4 reasons to do Contemporary Dance

JumpStart love Contemporary dance and it’s very much at the heart of what we do – both in our school work and in our Youth Company.

There are a plethora of ways to keep fit and luckily we have lots of choice in terms of how we spend our leisure time.  So why Contemporary Dance?  Our informative blog gives you the low down on the benefits of taking part in a class.

1.  Personal expression.  All dance is a form of expression and choreographers always have intention and meaning behind their movement.  In Contemporary Dance, this is at the forefront.  Contemporary teachers will spend time getting to know the dancers individually and seek to use their personalities and preferences within choreography.  Participants will be encouraged to find their own ways to express the meanings behind the movement (the story, the characters, the message) and difference is celebrated rather than ironed out.  Some children don’t like the conformity and rigidity of other styles of dance.  Contemporary allows them the freedom to find the ways that THEY want to move.
2. Strength.  Contemporary Dance requires floor work.  And lots of it: rolling, tumbling, pressing, spinning, sliding, cartwheeling to name just a few.  Every time dancers go down to the floor and back up, they are working on their core muscles to support their own weight (or indeed the weight of someone else) as well as the strength in their thighs, glutes and arms.  We choose to dance in bare feet – partly because it’s freeing and partly because it feels good and grounds you.  Dancing bare footed also builds up the muscles in your feet – there are over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments in your feet!  When they are encased in shoes all day, feet aren’t given the chance to work to their full potential.  Dancing bare footed helps to ensure your feet remain flexible, mobile and strong.  And did you know…stronger bodies make stronger learners!  The stronger your core muscles are, the better you are at sitting still and being ready to learn.
3.  Variety.  No two classes are the same!  Contemporary Dance doesn’t have the same formal syllabus of more traditional styles, so the content will vary according to individual teachers.  Every time you step inside a Contemporary class, you will do something completely different and learn something new.  One week using yoga style movements, another week doing contact improvisation, and the next week doing leaps, jumps and turns.  Contemporary is great for learning new movements, concepts and ideas. And for challenging yourself both physically and emotionally.
4. Creativity. Yes we talk about it a lot.  But we’ll say it again…creativity is so important and it’s one of the biggest determinants of your happiness and success in anything you do.  The ability to ‘think outside the box’ is increasingly important in this digital age.  Contemporary Dance empowers participants to be the owners of the movement by teaching improvisation and choreography skills.   For more about the power of creativity read our other blogs here…

Would you like to join one of our Contemporary Classes?

Children…join our Youth Dance Company.  We only open up enrollment twice a year (May and October) and we’re looking for new children to join.

• Mondays during term time
• Birstall Village Hall
• 5.15 – 6.15 JumpStart Company (5-10 year olds)
• 6.30 – 7.30 Dance Leaders (10-14 year olds)

For more information on our classes click here

Or email [email protected] or give us a call 07738042089