Year 10 Dance · Responding — Analyse and Evaluate · 11m read

Contemporary Choreographers and Their Practices

Every great choreographer has a signature way of working. Studying them gives you tools for your own creative practice.

Learning objective: Analyse the practices of influential contemporary choreographers.

By the end of this lesson you can:

• I can describe distinctive choreographic practices.
• I can analyse a work in depth.
• I can draw inspiration for my own work.

Every choreographer has a signature key. Like a recognisable handwriting, great choreographers have movement signatures you can spot instantly — Pina Bausch's repetitive gestures, Akram Khan's spinning kathak, Crystal Pite's flocking groups.

Signature styles

CHOREOGRAPHERS:
• PINA BAUSCH — dance theatre, repetition, everyday gestures, emotional intensity.
• CRYSTAL PITE — theatrical, intricate group work.
• AKRAM KHAN — fusion of kathak and contemporary.
• STEPHEN PAGE — First Nations storytelling (Bangarra).
• LUCY GUERIN — Melbourne-based, inventive contemporary works.

ANALYSING PRACTICE:
• Movement vocabulary, process (improvisation, tasks), themes, collaboration with designers and composers.

| Choreographer | Signature | Work |
|---|---|---|
| Pina Bausch | Tanztheater, repetition, everyday gesture | *Café Müller* |
| Akram Khan | Kathak + contemporary | *Desh* |
| Crystal Pite | Swarming groups, theatrical | *Flight Pattern* |
| Hofesh Shechter | Grounded, tribal, loud scores | *Political Mother* |
| Stephen Page | First Nations stories | *Bennelong* |
| Lucy Guerin | Precise, conceptual | *Weather* |

Key ideas at a glance

• Identify signatures: What makes them unique?
• Know the process: How they make work.
• Link to influences: Culture, history.
• Apply ideas: Borrow methods respectfully.

Worked example (Medium)

How does Akram Khan's style reflect his background?

1. Background. British-Bangladeshi, trained in kathak and contemporary.
2. Style. Fuses fast footwork and spins of kathak with contemporary fluidity.

Answer: It fuses kathak and contemporary, reflecting his cultural background.

Worked example (Medium)

Explain Akram Khan's fusion style.

1. Kathak. Classical Indian: spins, footwork, storytelling gestures.
2. Contemporary. Floor work, release.
3. Effect. Expresses his British-Bangladeshi identity.

Answer: He fuses kathak and contemporary to express a dual cultural identity.

Common mistakes

• Only describing biography Analysis must focus on choreographic choices. Fix: Link background to movement.
• Only listing facts about choreographers Misses analysis. Fix: Explain how their style creates meaning.

Tanztheater

German choreographer Pina Bausch developed Tanztheater (dance theatre), blending dance, speech, repetition and everyday gestures.

She asked dancers personal questions ("What do you do when you're lonely?") and built work from their answers. Her influence on contemporary dance is enormous.

Practice questions

1. Pina Bausch is associated with:

   1. Hip hop
   2. Dance theatre (Tanztheater)
   3. Classical ballet
   4. Tap

   (1 marks)

2. What is a choreographic process?

   (2 marks)

3. Pina Bausch is associated with:

   1. Tanztheater
   2. Hip hop
   3. Classical ballet
   4. Tap

   (1 marks)

4. Akram Khan blends contemporary dance with:

   1. Kathak
   2. Flamenco
   3. Ballet only
   4. Breaking

   (1 marks)

5. Describe one choreographer's process and how it shapes their work.

   (2 marks)

Summary

• Signature practices.
• Analyse vocabulary, process, themes.
• Draw inspiration.
• Know choreographers' signatures and processes.