Age to start contemporary

[HowMuch!]

Hi there,

 

Is there a good age to start contemporary dance classes? DD currently has an exclusively ballet schedule (3-4 hours a week) and i’m wondering whether to add contemporary into the mix?

 

xxx

[NJH]

how old is your DD ?  given many of the CAT  are  contemporary focused  (i think it;s only  the Northern Ballet based CAT which is  Ballet focused)  11 or 12 is obviously not too young ...

Edited September 28, 2019 by NJH

[HowMuch!]

43 minutes ago, NJH said:

how old is your DD ?  given many of the CAT  are  contemporary focused  (i think it;s only  the Northern Ballet based CAT which is  Ballet focused)  11 or 12 is obviously not too young ...

She’s 10, but year 5 at school. I always had the impression that contemporary was better left to secondary school age but wondered whether to add it to her schedule this year. We’re near Leeds so have both Phoenix and NSCD nearby. 

[dancefanatic]

Our local CAT provider runs an audition only contemporary scheme for 9-13 year olds as a precursor to the CATthey often don’t take 11 year old girls into the CAT, preferring they do the other scheme first. My older DD was advised such when she auditioned for the CAT and my younger DD, now 9, auditioned and was accepted onto the precursor programmer and is loving it. Mind you, her ballet teacher is very old school and doesn’t believe children should do any scheme outside her school unless it’s Royal (my younger DD is also an Elmhurst associate) so we’re doing this with her knowledge but not her agreement. 

 

So I would say let your DD try it and see what she thinks. 

[Ruby Foo]

I would say 12yrs is a great age to start. Firstly, the ballet technique has to be firmly in place and understood,  as contemporary requires a solid classical technique as it’s base. Secondly, the dancer has to be able to broaden this technique into other dance influences and abstract form which takes a certain maturity. 

[DD Driver]

There appears to be big differences in the approach to this around the world.  At many big ballet comps participants do both ballet and contemporary solos and classes.  I have heard presenters at the Prix de Lausanne say however that some students have had very little experience of Contemporary training. 

 

At the bigger dance and ballet schools near us, students are usually offered ballet, contemporary and jazz from about  8 years old.  

The contemporary may be more ballet-based or commercial depending on the studio.  Either way  the focus is on learning to create shapes,  using your core etc etc

 

A nice clip of a young boy learning technique below...

 

 

 

Edited September 28, 2019 by DD Driver

[HowMuch!]

Thanks for the replies. I think i’ll look at options and see what fits around her ballet schedule. It might be worth waiting until she’s in year 6 maybe, dependant on how the next round of auditions go. 

[leotardmum]

our school offers lyrical for 2 years  with grade 1 and grade 2 before they start contemporary alongside rad grade 3 at approx 9-10  =  1x class a week 

they cant do contemporary unless they continue  ballet classes either  x

 

 

[taxi4ballet]

One does have to be somewhat wary when it comes to contemporary training at some schools as what is on offer may not necessarily be contemporary training as we know it, but a mixture of acro, commercial, street and 'show dance' as seen on Dance Moms etc. This is particularly prevalent at some competition-focused schools.

[Pas de Quatre]

Contemporary can mean several different types of dance in different countries and to different people.  If it is more lyrical based then any age is fine.  If of the more "grounded" type used at LCDS, Laban, NCDS based on Graham, Cunningham, Horton, Release etc. (all originally USA dancers/choreographers) then a more mature body is needed, early teens onwards.  The type of Contemporary seen in mainland Europe seems often to be classical lines with just a few added extras, turn in, flexed feet, contractions etc.

Edited October 2, 2019 by Pas de Quatre
grammar

[HowMuch!]

I had wondered about this which made me think sticking to Phoenix and/or NSCD would be good options. I think we might wait a year though, she’s still so young.