The Poetics of Contemporary Dance, a fundamental work by one of the greatest theorists of contemporary dance, Laurence Louppe, condenses the author's research and reflection over several years of work as a researcher and lecturer. Published in 1997 and translated into several languages, this book has reached its 3rd edition in the French-speaking world.

The present study focuses on essential issues such as the emergence of contemporary dance and the specificity of its ways of reading, as well as the foundations of modernity in dance, with the purpose of formulating a theory of movement.

Added to this Portuguese edition is a list of choreographic works and dance films presented in Portugal, organized by Maria José Fazenda.