S05.E16: Video Killed the ALDC Star

[leighroda]

Jazz is usually a little more fast paced, think more like Kendall's lady gaga solo, or most of Jojo's.

Contemporary and lyrical are a little harder to differentiate I copied this from Wikipedia:

In terms of the focus of its technique, contemporary dance tends to utilize both the strong and controlled legwork of ballet and modern dance's stress on the torso, and also employs contract-release, floor work, fall and recovery, and improvisation characteristic of modern dance.[2] Unpredictable changes in rhythm, speed, and direction are often used, as well. It sometimes also incorporates elements of non-western dance cultures such as elements from African dance including bent knees, or movements from the Japanese contemporary dance Butoh.[3][4]. Kalani usually has contemporary solos, probably to some degree related to the emphasis on technique.

The best way I can describe lyrical is "flowy" maybe more similar to ballet, usually slower music and more fluid movement. Maddie's solos and a good chunk of group dances are lyrical.

It's hard to definitively define any genre because Abby seems to mix elements, which would land most dances in the contemporary category, and there is no hard and fast rules like "lyrical must have turns" or hip hop must include 1 booty drop.

[NextIteration]

Lyrical used to be called Lyrical Jazz, it also used to employ more jazz technique.  Jazz is turned in, ballet is turned out.  Modern Jazz dance is based on ballet technique, but that is not the only type of "jazz dancing" that exists.  Some would consider tap as part of the jazz umbrella, there is a lot stylizing involved and it's a dance style that changes a lot with changes of American music.  A very classical jazz choreographer is Bob Fosse.

 

Lyrical is primarily a made up dance genre specifically for competitive dance.  As noted above, it incorporates ballet and jazz technique, but is almost always performed with the lyrics or the flow of the music in mind, and emotive facials are a key part of it.  There are balletic lyrical pieces and there are hard hitting lyrical pieces - some of us dance moms refer to the more hard hitting lyrical style as the "angsty pound the floor" pieces.

 

Contemporary, this is a tough one because this style or term has been wholly hijacked by So You Think You Can Dance and somehow that definition has been accepted and adopted in the dance world, especially competitive dance - it's become the term that often applies to the above mentioned angsty pound the floor lyrical type dances.  Real contemporary is the style of choreographers like Martha Graham or Dwight Rhoden at Complexions, it's a modernized version of ballet, often females are not en pointe, but they can be.

 

Modern is the antithesis of ballet - it's the rejection of the rigid form and technique of ballet.  This where the flexed feet and "herky jerky" obscure movements are seen as described in the excerpt of the not so accurate wiki post above.  Martha Graham is also associated with Modern but I would put her more in the contemporary world, Horton, Limon, St Denis, Duncan and Cunningham are better examples of Modern.

 

There is a lot of crossover between true contemporary and modern, but they are two distinct genres, which is why the co-opting by SYTYCD is so annoying.  These are my definitions and opinions of course, I'm sure many will come along and disagree and nit-pick what I've written but hey, I gave it a try off the top of my head. :P

[chickpea]

The other mothers are only comfortable when Nia is the underdog. The jealousy and lack of supportiveness was disgusting, They shouldve supported Nia even though Holly was acting crazy! I feel like I'm really seeing Jill and Melissa's true colors. They really hate to see Nia succeed.