professional contemporary dancer?
I am 13 and both of my teachers say I have natural ability and talent for contemporary dance. I work really hard but I don't have a good ballet body, even though people say my technique is good. My teachers say I have a long back and little natural turnout. I don't have high arches either. Can I still dance contemporary? what steps can I take to reach my dream? Also, should I audition for a contemporary school. (I take ballet 6 hours a week and 1 contempt class on the weekend, the studio I'm at only has that many contempt classes in a week) looking for answers from someone who knows a lot more than me, so please don't answer if you don't know anything about dance.
Comments
If you are taking "contemporary" classes you are in a recreational dance school.
Concert contemporary dancers take both ballet and modern classes (Graham. Horton, Limon etc.). There is no such thing as contemporary technique unless you are talking about competition and recital school dance that wont get you a career as a contemporary dancer. It is the choreographer that makes a dance contemporary. Each choreographer has their own dance vocabulary and contemporary dance has no real technique of it's own because of this. Every contemporary dance company is vastly different from each other and the pieces within these companies also vary greatly. To become a professional concert contemporary dancer, you need to take way more ballet and you need modern dance classes too. (You would also eventually take workshops given by contemporary choreographers to learn their personal dance vocabulary.) At your age closer to 15 hours a week of technique classes. The modern needs to real modern. Although you don't need a ballet body to dance contemporary dance, you do need a dancers body with good facility and musicality. You don't need a high arch or perfect turnout, although turnout is helpful and not having a good usable amount can be a slight drawback. You do need flexible feet, but certainly not a high arch and instep unless you are strictly doing contemporary ballet en pointe. Many companies don't do that.
I suggest you look to do a summer intensive for a modern dance program to give you a better idea of what is needed. I don't know how long you have been dancing. If not for all that long, you might not be prepared enough to pass the audition. Look into Alvin Ailey and Paul Taylor as well as the Graham summer intensive. Try to get yourself prepared for a good college program by upping your ballet and adding real modern dance classes. Most college programs are contemporary focus and you have to audition in both ballet and modern for entrance into their programs. Unlike ballet careers, you don't start right out of high school. You attend a college/conservatory program and dancers are hired out of college. I will leave you with what real concert contemporary dance looks like. This may not be what you want, or think it is, but this is what professional contemporary dance is.
I will start with a freshman class at Juilliard. These are new students towards the beginning of their first year in Juilliard before any real "Juilliard training".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTIHUMIkWcM
Aszure Barton: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-H3kD6trvY
Gallim Dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBhtE7A-mIM
Mats Ek's : The Apartment (performed by the Paris Opera Ballet) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLO0XUAe8rk (Obviously this piece is done by professional ballet dancers.) You don't need to have a ballet body to do contemporary dance. You just need to be in the best shape that your body type can be in. I just wanted to include this choreography.
Here is the Mark Morris Dance company. You can see some bodies that are not typical ballet bodies. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3tJCcwmRrE&list=PL...
I'm thirteen aswell, and a dancer.
If your teachers are telling you that you are really good at contemporary then yeah, try out for a contemporary school. Look it up on the internet and see if there's one near where you live. Even if you try out for a dancing school, you may just be able to do ballet & contemporary if thats what you want to do.
Follow your dream.
Goodluck (: