Contemporary choreography in plain words — and what a child can do after a year

"Contemporary choreography" is a term behind which parents often do not fully see what their child will actually be learning. IDC's senior teacher Yuniia Furman explains what this direction is made of.

What contemporary choreography includes

The main styles are contemporary and modern jazz.

Training at the studio, however, is not confined to those. The programme also includes classical choreography — the foundation without which, Yuniia says, a professional path in contemporary dance cannot be built — along with acrobatics and acting.

"It is comprehensive training for a dancer," Yuniia explains.

So a child is not simply learning individual dance combinations. They are simultaneously working on technique, physical conditioning, coordination, artistry and command of their own body, under the guidance of different specialists.

What a child can master in a year

This is one of the most common parental questions.

Yuniia immediately adds a caveat: you can only talk about results when a child trains regularly, does not miss sessions, wants to develop, and is supported on that road by their parents.

Given those conditions, the first year already brings noticeable development in the body's functional capacity, in flexibility, coordination, body awareness, musicality and rhythm.

"A year of regular classes can lay a solid foundation for a dancer's further development," Yuniia sums up.

The basic skills sometimes missing even in experienced children

For parents whose children have already attended other studios there is an important nuance: having taken classes does not mean having a solid base.

The basic skills Yuniia is talking about include correct body position, a sense of centre, balance, coordination, weight transfer, working with the floor, and the basic technical elements of contemporary — roll down, roll up, contractions, release and spiral movements. These form the foundation without which it is hard to master more complex choreography well.

Two years — and a world championship

One of the most striking stories of this season is a student who joined the studio at six or seven.

She had done dance before, but according to Yuniia she had no established technical base: "She simply didn't know these fundamentals, didn't feel or understand them."

At the same time her natural ability was very good, and her mother came with a request familiar to many teachers: "I can see my child is capable of more."

What followed happened step by step. In the first year the girl trained in the middle group, laying the foundation and catching up on what she was missing. The following season she moved into the PRO group, where the studio's strongest students train. And two years on she was representing Ukraine at a world championship.

"For me that is the best confirmation of how important the right base is," says Yuniia.

Why this is not just "copy me"

According to Yuniia, the main distinguishing feature of the training is not only learning movements but systematic work with the body.

General physical conditioning, developing sound movement habits and preventing injuries are an inseparable part of the classes.

"If a teacher doesn't understand how a child's body works, teaching even basic movements well is extremely difficult," she is convinced.

That is why the studio pays great attention to teaching methodology, to developing physical qualities and to every child's safe progress.

When to start

Yuniia answers this one without hesitation.

Parents often say: "We'll start with the new school year" or "After the holidays".

But she explains that any curriculum is built sequentially.

"It's like starting a book in the middle, or turning a film on somewhere after the first scene. Every group has a foundation, and it matters enormously to go through it from the very beginning."

See the direction: contemporary choreography at IDC. Not sure which level to start at — read about hobby, midline and PRO.