Stamping Ground; a contemporary dance choreographed in 1983 by Jiri Kylain, was a piece of movement that was enthused by the traditional dances of the Aboriginal people of Australia. With a musical score formed to go alongside the dance sequences composed by Carlos Chavez. Within this essay I am going to explore and explain some of the key features of this model dance.

The choreographer of the dance, Kylain studied in Prague and at the Royal Ballet School in London. Later he joined the Stuttgart Ballet in 1968 and vocationally laboured under John Cranko, where he started to commence in choreographing his own works. Kylain became Artistic Director of Nederlands Dans Theatre in 1976. Throughout his choreography his style has been greatly energetic and contemporary

The visual motions featured in Stamping Ground are physically powerful and show claim to creature references. Although in customary Australian Aboriginal dance, where a vast abundance of noise is permitted from the dancers and instrumentation; this piece of adapted western movements share nonconstructive sounds. Where instrumentation is present it is shown in a simplistic mannerism with only a drum beat or self-made sounds from the dancers in such forms of jumps, springs and claps. These Claps and jumps, are focused downwards throughout the piece to create the symbolization of the stalwart and resilient inner meanings of connections between the earth, the animals and the Aboriginal people. In contrast however with links to the people signified and based on within the dance, there are no more than three performers on stage at one time; where else in context these dances would have collaborated a generously proportioned number of people.

The pulsating movements of each section of dance reproduce an abstract imitation of the animals each dance is set in portraying. Repetitive movements such as a jolting accelerated motion are frequently pronounced throughout; using crooked knees and audacious, out front upper limbs, the propelling movement is used as a redistributing transfer into a further forward step.  These arms conduct an exploit of great importance in illustrating the nature of what is being exclaimed, with contrasts of abrupt, acute incisive gestures and supple, refined exquisitely deft motions. Dissimilarity from the sharp motions, where the movements are softer, the performers are choreographed to dance supplementary using the balls of their feet which in turn gives the audience the atmospheric feel of elegance and weightlessness the vigour within these categories of class movements convey discrepancy.

Throughout the piece a common motif if the skin tight consumes which work in symbolizing the natural boundaries of the animals and original people, portrayed in Kylain’s composition. Another reoccurring common action is the twisting and turning gesticulation of the artistes, these actions are set so the dancers can more around the stage. The strong point of this repletion is exampled in rapid expressions mainly when one or more dancers are working together. Other movements such as frog leaps generate a deeper establishment of deep, forthrightness openly affecting the audience. Touch is very experimental in the duets on stage, with chauvinist demonstration and response, showing male leadership, not only amongst the ancient Aborigines but also the animal kingdom. As in much dance it is also the male performers that act upon the lifts featured in Stamping Ground using the female dancers as the intent.

Over all this dramatic dance stimulated piece produces a feeling of effusive robustness created by the dancers solid and bold movements throughout the piece with contrasting secessions showing the fragile side of both the animal kingdom and the profound subterranean of male to female roles within the ritual dances of the Australian Aboriginal tribes.