Contemporary dance: what is it, characteristics and examples

A contemporary dance is a vertente da dance created by the 1960s from the corporate research of dance companies, especially the US.

Nessa manages to dance, intentionally and tracing movements that manage to convey sentiments and questions, at the same time that brings dance closer to everyday life.

Trace as a brand to gestural research and experimentation, not having proprietary techniques and being able to mix other languages ​​of arts, such as theater and performance.

Origin of contemporary dance

A group that is generally associated with the emergence of contemporary dance and Judson Dance TheaterA North-American collective two years 60 that included artists from various areas, such as visual arts, dance and music.

The group was of great importance to trace a new way of dancing and appreciating dance.

Its members were willing to breed based on unconventional experiments, such as gestures of stay and relaxation, apart from simple exercises of games, with detachment and spontaneity. They also seek to liberate dance from the dramatic and psychological burden present in modern dance, responsible for breaking with classical dance.

Assim, depois do Judson Dance Theater Other groups will emerge from these types of gestural research, questioning the definitions of dance and the types of movements that can be considered nessa linguagem.

A great choreographer who also contributed to the consolidation of contemporary dance for the German Pina Baush (1940-2009), who works mixing theater to dance.

Characteristics of contemporary dance

There are many ways to perform contemporary dance. Precisely because of the great possibility corporal liberationIt is difficult to list with precision types of contemporary dance, because each company ends up carrying out its own research.

In the meantime, it is possible to group together some common characteristics, such as:

• experimentation;
• Possibilities of movements next to chão;
• you stay and repouse;
• absence of unique techniques;
• Possibilidade da junção de other linguagens, as theater, performance and visual arts.

Also disso, another characteristic and recurrent use of improvisation, ou seja, of gestures raised lightly not at the moment when you dance them perform a dance. Assim, it is not necessary for you to always do a pre-established choreography.

Contemporary dance groups

1. Quasar Cia de Dança

Quasar Cia de Dança is a fairly well-known group in Brazil, with work also abroad. Arisen in Goiânia in the 80s, at the company and an initiative of Vera Bicalho and Henrique Rodavalho.

Possui a line of own research and I have great appreciation for everyday issues, such as human relationships.

2. Peeping Tom Dance Cie

This is a Belgian dance group, born in 2000, which prioritizes delicacy and cenário. His shows usually present narratives fortes e trazem a dance in a less explicit way.

Abaixo, stretch of the presentation 32 rue Vandenbranden, exhibited in Brazil in 2013.

3. Corpo Group

The Corpo Group has a consolidated costume not a contemporary Brazilian dance scene. Raised in 1975 in Minas Gerais, the company has a very creative process interlinked with music.

Normally, a sound trilha is chosen as a starting point for the choreography to be created. A preference is for popular Brazilian music (MPB).

4. Shen Wei Dance Arts

The group was idealized Chinese hair Shen Wei, who lives and works in New York. Or work that presents a parallel face between western and eastern art. It draws many elements of visual arts, cinema, theater, and other media.

You can also be interested:

• A historia da dança ao longo do tempo
• Types of dance: styles more known in Brazil and in the world
• Contemporary art

Art-educator, visual artist and photographer. Graduated in Art Education from the Paulista State University (Unesp) and trained in Photography from the Pan-American School of Art and Design.