In this article, you will find a selection of contemporary dance companies that I think are worth following and keeping an eye on.
Whether you are a dance student eager to learn more or just someone with a keen curiosity willing to expand their knowledge in this wonderful art form, read on to find out about some great dance artists, choreographers and dance companies.
Why have I chosen these companies?
These companies I selected produce a wide array of work, each with it own distinct style.
Some present traditional abstract contemporary dance work, some borderline on contemporary ballet and modern dance and others are contemporary dance companies that commission great choreographers and produce great repertoire.
Among them are companies I know very well as I have been lucky enough to dance for them and some are companies I have followed through the years as any other audience member. Yet, they share a common trait: their remarkable performances consistently leave audiences yearning for more.
1. Mark Bruce Company
Founded by:
Mark Bruce
Year:
1997
Based in:
Somerset, 🇬🇧
Recognition:
Has received several awards, including the South Bank Sky Arts Award for Dance (2014) for Dracula, and Mark Bruce received a National Dance Award for Best Independent Company.
The Mark Bruce Company is a dance theatre based contemporary dance company. Bruce always intricately weaves narratives into his pieces, stories that are always drawn and influenced by his own dreams. Bruce also has his own very distinct and unique style and vocabulary and a particular interest in precise footwork and clear lines.
In 1991, after retuning to England from dancing abroad with Rosas in Belgium under Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Mark Bruce relocated to sunny Frome in Somerset. There, he founded his own dance company and has been creating critically acclaimed dance works since. His accomplishments include a celebrated collaboration with musicians Polly Jean Harvey and John Parish, as well as winning the Sky Arts South Bank Award for Dance with his production of Dracula, and Best Independent Company at the National Dance Awards.
Featured Work
Frankenstein
Greek mythology and ancient civilisations are a constant and recurrent theme in his work. As seen here, Prometheus is the one instilling life into the creature in ‘Frankenstein’, deviating from the original story.
Return to Heaven
Bruce is very much an “old-school” choreographer, he makes all the phrases and choreographic material himself.
His longtime collaborator, Guy Hoare, is in charge of lighting design and creating those unsettling atmospheres in Bruce’s work.
Dracula
Mark Bruce is not only a choreographer but also a composer, contributing to many of the tracks in his dance shows, and a writer.
2. Yorke Dance Project
Founded by:
Yolande Yorke-Edgell
Year:
1999
Based in:
London, 🇬🇧
Recognition:
Recognized for blending contemporary and classical ballet styles, and has collaborated with noted choreographers
Another British contemporary dance company I had the privilege of dancing for and deeply admire is the Yorke Dance Project. Yolande Yorke-Edgell founded the Yorke Dance Project in Los Angeles after a successful career at the Rambert Dance Company (UK) and the Lewitzky Dance Company (USA). She later returned to England to join the Richard Alston Dance Company and re-established her company in the UK in 2009. In 2013, she met Sir Robert Cohan, who mentored her and the company dancers, and created numerous works for the company.
Yorke Dance Project is a repertoire company that revives very special and rare works, often difficult to find in Europe, while also commissioning brand new works for the company. The company presents technically challenging performances and has attracted high-caliber contemporary dance artists and Royal Ballet dancers as special guests.
Additionally, the company has cultivated a partnership with the Kenneth MacMillan Trust and has received acclaim for its performances of rare works by the choreographer, such as the barefooted contemporary ballet ‘Sea of Troubles’ and the seldom-seen 1971 ballet ‘Playground’.
You can also expect to watch modern dance works like the recent revival of ‘Meta 4’, a piece Yorke-Edgell performed herself during her time at Bella Lewitsky’s company, which profoundly influenced her vision and understanding of dance. In their latest full-evening program, you can also enjoy, in what I understand is a very rare permission granted by the Martha Graham Dance Company, the original work by Martha Graham, ‘Errand into the Maze’. The company flew to New York to be taught and coached by the Martha Graham Company for this very special duet.
Featured Work
Figure Ground 2014 Trailer
Not only does the company perform works by established choreographers and its artistic director, Yolande Yorke-Edgell, but it also commissions works from up-and-coming choreographers, while also mentoring them. In this case, it was Charlotte Edmonds, who was the Young Artist in Residence at the company at the time.
Lingua Franca (2015)
A piece by Sir Robert Cohan for the company was inspired by his original work Agora (1984) for the London Contemporary Dance Theatre, a company of which he was the founder and artistic director until it disbanded. Cohan’s approach often involved working through imagery and sensations, much like Martha Graham did, which deeply influenced the company’s artistic direction moving forward.
California Connections Tour Trailer
Current tour from the company features works celebrating women in dance with ‘Isadora’ by Kenneth MacMillan, ‘Meta 4’ by Bella Lewitzky, and ‘Errand into the Maze’ by Martha Graham.
Canciones del Alma (1978)
A short documentary on the process of Sir Robert Cohan reconstructing the solo ‘Canciones del Alma’ (1978) for the company helps us to begin to understand his way of working in the studio and how he saw dance.
3. Danish Dance Theatre
Founded by:
Randi Patterson
Year:
1981
Based in:
Copenhagen, 🇩🇰
Recognition:
Danish Dance Theatre has received national and international acclaim; Tim Rushton won the Reumert Award for Best Dance Production multiple times.
Danish Dance Theatre is the largest contemporary dance company in Denmark. It was founded in 1981 by English/Norwegian choreographer Randi Patterson. In 2001, choreographer Tim Rushton (MBE) took over as artistic director until 2018, followed by Swedish choreographer and filmmaker Pontus Lidberg. Marina Mascarell took over as artistic director in 2023.
The company produces large scale work as well as more intimate productions and tours internationally.
I remember seeing Danish Dance Theatre during one of their tours in England under the direction of Tim Rushton and found it to be a fascinating dance troupe performing very interesting works. Now, under the direction of Marina Mascarell, I expect the company to reach new heights. I saw one of her independent works, ‘Orthopedica Corporatio’, at Mercat de les Flores (Barcelona) in late 2021, where she was an Associated Artist. Since then, I have been a complete fan of her work. ‘Orthopedica Corporatio’ was a piece with an obvious element of play throughout and a continuous exploration and use of materials as choreographic elements that I think everyone should watch. In Mascarell’s own words on dance practice:
“Through a variety of tasks the performers explore different states of being: liberate the body from the form in order to enter a world of perception. Proposing enigmas, questions or setting limitations encourage to find unique paths. The movement is conceived from a physical experience or condition, that activates the consciousness to increase gradually. A practice of immersive listening leads the participants to experience their bodies, where a shared energy is the motor to establish connections with the others and the space. The principle of deep playing, creates a place where everything is possible, a place of no judgement that encourages to explore one’s own limits.”
It is extremely exciting to think about the directions and paths Mascarell can unlock and nurture for this dance troupe as Artistic Director.
Featured Work
Short Stories #1
Part of a performance that was conceived, created and produced by the dancers themselves from Danish Dance Theatre with the support from the company.
KØTER
A behind the scenes look at the process of ‘Køter’ (2015), a piece by Mascarell for GöteborgsOperans Danskompani that is being reworked and revisited together with the current company dancers.
Two Lions and a Castle
Piece by choreographer Roy Assaf.
Orthopedica Corporatio (2021)
Note: The video is not part of the company but its a work by its Artistic Director but I believe it will help the reader come to grasps with the magnitude of Mascarell’s work.
4. Candoco Dance Company
Founded by:
Celeste Dandeker-Arnold and Adam Benjamin
Year:
1991
Based in:
Based in London, 🇬🇧
Recognition:
Known for its pioneering work with disabled and non-disabled dancers, Candoco has received numerous accolades, including a UK Critics’ Circle National Dance Award.
Another British repertoire contemporary dance company I would love to talk about because of the level of the work they produce and the impact on society they have had is Candoco Dance company.
Candoco Dance Company was founded in 1991 by Celeste Dandeker-Arnold OBE and Adam Benjamin. It originated from inclusive workshops held at London’s Aspire Centre for Spinal Injury and evolved into the first inclusive dance company in the United Kingdom, integrating dancers with and without disabilities.
The company has commissioned work from world-renowned choreographers like Wendy Houstoun, Emanuel Gat, Arthur Pita, Arlene Phillips, and Siobhan Davies, to name a few. Their impact has been absolutely incredible. They became the first contemporary dance company to appear on the Saturday night show BBC’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, performing live to more than 10 million people. To this day, Candoco continues to impact and change people’s perception of what dance is.
Featured Work
Set and Reset/Reset
Re-staging of original work ‘Set and Reset’ (1983) by Trisha Brown by Abigail Yager. As Trisha Brown Dance Company member said upon reconstructing the same exact sequences from the original work:
“keep it simple, act on instinct, stay on the edge, work with visibility and invisibility, and get in line.”
Hot Mess
Unspoken Spoken
Dance film directed and choreographed by Fin Walker for Candoco. A film featuring 5 different artists asking profound questions. In the company’s own words:
“We exist within a world of rules. Rules we impose upon ourselves, rules others impose upon us. Sometimes they are unconscious, sometimes hidden, often unspoken. Angry, frustrated, confused, awake. Why does it take so long to realise all these rules are here? Can we accept them? Should we? And what do we do now?”
5. GöteborgsOperans Danskompani
Founded by:
Part of the Göteborg Opera initiative
Year:
1995 (Dance company rebranded with Gothenburg Opera in 2002)
Based in:
Gothenburg, 🇸🇪
Recognition:
Recognized for contemporary and innovative productions, though specific awards are not commonly highlighted.
Another interesting company that I have admired for a long time is the Gothenburg Opera Dance Company (GöteborgsOperans Danskompani), formerly known as Göteborg Ballet. This contemporary dance company is based in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The company has recently transitioned from being a ballet company to a full contemporary dance company. As a ballet company, The Göteborg Ballet performed works by notable choreographers including William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Ohad Naharin, and my personal favorite, Mats Ek.
This company seems to be going from strength to strength and remains on the cutting edge. Under the artistic direction of Katrín Hall, the company is performing works by leading choreographers such as Maxine Doyle, Marina Mascarell, and Crystal Pite, among others.
Featured Work
Solo Echo by Crystal Pite
Originally choreographed in 2012 for Nederlands Dans Theater, this piece is inspired by the poem “Lines for Winter” by Mark Strand, a poem about loss and, ultimately, acceptance.
Here not here by Maxine Doyle and Es Devlin
This work is a collaboration between choreographer Maxine Doyle and artist and stage designer Es Devlin. Es Devlin’s work spans numerous mediums, including exhibitions in museums and galleries internationally, set designs for theatre, and creating sets for performers like Beyoncé and the Pet Shop Boys.
The piece consists of two parts: the first is a site-specific act where the dancers take over the entire opera house, and the second half is a traditional theatre experience, with the audience seated in the auditorium.
6. Batsheva Dance Company
Founded by:
Martha Graham and Baroness Batsheva de Rothschild
Year:
1964
Based in:
Tel Aviv, 🇮🇱
Recognition:
Internationally acclaimed; has received numerous awards including Israel Prize (2000) and national recognition in dance. Artistic Director Ohad Naharin was awarded the EMET Prize (2009).
In 1964, with funding from Bethsabée de Rothschild, who had recently relocated to Israel from the United States, Batsheva Dance Company was founded. Martha Graham served as Artistic Advisor, and shortly afterward, Jane Dudley, who had worked closely with both Martha Graham and Robert Cohan, was appointed Artistic Director of the company.
In 1975, following a series of artistic disagreements and disputes, Baroness Rothschild withdrew her financial support from both Batsheva Dance Company and the Martha Graham Dance Company.
In 1990, Ohad Naharin was appointed Artistic Director. Naharin, who had been studying with Martha Graham in New York, brought with him refreshed choreography and built the company’s audience. He also developed Gaga technique, a dance technique accessible to both dancers and non-dancers.
Gaga technique is described by Naharin himself as:
“An innovative movement language based on research into heightening sensation and imagination, becoming aware of form, finding new movement habits, and going beyond familiar limits”.
Featured Work
FURO by Ohad Naharin and Tabaimo
Furo is a collaboration between in-house choreographer Ohad Naharin and Japanese artist Tabaimo. Tabaimo and Naharin blend live dance and video animation to create a visually rich dance piece.
Appropriation, a ballet by Hillel Kogan
The company not only performs works by Naharin, but they also invite guest choreographers to work with the company’s dancers.
Gaga/people Online Class with Rachael Osborne
A little taster of a Gaga technique class for anyone curious and wanting to try it from home. They also produce a number of online classes for those interested in expanding their knowledge and learning about the movement language.
7. Theater Bielefeld
Founded by:
Theater Bielefeld has various divisions, including opera, theater, and dance.
Year:
Theater Bielefeld established in 1904; dance company timeline varies
Based in:
Bielefeld, 🇩🇪
Recognition:
Known for diverse, contemporary productions and collaborations with emerging choreographers, though specific awards for the dance company are not typically highlighted.
Theater Bielefeld, based in Bielefeld, Germany, can be traced back to 1904 when it first opened as Bielefeld Opera. In 2006, it became Theater Bielefeld. Quite recently, in 2023, renowned choreographer Felix Landerer took over as Artistic Director and House Choreographer of TANZ Bielefeld at Theater Bielefeld. It is early days for Felix Landerer in this role, but it is surely worth keeping an eye on to see in which direction he takes the company and how he helps it develop.
Featured Work
The Gate by Dunja Jocić
Choreographer Dunja Jocić explores the concept of time through the movement of the dancers, inspired by Auguste Rodin’s ‘Gates of Hell.’**
Acts of Resistance and Repair by Felix Landerer
This work is a collaboration between Tanz Bielefeld and Felix Landerer’s own ensemble, Landerer & Company.
In the company’s own words:
“Acts of Resistance and Repair addresses the elusive process of disintegration in our society and undertakes the attempt to create a whole again. Can something be reassembled after it’s broken? What’s left at the end? Being human?”
Also quoted within the program, and worth sharing to let it resonate:
“There is no gentle way to heal. You must destroy us carefully.” – Amanda Gorman
8. Ballet BC
Founded by:
Founded as Ballet British Columbia
Year:
1986
Based in:
Vancouver, 🇨🇦
Recognition:
Has received acclaim for pushing contemporary ballet; named “Outstanding Company” at the 2019 Olivier Awards for its performance at Sadler’s Wells in London.
Another company that is always worth keeping an eye on is Ballet BC, or Ballet British Columbia. The company was founded in 1986, with Annett av Paul serving as its first Artistic Director in Vancouver, Canada. Ballet BC performs repertoire created specifically for the company and also collaborates to bring existing repertoire into its fold. The company performs and commissions works by choreographers such as William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, Johan Inger, and Imre and Marne van Opstal, to name a few. In 2020, Medhi Walerski was appointed Artistic Director of Ballet BC.
Walerski, a French national who danced with Nederlands Dans Theater, has revitalized Ballet BC, making it the company everyone talks about in North America. As Janet Smith wrote in her review for createastir.ca:
“The key here is that—as much as Ballet BC will draw on local talent this season (Radical System Art’s Shay Kuebler is creating a work for the company in the new year)—the company is wiring directly into what’s happening right now in Europe. In a preshow chat, the affable van Opstal siblings, alumni of Nederlands Dans Theater, marvelled that Ballet BC is one of the only North American contemporary-dance companies hooking up with European choreographic talent at the moment. […] So, yeah, there’s a reason for the Ballet BC buzz right now.” ***
Featured Work
New Creation by Stephen Shropshire
Studio video of new work by choreographer Stephen Shropshire. I have always enjoyed Shropshire’s work, particularly his attention to detail and exquisite dynamic choreographic language. I hope you enjoy this video as much as I do.
SWAY by Medhi Walerski
Studio trailer of a new work by Artistic Director Medhi Walerski set to music by Adrien Cronet. It is always very informative to look at the work of the Artistic Director, especially if they are also a choreographer, as it helps me understand the taste level and interests of the person leading the company. I think Walerski is doing an outstanding job and is helping move this art form forward.
Solo Echo by Crystal Pite
This piece was also commissioned by Gothenburg Opera Dance Company, but this is a very different video and still worth watching. It provides a fresh perspective on the same piece performed by different dancers.
Heart Drive by Imre and Marne van Opstal
One of the first pieces that Walerski commissioned for the company after becoming Artistic Director was Heart Drive, which opened to much acclaim. Siblings Imre and Marne van Opstal explore themes of love, pleasure, instincts, and impulses.
9. Punchdrunk International
Founded by:
Felix Barrett
Year:
2000
Based in:
Based in London, 🏴
Recognition:
Known for immersive theater rather than conventional dance awards. Punchdrunk's work has won multiple theater and innovation awards, including the prestigious Olivier Award for The Masque of the Red Death and a BAFTA nomination for their Sleep No More virtual experience.
And last but not least, I would like to talk about Punchdrunk because of its unique theatrical style. Punchdrunk was founded in London, United Kingdom, in 2000 by Felix Barrett as an immersive theatre company. A couple of years later, in 2002, Maxine Doyle joined the company as Director and Choreographer.
What makes Punchdrunk unique is that in a typical Punchdrunk production, the audience is given masks to remain anonymous and is allowed to roam around the space, following the performers as they wish. The performers are the only unmasked people in the space. The performance space can be as large as a disused warehouse with three or four levels, vast and filled with secret rooms where hidden scenes are happening simultaneously. Two people can attend the same performance and experience completely different shows. Even though it is technically a theatre company, there is very little spoken word in their shows. Dance and movement are very much the primary methods of expression and the through-line of their productions.
Featured Work
The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable (2013)
This piece was directed by Felix Barrett and Maxine Doyle. The video doesn’t quite do justice to the vastness of the space. It was performed in a massive, disused space next to Paddington Station in London, with several floors and a cast of around 40 people. The setting was a fake Hollywood studio, and the performance revolved around the themes of murder, madness, and adultery. The show received great acclaim from reviewers and ran for over a year.
The Burnt City (2023)
Directed by Felix Barrett and Maxine Doyle, this production is based on the Greek myth of the fall and burning of Troy, where mortals and gods are entwined, plotting, and fighting side by side.
Other companies worth keeping an eye out for:
Motionhouse
A dance company based in Leamington Spa, UK, that mixes contemporary dance with circus and acrobatics, creating highly physical performances.
Company Chameleon
A dance company based in Manchester, UK. The company performs both indoor and outdoor works.
Ballet Black
Founded in 2001 in London by Cassa Pancho, Ballet Black is the first European Black professional ballet company.
Thomas Noone Dance
Founded by Thomas Noone in 2001 in Barcelona. The company performs dynamic and engaging works by choreographer Thomas Noone.
Iceland Dance Company
Norrdans
A company based in the north of Sweden that produces very unique work under the leadership of Martin Forsberg.
Mind the Gap
A learning disability performance and live arts company based in Bradford, England. They aim to break barriers, celebrate diversity, and empower individuals.
Skånes Dansteater
Based in Malmö, Sweden, it is one of Europe’s leading repertoire dance companies.
