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    Contemporary Dance

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    Kapil Singh
    Contemporary dance developed in the mid-20th century and has since become one of the dominant performance genres for trained dancers worldwide. It incorporates elements from classical, modern, and jazz styles but also borrows from styles like African and Japanese dance. Contemporary dance utilizes the strong legs of ballet and the torso movements of modern dance, along with techniques like contact improvisation and floor work. Notable pioneers who developed this new style include Merce Cunningham, whose independent approach to modern dance in the 1940s helped define contemporary dance.

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    Contemporary Dance

    Uploaded by

    Kapil Singh
    314 views4 pages
    Contemporary dance developed in the mid-20th century and has since become one of the dominant performance genres for trained dancers worldwide. It incorporates elements from classical, modern, and jazz styles but also borrows from styles like African and Japanese dance. Contemporary dance utilizes the strong legs of ballet and the torso movements of modern dance, along with techniques like contact improvisation and floor work. Notable pioneers who developed this new style include Merce Cunningham, whose independent approach to modern dance in the 1940s helped define contemporary dance.

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    Contemporary dance developed in the mid-20th century and has since become one of the dominant performance genres for trained dancers worldwide. It incorporates elements from classical, modern, and jazz styles but also borrows from styles like African and Japanese dance. Contemporary dance utilizes the strong legs of ballet and the torso movements of modern dance, along with techniques like contact improvisation and floor work. Notable pioneers who developed this new style include Merce Cunningham, whose independent approach to modern dance in the 1940s helped define contemporary dance.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    314 views4 pages

    Contemporary Dance

    Uploaded by

    Kapil Singh
    Contemporary dance developed in the mid-20th century and has since become one of the dominant performance genres for trained dancers worldwide. It incorporates elements from classical, modern, and jazz styles but also borrows from styles like African and Japanese dance. Contemporary dance utilizes the strong legs of ballet and the torso movements of modern dance, along with techniques like contact improvisation and floor work. Notable pioneers who developed this new style include Merce Cunningham, whose independent approach to modern dance in the 1940s helped define contemporary dance.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Contemporary dance

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    A dancer performing a contemporary dance piece

    Contemporary dance is a popular form of dance which developed during the middle portion of the twentieth
    century and has since grown to become one of the dominating performance genres for formally trained dancers
    throughout the world, with particularly strong popularity in the U.S. and western Europe. Although originally
    informed by and borrowing from classical,modern, and jazz styles, it has since come to incorporate elements
    from many styles of dance,[1] but due to its popularity amongst trained dancers and some overlap in movement
    type, it is often perceived as being closely related to modern dance, ballet and other classical concert dance
    styles.
    In terms of the focus of its technique, contemporary dance tends to utilize both the strong and controlled
    legwork of ballet and modern dance's stress on the torso, and also employs contact-release, floor work, fall and
    recovery, and improvisation characteristic of modern dance. [2] Unpredictable changes in rhythm, speed, and
    direction are often used, as well. It sometimes also incorporates elements of non-western dance cultures such
    as elements from African dance including bent knees, or movements from the Japanese contemporary
    dance Butoh.[3][4]

    History[edit]
    Main article: Modern dance

    Contemporary dance draws on both classical ballet and modern dance, whereas postmodern dance was
    a direct and opposite response to modern dance. Merce Cunningham, initially a student of Martha
    Graham, accompanied his dance in April 1944, with music that was composed and performed by John
    Cage, who said that Cunningham's dance "no longer relies on linear elements (...) nor does it rely on a
    movement towards and away from climax. As in abstract painting, it is assumed that an element (a
    movement, a sound, a change of light) is in and of itself expressive; what it communicates is in large part
    determined by the observer themselves." Cunningham continued to showcase his work until 1953, when
    he formed Merce Cunningham Dance Company at the Black Mountain College inNorth Carolina.
    Cunningham is considered the first choreographer to "develop an independent attitude towards modern
    dance" and defy the ideas that were established by it. [4][5] Cunningham made over one hundred and fifty
    works for his dance company and his pieces have been incorporated into ballet and modern dance
    companies internationally. He is an inspiration to those who enjoy contemporary dance or those who want
    to follow in his footsteps. By Leah Griffin [4][5]

    Le Sacre, Aterballetto (2012)

    Cunningham's key ideas[edit]


    Cunningham's key ideas include:

    Contemporary dance does not refuse the classical ballet's leg technique in favor of modern
    dance's stress on the torso
    Contemporary dance is not necessarily narrative form of art

    Choreography that appears disordered, but nevertheless relies on technique

    Unpredictable changes in rhythm, speed, and direction

    Multiple and simultaneous actions

    Suspension of perspective and symmetry in ballet scenic frame perspective such as front, center,
    and hierarchies

    Creative freedom

    "Independence between dance and music"

    Dance to be danced, not analyzed

    Innovative lighting, sets, and costumes in collaboration with Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg,
    and Jasper Johns [4]

    Other pioneers of contemporary dance (the offspring of modern and postmodern) include Ruth St.
    Denis, Doris Humphrey, Mary Wigman, Francois Delsarte, mile Jaques-Dalcroze, Paul Taylor, Rudolph
    von Laban, Loie Fuller, Jose Limon and Marie Rambert.

    Choreographer's role[edit]
    There is usually a choreographer who makes the creative decisions. He/she chooses whether the piece is
    an abstract or a narrativeone. Dancers are selected based on their skill and training. The choreography is
    determined based on its relation to the music or sounds that is danced to. The role of music in
    contemporary dance is different than in other genres because it can serve as a backdrop to the piece.
    The choreographer has control over the costumes and their aesthetic value for the overall composition of
    the performance and also in regards to how they influence dancers movements. [6]

    Dance technique[edit]
    This section is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You
    can help by converting this section to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is
    available. (October 2010)

    Le Sacre du Tempo

    Dance techniques and movement philosophies employed in contemporary dance may


    include Contemporary ballet, Dance improvisation, Modern dance styles from United Statessuch
    as Graham technique, Humphrey-Weidman technique and Horton technique, Modern
    dance of Europe Bartenieff Fundamentals and the dance technique of Isadora Duncan(also see Free

    dance), non-dance related practices such as Pilates, Yoga, the acting practice ofCorporeal
    mime - tienne Decroux technique and somatic practices such as Alexander technique,[7] Feldenkrais
    Method, Sullivan Technique and Franklin-Methode, American contemporary techniques such as Jos
    Limn technique and Hawkins technique andPostmodern dance techniques such as Contact
    improvisation and Cunningham technique, and Release technique.

    See also[edit]

    Modern dance

    Contemporary ballet

    Tanztheater

    References[edit]
    1. Jump up^ "Concordia University Contemporary Dance Program".
    2. Jump up^ Scheff, Helene; Marty Sprague, Susan McGreevy-Nichols (2010). Exploring dance forms and
    styles: a guide to concert, world, social, and historical dance. Human Kinetics. p. 87. ISBN 0-7360-8023-6.
    3. Jump up^ "Origins of Contemporary Dance". Retrieved 28 February 2012.
    4. ^ Jump up to:a b c d "Contemporary Dance History". Retrieved 28 February 2012.
    5. ^ Jump up to:a b "Modern Dance Pioneers". Retrieved 28 February 2012.
    6. Jump up^ "Choreo". Retrieved 28 February 2012.
    7. Jump up^ The Juilliard School - Dance Division - Curriculum Outline

    External links[edit]
    Wikimedia Commons has
    media related
    to Contemporary dance.

    Making Sense of Contemporary Dance: An Australian Investigation

    What is Contemporary Dance?

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