Contemporary

Contemporary dance is growing in popularity, witness the success of shows like So You Think You Can Dance, many of the contestants' style is Contemporary.  Choreographers like Mia Michaels and Travis Wall are soaring in popularity.  

Contemporary dance is a style of dance which emerged in the 20th century as an outgrowth of modern dance and other 20th century dance techniques. It is not a specific dance technique but a collection of methods developed from modern and post-modern dance and can take on many forms including dance fusion, emergent dance and revisionism.

Defining this style of dance can be difficult, as contemporary dance is an extremely fluid and very nebulous style of dance. Unlike traditions such as ballet, contemporary dance is not associated with specific dance techniques, but rather with a dance philosophy. In contemporary dance, people attempt to explore the natural energy and emotions of their bodies to produce dances which are often very personal, deriving from the expression of inner feeling. .

Famous Choreographers: Mia Michaels, Travis Wall, Stacey Tuuci

Contemporary dancers can come from any training background, ranging from classical ballet to breakdancing. In contemporary dance classes, students learn to use their bodies in a variety of ways, and they focus on breathing, posture, and emotional state to establish a mind-body connection. A contemporary dance composition may take the from of a personal narrative, an allegory, a commentary on society, or an integration of cultures, and it can feature a wide variety of dance techniques, reflecting the melting pot nature of contemporary dance.

Casey Saxon

Dance Centers of Orlando's Contemporary Instructor

Miss Casey has been with Dance Centers of Orlando from the very beginning.

She trained, performed and taught for Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago. She has an AA from SFCC as a Creative Arts and Humanities Dance scholar and a BFA in Filmmaking from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, where she experimented with ways in which to combine the art forms of film and dance.

Saxon is also the Founder and Artistic Director of the CineDance Jazz Dance. She is currently a professor at both Valencia Community College and Seminole Community College. She also teaches various master classes statewide and is noted for her analytical, yet compassionate teaching methods. Mrs. Saxon's choreography has been described as athletic, captivating and moving; while her dancers are described as fine and fearless.  ... more on Casey Saxon

Miss Casey choreographed Higher Ground for DCO's Junior Company and a Junior Trio, "Chasing Cars".  Both won National Title Championships at 2010 Starbound Nationals.