Happy Fall! The time of hot chocolate and colored leaves has arrived. The summer vacation lays behind us. Somehow I also look forward to that cosy feeling of the fall. How about you?
Last week I have posted a video with tips about listening to the music when making a choreography plus a combination. I am curious, did you dance along with the dance combination?
I am so happy to receive feedback on what I have send and to know that it serves you and that it is helpful. Like Meri wrote me as a feedback to my last video. To me it’s like receiveing a big present:
Very helpful Amazing Aisa! I like the idea that first you teach us how to learn and than show us what we need to learn. And I loooove the humor you put in the classes. Above all it is also about having fun. Thank you for the wonderful information and lessons that you provide us.
You know, many times I got the question about how I make my choreographies. This week I thought, you know what, I want to make an overview with 10 clear steps that you can follow to make your own choreography or do a good improvisation on a drumsolo for example. Because I believe that you can do this too with the right knowledge!
I started to think what steps I take and I wrote it down for you. Because when I started to choreograph drumsolo’s it helped me to get it clear. This might help you too!
Here you find the 10 steps to create your drumsolo choreography:
- Define the sections in the music. Listen to your drumsolo and see where you hear transitions. Write down the exact minutes and seconds.
- Define the “basic rhythms” that you hear in the drumsolo. In Arabic music there are many rhythms and each rhythm has it’s own character and movements that belong to them.
- What “patterns and accents” do you hear in the music? You can hear certain patterns more then once. Mostly you hear a pattern 2, 4, 6, 8 times.
- If you hear question and answers in the music define them. Often the drummer plays a part that is technically challenging. He plays it in a way as if he is questioning and giving an answer. In this section you can really show your refined technique.
- Listen if there are any folkloric elements in the drumsolo. What folklore are you hearing? In drumsolo’s you often hear for example a Saidi or a Zar rhythm. The drummer takes you in a small trip around the Middle- East.
- Think about how you are going to use the space. A proper use of the space at the stage is very important and makes your dance more interesting.
- Define the dynamics in the music. Where can you be stronger or where can you be softer and more subtle.
- Now that you know your music start to improvise to the sections. Focus on 1 section at a time.
- Decide how you want to enter the stage and leave the stage. The first impression is a very important moment and of course the last impression and the feeling that you leave the public with too!
- Film yourself when improvising and analyze what you have done and see what you can modify and make a rough dance combination. Film it again, analyze it and make it more and more detailed until you are satisfied. Go through all the sections in this way. Until you create the full piece and then dance everything together.
I hope this 10 steps help you to make it easier to create your own choreography. The more often you do this, the easier it gets to create your own dances. Yesterday I heard a “Latin pro verb” that defines this: Repetitio est mater studiorum. The translation is: Repetition is the mother of studying (learning).
If you like to know more about creating choreography’s I can tell you that I created something beautiful and helpful. Something that already helped many of my students to become better and informed dancers, and choreographers. In the coming day’s I will let you know more.
I would love to hear from you how the above tips have helped you. Leave a comment in the comment section below.
We keep in touch.
Love
Aisa
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