Pina Bausch, Orpheus and Eurydice – 5 benefits of Contemporary Dance for Physical and Mental Health
Contemporary Dance has an expressive quality that blends different dance styles like classical ballet, modern jazz and lyrical. This style of dance does not follow any rules and relies upon improvisation and versatility allowing the dancer to enjoy freedom of movement and fluidity whilst enjoying the opportunity to explore the mind-body connection and ideally evoking emotion in the audience.
The origin of contemporary dance developed in the twentieth century and by the 1980s, the term contemporary dance described routine that didn’t adhere to the strict rules of classical dance. Some notable pioneers of contemporary dance include; Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, Lester Horton, Merce Cunningham, Jose Limon, Loie Fuller and Ruth St Denis.
A popular Contemporary Dance is CDK – Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye, watch here
Contemporary dance combines elements of ballet and modern dance, and often includes floor work, improvisation, and unpredictable changes in rhythm, speed, and direction. Some common moves in contemporary dance include:
- Contract and release: Dancers focus on the contract and release of their bodies.
- Legwork: Contemporary dance often includes strong but controlled legwork, similar to ballet.
- Torso: Contemporary dance also emphasizes the torso, similar to modern dance.
- Fall and recovery: Contemporary dance often includes fall and recovery, similar to modern dance.
Here are 5 Benefits of Contemporary Dance for your Physical and Mental Health:
Improves Balance
Contemporary dance encourages you to transfer your weight from one foot to another. Weight shifting movements are key to preventing falls. Also when dancing contemporary dance your balance is often challenged when standing on one leg.
Achieve a sense of Flow State
The gentle fluid movement’s and sequences of contemporary dance encourage you to activate a new flow state. A flow state is a sustained period of absorption or focus on a task that’s pleasurable and deep. People in a flow state feel a balance between challenge and ability, and a connection between their mind and body.
Encourages self expression
When you are dancing contemporary dance you can become immersed within the storytelling of the dance encouraging opportunity for participants to express their inner feelings within through movement with no restrictions.
Improves Breathing
Contemporary dance allows you to concentrate on your breathing. Your breath is important in contemporary dance as it helps you to convey lightness, gravity and emotion.
Improves Spatial Awareness
The big sweeping movements encourage you to widen your peripheral vision as you watch the dancers next to you in order to keep your space in the line or grouping. You want to have equal space between you and the other dancers on either side of you, and in front and back of you.
“Great dancers are not great because of their technique they are great because of their passion”
– Martha Graham
Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC run weekly Keep Dancing classes, suitable for older adults across, Birmingham, Solihull, Walsall, Sandwell and online. Keep Dancing will teach you dances from around the world with no need for a dance partner. Find your nearest Keep Dancing class here.
Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC also run classes to support carers in Birmingham thanks to Funding from Forward Carers CIC. Find out more about our Keep Dancing for carers here
If you enjoyed reading 5 Benefits of Contemporary Dance for your Physical and Mental Health, you might want to consider reading 5 Benefits of Bachata for your Body and Brain.
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