Choreography

[annaliesey]

DD enjoys doing choreography and is trying out different ways of working

 

Sometimes she will draw out stick figures almost like a story board or comic strip with musical bits written down, usually lyrics but might be a note that means something to her such as "da da da" or whatever.

 

She has a little box of note cards with some of her favourite moves written and drawn on and she will take up the kitchen worktop / dining table / living room or bedroom floor with cards and notes spread out, shuffling into different orders.

 

Other times she will just film herself on laptop or try and remember. When she relies on memory she gets frustrated when she can't remember what she came up with.

 

This got me thinking, how does everyone else approach choreography? Are there any good tips for committing ideas to memory or notes?

 

[Guest]

We always film it with a camcorder (I have a granny phone) and store on mini disc. Have got recordings going back many years now. Has added bonus of reminding them how much they have improved and developed as a dancer.

[Huddsballetmum]

We always film any choreography and then store it on Dropbox.  Great way of remembering and also provides dd with the audience view.

[Flit and float]

I usually write mine out with little drawings to show an arm position or whatever...if it's a group number then crosses for each person's spacing. Sometimes "map out" a piece of music into sections and choreograph those bits, I get inspiration for certain sections & not always chronologically.

 

It can be good if messing around with a bit to leave a camera running, stops any "what did I do???" worry!!

[Kate_N]

You can learn dance notation: Benesh or Laban notation.

[annaliesey]

Thanks everyone. It's really the early part more than anything before it's been learned and when she's making it up that she gets most frustrated.

 

She does film stuff and is pretty good using imovies on her phone where you can add in text and that shows on a video of the music. It's things I think like timing or directions that she will forget or struggle with (she says herself her memory is a weakness)

 

I just wondered if there were sort of good habits to learn and encourage and bad habits to avoid.

 

I wondered if everyone has their own style and approach of if there were common or proven approaches that students are taught later as she's never been taught how to do choreography or if anything that formal was about for her to learn from now.

 

Her recent attempts this weekend involved a whiteboard and it was interesting to watch her do this and then take photos with her phone when she was happy with bits.

 

It seems that she needs to commit early ideas down on paper or down somewhere before she forgets them as she's going along if that makes sense.

 

Thanks for advice kate_n I'll help her look those up