Dance Teacher Blog: Contemporary Dance Lessons

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Dance Teacher Blog
Contemporary Dance Lessons

Teaching engaging lessons in the style of contemporary dance can be tricky.  Hopefully your students have taken ballet, modern, and/or jazz classes to understand the intricate movement and choreography of contemporary dance.  While contemporary styled dance is fun for beginners, it is best suited on intermediate-advanced dancers.

When I teach contemporary to Grades 6-8 it is a very different scope than when I teach contemporary to grades 9-12.  I start by showing dancers different contemporary choreographers works via You Tube or Netflix.  I start with Martha Graham, Lester Horton, Alvin Ailey, Jiri Kylian and then move to Mia Michaels, Travis Wall, and Josie Walsh.  I discuss modern companies and contemporary companies and the subtle difference between the two styles.

Basic Lessons Grades 6-8 
Partnering (holding hand swings, not lifts)
Improvisation
Group and Solo Choreography (by the student)
Dance a poem, or story (see book list below)
A cappella dance (no music)

For Grades 6-8 Contemporary Project Books:
Ride a Purple Pelican Jack Prelutsky
Red Sings from Treetops A Year in Colors Joyce Sidman
Schoolyard Rhymes Kids own Rhymes for Rope Skipping, Hand Clapping, Ball Bouncing, Just Plain Fun
Street Rhymes Around the World Jane Yolk

For grades 9-12 I introduce contemporary movement to my dance students through musicality and rhythm.  At this grade level they should be intermediate thru advanced dancers and would have had some exposure to modern dance and postmodern contemporary dance.  The class moves a lot faster when I don't have to explain cutting and reshaping technique lines doesn't mean it's not "technical" movement.

Contemporary Dance Music Artists for Grades 9-12 
Lindsey Sterling
Ellie Goulding
Imagine Dragons
Flo + Machine
Vitamin String Quartet
Steven Cravis
Alex Clare
Muse
Coldplay

Contemporary Dance Projects & Lessons Grades 9-12 
Dance a Poem
Student contemporary choreography
Improvisation
Partnering (with lifts)
Solos, Duos and Trios!
Dance theater/Dance storytelling
Performance