Skip to content

Contemporary Dance for Beginners: Count, Basic Steps and Your First Class

Welcome to contemporary dance! This beautiful style draws on modern, ballet, and jazz to create a flowing, expressive experience. You will love how it encourages you to move freely and connect with your emotions. Whether you dance solo or with a group, you get to explore how your body naturally wants to move across the floor.

Beginners really enjoy contemporary because it feels less rigid than traditional ballet. You do not need perfect turnout or stiff posture to look amazing. Instead, you get to focus on continuous movement and breathing. Slip off your shoes, put on some socks, and get ready to express yourself through dance!

Style card

Partner
Solo or group
Music and count
Varies; often follows the phrasing of the music rather than a fixed count
Impact
Low to moderate
Shoes
Bare feet or socks
Basic steps
Body Roll, Plie, Chasse
Roots
Concert dance drawing on modern, ballet and jazz

Hearing the music

Finding the beat in contemporary dance is a very unique experience. Instead of a strict count, you will usually follow the phrasing of the music. Listen for the swells, pauses, and lyrics of a song to guide your movement. Your instructor might ask you to move with the melody rather than stepping on a heavy drum hit.

The basic steps

  • Body Roll usually over 2 or 4 counts
  • Plie often over 2 or 4 counts
  • Chasse 1-and-2
    step (weight change) touch, kick or sound hold

Your first class

  • You will start by taking off your shoes to dance in bare feet or socks.
  • The instructor will lead a gentle warm up focused on breathing and stretching your spine.
  • You will practice shifting your weight across the floor in a relaxed, grounded way.
  • The class will learn a short combination of steps that flow together with the music.
  • You will have a cool down period to stretch your muscles and center your breathing.

Practice at home

  1. Stand facing a mirror and practice a smooth Body Roll starting from your head all the way down to your hips.
  2. Hold onto the back of a chair and lower into a gentle Plie to warm up your knees and ankles.
  3. Try a slow Chasse across your living room floor to feel how your feet glide together.
  4. Combine a deep Plie with a reaching arm movement to practice finding your balance.
  5. Link your Chasse directly into a Body Roll to see how fluidly you can connect two different steps.

The workout side

From a fitness perspective, contemporary dance provides a fantastic low to moderate impact workout. You will challenge your core stability, balance, and flexibility without putting heavy stress on your joints. Because you stay so grounded, your legs and glutes work hard to control every transition. It is a wonderful way to build muscular endurance while keeping your heart rate steady.

Beginner mistakes

  • Holding your breath. Exhale as you reach or bend to help your muscles relax into the movement.
  • Stiff shoulders. Keep your upper body loose and let your arms flow naturally from your back.
  • Looking down. Keep your chin up and project your gaze out into the room.

Styles to try next

When to check in with a doctor or physical therapist

  • Sharp, sudden pain in your knees or ankles when bending.
  • A popping sensation in your hip joint followed by persistent aching.
  • Lower back pain that worsens when you roll your spine.

General information, not medical advice. If you have a heart, joint or balance condition, are pregnant or are returning after an injury, check with your doctor or physical therapist before starting a new dance workout.

How this page was made. Style data (count, shoes, impact, basic steps, general origin) compiled by the Rhythm Desk from common teaching practice. Text drafted with AI assistance and checked by the Rhythm Desk; see how we write. Last checked October 2026.