Do you know what does it mean to be a dance choreographer? Do you know what do it mean to choreograph for people? Do you know what does it mean to write a dance for some one you don't know? and do you know what does it mean to write a dance for an absolute beginner?
To most people, and maybe to some dancers as well, being a dance choreographer equals to being a dancer plus a dance teacher. However, that is not true. Check in the dictionary, the three job title mean differently.
A dance dances, a choreographer writes dances, and a dance teacher teaches dances.
Even though practically a dance teacher usually does all, it doesn't not mean that a dancer can successfully write or teach dances.
Now getting to our main discussion today. A dance choreographer is to write dances but not necessarily needs to teach that dance, that's why we have step sheets (I usually write in Vanilla style because I was taught to do so, for exam purposes). Not long ago I jointed the HK WEDDING DANCE (a warm company and just by the name you know what business it is) as a freelancer, and I started to really practice myself to be a choreographer.
Before joining this company, I have already been teaching dancing in a number of places to a variety of subjects. I usually teach the basic figures and join the basic figures together in order to make a basic performance routine, and since we have regular courses, we have at least a year to practice. For new comers, they can either choose not to perform or to practice extra hard themselves. As a result, we usually make our performance watchable.
Working for this company, I need to write dances for complete beginners and I must make sure they are reasonably watchable on their big days. As said before, being a dance teacher I need to teach steps and actions, I also have the obligations to mention the tempo and time signature for the dances I am about to teach (I know some teachers have already abandoned this since most students do not concern about it). Now as an instructor who must make sure a couple to dance and shine on the floor within a couple of hours, I started to work on the routines. Writing routines is definitely not a problem for me, since I have been doing this for 10 years, the problem is not to write a boring routine but still it should be learn-able within 4 classes.
Here I got some tips, proved working since my first couple from this company.
First of all, do not stick onto the basic figures (basic figures for dances), but think about basic actions (if you can't differentiate figure and action, here is a demonstration for you )
Then, make use of the partner positions (learn about the 11 basic partner and mixer positions here )
And finally please take a review on the dance syllabi, especially the New Vogue, for more inspirations!
Good luck!
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