Contemporary Cheat Sheet

The key takeaways for beginners – contraction & release, a safe fall to the floor and improvisation as a trainable tool.

Contemporary vs. its neighbours

Style	Difference
Ballet	Turnout and extension are central – Contemporary favours contraction and floor work instead.
Modern dance	Codified with fixed techniques (Graham, Cunningham) – Contemporary stays deliberately undogmatic.
Jazz	Brings rhythm and angularity – Contemporary only borrows what fits.
Lyrical	Tells stories through music – Contemporary often grows directly out of improvisation.

The 3 golden technique rules

Factor 1: Contraction starts in the pelvis

Concept: Contraction begins in the pelvis and solar plexus, not the shoulders, and follows your natural breathing rhythm. Tip: Draw the pelvis and belly inward as you exhale, let the curve travel up vertebra by vertebra – shoulders stay passive.

Factor 2: Release tension, don't force it

Concept: Release technique dissolves unnecessary muscle tension and lets movement flow through breath, gravity and momentum instead of forcing it. Tip: Run a short body scan before every technique class – that alone is enough to notice and release unnecessary tension.

Factor 3: Falling is active, not a loss of control

Concept: Fall & recovery uses active weight shifting, not a loss of balance – breath leads the movement: exhale on the fall, inhale on the recovery. Tip: Practise new fall patterns in slow motion on a sprung floor first – speed only comes once suspension and rebound feel secure.

Dancing barefoot: protecting your feet

Build calluses deliberately: Toughen up deliberately before intense phases (isopropyl alcohol, 2–3 weeks) instead of meeting friction unprepared.
Care for your skin between sessions: Lanolin-based cream twice a day keeps calluses flexible and prevents tears.
Take wounds seriously: Cover blisters and tears instead of dancing through them, never remove calluses yourself with a blade.

Floor work, safely

Principle	How to do it
Distribute weight	Never fall onto a joint with full weight – forearm instead of wrist, a larger surface instead of a single point.
Roll, don't stop	Let energy travel on through a rounded back line instead of stopping abruptly.
Engage your centre	Pull through your abs and back to rise, don't just push through your arms.

Improvisation & versatility

Four building blocks (Laban): Body, effort, shape, space – turning just one dial creates new movement on purpose.
Tasks, not open freedom: Concrete constraints (scores) instead of vague freedom cut down decision paralysis.
30 minutes, twice a week: That rhythm showed the strongest effect on creative movement ability in a study of 92 students.

Pro tip: Start every session with a body scan, not a stretch: briefly notice where you're holding tension you don't need, and release exactly that. Contemporary rewards those who apply strength deliberately – not those with the most of it.