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    Contemporary Dance: Characteristics of

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    Karlyn Sulleza
    Contemporary dance incorporates a range of styles to create a unique look. It is intricate and physical with dancers changing levels and directions quickly. Contemporary dance may deal with abstract concepts or emotions. Some contemporary pieces tell stories through choreography or song, while others have meanings known only to the dancers. Contemporary dance emerged from classical ballet in the 1950s as Martha Graham rebelled against rigid styles and incorporated freer movement.

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    Contemporary Dance: Characteristics of

    Uploaded by

    Karlyn Sulleza
    85 views12 pages
    Contemporary dance incorporates a range of styles to create a unique look. It is intricate and physical with dancers changing levels and directions quickly. Contemporary dance may deal with abstract concepts or emotions. Some contemporary pieces tell stories through choreography or song, while others have meanings known only to the dancers. Contemporary dance emerged from classical ballet in the 1950s as Martha Graham rebelled against rigid styles and incorporated freer movement.

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    Contemporary Dance

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    Contemporary dance incorporates a range of styles to create a unique look. It is intricate and physical with dancers changing levels and directions quickly. Contemporary dance may deal with abstract concepts or emotions. Some contemporary pieces tell stories through choreography or song, while others have meanings known only to the dancers. Contemporary dance emerged from classical ballet in the 1950s as Martha Graham rebelled against rigid styles and incorporated freer movement.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    85 views12 pages

    Contemporary Dance: Characteristics of

    Uploaded by

    Karlyn Sulleza
    Contemporary dance incorporates a range of styles to create a unique look. It is intricate and physical with dancers changing levels and directions quickly. Contemporary dance may deal with abstract concepts or emotions. Some contemporary pieces tell stories through choreography or song, while others have meanings known only to the dancers. Contemporary dance emerged from classical ballet in the 1950s as Martha Graham rebelled against rigid styles and incorporated freer movement.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    of 12

    Characteristics of

    Contemporary Dance
    • Different styles of dance have a particular way
    to produce or perform movement.
    • However it is very hard to define
    Contemporary Dance.
    • Contemporary itself is a Genre not a
    technique because it incorporates a range of
    different styles to create its own unique look.
    Contemporary Genre
    • First we need to think about the other similar styles
    out there:
    • Classical ballet involves adherence to
    technique and style
    • folk/national dance involves using
    traditional music and steps
    • tap/theater dance/jazz use popular music
    and happy themes.

    If it’s none of the above,


    the dance is contemporary.
    Contemporary Genre
    • Contemporary dance tends to be intricate and
    physical, and the dancers change levels and directions
    quickly and seamlessly.

    • Contemporary dance may deal with abstract concepts,


    images, or emotional extremes.

    • Some contemporary choreography tells a story based


    on the words of a song, but other pieces have story
    lines known only to the dancers and their
    choreographer.
    Some History . . .
    • Contemporary emerged in the 1950’s out of the
    constraints of Classical Ballet.
    • A lady called Martha Graham decided to rebel
    against the rigid style of Ballet and perform
    movement that was ‘freer’ and involved using the
    body and gravity.
    • She started to use costumes that were away from
    the traditional lyrical dresses and Ballet Tutus.
    • From here Contemporary Dance continued to
    develop into ‘Modern Dance’ as it is today.
    Contemporary Dance
    • There are 5 main techniques used in
    Contemporary Dance:
    1. Cunningham
    2. Graham
    3. Limon
    4. Release
    5. Improvisation
    Cunningham
    (named after teacher and choreographer Merce
    Cunningham)
    This style focused on the architecture of the
    body in space, rhythm and articulation.

    What does that mean? Cunningham uses the


    idea of the body's own "line of energy" to
    promote easy, natural movement.
    Graham
    (named after Martha Graham)
    This style focuses on the use of contraction,
    release, fall and recovery.

    What does that mean? Graham technique is


    characterised by floorwork and the use of
    abdominal and pelvic contractions. The style is very
    grounded and the technique visibly contrary to the
    sylphlike, airborne ideals of ballet.
    Limon
    (named after Jose Limon)
    Involves exploring the use of energy in relation to gravity
    and working with weight in terms of fall, rebound,
    recovery and suspension.

    What does that mean? Limon technique uses the


    feeling of weight and "heavy energy" in the body, and
    movement is instigated using breath to lift, and swings
    through the body to create and halt movement. It also
    feels very nice to perform!
    Release
    Placing emphasis on minimising tension in the
    search for clarity and fluidity and efficient use of
    energy and breath.

    What does that mean? A bit like it sounds - in


    Release technique, we release through the joints
    and muscles to create ease of movement, releasing
    the breath to aid the release of the body. A great
    relaxation technique as well as a dance style.
    Improvisation
    • Improvisation
    Improvisation focuses on the investigation of movement
    and its relation to performance. Development of individual
    movement material is facilitated through a variety of
    creative explorations.

    • Contact Improvisation
    Contact improvisation describes a duet dance form
    characterised by weight exchange, fluid movement and
    touch. Partners improvise using the natural movement of
    the body.
    The Performers
    • Different characteristics of the performers will
    also have an impact on the dance
    performance.
    • Sometimes these characteristics are selected
    for a reason like race, sometimes it is who is
    available or the best options to perform the
    dance.
    The Performers

    Characteristics

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