• connect the mind and the body through

fluid dance movements

• stresses versatility and improvisation
• Movement of new dancers who did
not want to follow strict
classical ballet and lyrical dance
forms, but instead wanted to
explore the area of revolutionary
unconventional movements that
were gathered from all dance
styles of the world
• Contemporary dances
therefore do not use fixed
moves and instead try to
develop totally new forms
and dynamics
• Dancer who introduced and
greatly popularized the
contemporary dance to the
worldwide audience was Martha
Graham (1894 - 1991).
• Merce Cunningham refined the
work that his colleague Martha
Graham formed, and expanded
with this his own improvements,
choreographies and avant-garde
dance techniques.
• Lester Horton was a very influential
contemporary dance visionary, who
trained many famous modern dancers
and managed to incorporate the
styles of Native American dance and
modern jazz into his dance
techniques.
• Control and poise
• Spatial expansion of modern
experimental dance modes
• Freedom and Relaxation