Difference Between Modern and Contemporary

Dance
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and Contemporary Dance
Modern vs Contemporary Dance

It is not certain when man started to learn how to dance, but dancing
has been an integral part of human history. As evidenced by the
rituals and customs handed down through generations, the dance is
one art form that has been used by man to express himself.

It is a way for people to communicate with one another, of

expressing one’s ideas and emotions. It provides a way for people to
socialize and interact with each other and, in most cases, dances
usually tell stories.
One can dance solo, with a partner, or in a group. A dance can be
performed with any type of music, the beat of drums in a ceremonial
dance or to the music of a waltz or tango. There are also several
classifications of dance, two of which are modern dance and
contemporary dance.

Modern dance was developed in the early 1900s, the time when
dancers came out against the stiffness and restraints of classical
ballet. It created its own techniques, costumes, shoes, and gave more
attention to self-expression and individual creativity rather than
technical expertise. It allows dancers and choreographers to create
steps using their moods and emotions producing a more relaxed
dance style. Initially, modern dance was based on myths and legends
but later came to dramatize the ethnic, social, economic, and
political climate of the time.

In later years, modern dance became influenced by dances from

different countries, including African, Caribbean, and Latin. Today,
modern dance is more technical and addresses more issues than
when it was created. It paved the way to the development of the
concert dance, one type of which is the contemporary dance. It uses
ballet, modern, and postmodern dance techniques while at the same
time letting dancers use their artistic and creative abilities.

Contemporary dance may include techniques that are found in ballet

and modern dance such as floor work, fall and recovery,
improvisation, even incorporating yoga, pilates, and martial arts
together with techniques introduced by such famous dancers as
Graham, Hawkins, Horton, and Cunningham.

While both modern dance and contemporary dance have developed

to allow dancers and choreographers to have more room for self-
expression and break away from traditional dance, modern dance
focuses more on emotions and moods while contemporary dance
focuses on creating new techniques and styles.
Contemporary dance creates lighter and more fluid movements
emphasizing the connection between one’s body and mind. Modern
dance, on the other hand, is more influenced by ballet and jazz which
utilizes gravity in their techniques.

Summary:
1.Modern dance is a type of dance which was created by early 20th
century dancers and choreographers as a way of renouncing the
strictness of classical ballet while contemporary dance is a type of
concert dance which was developed from modern and postmodern
dance.
2.Modern dance focuses on emotions and moods while
contemporary dance focuses on creating new techniques and
movements.
3.The movements of contemporary dance are more fluid and lighter
than that of modern dance.
4.Modern dance is influenced by ballet and jazz while contemporary
dance has more diverse influences.

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