What Is Contemporary? Symposium 2025, hosted by the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, explored the idea of ‘contemporary’ and the many meanings it takes on in reference to dance. The conference acknowledged that the word contemporary has a definitive meaning - ‘belonging to or happening now’ – while also recognizing that when paired with the word ‘dance’ (i.e., contemporary dance), takes on vastly different definitions from artist to artist. In this three-day symposium, dancers, academics, and professionals in the dance field contemplated this word contemporary – and in term contemporary dance – to not define it, but to understand what the complexity of the word means for the dance industry. Kaleigh Dent synthesizes some of the conversations and threads that emerged over the course of the symposium and related events.
