Contemporary dance is a dance performance genre that was developed during the mid-twentieth century.
Contemporary’ means something new. In terms of dance, Contemporary applies to the era of modern and post-modern dances, which deviated from and was new in contrast to classical methods of ballet. Modern contemporary involves techniques from ballet, jazz, and movements of modern dance to create something new. Conceptually, contemporary dance relates to the portrayal of current events and thoughts using new movements. Unpredictable changes in rhythm, speed, and direction are often used as well. Contemporary dancers strive to connect the mind and the body through fluid dance movements.