Contemporary Dance

Contemporary dance is a style of expressive dance that combines elements of several dance
genres including modern, jazz, lyrical and classical ballet. Contemporary dancers focus on
floorwork, 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

Around 1980s, the world "contemporary dance" referred to the 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.

Dancer who introduced and greatly popularized the contemporary dance to the worldwide
audience was Martha Graham (1894 - 1991). During her seven decade long career, her modern
dance and choreographies gathered the fame that is today compared to the life works of
legendary art geniuses such as Picasso, Stravinski and Frank Lloyd Wright.

Merce Cunningham refined the work that his colleague Martha Graham formed, and expanded
with this his own improvements, choreographies and avant-garde dance techniques. During his
long career he was regarded as one of the greatest creative forces in American dance, education
dozens of worldwide famous dancers and thousands professional dancers who preserved his style
until today.

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.

Rising from the rubbles of WW II and freed from American domination, the Filipinos surged in
creativity. The ’50 and ’60s saw dance revival and choreographic invention.

Schools put up folk dance troupes like the Far Eastern University, Philippine Normal
University (Barangay Folk Dance Troupe) and Philippine Women’s University. The Bayanihan
Philippine Dance Company captivated the world at Brussels Exposition in 1958. Leonor Orosa
Goquingco’s Filipinescas Dance Company, Teresita Pil’s Leyte Kalipayan Dance Company,
University of the Philippines Filipiniana Dance Group, Darangan Cultural Troupe at Mindanao
State University-Marawi, and Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group followed to win their own awards
and accolades abroad. All at first capitalized on the efforts of now-declared National Artist,
Francisca Reyes Aquino, to gain national and international recognition, from Manila to
Broadway and across the Iron Curtain.
 3 Big Names in Philippine Dance

1. Alice Reyes

National Artist for Dance (2014)

made a lasting impact on the development and promotion of contemporary dance in the
Philippines.

2. Lisa Teresita Pacheco Macuja- Elizalde

Founder of Ballet Manila

was the first foreign soloist in the prestigious Kirov Ballet, also known as the Imperial
Russian Ballet.

3. Douglas Nierras

has more than two decades of involvement in dance through choreography, pedagogy,
and production.

Famous for his Metanoia.

Elements of Contemporary Dance

Design - pattern of movement in time and space.

Movement - the bodily actions of the dancer that include his steps.
Technique - the skill of movement executed by the dancer.
Music - the auditory background to which a dancer moves.
Costume and Body Paraphernalia - properties worn by the dancer that reflect the message,
customs and beliefs.
Choreography - the figures and steps in dancing enable the dancers to perform in an
organized manner.
Scenery - the background or setting where the dance is performed to make it more realistic and
enriching.
Theme - most basic element of a dance. It conveys the message of a dance.