Reimagining movement: A qualitative exploration of modern choreography’s techniques and expressive elements

Year 2025, Volume: 6 Issue: 4, 307 - 320

Sabina Ganioğlu , Esra Kılınç

Abstract

Modern choreography is notable for its techniques and elements that transform dance into a free and creative form of expression. Compared to traditional ballet, it possesses a more natural structure; gravity and contact with the floor constitute one of the fundamental characteristics of modern dance. Movements are inspired by natural body movements in daily life, allowing dancers to express themselves more freely. With its emotional and narrative-focused approach, it concentrates on conveying a specific emotion or idea without the necessity of presenting a story. An impressive emotional atmosphere is created for the audience through contrasts such as oppositions, sudden pauses, and changes in speed. Unlike traditional techniques, in modern choreography, all parts of the body become part of the movement, and a three-dimensional expression is generated by utilizing every area of the stage space. With flow based on inner feeling, movements become open to improvisation, enabling the dancer to externalize their inner world. The physical structure, requiring strength and agility, combined with harmony with music, imparts a dynamic and aesthetic quality to modern choreography. All these nuances collectively transform modern dance into a profound artistic experience for both dancers and audiences. This research aims to contribute to the literature by offering a new perspective on dance education, choreography design, and staging techniques. The research was designed within the framework of a qualitative research approach and conducted using document analysis and comprehensive literature review methods. The data sources for the study consist of nationally and internationally published books related to modern choreography, articles in peer-reviewed journals, postgraduate theses, interviews conducted with expert choreographers, and recordings of stage performances. Modern choreography creates a freer and improvisation-based dance form by breaking classical rules. Techniques and elements such as gravity, contrast movements, improvisation, and the utilization of all aspects of the stage space enrich modern choreography both physically and emotionally. Dancers find the opportunity to project their inner worlds onto the stage through this art form, offering audiences a unique aesthetic experience.

Keywords

Body movement analysis , Contemporary dance techniques , Dance aesthetics , Improvisation and expression , Modern choreography , Performing arts education

Ethical Statement

This study does not involve human participants, experimental interventions, observations, or the use of personal data; therefore, ethics committee approval was not required. The research was conducted through the use of open-access sources, literature review, and document analysis methods. Both authors contributed equally to the writing and development of the article. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding this study. The authors express their sincere gratitude to everyone who supported the completion of this research.

Supporting Institution

No financial support or funding was received for this study.

Thanks

The authors would like to express their sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to the development of this research.

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