Dynamic Dance

“Dance to be danced, not analyzed” —  Merce Cunningham (1919 – 2009) American dancer & choreographer

The widespread popularity of contemporary dance among audiences and dancers is likely due to the creative freedom of movement and expression it allows as it incorporates different styles and techniques of dance.  Drawing on classical ballet and modern dance as well as non-western cultural dances, contemporary dance is unpredictable and constantly evolving with changes in rhythm, speed and direction, costuming and music, and a performance can be in the abstract or a narrative form.

If you’ve never seen a contemporary dance performance, here’s a great chance at an introduction to the experience.  Really, there’s nothing you have to understand about contemporary dance.  Just enjoy.

Provenance is an explosive modern dance and gesture-driven contemporary ballet choreographed by Keith Haynes and Laura Malpass.  In Haynes’ bombastic group work, forms and bodies collide, representing a clash of opposing ideologies, and in a dance about loss, Laura Malpass’ explores the myths that shape our lives as bodies and memories disintegrate with age.

If you miss the live stream broadcast of Provenance, you can watch video recordings.  Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button on the media players below ↓

Information/Resources:

What’s Contemporary Dance These Days? by Rebecca Martin, Dance Magazine – Australia edition

CU Presents is the home of performing arts on the University of Colorado – Boulder campus, offering a wide range of concerts, plays, recitals and dance performances each year.

Ceyda Tanc Dance – works, upcoming performances, classes and classes

*Kaya, Turkey was at one time home to a Greek community that was forcefully removed from the village in the early 1920’s as part of a “population exchange” agreement between the governments of Greece and Turkey.  Close to 2 million people were made refugees and denaturalized from their homelands.  The village of Kaya became a ghost town, and its population was recorded at 1,524 in the year 2000. [Wikipedia:  Kaya, Fethiye; Population exchange between Greece and Turkey]

WATCH more creative dancers and inspiring performances of all sorts → The Dance Channel, an On2In2™ collection of favorite videos FREE To WATCH, On-Demand

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Feature photo is courtesy of Tim Gouw/Pexels CC0