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Learn contemporary3 minutes

Lateral entry into contemporary dance for adults: How to use your prior knowledge

In short
  • Switching to contemporary dance is particularly easy for adults with previous athletic or dance experience, as existing strengths can be used directly.
  • Previous experience in ballet, yoga, gymnastics, or fitness provides an excellent foundation for the body tension and flexibility required in contemporary.
  • The focus when switching is not on learning rigid steps, but on the conscious play with gravity, breathing, and letting go of familiar movement patterns.

How to use your physical strengths in contemporary dance

Starting contemporary dance as an adult is often accompanied by the worry of not being able to keep up without years of training. However, the opposite is true: starting contemporary dance as an adult is particularly rewarding because this style does not require rigid templates, but instead celebrates individual movement language. Anyone who already has prior knowledge from other sports or dance styles often possesses an excellent foundation that can be wonderfully transferred.

Former gymnasts or martial artists, for example, bring impressive core stability and a distinct sense of space, which helps immediately with quick changes of direction in contemporary. Those coming from yoga use their flexibility and conscious breathing, while fitness enthusiasts score points with their jumping power. Even ballet strength training for adults pays off directly, as the deep muscles built there form the basis for fluid weight shifts in contemporary dance. The key lies in not discarding old movement patterns, but in reinterpreting them as a creative toolbox and playing with gravity.

Reassemble your own movement experience: In contemporary dance, you use your athletic background for completely new, free forms of expression.
Reassemble your own movement experience: In contemporary dance, you use your athletic background for completely new, free forms of expression.

Facts and figures for your dance start

Available dance styles on udansa
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dance enthusiasts in the udansa community
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cities with course offerings
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How to successfully switch to contemporary dance

  1. Analyze your own strengths

    Analyze your athletic background. Consciously bring your balance from yoga, your strength from the gym, or your precision from ballroom dancing into the class as your personal superpower.

  2. Transitioning from holding on to letting go

    Leave behind familiar perfection and rigid posture templates. In Contemporary, allow your body to become heavy, to use gravity, and to find unconventional paths to the floor.

  3. Preparing for your first class effectively

    Use your prior knowledge to prepare for your first classes in the best possible way. Read up on how you can prepare for your first Contemporary class to start with the right expectations.

  4. Control movement with your breath

    Connect your movement with the flow of your breath. Feel how inhaling and exhaling lengthens, accelerates, or gently cushions your movements to achieve the typically fluid character of the style.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Yes, you can start at any age and without classical dance training. Since contemporary dance emphasizes individual anatomy and personal expression, life experience and other sports often bring a special depth to your movement.

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