Contemporary dance facts for kids
Contemporary dance is a style of dance that became popular in the mid-1900s. Today, it is one of the most important dance styles for trained dancers around the world. It is especially popular in the U.S. and Europe.
Contemporary dance first took ideas from classical ballet, modern dance, and jazz. Now, it includes moves from many other dance styles too. Because it shares some techniques, it is often seen as being very similar to modern dance and ballet.
This dance style combines the strong, controlled leg movements of ballet with the focus on the torso (body) found in modern dance. It also uses movements like contract-release, floor work, falling and recovering, and making up steps on the spot (improvisation). Dancers often change rhythm, speed, and direction in unexpected ways. Sometimes, contemporary dance even includes moves from other cultures, like bent knees from African dance or movements from Japanese Butoh dance.
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The Story of Contemporary Dance
Contemporary dance gets ideas from both classical ballet and modern dance. A different style called postmodern dance came about as a direct opposite to modern dance.
Merce Cunningham is seen as the first choreographer (dance creator) to have new ideas about modern dance. He challenged the old ways of thinking. In 1944, Cunningham danced to music by John Cage. Cage noticed that Cunningham's dance did not follow a straight line or build up to a big moment. He said that each movement was expressive on its own, like in abstract painting. What it meant was often decided by the person watching.
Cunningham started the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in 1953. He created over 150 dances for his company. Many of these dances have been performed by ballet and modern dance companies all over the world.
Merce Cunningham's Dance Ideas
Merce Cunningham had many important ideas about dance:
- Contemporary dance focuses on the body's torso, not just leg movements like ballet.
- It does not always tell a story.
- The dances might look messy, but they still need good technique.
- Dancers often change rhythm, speed, and direction suddenly.
- Many things can happen at the same time in a dance.
- It does not always use the traditional front and center stage setup.
- Dancers and choreographers have a lot of creative freedom.
- The dance and music can be separate and independent.
- Dance is meant to be danced, not just thought about.
- Cunningham worked with artists like Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jasper Johns. They helped create new lighting, sets, and costumes.
Other important people who helped create contemporary dance include Pina Bausch, Paul Taylor, Rudolph von Laban, and José Limón.
The Choreographer's Job
A choreographer is the person who creates the dance. They make all the creative choices. They decide if the dance will be abstract (without a clear story) or if it will tell a narrative (a story). Dancers are chosen based on their skills and training.
The dance steps are often decided by how they relate to the music or sounds. Music in contemporary dance can be different from other styles. It can simply be a background for the dance. The choreographer also chooses the costumes. They think about how the costumes look and how they affect the dancers' movements.
Contemporary Dance Techniques
Dancers use many different techniques in contemporary dance. These can include Contemporary ballet, Dance improvisation (making up moves), and Interpretive dance (showing feelings). They also use styles like Lyrical dance and Modern dance techniques. Some famous modern dance techniques from the United States are Graham technique, Humphrey-Weidman technique, and Horton technique. From Europe, there are techniques like Bartenieff Fundamentals and the dance technique of Isadora Duncan.
Contemporary dancers also train using other practices. These include Pilates and Yoga. They might also use acting methods like Corporeal mime - Étienne Decroux technique. Somatic practices, which focus on body awareness, are also used. Examples include Alexander technique, Feldenkrais Method, and Franklin-Methode. American contemporary techniques like José Limón technique and Hawkins technique are also common. Finally, Postmodern dance techniques like Contact improvisation and Cunningham technique, along with Release technique, are important.
Some famous choreographers created their own dance schools and techniques. For example, Paul Taylor developed the Taylor technique. This technique is now taught at modern dance schools, like The Ailey School in New York City.
Dance and Technology
Just like in the rest of society, contemporary dance is starting to use more technology. Robots are sometimes included in performances. For example, Amy LaViers, who is both a robotics engineer and a dancer, used cell phones in a contemporary dance piece. This dance showed how much we depend on technology today.
See also
- Modern dance
- Contemporary ballet
- London Contemporary Dance School
- Category: Contemporary dancers
