Contemporary comes in many forms and is an expression of the artist themselves. Contemporary at RNS takes fundamental movements from Modern, Lyrical, Jazz, and Improv to create impactful and inspired classes.

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Join us for weekly contemporary classes. Registering in this class will help to build your technical abilities as well as enhance your artistry through fun and exploratory combos!

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A very brief history :

Contemporary dance stems from Modern dance which developed in the 19th century as a protest against ballet and interpretative which were popular at the time. Modern dance has been redefined and redeveloped over time and continues to do so. Leaders such as Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, Rudolf Laban, Loie Fuller, Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, Lester Horton, Alvin Ailey, Twyla Tharp, Merce Cunningham, and so many others, have shaped what we have come to know and love as modern contemporary dance. With the influence of story telling Lyrical takes contemporary movements and ballet technique and focuses on the narrative of the lyrics in music to take audiences on an emotional narrative. With the influence of jazz and hip hop the emergence of contemporary jazz has seen a recent peak as dancers pair the fluidity and abstract movement of modern with the music, movements, and groove of jazz and hip hop styles. The term contemporary becomes more fluid and ambiguous as we continue to evolve this amazing style of dance.