CONTEMPORARY DANCE

My 16-year old daughter is completely hooked on contemporary dance. When I say hooked, I mean it, since the commitment involved is quite high. Since the start of the autumn term, she has been travelling on the bus three times a week - and sometimes at weekends - to Odense, the main town 30km away. Given the weather of the past few weeks, that implies dedication. Plus she has to go to school, do all of her homework, fit in two part-time jobs, one at the bakery, one at Shell, and party with other teenagers from time to time. All in all, she is a busy bee.

The company she is in is supported by the kommune. In return for that support, they give free performances at various places. This being contemporary dance, these are often in the street, in front of slightly bemused Saturday shoppers or tourists. I have been to one or two of those.

However, last night was the end-of-season finale, where they put all of the small bits together in one show. Contemporary dance is pretty athletic, so 75 minutes is a long time to be full on. I have to admit that, as with the modern art over the weekend, I didn't have a clue what the dancing was about. But perhaps I wasn't supposed to? Anyway, I let the movements and music wash over me, and I absorbed what I could. Besides, my daughter was excellent, so it didn't really matter if I got the meaning or not, watching her was meaning in itself.

Walter Blotscher