The words “contemporary dance” sound really cool to me. I know that I prefer “contemporary” style over “classical” style in interior designs, fashion, and other things. I naturally thought that “contemporary dance” must be my cup of tea compared to the “classical” style. After all, even though I enjoy the movements and music in ballet, I also find it too rigid and disconnected sometimes. I decided to do a taster lesson on contemporary dance after returning to my ballet learning journey.

I am still learning about Cunningham, Graham, release, and other techniques. I love how the movements give me so much freedom. In my first contemporary dance class, I could not believe how free I could be in my life. After some detaching experiences between my mind and body, I was happy that, unlike the proper, formal ballet style, the contemporary dance movements make me feel myself again. I also like how the dance itself is like abstract art, where contrasting ideas can co-exist in unity. I love how there are a lot of contemporary dance cover, including worship songs and other music.

However, my learning journey now has faced some difficulties, like I did for ballet before. I do not like how my body cannot keep up with a lot of things in contemporary dance. What I like about contemporary dance such as the freedom has now become a barrier. I do not have the strength and flexibility for floor work. I find them difficult and realise that I may need to take a lot more time on this journey than what I initially planned.

I guess the only method is practice, practice and practice, while reflecting on the experiences. Unlike ballet where I want to be on pointe, I do not have any concrete plan for my contemporary dance learning journey. I guess it will be to keep taking the lessons progressively, and see how my mind and body become more open to new possibilities.