Contemporary dance is like interpretative storytelling. It can be performed with pointe shoes or barefoot, with or without music. It is about breaking structure – it can be balletic, wholly abstract, jazz-influenced, lyrical, folk-influenced or completely unconventional.
Contemporary dance allows freedom of movement, and hence is a very interesting class for complete beginners of dance. Even with less training, you can test the extremes of your body and you don’t have to worry about perfect turnout or perfect feet. It is challenging physically and emotionally as your teacher will constantly remind you to push the boundaries of what you think is possible. That is the beauty of the form. It is a reflective form and has the ability to transform you via self-discovery.
Teachers will break down the movements for you, to make it easy for you to grasp, but he or she will also encourage individual exploration through improvisation sessions.
Background
Contemporary dance began in Europe and USA in the late 19th and early 20th century. Then it was heavily influenced by Jazz, Modern and classical Ballet. Over the years, it’s incorporate elements from Folk, ethnic and many other styles of dance. It is a form of self expression, in which each artist has the freedom to determine his or her creative path.
Modern dance pioneers, Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham created new technique and vocabulary, which influences how we dance today. At Priming Dance, our biggest inspiration for contemporary dance is the Netherlands Dans Theater and the KCDC Israel.
This class is for YOU if…
- You’re a dancer and want one class to work on strength and self-discovery
- A classical dancer who wants to explore free movement and break structure
- You want to push your body to it’s extremes
- You train in hip-hop/ freestyle/ locking/ folk /urban &
want to explore - You’ve never joined a dance class and want to learn
