines of modern dance. What comes first to my mind is Martha Graham technique. It has as many rules as ballet. There is only one right way to do her technique. There is a basic floor work done with contractions . Unlike ballet, instead of trying to look like you are floating, everything is very grounded. I suggest you google Martha graham technique and read some books and look at videos. There are other great modern dance styles, but this is the one that has the most rules. Maybe you should consider another topic other then modern dance that would suite your needs better.
What style is street dance?
My definition of street dance is the original form of dance itself. You see every dance started on the streets, latin, salsa, ballet, breaking, line, etc etc. It's where movement was form, humans just use labels and names for what kind of different dance a dance form is from. Street dance could also be called hip hop, popping, or breakdancing. It's still in its beginning stage but evolving everyday in every way, example mixing it with different forms would still be called street dance. Also most likely called”street” cause of the type of music used to flow with such as hip hop, dubstep, edm, rap. Hence the name I would call it the origin form.
Differences between types of modern dance?
If your class is just called modern dance, most likely it isn't a codified modern dance class but sort of a blend of modern dance styles. That is what is often found in recreational dance schools. Three signature moves define Graham technique: the contraction, the release and the spiral. The Graham contraction is a C-curve of the spine. The release is the response to the contraction, which returns the spine to a neutral position or opens the breastbone to the sky. The spiral is a twisting of the torso that starts at the pelvis and then moves up the body. Combinations of these three movements allow the dancer to project out into space. A Limón class emphasizes breathing through the body and expanding your range of motion. You work on bouncing, swinging and percussive movement. Timing, shape and energy are all important factors. Horton technique classes include flat backs, lateral stretches, leg swings, deep lunges and falls. Alvin Ailey is based off of Horton Technique. I realize my remarks are very brief, but it is best if you google the types of modern to learn more. Youtube will help there. For example, a Graham class always begins with a standardized foor program. It is the same no matter where in the world Graham is being taught. Graham is perhaps the hardest to master. Horton technique uses what is called the 17 fortifications. Here is a class with Horton Fortifications 1-6 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRklv-B-P... Here is a Graham Floor work clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p78zYG6-a... A Limon technique class: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rapPJb66D... There is also Cunningham which is based on "chance" and Dunham which has both African & Caribbean added to the mix. You can google those to see what they look like too.
Is it too late to learn ballet and jazz dance at the age of 15?
It depends on your intentions.Do you want to pursue these styles of dance for the pleasure of dancing them?Then it’s never too late! Dance can be enjoyed by anyone at any age! The rest of my answer is irrelevant to you.Do you want to go into a professional career based off of one of these styles of dance?Then it becomes a little more difficult. While you can certainly try, it will be very difficult. I don’t know more about ballet than jazz, so I will focus mainly on ballet for this answer.The answer is: probably not. It’s certainly not impossible, but it isn’t likely either.You’d have to be willing to spend an incredible amount of time and effort (to the point of doing very little else) to catch up to people who have been doing it since they were children. You’d also have to live somewhere that has the resources to honestly support your ambition. Many aspiring dancers move to be able to attend their schools or be a part of a company.Even if you were able and willing to do this, there are so many people who pursue ballet as a career that it is incredibly difficult for anyone entering the field to find a position, or a position that will support them. Larger companies can afford to pay salary, but many smaller companies pay per production. There are expenses that go along with dancing, and not all are monetary. Dancing ballet puts a huge strain on your body, and many dancers suffer with the effects their whole lives.Even if you did everything right, there is a huge amount of luck that goes into it. Genetics, for instance, play a huge part. They determine your final range of flexibility, and while you can stretch all you want, after a certain point there is no more you can get out of it. Pain threshold? Dancing for hours and hours is very painful, and your pain threshold can make it easier. Body type? There is a huge issue in the ballet with body shaming, and while it is deplorable, certain body types have a better chance of succeeding. Finally, just getting into the professional world is up to a lot of chance. Do you have what the person you are auditioning for is looking for?This isn’t to say you shouldn’t pursue it if it is honestly what you want, but know that it is a very difficult road.
Where can an adult in the US learn how to dance? I grew up in a cult and want to learn now that I am out.
There are many places depending on what style you want to learn. City recreation departments, private studios, and organizations like the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society all offer instruction. If you are an older person, above your late thirties, you might avoid more acrobatic forms like advanced ballet but other than that you should simply pick a style that you like.Getting more specific, any city with a large population of college educated whites is likely to have groups that do folk dance or some form English or Scottish Country dance. Square dancing is another form that is often practiced and this is less associated with college educated people. These forms, as they are social, tend to attract the most men.Jazz dance and ballet are more exacting and somewhat more about performing for an audience. Ballroom is also exacting and can be performed competively with a partner as Dansport. Modern dance is a form associated in my mind with University dance instruction though there is at least one private business in the SF bay area that teaches it.Stepping is an African American form done without music to avoid the kinds of objections the group you were raised in had. I don't know where to find instruction but I've seen black fraternities practice it. Hip hop is another form associated with African Americans although these days there are people of many different heritages who practice it. Capoiera is an Afro-Brazillian form of mock combat done to music played on African instruments, it could be described as both a dance form and martial arts style.Latin dancing, which I know little about, is practiced anywhere in the US where there are Spanish speakers. Latin forms are also used in ballroom dancing.
What's the difference between jazz and modern dance?
Some studios tend to call all types of dance some pretty arbitrary names depending on what I have no clue. In the real world of dance, Jazz and Modern are 2 completely different things. Modern, if it is true modern, is a lot closer to ballet in technique but with some disregard for some of the rules. Everything is grounded. The main types of Modern are Graham, Horton, Limon , Cunningham & Dunham. If you ask what type of modern they do and they don't say any of those or something like Alvin Ailey or Paul Taylor, you would be doing something more along the line of Contemporary or what some studios call Lyrical dance. There is a blending of styles in Contemporary dance. It can be almost anything. There are no rules about any of it. It can be anything that is a mix of ballet, street, modern, jazz even common pedestrian movements. Contemporary can be anything. Jazz is more structured and relies mostly on the type of music used. It is closely related to theater dance. There are jazz pirouettes and many other things you do in ballet, but not done with "turnout" or slightly modified. You will learn about "jazz hands" and other commonly used terms in Jazz dance. Jazz dance relies heavily on the rhythms of the music. I would ask the studio what school of modern they teach then google it. If they don't have an answer for you, it is more likely contemporary or lyrical. Jazz is more like the dancing in Chicago (the film not the show. The show is Fosse.) See if you can watch a class and then decide. They are both fun and depending on the teacher and type of instruction given, difficulty can vary.