Key Stylistic Features Of Contemporary Dance

Positions Of Feet 

Parallel Position

Feet Pointed (seen in ballet)

Feet Flexed and angular (Contrasted in Contemporary)

Much of contemporary dance begins in a neutral parallel position with feet shoulder width apart with knees just slightly bent. This broke the confines of the original 5 positions of traditional balletic dance and allows the body to move more freely and explore movements without the confines of the traditional positioning. The foot should not also be pointed like in ballet, but instead flexed and angular as they are not meant to look pretty and graceful like many ballet dances, but instead ugly and distorted. 

Use Of Breath To Initiate Movement 

Example of a movement that is started using breath. 

Breath is used in contemporary dance to add texture to the piece which might otherwise be lost, it adds an extra level of emotion to the piece as short, snappy breaths can make a movement feel rigid, snappy and angsty; while a long drawn out breath can make the movement feel more relaxed and airy. Using breaths like this can also go a long way to making the movements feel more fluid and can help the dancer to feel more at ease and ready to perform. 

Use of centre/core - contractions

Example of a movement that uses your centre/core

A major part of Martha Graham's technique and contemporary dance as a whole, is the use of contractions within your centre or core. These involve arching your back, bringing your pelvis forward and rolling your shoulders. This movement, creates the feeling of vulnerability and closing yourself off from the audience and the other dancers on stage. This style of movement is a complete contrast to that seen in ballet dances, in those dance routines, performers are restricted to constantly keeping a strong core and centre of alignment, with contractions being seen as messy and not matching not keeping within the conformity that ballet brings 

Range of Ways the Spine is Used 

Bending over, keeping spine straight to a certain extent

Tilting spine to one side 

Twisting spine 

This type of movement is a complete contrast to that used in balletic performances as maintaining a good posture and alignment is crucial in performing ballet, whereas this style of dance does not restrict you to having to upkeep a straight posture at all times. Contemporary dance as a result gives more freedom to create movements and use the body in any way you want, which might not be necessarily deemed as majestic and beautiful as that of ballet. 

Relationship to Gravity

In contemporary dance, gravity is seen as something to be utilised and used to benefit the dance instead of something to be defied like in Ballet. Gravity is used to make movements more fluid and free flowing, as seen in the movement above gravity can also be used to release tension as seen when I drop my arm and tilt my spine allowing gravity to take the weight of these body parts. This style of movement can also help dance moves to flow from one another. 

Floorwork 

The use of floor work in contemporary dance makes the piece more versatile, giving the performance more of a level change which allows the dancer to have more creative freedom especially when improvising movements which is a big feature of contemporary dance. Using the floor can also allow dancers to show a wider range of emotions, usually more solumn pieces will utilise the floor more as it is a great way to show more vulnerability and sadness through being in a lower status.