Contemporary dance

Contemporary dance is a kind of dance performance that began in the middle of the last century. It is popular around the world, especially in the U.S. and Europe. It started by borrowing from classical, modern, and jazz dance, but now it mixes many different styles.

This style of dance combines strong, controlled movements from ballet with a focus on the upper body from modern dance. Dancers might use the floor, change speed quickly, or make up movements on the spot. In the 1980s, contemporary dance became more planned, often using ideas from math and patterns.

Contemporary dance also thinks about how dances are made and what they mean. It explores ideas like being real, who we are, and being in the moment. Through movement, it helps us think about parts of life that are hard to show in other ways.

History

Main article: Modern dance

Contemporary dance mixes ideas from classical ballet and modern dance. It began in the middle of the last century and is now popular around the world, especially in the U.S. and Europe. An important person in this style was Merce Cunningham. In 1944, he started using music by John Cage for his dances. Cunningham began his own dance company in 1953 and created many works that were performed worldwide.

Another influence on contemporary dance came from a style called Tanztheater, which means "dance theater" in German. This style used everyday movements to make art feel more like normal life. It helped contemporary dance create more mixed and unusual dance pieces.

Cunningham's key ideas

Cunningham believed that contemporary dance should focus on the body's movements instead of the leg techniques in ballet. He thought dance did not need to tell a story and could look random but still need skill. Dancers could change speed and direction and do many things at once, moving away from ballet's strict views.

Cunningham also liked freedom to create, letting dance and music be separate. He felt dance should be enjoyed, not studied too much, and liked working with artists like Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jasper Johns to create new lighting, sets, and costumes.

Other important figures in developing contemporary dance include Ruth St. Denis, Doris Humphrey, Mary Wigman, Pina Bausch, Francois Delsarte, Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, Paul Taylor, Rudolph von Laban, Loie Fuller, José Limón, Marie Rambert, and Trisha Brown.

Choreographer's role

In contemporary dance, there is often a special person called a choreographer. This person makes big creative choices. They decide if the dance tells a story or shows feelings and ideas without words. Dancers are chosen for their skills and training. The choreographer also decides how the music or sounds fit with the dance moves. The music in contemporary dance can just be background noise. The choreographer also picks out the costumes and thinks about how they look and help the dancers move.

Dance technique

Contemporary dance has been shaped by new ideas. These ideas help dancers try new ways to move. Dancers learn many different techniques, including contemporary ballet, dance improvisation, interpretive dance, and lyrical dance. They also study modern dance styles from the United States like the Graham technique, Humphrey-Weidman technique, and Horton technique. They also learn European styles such as Bartenieff fundamentals and the techniques of Isadora Duncan.

Dancers also train in practices like Pilates and yoga, as well as acting methods such as corporeal mime. Some famous choreographers, like Paul Taylor, created their own dance techniques that are now taught in schools. Others, like William Forsythe, mix ideas from art to create new dance works.

Dance and technology

Contemporary dance is now using more technology, like robots. For example, a robotics engineer and dancer named Amy LaViers used cell phones in a dance. She showed how we depend on technology more every day.