One of the most wonderful things about our job is the ability to create and be inventive with movement. When we see our dancers bring our vision to life, it is like art being played out right in front of us and it can be some of the most exciting times in the studio. However, at other times we are under the pressure to create multiple works in a short amount of time and it is possible that at some point our works may all start to blend to together and start to look alike. It can be frustrating when the “well has run dry,” and we are reaching for new ideas. Sometimes simply going back to the basic choreographic tools we’ve learned in composition class can change the entire scope of a piece and turn it into something completely reinvented and rejuvenated. When you actually think about all the devices we have in regards to manipulating movement, you will quickly find that there is an entire arsenal of ideas yet to be discovered with basic phrases, good technique and performance nuances.
Here are a few of my favorite which can help get you started and flip your thinking to spark some new ideas. They can be used as a jumping off point for your own creativity and will serve as a great companion when you’re under the wire to create multiple masterpieces!
Good luck and happy creating!
See you in the dance studio,
Jess
BASIC FORM: When looking at basic form, keep it simple for beginner students and add more complicated variables for more advanced dancers to include ideas like:
Incorporate a clear beginning-middle-end
Climax
Unison
Variety
Contrast
Changing Sequence
Multiple Transitions
BASIC CHOREOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE: Along with form, comes the structure of the piece. Once you have gotten to the point of linking phrases and developing them into a full length work, think about the structure in which those phrases will have.
· AB Form: (i.e. a theme & a contrasting theme)
ABA Form (i.e. a theme, a contrasting theme, return to original theme)
Rondo: ABACADA (basic theme A’ keeps returning)
Theme & Variation (internal sequence remains constant)
Narrative
Collage
BASIC CHOREOGRAPHIC DEVICES & PHRASE MANIPULATION: Choreographic devices are perhaps the most powerful tools a choreographer can use to create the dimension, texture, levels and look of a piece. Since the possibilities are endless in terms of how movement can be manipulated, play with each of the following to give dimension and varied dynamics to your choreography.
Repetition
Retrograde
Inversion
Size: Condense/Expand
Tempo
Rhythm
Effort Qualities
Body Part Initiation (“Instrumentation”)
Force
Canon
Additive
Fragmentation
Changing Planes/Levels
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