The Origins of Contemporary Dance

By Tamara Warta

The origins of contemporary dance are illustrious and span the globe, with beginnings in both Europe and North America. Read on for a brief history of this genre of dance, as well as some of the great names behind its start


What is Contemporary Dance?

Contemporary dance is officially the name given to a series of dance styles including modern dance. Extremely interpretive in its choreography, contemporary dance often includes an innate focus on alignment, opposing movement, raw emotions and systematic breathing.

While many dance genres including jazz and lyrical, focus on flexibility and excellence of various structured steps, the technique in contemporary dance is focused much more upon unconventional choreographic moves that were devised in the first 60 years of the 20th century by various masters of the craft. Below is some brief information on these key contributors to the origins of contemporary dance.

The Masters of the Dance

There are several individuals who helped develop what we know as contemporary dance today. Each has made a unique contribution in his or her own way, providing us with a rich tapestry to reflect upon when investigating the origins of contemporary dance.


Martha Graham

Graham is often credited as the founding mother of contemporary and modern dance. As a dancer and choreographer for over seven decades, she brought this unconventional style into the mainstream, as the first dancer ever invited to perform at the White House and receive a medal of freedom.

Ironically, she hated the terms "modern" and "contemporary," as she believed dance styles were constantly evolving and changing according to the times. She didn't want her choreography or her ideals boxed in, and this has continued to be a running mindset amongst contemporary dance choreographers immediately after her through today.


Merce Cunningham

Born in Washington in 1919, Cunningham danced for Martha Graham's company until he formed his own company in 1953. He and his romantic partner, John Cage, created what is known in the contemporary dance world as "chance operations." It is based upon the Chinese thought of casting your fortune off of the hexagram. The number 64 in music, for example, could allow you to cast by chance to discover what sound will first appear, and then casting again to predict the second, and so on until an entire song has been operated this way. Cunningham applied the same principle to dance, using a chance series of movements that he wrote on pieces of paper. He cherished this sporadic style of choreography, and it continues to be practiced in studios across the nation today. In his contribution to the more modern version of contemporary dance, Cunningham was instrumental in its technological, 21st century origins, serving as a developer for a dance software program called Danceforms, which allows one to choreograph via a computer.

Lester Horton

Horton was known for infusing elements of Native American dance and modern jazz into his contemporary dance routines. He went on to train some dance greats, including Alvin Ailey. He founded the Dance Theater of Los Angeles, and while this company is no longer together today, his technique and distinctly different style of choreography that lended itself to the origins of modern dance will forever be remembered.

Other Origins of Influence

One of the beautiful things about contemporary dance's origins is that they come from all different directions. In contemporary movement you will not only see technical dance steps, but also moves borrowed from pilates, yoga, and plenty of dance improvisation like none other. Perhaps the true origins of contemporary dance are found in the hearts and creativity of all who've dared to take it on, stretching their choreographical limits and abandoning their inhibitions for a craft that tolerates none