Preparing a choreography requires creativity, patience and hard work! Before you put it to perfection, get inspired by the music and genre. Don't hesitate when you dance and believe in the skill of your artists. But above all, have fun! Test your number and perform with confidence.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Get Inspired
Step 1. Think a little about the choreography you intend to prepare
First of all, it must have a particular message or mood to convey. Write what you think and your ideas in a notebook, on your computer or a note application on your mobile. As you begin to create the choreography, consult what you have established during these first brainstorming sessions to find inspiration and better orient yourself.
Get inspired by other performances. Find time to watch street performers, watch YouTube videos, and classic recitals. Browse older musicals and newer music videos
Step 2. Consider the audience, venue and event
When it comes to editing a choreography it is important to know your audience. Who are you going to perform for? What kind of dance does the audience expect? As a choreographer, you will also need to take into account the venue and event. Will the dancers have a stage, a space in the gym or an outdoor area at their disposal? Will you have to perform your number in a show or at the end of the halftime of a sporting event organized by the school? The answers to these questions will affect how you build your choreography.
Step 3. Choose the style
There are hundreds of styles to choose from. You could have hip-hop steps or a fiery flamenco. Choose the one that suits your skills and the talent of your dancers. If you feel like daring, try mixing different genres. Contaminate and combine multiple styles to create an extraordinary number.
Choose a dance style that you like and in which the dancers feel prepared
Step 4. Choose the song
It is essential to select a song suitable for the chosen dance style. While classical music pieces are good for ballet, hip-hop choreography requires more modern pieces. The song should stimulate your creativity, induce movement and conquer the audience.
Don't be afraid to choose a song that is a little out of the box. Sometimes it can be very rewarding to take some risks. Listen to new artists or foreign ones
Step 5. Determine how many dancers are to perform
Are you editing a beautiful solo or a daring couple choreography? Do you feel tempted to create a complex group number or a simple enough dance for a flash mob? Decide how many dancers you need to get your message across to the audience.
Try to be elastic! If the dancers volunteer, it's possible that you won't get the number of attendees you were initially hoping for
Part 2 of 4: Feeling the Music and Understanding the Genre
Step 1. Listen to the song repeatedly
It is important to know the piece of music very well in order to assemble a choreography. Listen to it hundreds of times. Focus on different aspects each time: first on the rhythm and then on the melody. Let it guide you in making your choreography.
- Listen to the song on your daily commute.
- Put it on continuously while you work out at the gym.
Step 2. Identify the various parts of the song
Once you are familiar with the piece of music you intend to use, start analyzing it. Divide it into several sections. Name each breakdown and identify when it repeats. Write in a list the spirit in which each part of the song is characterized, noting the energy level, volume and more complex rhythms.
Step 3. Study the gender
Learn more about the kind of dance you have chosen. You have to get to know every aspect of it, from the correct holds to the basic steps. Create a list of steps, moves and sequences not only suited to the genre, but also to the song. Use it as a reference when assembling your choreography.
- Study choreographies that belong to the same genre. Find hip-hop, jive and tango dance videos on YouTube. You can also see live performances held in your city.
- If you're looking to add a touch of style to your number, try adding dance moves from different genres!
Part 3 of 4: Creating Movement
Step 1. Start moving
Try different steps, moves and sequences. Experiment with mounting them in different ways. Place them at different points in the song. In order not to forget the combinations, take a few shots and then review the video.
- If you create your own steps, take care to give them a name that allows you to remember them.
- Don't be afraid to try something extravagant or a little unusual. New, and perhaps strange, movements can make a choreography unique and special.
Step 2. Create the sections
Combine the steps, moves and sequences to form a unit. Build each part of the choreography in relation to a certain piece of the piece of music. Interpret the song with the movements and expressions of the face: harmony is important. Make sure that each individual part has a theme or font that has an aggregating function. The consequentiality will ensure that the various pieces of the choreography do not seem disconnected or disconnected from each other. By repeating a few steps or making variations on the theme throughout the piece, you will be able to amalgamate your choreography.
Step 3. Edit the choreographic transitions
Once you have brought the main parts of your number to life, create the passing figures and movements. They must not overlap with the basic structure, but connect the various sections without interrupting them. While they won't be the heart of the choreography, they should never be boring or dull. Find an original way to switch between sections.
Step 4. Enter the props, costumes and effects
Decide if you need to introduce certain elements into your choreography - don't think about props at the last minute. Use it to encourage and improve movements. Costumes can also be used to highlight the choreography. A sheer skirt can accentuate a turnaround or convey an emotion. Sound effects can also enhance a dance piece. By screaming, performing sharp and jerky movements, dancing with a syncopated step and singing, it is possible to give a different imprint to the choreography. Distribute these elements in moderation, but throughout the performance.
The props and costumes should be chosen wisely, so that they reflect the chosen choreographic style, without ever distracting the audience from the performance
Step 5. Write the choreography
Before you try, prepare yourself by writing the choreography. Include as much detail as you can and feel necessary to perform the steps. Feel free to shorten your notes any way you want. Write down particularly difficult steps that may take longer to explain and show. Get organized and prepared.
Part 4 of 4: Practice, Step on the Stage and Rehearse
Step 1. Practice
Practice makes perfect. Remember to rehearse the choreography many times. Be patient with your dancers and take a positive approach. Be flexible and open if you have to change the choreography, in case something goes wrong. Don't be afraid to accept suggestions from other people.
- At first, dance slowly. Pick up the pace as the dancers begin to feel more comfortable.
- During rehearsals, show all your enthusiasm, so it will be natural when you have to perform.
- Make sure you warm up before rehearsals.
Step 2. Play your number
Try it on stage or in the space where you will have to perform. Also take some shots. Decide how the dancers are to enter and exit the stage. Determine where on the floor they should be in relation to the various musical moments: if necessary, modify the figures and the passing movements. During this stage, it is important to step away from the stage and observe the choreography from the audience position. Make sure the venue structure or props don't get in the way of any dancers.
Step 3. Review the choreography
After reviewing the videos shot during stage rehearsals, review the choreography. Perfect the steps, but also the figures and passing movements. Write down the parts where the dancers could do better: are they able to convey emotions correctly? Take your notes to rehearsal and work with them to make any necessary changes.
Do not correct the choreography too much. You risk discouraging the dancers and stressing them before the performance. Make only the necessary changes
Advice
- Don't panic! Relax and play with the movements. Just have fun: this means dancing.
- When you dance, try to feel the emotions conveyed by the music.
- Not all movements should be complicated. Insert some simpler figures among the elaborate ones.
- Try counting to 8 to remember the choreography and make it easier.
- Use your creativity. Adapt the choreography to your style and personality.
- It's not enough for you to dance to the rhythm of the music. Create a story!
- If you have to perform, always ask someone's opinion so that you have other ideas.
- Expressiveness is the most important part of the choreography. Make sure that both you and the dancers manifest feelings and moods in a more or less evident way. If there is no emotion, no one will believe the story you intend to represent by dancing.
