8 Contemporary Dance Companies You Should Know

It’s safe to say we love dance here at Marquee TV. In the ever-evolving world of contemporary dance, certain companies stand out for their innovation, creativity, and boundary-pushing ideas. Whether you’re a dance aficionado or just curious about the companies behind your favorite performances, these are eight contemporary dance companies we think should be on your radar: Kidd Pivot, Rambert Dance, BalletBoyz, Ballet Preljocaj, Akram Khan Company, Netherlands Dans Theatre, Gauthier Dance//Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart,  and Company Wayne McGregor. 

Kidd Pivot 

• Canada 

 

Founded in 2002 by visionary choreographer Crystal Pite, Kidd Pivot has earned international acclaim for its unique fusion of dance and theater.  Pite, a former dancer with Ballett Frankfurt under the direction of William Forsythe, leads the company of eight full-time dancers with her bold and original vision. The company has become known for tackling complex themes such as trauma and mortality, like in their groundbreaking work Betroffenheit created in collaboration with actor Jonathan Young. The poignant piece explores the real-life trauma Young experienced when losing his daughter, niece, and nephew in a tragic fire. 

Kidd Pivot’s works are as intellectually stimulating as they are visually captivating and have marked the company as a leader in contemporary dance winning Olivier Awards for both Betroffenheit and Revisor. 

Rambert Dance 

• United Kingdom 

 

Founded in 1926 by Marie Rambert, Rambert Dance is one of the oldest dance companies in Britain. Beginning as a classical company, Rambert transformed into a trail-blazing contemporary dance company in the 1960s under the direction of Norman Morrice. Since then, Rambert has become a leading force in the contemporary dance world. Over the years, the company has been home to legendary dancers and choreographers, including Christopher Bruce, who later became the company’s artistic director. 

The company is known for its impressive touring schedule and commitment to pushing the boundaries of contemporary dance through both its work and community outreach. 

Ballet Boyz 

• United Kingdom 

 

Founded in 2000 by former Royal Ballet stars Michael Nunn and William Trevitt, BalletBoyz is known for its bold and inventive approach to dance. The company blends elements of various art forms, including film and visual arts to create performances that are as visually stunning as they are emotionally powerful. BalletBoyz has revolutionized programming formats by creating works for both the stage and the silver screen. A perfect example is their program Deluxe which features pieces from choreographers Xie Xin and Maxine Doyle. Originally premiered on stage, Deluxe was later reimagined as a music video-style digital production. 

In addition to their creative works for stage and screen, the company prides itself on its community projects and outreach programs that offer dance opportunities to those who are historically marginalized by traditional dance offerings through workshops and residencies. 

Ballet Preljocaj 

• France 

 

Founded in 1984 by Albanian choreographer Preljocaj, Ballet Preljocaj has become one of the leading contemporary dance companies in the world. Known for its intense physicality and striking visual designs, the company is based in Aix-en-Provence at the state-of-the-art Pavillon Noir – a pioneering venue built specifically for dance designed by the architect Rudy Ricciotti. With 30 permanent dancers and a schedule that includes 120 performances worldwide each year, Ballet Preljocaj captivates audiences with its dynamic and thought-provoking productions like their contemporary take on Swan Lake or the otherworldly Mythologies set to an original score created by Thomas Bangalter, formerly of Daft Punk.

Preljocaj is dedicated to exploring the boundaries of creativity and sharing the transformative power of dance. In a unique social experiment, the choreographer conducted dance workshops inside a women’s prison, creating a collaborative dance piece with inmates serving life sentences. You can watch their transformative journey in the documentary Dancing Free. 

Akram Khan Company 

• United Kingdom 

 

Founded in 2000 by choreographer Akram Khan and former dancer turned producer Farooq Chaudhry, the Akram Khan Company is renowned for its fusion of classical Indian Kathak dance and contemporary dance. Their aim was to create a company dedicated to taking risks, thinking big, and exploring the unfamiliar to create uncompromising and compelling stories told through dance. The company has upheld its mission and produces works that are visually stunning, deeply moving, and technically complex. Khan himself has become one of the most influential choreographers of his generation and gained international acclaim for his modern take on the classic ballet Giselle in collaboration with the English National Ballet. 

Most recently Akram Khan pushed the boundaries of dance into the podcasting space with his new podcast Move to Live. Produced in collaboration with Marquee TV, the series explores the intersection of movement and life with a lineup of special guests. 

Nederlands Dans Theatre (NDT) 

• Netherlands 

 

NDT was founded in 1959 by Benjamin Harkarvy, Aart Verstegen, and Carel Birnie, along with a group of dancers from the Dutch National Ballet. The company quickly gained a reputation for its innovative approach to dance thanks in large part to choreographers like Jiří Kylián and Hans van Manen who produced a rich repertoire of work for the company. With a repertoire that includes over 600 pieces, NTD is considered one of the most prestigious contemporary dance companies in the world. 

Based in The Hague, NDT is renowned for its collaborations with leading choreographers like Crystal Pite, Wayne McGregor, William Forsythe, and Mats Ek. The company is committed to collaboration, curiosity, innovation, and community. 

Gauthier Dance//Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart

• Germany 

 

Founded in 2007 by Eric Gauthier, a former soloist with the Stuttgart Ballet, Gauthier Dance//Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart is known for its vibrant and eclectic style. Known for its versatility and the individuality of its dancers, the company has quickly become an international sensation. Their performances, often infused with a playful dose of humor, appeal to a broad audience helping to make contemporary dance accessible and engaging. 

Gauthier Dance’s innovative programming and international tours have placed it at the heart of the global dance scene. They have become known for creating digital shorts and commissioning innovative projects like The Seven Sins and Swan Lakes which bring together renowned choreographers like Hofesh Scheckter, Marco Goecke, Sidi Larbi-Cherkaoui, and Aszure Barton to create playful dance shorts based on a theme for the company. The company has also created a first-of-its-kind outreach program in Germany called Gauthier Dance Mobile that brings contemporary dance to youth centers, hospitals, and hospice centers across the country. 

Company Wayne McGregor 

• United Kingdom 

 

Founded in 1992 by Wayne McGregor CBE, Company Wayne McGregor is the Resident Company at Sadler’s Wells, London at the forefront of experimental and interdisciplinary dance. The company is guided by McGregor’s life-long drive to explore intellectual ideas through and with the body. McGregor has become internationally recognized for his creative innovations which have launched dance into the modern era by incorporating cutting-edge technology, research, and a fierce dedication to exploring creativity in all its forms.  In 2017 he founded Studio Wayne McGregor, a collaborative space in London composed of dance studios and collaborative spaces for creatives from across disciplines to come play, collaborate, and create. The company has since collaborated on exciting projects like the smash hit ABBA Voyage in London and a unique fashion collaboration with designer Thierry Mugler.

Company Wayne McGregor is not just a company, it’s a creative powerhouse. In addition to innovative works for his own company, McGregor also frequently creates unique pieces for companies around the world like his production Dyad 1929 for The Australian Ballet inspired by the rapid evolution of the 1920s, and his recent work for The Royal Ballet, The Dante Project – a three-part work inspired by Dante’s inferno. 

These ten companies are home to some of the world’s most celebrated choreographers, dancers, and creatives, but they are just a small drop of water in the brilliant ocean of contemporary dance. Discover captivating productions from these ten companies and so many more on Marquee TV.