Contemporary dance is a genre of
dance performance that developed during the mid-twentieth century and has since grown to become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers throughout the world, with particularly strong popularity in the U.S. and Europe. Although originally informed by and borrowing from
classical,
modern
Modern may refer to:
History
*Modern history
** Early Modern period
** Late Modern period
*** 18th century
*** 19th century
*** 20th century
** Contemporary history
* Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century
Philosophy ...
, and
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
styles, it has come to incorporate elements from many styles of dance. Due to its technical similarities, it is often perceived to be closely related to modern dance, ballet, and other classical concert dance styles.
In terms of the focus of its technique, contemporary dance tends to combine the strong but controlled legwork of ballet with modern that stresses on torso. It also employs contract-release,
floor work, fall and recovery, and improvisation characteristics of modern dance. Unpredictable changes in rhythm, speed, and direction are often used, as well. Additionally, contemporary dance sometimes incorporates elements of non-western dance cultures, such as elements from African dance including bent knees, or movements from the Japanese contemporary dance,
Butoh
is a form of Japanese dance theatre that encompasses a diverse range of activities, techniques and motivations for dance, performance, or movement. Following World War II, butoh arose in 1959 through collaborations between its two key founde ...
.
History
Contemporary dance draws on both classical ballet and modern dance, whereas
postmodern dance was a direct and opposite response to modern dance.
Merce Cunningham is considered to be the first choreographer to "develop an independent attitude towards modern dance" and defy the ideas that were established by it.
[
] In 1944 Cunningham accompanied his dance with music by
John Cage, who observed 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
Abstract art uses visual language of shape, form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world.
Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th ...
, it is assumed that an element (a movement, a
sound
In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid.
In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by ...
, a change of light) is in and of itself expressive; what it communicates is in large part determined by the observer themselves." Cunningham formed the
Merce Cunningham Dance Company
Mercier Philip "Merce" Cunningham (April 16, 1919 – July 26, 2009) was an American dancer and choreographer who was at the forefront of American modern dance for more than 50 years. He frequently collaborated with artists of other discipl ...
in 1953 and went on to create more than one hundred and fifty works for the company, many of which have been performed internationally by ballet and modern
dance companies
This is a list of notable dance and ballet companies.
Notes
References
See also
* List of folk dance performance groups
* List of ballet companies in the United States
{{Dance
Companies
Dance
Dance is a performing art form cons ...
.
Cunningham's key ideas
Cunningham's key ideas include-
* Contemporary dance does refuse the classical ballet's leg technique in favour of modern dance's stress on the torso
* Contemporary dance is not necessarily
narrative
A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether nonfictional ( memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travelogue, etc.) or fictional ( fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller, novel, etc ...
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
Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
,
Robert Rauschenberg, and
Jasper Johns
Other pioneers of contemporary dance (the offspring of modern and postmodern) include
Ruth St. Denis,
Doris Humphrey,
Mary Wigman,
Pina Bausch
Philippine "Pina" Bausch (27 July 1940 – 30 June 2009) was a German dancer and choreographer who was a significant contributor to a neo-expressionist dance tradition now known as . Bausch's approach was noted for a stylized blend of dance mo ...
,
Francois Delsarte,
Émile Jaques-Dalcroze,
Paul Taylor,
Rudolph von Laban,
Loie Fuller,
José Limón
José Arcadio Limón (January 12, 1908 – December 2, 1972) was a dancer and choreographer from Mexico and who developed what is now known as 'Limón technique'. In the 1940s, he founded the José Limón Dance Company (now the Limón Dan ...
and
Marie Rambert.
Choreographer's role
There is usually a choreographer who makes the creative decisions and decides whether the piece is an abstract or a
narrative
A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether nonfictional ( memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travelogue, etc.) or fictional ( fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller, novel, etc ...
one. 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 from 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.
Dance technique
Dance techniques and movement philosophies employed in contemporary dance may include
Contemporary ballet
Contemporary ballet is a genre of dance that incorporates elements of classical ballet and modern dance. It employs classical ballet technique and in many cases classical pointe technique as well, but allows greater range of movement of the up ...
,
Dance improvisation,
Interpretive dance,
Lyrical dance,
Modern dance styles from
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
such as
Graham technique,
Humphrey-Weidman Humphrey-Weidman is a modern dance technique consisting of "fall" and "recovery" (losing and regaining equilibrium) that was invented by Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman. In 1928 Humphrey and Weidman founded a dance school to teach their technique ...
technique and
Horton technique,
Modern dance of
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
Bartenieff Fundamentals and the dance technique of
Isadora Duncan (also see
Free dance).
Contemporary dancers train using contemporary dance techniques as well as non-dance related practices such as
Pilates,
Yoga
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...
, the acting practice of
Corporeal mime -
Étienne Decroux
Étienne Decroux (19 July 1898 in Paris, France – 12 March 1991 in Boulogne-Billancourt, France) was a French actor who studied at Jacques Copeau's École du Vieux-Colombier, where he saw the beginnings of what was to become his life's obsess ...
technique and somatic practices such as
Alexander technique,
Feldenkrais Method, Sullivan Technique and
Franklin-Methode, American contemporary techniques such as
José Limón
José Arcadio Limón (January 12, 1908 – December 2, 1972) was a dancer and choreographer from Mexico and who developed what is now known as 'Limón technique'. In the 1940s, he founded the José Limón Dance Company (now the Limón Dan ...
technique and
Hawkins technique and
Postmodern dance techniques such as
Contact improvisation and
Cunningham
Cunningham is a surname of Scottish origin, see Clan Cunningham.
Notable people sharing this surname
A–C
*Aaron Cunningham (born 1986), American baseball player
*Abe Cunningham, American drummer
* Adrian Cunningham (born 1960), Australian ...
technique, and
Release technique.
Some well-known choreographers and creators of contemporary dance created schools and techniques of their own.
Paul Taylor developed a dance technique called Taylor technique, which is now taught at modern dance schools like The Ailey School in New York City.
Dance and technology
Reflecting the situation in society at large, contemporary dance is increasingly incorporating overtly technological elements, and, in particular, robots. Robotics engineer/dancer Amy LaViers, for example, has incorporated cell phones in a contemporary dance piece calling attention to the issues surrounding our ever-increasing dependence on technology.
See also
*
Modern dance
*
Contemporary ballet
Contemporary ballet is a genre of dance that incorporates elements of classical ballet and modern dance. It employs classical ballet technique and in many cases classical pointe technique as well, but allows greater range of movement of the up ...
*
London Contemporary Dance School
London Contemporary Dance School (informally LCDS) is a contemporary dance school located in London, England and a part of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama. It was founded by Robin Howard in 1966 to train new dancers for his company, Londo ...
*
Contemporary dancers
References
External links
Contemporary-dance.org website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Contemporary Dance
*
*