What is the difference between what is understood as contemporary dance in europe and that of the US?

Answer 1

Actually, I don't think the difference is so much in the approach to contemporary dance as in the UNDERSTANDING of it. American audiences are much more ignorant of what's happening in the concert dance scene because our government doesn't support it like it is in Europe. However, many of the big names in contemporary choreography (such as William Forsythe, Matthew Bourne, Ohad Naharin, Lar Lubovitch, Nacho Duato and Jirí Kylián) have set their works on companies on both sides of the Atlantic. Then, too, many contemporary American companies, such as Complexions, Alvin Ailey, and LINES, are warmly received in Europe just as Nederlands Dans Theatare and the Lyon Opera Ballet are warmly received here.

Because American dance often has to become commercialized in order to gain an audience, the definition of contemporary dance has been mutated and broadened to include various "pop" forms including what is known as "lyrical." Of course, here, "pop" is equivalent to "commercial." But then, we export our pop culture to the entire globe. The influences of all forms of contemporary dance flow in various directions, but it's just that Americans have a harder time understanding something when they have less opportunity to be exposed to it.