Contemporary Dance in Choreographic Art of Ukraine

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to identify the place of contemporary choreography in the art of choreography on the stages of Ukrainian ballet theatres. Research methodology. Methods of analysis, problematic and chronological, art history, and theoretical generalisation are applied. Scientific novelty. A retrospective analysis of choreographic activity in the field of contemporary choreography in Ukraine over the past thirty years has been conducted. Conclusions. Contemporary dance on the Ukrainian ballet stage, both in the repertoire of opera and ballet theatres and in the activities of individual ballet companies that are not associated with stationary premises, should be considered in the context of global trends in the development of modern and postmodern choreography, the basic principles of which were formed outside Ukraine. These trends were born and developed in the European and American dance space, came to the national dance soil as a result of artistic expansion, took root and acquired specific features. Contemporary dance occupies an insignificant place in the choreographic work of Ukrainian choreographers. Ballet performances created in the aesthetics of contemporary dance styles make up only a small part of the repertoire of academic ballet theatres. It is worth increasing the number of such performances staged by domestic and foreign choreographers, which will help expand the performing range of companies, integrate Ukrainian ballet theatre into the global cultural space, and increase the competitiveness of ballet theatres within the country (compared to, for example, drama theatres, which are much more responsive to the aesthetic demands of the public) and on the international stage. The modern direction of ballet theatre is actively developed in the activities of the only professional contemporary dance company in Ukraine, whose popularity is constantly growing, the Kyiv Modern Ballet, facilitated by the chief choreographer R. Poklitaru and his students and followers.

Key words: contemporary dance, choreographic art, Ukrainian choreography, ballet theatre, dance.