Maria Bregman, a journalist, writer and contemporary culture researcher
The Creativity and Experimentation of Modern Dance: A Review of Five Contemporary Dance Innovators, who telling Stories Through Dance
Contemporary dance is a broad and diverse field that encompasses a variety of styles, techniques, themes and influences. It is also a field that is constantly evolving and expanding, as new choreographers and dancers emerge and experiment with new forms of expression, communication and collaboration. In this article, I will compare and review the works of five contemporary dance innovators who have made significant contributions to the development and diversity of modern dance: Evgeniia Erofeeva, Crystal Pite, Akram Khan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Wayne McGregor.
Evgeniia Erofeeva is a dancer and choreographer who has been making waves in the contemporary dance scene in the UK and around the world. Her solo work, Deep Shine, which premiered in 2023, showcases her unique style of movement, expression and creativity. Deep Shine is a 15-minute solo that explores the themes of light, shadow, reflection and identity. She interacts in various ways, such as touching, kissing, hiding, fighting and dancing. She also manipulates the lighting to create different effects, such as casting shadows, silhouettes and reflections on the floor. The music, composed by Sergio Mendes, is a mix of rhumba, samba and electronic beats, creating a contrast between the traditional and the modern, the organic and the synthetic, the warm and the cold.
Erofeeva’s movement vocabulary is a fusion of ballet, modern dance, and acrobatics. She demonstrates a high level of technical skill, flexibility, strength and agility, as well as a refined sense of musicality, timing and dynamics. She moves with fluidity, grace and precision, but also with spontaneity, playfulness and intensity. She switches between soft and sharp, fast and slow, high and low, with ease and control. She also uses facial expressions, gestures and vocalisations to convey emotions, such as joy, sadness, anger, fear and curiosity.
Erofeeva’s choreography is innovative, original and captivating. She creates interesting shapes, patterns and transitions with her body and the mirror, using symmetry, asymmetry, repetition, variation and contrast. She also uses space, direction and levels effectively, creating a sense of depth, dimension and perspective. She challenges the audience’s perception and expectation, by playing with the notions of reality and illusion, self and other, image and identity. She invites the audience to reflect on their own relationship with themselves and the world, and to question what they see and what they believe
Deep Shine is a remarkable work that showcases Erofeeva’s talent and vision as a dancer and a choreographer. It is a work that combines technical excellence, artistic expression and conceptual depth, creating a memorable and meaningful experience for the audience.
Crystal Pite is a Canadian dancer and choreographer who has been creating works for dance companies in Canada and around the world since 1990. She is the founding artistic director of the Vancouver-based company Kidd Pivot, which is world-renowned for radical hybrids of dance and theatre that are assembled with a keen sense of wit and invention. Some of her solo works include Uncollected Work (2003), Double Story (2004), Lost Action (2006), Dark Matters (2009), The You Show (2010), and The Tempest Replica (2011)
The Tempest Replica is a 75-minute solo that is based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Pite uses a combination of dance, theatre, puppetry and video to retell the story of the exiled magician Prospero and his daughter Miranda, who live on an island with the spirit Ariel and the monster Caliban. The piece begins with a prologue, in which the characters are introduced as white-clad figures wearing masks that resemble paper cut-outs of their faces. The masks are then removed, and the story unfolds in two parts: the first part is a fast-paced summary of the plot, using video projections and voice-overs; the second part is a slow-motion exploration of the characters’ emotions, using movement and music. The music, composed by Owen Belton, is a mix of classical, ambient and electronic sounds, creating a contrast between the familiar and the unfamiliar, the dramatic and the subtle, the chaotic and the calm
Pite’s movement vocabulary is an integration of ballet and contemporary dance. She demonstrates a high level of technical skill, elegance, expression and versatility, as well as a superb sense of narrative, drama and humour. She moves with clarity, fluidity and nuance, but also with power, speed and impact. She switches between different roles, moods and styles, with ease and control. She also uses gestures, facial expressions and voice-overs to convey the characters’ personalities, motivations and conflicts
Pite’s choreography is innovative, original and captivating. She creates interesting shapes, patterns and transitions with her body and the props, using symmetry, asymmetry, repetition, variation and contrast. She also uses space, direction and levels effectively, creating a sense of scale, depth and perspective. She challenges the audience’s perception and expectation, by playing with the notions of reality and illusion, story and abstraction, image and identity. She invites the audience to engage with the characters and the themes, and to question what they see and what they think
The Tempest Replica is a remarkable work that showcases Pite’s talent and vision as a dancer and a choreographer. It is a work that combines technical excellence, artistic expression and conceptual depth, creating a memorable and meaningful experience for the audience.
Akram Khan is a British dancer and choreographer, who is known for his fusion of classical Indian kathak and contemporary dance, and his exploration of cultural, social and political issues. He has made over 50 choreographic pieces and received two Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production, three Ballet Tanz awards for best choreographer (2008, 2011, 2017), the KAIROS Prize (2009) and the Europe Prize Theatrical Realities (2018)
One of his most acclaimed works is XENOS, which premiered in 2018 and marked his final full-length solo performance. XENOS is a 65-minute solo that is inspired by the story of a shell-shocked Indian soldier trapped in a trench during the First World War. The title means “stranger” or “foreigner” in Greek, and reflects the themes of identity, belonging, colonialism and war. Khan uses a combination of dance, music, text and design to create a powerful and poignant piece that questions the human cost of conflict. The music, composed by Vincenzo Lamagna, is a mix of classical Indian, western and electronic sounds, creating a contrast between the ancient and the modern, the sacred and the profane, the harmonious and the discordant
Khan’s movement vocabulary is a fusion of classical Indian kathak and contemporary dance. He demonstrates a high level of technical skill, expression and versatility, as well as a profound sense of musicality, rhythm and storytelling. He moves with fluidity, grace and precision, but also with intensity, speed and impact. He switches between different modes, such as spinning, stamping, jumping, sliding, crawling and falling, with ease and control. He also uses gestures, facial expressions and voice-overs to convey the emotions, thoughts and memories of the character
Khan’s choreography is innovative, original and captivating. He creates interesting shapes, patterns and transitions with his body and the props, such as a rope, a table, a chair and a gramophone, using symmetry, asymmetry, repetition, variation and contrast. He also uses space, direction and levels effectively, creating a sense of scale, depth and perspective. He challenges the audience’s perception and expectation, by playing with the notions of reality and illusion, history and fiction, self and other. He invites the audience to empathise with the character and the themes, and to question what they see and what they feel
XENOS is a remarkable work that showcases Khan’s talent and vision as a dancer and a choreographer. It is a work that combines technical excellence, artistic expression and conceptual depth, creating a memorable and meaningful experience for the audience.
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui is a Belgian dancer and choreographer, who is known for his collaboration with artists from different disciplines and backgrounds, and his investigation of identity, spirituality and diversity. He has made over 40 choreographic pieces and received several awards, such as the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production (2012), the Benois de la Danse Award for Best Choreographer (2014), and the International Theatre Institute Award for Excellence in International Dance (2018)
One of his most acclaimed works is Sutra, which premiered in 2008 and marked his first collaboration with the Shaolin monks from China. Sutra is a 70-minute piece that explores the philosophy and practice of Buddhism, as well as the relationship between the individual and the collective, the human and the divine, the material and the spiritual. Cherkaoui uses a combination of dance, martial arts, music and design to create a stunning and spectacular piece that celebrates the beauty and diversity of cultures. The music, composed by Szymon Brzóska, is a mix of classical, oriental and contemporary sounds, creating a contrast between the western and the eastern, the ancient and the modern, the melodic and the percussive. The design, created by Antony Gormley, consists of 21 wooden boxes that are used as props, platforms and structures, creating a dynamic and versatile set.
Cherkaoui’s movement vocabulary is a fusion of contemporary dance and martial arts. He demonstrates a high level of technical skill, expression and versatility, as well as a profound sense of spirituality, harmony and balance. He moves with fluidity, grace and precision, but also with power, speed and impact. He switches between different modes, such as spinning, kicking, jumping, sliding, rolling and balancing, with ease and control. He also uses gestures, facial expressions and voice-overs to convey the emotions, thoughts and beliefs of the characters.
Cherkaoui’s choreography is innovative, original and captivating. He creates interesting shapes, patterns and transitions with his body and the boxes, using symmetry, asymmetry, repetition, variation and contrast. He also uses space, direction and levels effectively, creating a sense of scale, depth and perspective. He challenges the audience’s perception and expectation, by playing with the notions of reality and illusion, form and function, self and other. He invites the audience to connect with the characters and the themes, and to question what they see and what they know.
Sutra is a remarkable work that showcases Cherkaoui’s talent and vision as a dancer and a choreographer. It is a work that combines technical excellence, artistic expression and conceptual depth, creating a memorable and meaningful experience for the audience.
Wayne McGregor is a British dancer and choreographer, who is known for his integration of science, technology and art, and his experimentation with movement, cognition and creativity. He is the resident choreographer of the Royal Ballet, the artistic director of the London-based company Studio Wayne McGregor, and the professor of choreography at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. He has made over 30 choreographic pieces and received several awards, such as the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production (2007), the South Bank Show Award for Dance (2009), and the Order of the British Empire (2011).
One of his most acclaimed works is Atomos, which premiered in 2013 and marked his collaboration with the Random International collective, the composer A Winged Victory for the Sullen, and the lighting designer Lucy Carter. Atomos is a 70-minute piece that explores the concept of atomism, the idea that everything is composed of indivisible units of matter. McGregor uses a combination of dance, music, lighting and design to create a stunning and spectacular piece that investigates the nature of matter, energy and life. The music, composed by A Winged Victory for the Sullen, is a mix of ambient, classical and electronic sounds, creating a contrast between the ethereal and the material, the minimal and the maximal, the serene and the intense. The design, created by Random International, consists of a large screen that displays abstract images and patterns, as well as wearable devices that track the dancers’ biometric data and influence the lighting and the music. The lighting, created by Lucy Carter, is a mix of colours, shapes and intensities, creating a contrast between the light and the dark, the warm and the cold, the visible and the invisible.
McGregor’s movement vocabulary is an integration of ballet and contemporary dance. He demonstrates a high level of technical skill, expression and versatility, as well as a superb sense of innovation, experimentation and creativity. He moves with clarity, fluidity and nuance, but also with power, speed and impact. He switches between different modes, such as twisting, bending, stretching, reaching, curling and folding, with ease and control. He also uses gestures, facial expressions and voice-overs to convey the emotions, thoughts and sensations of the characters.
McGregor’s choreography is innovative, original and captivating. He creates interesting shapes, patterns and transitions with his body and the props, using symmetry, asymmetry, repetition, variation and contrast. He also uses space, direction and levels effectively, creating a sense of scale, depth and perspective. He challenges the audience’s perception and expectation, by playing with the notions of reality and illusion, order and chaos, self and other. He invites the audience to explore the characters and the themes, and to question what they see and what they think.
Atomos is a remarkable work that showcases McGregor’s talent and vision as a dancer and a choreographer. It is a work that combines technical excellence, artistic expression and conceptual depth, creating a memorable and meaningful experience for the audience.
Erofeeva, Pite, Khan, Cherkaoui and McGregor are five contemporary dance innovators who have a lot in common, but also a lot of differences. They all have a high level of technical skill, artistic expression and conceptual depth, and they all create innovative, original and captivating works that challenge and engage the audience. They all use a variety of props, media and influences, and they all play with the notions of reality and illusion, image and identity. However, they also have different movement vocabularies, styles and themes, and they create different effects and impressions on the audience. Erofeeva’s works are more personal, intimate and emotional, while Pite’s works are more theatrical, dramatic and humorous. Khan’s works are more cultural, social and political, while Cherkaoui’s works are more spiritual, philosophical and diverse. McGregor’s works are more scientific, technological and artistic, while Erofeeva’s works are more organic, natural and human.
Erofeeva, Pite, Khan, Cherkaoui and McGregor are five contemporary dance innovators who have contributed to the development and diversity of modern dance, and who have inspired and influenced many other contemporary dancers. They are dancers and choreographers who know how to move, create and communicate, and who inspire, challenge and entertain the audience. They are dancers and choreographers who have a lot to offer to the dance world and the wider society.