Contemporary Dance Technique Skill List

This brand-new resource from the trusted Holistic Dance Teacher Collection includes a list of technique-based skills that can be taught in contemporary dance classes, in addition to general overall dance technique concepts that are applicable to any dance form. The list is divided into four skill levels; beginning, intermediate, advanced intermediate, and advanced. You can further divide the lists into smaller sections if your dance studio or program offers more than four levels of contemporary dance technique, or combine them if you offer less than four levels. You can use this guide to help you devise contemporary dance lesson plans or build a curriculum for your contemporary dance program.

For the purpose of this guide, contemporary dance refers to a choreographic style, popular in dance studios and in commercial dance, that incorporates elements of ballet, modern, and jazz dance, with an emphasis on level changes, dynamics, and expression. The skills in this list will help dancers develop the coordination, strength, and technical foundation they need to perform contemporary dance choreography. Because contemporary dance is such a broad term that encompasses a wide rage of movement styles, you may find that you have more to add to the list, or that some of the skills don't fit your approach.

Please note that this skill list is not a comprehensive list of all contemporary dance skills. It is not a complete syllabus or curriculum, but a tool that you can use to design your own. It does not include descriptions or videos of the skills, advice on how to teach the skills, or drills and progressions related to the skill.

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