Free interpretation is a stumbling block in modern art. People just create something unintelligible and wait for others to put some ridiculous meanings in their piece of art. There is a similar situation with dance styles. Before the 20th century, people appreciated ballet, ballroom, and a variety of their regional dances. In the late 19th century, Europe and the United States generated a new dancing tradition characterized by dropping strict rules and combining the technique of whatever existed before. Isadora Duncan was the first to popularize āfreeā dancing in the US and Western Europe.Ā Modern dance takes its roots from the classical Greek arts, folk dances, and social dances popular in clubs of the 20th century. Modern dancers usually performed barefoot in some lose clothes that contrasted with a rigid and sophisticated look of ballet dancers. Contemporary is a direct descendant of a modern dance heavily influenced by ballet. Contemporary is a weird combination of many styles, but it preserves strong legs and torso technique. Contemporary dance often tells a story. Just like ballet, it may have a fascinating narrative behind, however, not everyone can read it. Because of simplified costumes and almost a full absence of decoration, the audience has to interpret contemporary in their own way.Ā As a rule, people go to watch a dance show to appreciate dancersā technique as well as emotions and general atmosphere. Little of us actually care about whether there is a story behind the dance or not. That is why comprehension of contemporary is not broken by the lack of imagination or any other cognitive barrier. Modern dance was created for people to experience emotions, not to decode or analyze it.
