Freedom in Motion. Truth in Movement.
Contemporary dance is the shapeshifter of the dance world. Rooted in rebellion yet rich in refinement, it evolves constantly — borrowing from ballet, modern, jazz, folk, and even urban street styles — while forging its own fluid, expressive language. If ballet is the art of the line, contemporary dance is the art of the feeling.
It’s not just a style. It’s a movement of movements, where story, sensation, and somatic truth take centre stage.
The Origins: A Break from Convention
Contemporary dance began as a rejection — a bold break away from the rigid formality of classical ballet. Its origins can be traced back to the postmodern era of the 1950s–60s, when dancers and choreographers sought to move for meaning, not just for mastery.
Early pioneers of modern dance like Isadora Duncan, Ruth St. Denis, and Ted Shawn laid the groundwork in the early 20th century, rejecting corsets and codified steps in favour of natural movement. But it was artists like Martha Graham, José Limón, and Merce Cunningham who laid the formal foundations of what would become contemporary dance.
- Martha Graham developed a revolutionary technique based on contraction and release, forging a style that expressed raw human emotion.
- Merce Cunningham, by contrast, introduced chance procedures and decentralised the role of narrative — letting movement exist without storyline, influenced heavily by avant-garde composer John Cage.
- Alwin Nikolais and Paul Taylor also played key roles, pushing the genre toward abstraction and experimentation.
The Evolution: A Global Language
By the 1980s and 1990s, contemporary dance had begun to absorb and reflect global influences. Choreographers blended traditional dance forms with contemporary structure — building hybrid vocabularies that reflected their culture, politics, and personal truths.
Key International Icons
- Pina Bausch (Germany) – The queen of Tanztheater, Bausch fused dance and theatre to explore psychology, gender, and ritual with surreal intensity.
- Ohad Naharin (Israel) – Creator of Gaga, a movement language that prioritises sensation and inner connectivity. Under his leadership, Batsheva Dance Company became one of the world’s most dynamic ensembles.
- Akram Khan (UK) – A visionary who melds Indian classical Kathak with contemporary storytelling. His works like Dust and Xenos speak of identity, war, and migration.
- Crystal Pite (Canada) – Known for emotionally resonant, architecturally precise choreography. Her company Kidd Pivot, as well as her collaborations with Nederlands Dans Theater and The Royal Ballet, redefine what dance can say.
- William Forsythe (USA/Germany) – Though rooted in ballet, Forsythe deconstructed its architecture, using improvisation technologies and physical systems thinking.
- Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (Belgium) – Blends hip hop, martial arts, and traditional forms into poetic physical theatre with spiritual undertones.
Contemporary Dance in Australia: A Unique Voice
Australia has cultivated its own powerful contemporary voice — bold, experimental, and deeply physical. Our geographic distance has allowed artists to shape a uniquely Australian take on the form.
Leading Figures
- Rafael Bonachela (Spain/Australia) – As Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company, Bonachela has redefined the mainstream face of Australian contemporary dance. His choreography fuses fluidity with precision, passion with polish.
- Meryl Tankard – Former soloist with Pina Bausch and Artistic Director of Australian Dance Theatre, Tankard is revered for her visually rich, emotionally raw, and female-centred works.
- Garry Stewart – As longtime AD of ADT, Stewart pushed physical limits with a high-octane, acrobatic take on contemporary dance that spoke to technology, biomechanics, and the body as machine.
- Lucy Guerin – Based in Melbourne, Guerin is a minimalist master whose work explores tension, time, and texture.
- Stephanie Lake – A choreographer known for large-scale, interdisciplinary collaborations that burst with rhythm, ritual, and energy.
Homegrown Companies of Note
- Sydney Dance Company (NSW) – Globally respected, widely toured, and known for its boundary-breaking works and exceptional dancers.
- Australian Dance Theatre (SA) – A longstanding innovator, ADT helped define Australia’s contemporary identity.
- Chunky Move (VIC) – Launched by Gideon Obarzanek and known for its tech-driven, theatrical works.
- Lucy Guerin Inc. (VIC) – An incubator for experimental, intelligent, and highly refined contemporary creation.
- Stephanie Lake Company (VIC) – A rising force on the international scene with thrilling kinetic vocabularies.
The Digital & Commercial Explosion
Contemporary dance has also thrived on commercial and digital platforms, bringing its emotive power to mainstream audiences:
- Mia Michaels – Became a household name through So You Think You Can Dance, choreographing raw, intimate routines that introduced mass audiences to the genre’s storytelling potential.
- Travis Wall, Tessandra Chavez, and Sonya Tayeh also contributed to this wave, crafting evocative solos and duets that went viral and launched careers.
Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok have further transformed the genre — offering exposure to independent choreographers and blending contemporary vocabulary with street, urban, and improvisational influences.
Landmark Works to Watch
- “Echad Mi Yodea” – Ohad Naharin’s ritualistic masterwork, performed by Batsheva.
- “Flight Pattern” – Crystal Pite’s haunting response to the refugee crisis.
- “Dust” – Akram Khan’s visceral ballet set during WWI.
- “VOLTA” – By Stephanie Lake, a rhythmic and exhilarating Australian work.
- “Tense Dave” – A hilarious and surreal narrative co-choreographed by Chunky Move and Lucy Guerin Inc.
Why Contemporary Dance Matters
Contemporary dance dares to be vulnerable. It invites audiences to feel rather than just watch. It welcomes contradiction, celebrates cultural fusion, and gives space to voices historically left out of the classical canon. It can be spare and silent… or explosive and theatrical.
Most importantly, it mirrors the world around us — messy, moving, complex — and reminds us that art doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful
