Contemporary Ballet

A new area of ballet that has recently been growing is that of contemporary ballet. I really like the new companies that are embracing this aspect of ballet. In general, these companies use ballet as the basis for all their movement but add new contemporary aspects to create really interesting and creative dances. One of my favorite companies that embraces this in many of their dances is Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Many of the company's dances use these qualities in the choreography. Here is one example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIIwct9QNi4

One of the reasons I find this kind of dance so interesting is because the movement is very unexpected. Although it occasionally falls into recognizable "patterns" of movement, there are constantly different movements happening that would not be considered classical ballet. The unexpected nature of the movements is what makes this style really appeal to me. This is another clip, by California Contemporary Ballet, that shows the essence of the style well:

http://www.youtube.com/user/CaContemporaryBallet?blend=7&ob=5#p/a/u/2/jM3a7bM5Khg

There are many differences between classical and contemporary ballet. One major difference is the movement itself. There are many movements that are not traditionally seen in ballet, such as some aerials movements (flips, etc.), more floorwork, and non-traditional arm and leg positions. Another big difference is the music. The music is less likely to have the traditional sound that is generally thought to match ballet. There is also less likely to be a clear storyline that the ballet follows, and along with that, the characters are often more ambiguous. The sets are usually less literal. Overall, this style of dance seems to be becoming more popular, and while I really enjoy classical ballet, contemporary ballet is an exciting new take on ballet that I also enjoy watching.