#dance professionals

How would you define contemporary dance to someone without a background in dance?

“It’s always a tricky question. I recently took a job teaching dance at a public high school. While some of my students are highly trained, others are new to dance. When I explain contemporary dance, I often tell them it’s a dance form that prioritizes expression, but it’s tough to define what it looks like because it can be presented in so many ways. It can be done to any sound score: pop music, spoken word, classical music, silence. There’s a range of performance spaces, from a proscenium to a warehouse, from site specific to film. As far as choreographic creation, contemporary dance can run the gamut. There’s a lot of freedom and variety in the way choreography is generated, more than what is often found in a traditional or classical setting. There’s often a focus on research and improvisation to generate material. What I end up saying to my students is that contemporary dance can look like almost anything, and is largely defined by its intention to be contemporary dance.”

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What do you perceive is your own contribution to the field of contemporary dance?

Remember, dancers are more than what they look like, and what body parts you like! Dancers are not objects. They are humans & artists. Dancers dance for you!

Do you have any compliments for a dancer about:

Artistry? 

Thoughtfulness? 

Expression? 

How does their dance make you feel?