Horton technique

Lester Horton (1906-1953) developed his technique in the 1920s to 1940s from Native American dances, anatomical study and other movement influences, aiming at corrective exercises grounded in knowledge of the body. In 1946 he founded the Dance Theater of Los Angeles, among the first permanent modern dance theatres in the United States, whose casting was racially integrated.

As taught at The Ailey School, the technique features flat backs, lateral stretches and 17 fortification studies, each focused on an idea or a part of the body. Alvin Ailey, who studied and performed with Horton, made it standard training at his American Dance Center in 1969. It remains a core subject at The Ailey School in New York and is taught in other schools.

Sources

• Lester Horton - AILEY
• Horton Technique - Dance Spirit
• Lester Horton - Wikipedia

Organisations connected with this dance

• AILEY (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and The Ailey School)
• Library of Congress (Lester Horton Dance Theater Collection)

Listed as references; being listed is not an endorsement by or of the organisation.

Back to ←