A combination of ballet, jazz, and modern dance is contemporary. In the era of Isadora Duncan, modern dance was not as technically advanced as the contemporary dance we have today. A fusion of styles and techniques was characteristic to most dances that emerged over the 20th century, and it gave dancers more freedom for self-expression. Nevertheless, ballet holds ground as a grand historic dance that went far beyond the Italian Renaissance. Classic ballet won hearts of Europeans and grew especially strong in France and Russia. Under the influence of the 20th-century revolution in art, classic ballet developed neoclassical ballet, contemporary ballet, and post-structural ballet. A contemporary ballet is strongly influenced by jazz, ethnic, and other dance styles but it also preserves the technique of classical ballet, unlike the contemporary dance. As for the costumes, settings, and music, contemporary ballet is much more flexible. No fancy dress or shoes are required as long as dancer’s attire conforms to the idea of the show. However, contemporary ballet dancers still look rather classic. The point of contemporary ballet is to broaden the mind of the public, dancers, and directors. The classic ballet has been appreciated for centuries, but today we need more than good old plays, stunning costumes, and a masterly dancing technique. We need to incorporate our ordinary life and its motives into the grand ballet. That is why there is no other way but to transform a classical dance aiming to make it modern.
