Listof

Famous
Contemporary
Dancers
Contemporary Dancer
- has gathered a cult following among professional,
trained dancers and dance aspirants around the world and
is currently, one of the only dance styles that offer a
perfect blend of classical, modern, ballet, flamenco, jazz
and non-western dance elements.

- often observed as being closely connected to classical

ballet and modern dance and is identified by its strong
foot-work, swift torso movements, ballet leaps, varying
rhythms and directions and lines in the body.
 Although not much emphasis is given to the facial
expressions in this dance form, in recent times,
modern contemporary dance encourages the use of
facial expressions to express the dancers moods or
to narrate a story.

For most contemporary pieces, there are

choreographers who back the dancers with a poignant
story line and are also in charge of making other
creative decisions. Whether the piece is abstract or
narrative will depend on the choreographer and the
music that the dance is set to.
 Here is a list of famous
contemporary dancers and
choreographers.
Julianne Marie Hough
Famous American Dancer
A renowned American dancer,
performer, celebrity judge and the
face of one of the best dance movies
made, 'Footloose'. She is known to
her fans for her outstanding career as
a dancer and choreographer.

The dancers feet started tapping and

her heart started rumbling to music
when she was as young as 10.
 A lesser known fact is that Hough started her acting career
with 'Harry Porter: The Sorcerers Stone' in 2001. She
appeared in her first leading role as Ariel Moore in the 2011
remake of Footloose, opposite Kenny Wormald.

She is a two-time professional champion of ABC's Dancing

with the Stars and was nominated for a Creative Arts
Primetime Emmy in 2007 for Outstanding Choreography in
season five of the show.

She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding

Choreography in 2015.
She was ranked #30 on Maxim Magazines Hot 100 Women
of 2008.
Dominic Sandoval
- Also known as D-Trix, 31 years old
- Famous American Contemporary
Dancer, and a YouTube celebrity
- After amassing millions of votes,
Dominic and his dance troupe Quest
Crew were declared winners on the
third season of Americas Best
Dance Crew (ABDC) on 5th March,
2009.
 Doris Humphrey
Famous Contemporary Dancer, died at the
age of 63
An early twentieth century dancer and
choreographer, hailed as one of the first
modern dance choreographers who played
a pivotal role in shaping the course of
modern dance in the United States.
What set Humphrey apart from other
pioneering choreographers of her time was
the fact that she, as an early abstractionist,
represented the principle of "fall and
recovery" by exploring the nuances of the
human body's responses to gravity.
 She retired from performing in 1945 due to arthritis
and took up the position of artistic director for the
Jose Limon Dance Company, and continued her
career as a successful choreographer. Her later works
include Day on Earth, Night Spell and Ruins and
Visions.

She was inducted into the National Museum of

Dance's Mr. & Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney
Hall of Fame in 1987.
MarthaGraham
Contemporary and Ballet Dancer
Died at the age of 96
The first ever dancer to perform at the
White House, American dancer
Martha Graham was an artist beyond
compare.
In a career spanning over half a
century, she revolutionized modern
dance and created more than 180
works as a dancer and choreographer.
 She believed in revealing the inner man and saw the art
of dance as a medium for the expression of intense
human emotions.

Her influence on modern dance has often been compared

with the influence Picasso had on the modern visual arts
and Stravinsky had on music.

A highly creative person, she saw dance as a movement

language that allowed human beings to artistically
express their inner most desires, fears, and ecstasies.
 As an artist, she collaborated with not just other dancers, but also with
painters, designers and musicians to produce works of art that were as
aesthetically appealing as they were profoundly touching.

She founded the Martha Graham Dance Company which is today the
oldest continually performing dance company in the world. The
company has till date trained many world famous dancers and
choreographers and has been recognized as "one of the seven wonders
of the artistic universe" by the Washington Post.

She was inducted into the National Museum of Dance's Mr. & Mrs.
Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Hall of Fame, in 1987.

Time magazine named her the Dancer of the Century in 1998.

Merce Cunningham
Contemporary Dancer, died at the age of
90
An American modern dancer and teacher,
most remembered as an innovative and
influential choreographer.
While receiving his formal dance and
theatre training, he was spotted by the
great dancer, Martha Graham, who offered
him a chance to work in her company.
While working with the Grahams
Company, he also began independent work
in collaboration with composer John Cage,
at first in solo concerts.
 Later, he established his own dance company and went on
to become an enchanting choreographer. Through his
creative and expressive movements, he garnered wide
acclaim for his dance style.

His personal dance style, reflected in his choreography, was

usually athletic in forcefulness. His dance style relied solely
upon pure body movement to produce effects and reach his
audience.

He frequently collaborated with visual artists, architects,

designers, and musicians in his company to enhance his
performances.