LESSON 3 – CONTEMPORARY DANCES

Learning Outcomes:
-Analyze the different styles of movement with artistic perspective about the
world around us
-Appreciate the contributions of contemporary dance pioneers such as
Isadora Duncan and Martha Graham in the use of the body’s natural lines
and energy for the fluidity of movement, and
-Recognize the social relevance of contemporary dance in the daily life

CONTEMPORARY DANCES
Contemporary Dance is a style of expressive dance that combines
elements of several dance genres including modern, jazz, lyrical and
classical ballet. Contemporary dancers strive to connect the mind and the
body through fluid dance movements. The term “contemporary” is somewhat
misleading: it describes a genre that developed during the mid-20th century
and is still very popular today.
Overview of Contemporary Dance
Contemporary dance stresses versatility and improvisation, unlike the strict
, structured nature of ballet. Contemporary dancers focus on floor work,
using gravity to pull them down to the floor. This dance genre is often done
in bare feet. Contemporary dance can be performed to many different styles
of music.

HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY DANCES

Contemporary Dance began at the start of the 20th century when US dancer
Isadora Duncan (1878-1927) broke away from ballet and developed her own,
more natural style. Contemporary dance has many different styles, some
of them closely linked to music, such as jazz, rock and roll. and hip-hop.
Where did contemporary dance originated
Story: Contemporary dance. From its origins in Europe and America,
modern dance boomed in New Zealand in the later 20th century. Companies
such as Limbs, Black Grace and Douglas Wright’s company have performed
to critical acclaim in New Zealand and elsewhere.

15th-19th centuries: from court dancing to Romaticism

The origins of ballet dancing can be traced to the Italian Renaissance courts
of the 15th century. Dance masters would teach the steps to nobility and the
court would participate in performances as a form of social entertainment.
This practice continued for several centuries. In the 17th century, courtly
ballet reached its peak under the rule of King Louis XIV.
Early 20th century: from ballet to contemporary dance
Since the Ballets Russes began revolutionizing ballet in the early 20th
century, there have been continued attempts to break the mold of classical
ballet. Currently the artistic scope of ballet technique (and its accompanying
music, jumper, and multimedia is more all-encompassing than ever. The
boundaries that classify a work of classical ballet are constantly being
stretched, muddied and blurred until perhaps all that remains today are
traces of technique idioms such as turnout.

The late 20th and early 21st centuries

After the explosion of modern dance in the early 20th century, the 1960s saw
the growth of postmodernism. Postmodernism veered towards simplicity, the
beauty of small things, the beauty of untrained body, and unsophisticated
movement. The famous “No” manifesto rejecting all costumes, stories and
outer trappings in favor of raw and unpolished movement was perhaps the
extreme of this wave of thinking.
Contemporary dance vs. Ballet
By the 1980s dance had come full circle and modern dance (or, by this time,
“contemporary dance”) was clearly still a highly technical and political vehicle
for many practitioners. Existing alongside classical ballet, the two art-forms
were by now living peacefully next door to one another with little of the rivalry
and antipathy of previous eras.

Contemporary Dance Techniques

Dance techniques and movement philosophies employed in contemporary
dance may include Contemporary ballet, Dance improvisation, Interpretive
dance, Lyrical dance, Modern dance styles from United States such 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).
1.Cunningham focused on the architecture of the body in space, rhythm and
articulation. Cunningham uses the idea of the body’s own line of energy to
promote easy, natural movement. Considered by many as the greatest living
choreographer, his career began with Martha Graham and span 60 years of
innovations in dance and music.
2.Graham focused on the use of contraction, release, fall of recovery. The
graham technique is characterized by floorwork and the use of abdominal
and pelvic contractions. The style is very grounded and the technique is
visibly contrary to sylphlike (graceful, weightless), airborne ideas of ballet.
Graham invented a new language of movement and used it to reveal the
passion, rage and ecstasy common to human experience.
3.Limon explores the use of energy in relation to gravity and working with
weight in terms of fall, rebound, recovery and suspension. The Limon
technique uses the feeling of weight and heavy energy in the body, and
movements are instigated using to breath to lift, and swings through the body
to create halt movement.
4.Release Technique places emphasis on minimizing tension in the search
for clarity and fluidity and efficient use of energy and breath. If focuses on
the lack of tension, and utilizes breath and momentum to facilitate
movement, rather than huge force or other artificial technique.

OTHER NOTED CONTEMPORARY DANCE TECHNIQUE

If you’re kind of new in our community, you might be wondering why you say
cotemporary dance techniques, in plural, instead of simply naming one
technique (just one, as it’s supposed to be about just one type of dance).
Well, this is due to this unique attribute of our particular way of dancing: there
are no established movement patterns.
1.Contact Improvisation is a dance technique in which points of physical
contact provide the starting point for improvement improvisation and
exploration.
2.Dance Improvisation is defined as creating new movement and freeing
the body from habitual movement patterns.
3.Erick Hawkins was a dancer and choreographer who started dancing
under George Balanchine and was the latter’s first American student.
4. Humphrey-Weidman is a modern dance technique based on the theory
and action of fall and recovery.
5. Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) is a system and language for
understanding, observing, and describing and notating all forms of
movement.
6.Lester Horton was an American dancer, choreographer, and teacher and
developed his own approach that incorporated diverse elements including
Native American dances and modern jazz.
7.Skinner Releasing Technique is a dance technique developed by Joan
Skinner based on the belief that there is an innate sense of coordination in
movement.

Contemporary Dances of the Present Generation

JAZZ DANCE- is an umbrella term that can refer to several related dance
styles and all of them are connected via common roots, namely tap, ballet,
jazz music, and African rhythms and dance.
ACROBATIC DANCE- emerged in the United States and Canada in the
early 1900’s as one of the types of acts performed in vaudeville.
ACRO DANCE- is a style of dance that combines the classical dance
technique with precision acrobatic elements. It is a popular dance theater,
such as Cirgue du Soleil.
HIP HOP DANCE- refers to dance styles, primarily danced to hip hop music,
or that have evolved as a part of the hip hop culture. By its wildest definition,
it can include a wide range of styles such as breaking, popping, locking and
krumping, and house dance.
All hip hop styles from the 1980’s and beyond are sometimes collectively
called new school while the distinct styles from the 1960’s to the 1970’s
such as breaking, uprocking, locking and popping, are considered old
school.
A.Break dance, Breaking- is a street dance styles that evolved as part of
the hip hop movement among African-American and Puerto Rican youths in
Manhattan and the South Bronx of New York City during the early 1970’s.
B.Popping- is a funk dance and street dance styles based on the technique
of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer’s
body, referred to as a pop or a hit.
C.Locking- (originally Cambellocking) is a style of funk dance and street
dance, which is also associated with hip hop today. It relies on fast and
distinct arm and hand movements combined with more relaxed hips and
legs.
D.Krumping- is an urban street dance-form that began in South Central Los
Angeles. It is characterized by free, expressive, and highly energetic moves
involving the arms and chest, and has become a major part of hip hop dance
culture.
TAP DANCE- the names come from the tapping sound made when the small
metal plates on the dancer’s shoes touch a hard surface. This lively, rhythmic
tapping makes the performer not just a dancer, but also a percussive
musician.
CONTEMPORARY BALLET- (also called modern ballet) is a form of dances
influenced by both classical ballet and modern dance. It takes its technique
and use of point work from classical ballet.