What is Contemporary Dance?
Contemporary dance combines the strong but controlled legwork of Ballet, with elements of Jazz dance, focusing on the contract and release of the body, and the unpredictable changes in rhythm, speed and direction. It also employs floor work, fall and recovery, and improvisation characteristics of Modern dance.
Key components of contemporary dance class:
- Strength and Flexibility: The contemporary dance style focuses on core strength for flexible movement, and it emphasizes muscular strength in the torso. Having a strong base in Ballet and Jazz can be helpful when learning this style.
- Freedom of Expression: One of the key elements that separates contemporary dance from other styles is the focus on expression. Contemporary dancers strive to convey emotion and story through their movements, making each performance unique. You might be asked a lot of questions to help you think through your intentions.
- Warm-Ups: A contemporary dance class is very physically demanding,Warm-ups in contemporary dancing are intended to enhance balance, coordination, alignment, and body awareness.
- Stretching: Flexibility is important for contemporary dances, which need the ability to create innovative shapes. The goal of these dance stretching exercises is to reduce the risk of injury while performing.
- Floor Work: In contemporary dance classes, floor work is an essential component. Floor work involves performing exercises while standing in the middle of the room or traveling from one end to the other across the floor. In contemporary dance you interact with the floor a lot, so be prepared to spend time down on the ground. These activities help to improve dancers’ balance, coordination, and strength. They also allow dancers to explore different ways of moving their bodies.
Because of all the key components of Contemporary Dance and it being paired with the adult body, we have decided to put prerequisites in place for our school. These prerequisites are in place to ensure the safety of all our dancers.
In order to take Contemporary Class at Tournesol, you must be in a level 4 Jazz and at least a level 4a ballet class.