CONTEMPORAR

Y DANCE
 Contemporary dance is a genre of dance performance that
developed during the mid twentieth century and has since grown to
become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers
throughout the world, with particularly strong popularity in the
U.S. and Europe. Although originally informed by and borrowing
from classical, modern, and jazz styles, it has since come to
incorporate elements from many styles of dance. [1] Due to its
technical similarities, it is often perceived to be closely related to
modern dance, ballet, and other classical concert dance styles.
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.
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.
 Contemporary dances therefore do not use fixed
moves and instead try to develop totally new forms
and dynamics, such as quick oppositional moves,
shifting alignments, expressions of raw emotions,
systematic breathing, dancing moves preformed in
non-standing positions (for example lying on the
floor), and in general trying to find the absolute
limits of our human form and physique.
The origins of this popular dance movement
can be traced to several influential dance
masters such as Isadora Duncan, Martha
Graham and Merce Cunningham. They all
wanted to show to the world that contemporary
dancers should embrace freedom, ignore old
dance conventions and explore the limits of the
human body and visual expression of feelings.
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.
CONTEMPORARY
DANCE VS. MODERN
DANCE
 The modern dance styles does not have set rules. Modern
dancers often create their own dance routines using their
emotions and moods, but on the other hand, many
performances are choreographed.
 Modern dancers prefer a more relaxed and free style of
dancing. While ballerinas try to be light on their feet,
modern dancers use body weight to increase movement.
Contemporary dance is a style of expressive dance
that combines elements of several dance genres
including modern, jazz, lyrical and classical ballet.
Contemporary dance stresses versatility and
improvisation, unlike the strict, structured nature of
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.
CONTEMPORARY DANCE
HISTORY
 Contemporary dance is a style of expressive dance that
combines elements of several dances.
  Contemporary was originated and was arising from the
U.S and Europe. Merce Cunningham is the first one to
develop an attitude towards Contemporary and establish it.
 This started during the 1878s to the 1927s. This dance
style focuses on floorwork, using gravity to pull them
down to the floor.
FAMOUS PEOPLE
ISADORA
DUNCAN
Isadora Duncan was an
American pioneer of dance
and is often referred to as
the ‘Mother of Modern
Dance’. She began dancing
when she was a child and
soon started giving dance
lessons but came to abhor
the rigidity of ballet. She
dropped out of school
because she found it too
stifling for her attitude, thus
displaying her individuality
even as a young girl. Her
unconventional dance
technique created a
sensation in Europe,
America and Russia
MARTHA
GRAHAM
The first ever dancer
to perform at the
White House,
American dancer
Martha Graham was
an artist beyond
compare. In a career
spanning over half a
century, she
revolutionized
modern dance and
created more than
180 works as a
dancer and
choreographer. 
JULIET PROWSE
Juliet Anne Prowse was
an Indian-born South
African-American dancer
and actress.
 1960, she appeared in
the musical-comedy
‘Can-Can’, which also
starred Frank Sinatra.
Prowse subsequently
was involved in a
passionate affair with
Sinatra and was even
engaged to him for a
short period. She later
dated her ‘G.I. Blues’ co-
star Elvis Presley.
DORIS
HUMPHREY
Doris Humphrey was an
early twentieth century
dancer and
choreographer, hailed
as one of the first
modern dance
choreographers who
played a pivotal role in
shaping the course of
modern dance in the
United States. She was a
contemporary of the
famous choreographer
Martha Graham, and had
also worked with the
highly acclaimed dancer
and choreographer
Katherine Dunham.
KATHERINE
DUNHAM
Katherine Dunham,
an American dancer
and choreographer,
was a trendsetter in
African-American
modern dance. She
performed a
confluence of both
the cultures and
combined classical
American ballet with
African rhythms to
create an exciting
new dance style.
MARY
WIGMAN
Mary Wigman was a
German dancer and
choreographer, considered
as one of the most
noteworthy pioneers in the
history of modern dance.
She realized that dance
could act as a powerful
medium to express human
passions and aspirations.
After developing her unique
expressionist or ‘absolute’
style of dance, she
established a dance school
in Germany which quickly
became known as a center
for modern artistic
innovation
IAN
EASTWOOD
Ian Anthony Eastwood is an
American dancer and
choreographer. He is best
known as a former member
of the group Mos Wanted
Crew that was featured on
the reality dance
competition show
‘America's Best Dance
Crew’. He is also famous for
appearing in ‘Return of the
Superstars’ and ‘Dance
Showdown’. Till date,
Eastwood has been
featured as a dancer and
choreographer on music
videos by several renowned
artistes like Justin Bieber,
Kris Wu, Tori Kelly, Maya
Angelou, Shannon and Vic
Mensa, to name a few.
LARRY
BOURGEOIS
Larry Bourgeois is one of
the ‘Les Twins’ duo, who
has earned international
acclaim as a dancer,
model, and
choreographer.
Nicknamed “Ca Blaze”,
Larry, has garnered global
recognition by consistently
belting out mind-blowing
performances in the hip-
hop dance genre. The ‘Les
Twins’ took to dancing
instinctively from their
childhood
MOLLEE
GRAY
Mollee Shon Gray is an
American dancer, actress,
and singer-songwriter. She
first gained fame for a top-8
finish in the season six of ‘So
You Think You Can Dance’. A
Utah native, Gray began
taking dancing lessons at the
age of three and later left
her family and hometown to
pursue dancing and acting.
She made her acting debut
in 2002 in the dance drama
‘Out of Step’. She followed it
up by appearing in the first
instalment of the ‘High
School Musical’ film series in
2006.
Click icon to add picture
MERCE
CUNNINGHAM
Merce Cunningham was
an American modern
dancer and teacher,
most remembered as an
innovative and influential
choreographer. While
receiving his formal
dance and theatre
training, he was spotted
by the great dancer,
Martha Graham, who
offered him a chance to
work in her company.
LESTER
HORTON
He studied ballet for two years with a
local teacher in Indianapolis, Theo
Hewes.[2] At that time he also took
classes at the Herron Art Institute and
worked with the 
Indianapolis Little Theater.
Seeing a performance of the 
Denishawn company had a great
impact on him.
Horton arrived in California in 1929 to
perform The Song of Hiawatha, a
dance-pageant by Clara Bates based
on Longfellow's poem, at the Argus
Bowl, a natural amphitheater in 
Eagle Rock.[2]
He took a job with the sculptress 
Kathleen Stubergh, with whom he
remained close for his lifetime. They
produced wax figures and Horton
painted faces on the window
mannequins.[3]
He chose to work in California instead
of New York City, which was considered
the center of modern dance at the time.