Saw a modern dance outfit recently. Mesmerising, beautiful. But what I really couldn't get my head round was how the choreographer was able to visualise all that and then communicate it to the dancers. There's just too much going on! Over a dozen dancers doing completely weird and incoherent things with their bodies, yet it all adds up to an astonishing whole. So:
is there some kind of code or notation?
is it a universal notation, like in music, or does each choreographer have their own?
what do you do when completely new and bizarre moves are invented that don't fit the code?
2006-06-28 21:32:44 · 12 answers · asked by wild_eep 6 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Dancing
Oh well with modern, there really is no way to know how they assembled the choreography. My friend danced with Merce Cunningham, and the man would throw dice a few hours before the show to determine music, placements of lights, placement of dancers on stage... it was in no way unusual to have a dancer performing a solo with the spotlight on the other side of the stage! I danced with a company that choreographed everything. A lot of it was really bad, and I honestly don't care to know where they got it....
Choreography is just something you can do, or you can't do. Choreography can be composed of original, fresh movement, or a weaving together of stale, overdone movements.
A lot of modern dance choreographers harvest their ideas during improve sessions with their dancers. They'll just put the music on and say, "Dance. Do whatever you feel is right." and it is amazing what will come out of those sessions.
I still believe the best choreographers are very educated, very up-to-date on what has been done. They are always going to performances or studying videos of performances.
2006-06-29 02:46:26 · answer #1 · answered by fallenangel 2 · 5⤊ 1⤋
There is a universal notation system, like music, but unfortunately a lot of choreographers don't know or use it. Possibly because it is very time consuming to write. Maybe someone has transferred it to a computer program, and simplified it. But I agree that it is important to notate some of the wonderful choreography you see today, or it will be lost. Even videotaping a performance doesn't capture all the choreography.
The choreographer is actually writing a play, only s/he's using bodies and motion instead of words to tell the story. That's what gives such strength to some pieces of choreography, while others are just a series of stunts linked together.
If you watch Cirque de Soleil, you see the same thing -- themes that link performances. That's what makes CdS so outstanding, and such great entertainment.
2006-06-29 13:35:30 · answer #2 · answered by old lady 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Choreography is like a science, or math. Anyone can learn it. A choreographer starts with a song or style in mind. Say its hip-hop, they then determine the beat throughout the entire song, whether its got a huge bass or some treble, these little changes are like a flower opening. the base being the center bud, and each petal unfolding as the music complicates and progresses. The style and tempo of the music, and the emotion it conveys is what helps a choreographer determine how he or she will use this beat. All choreographers work differently, whether they start with a move, chose a beat then a song, or opposite. Either way, they all have a goal in mind.
Sometimes new and bizarre moves develop from a new and bizarre beat that someones created, if you have ever danced you will know that sometimes you'll listen to something you can't interpret into a taught dance move, but you'll move anyways. Voila! your own individual dance move, and soon you'll be seeing it on MTV.
2006-06-29 09:54:14 · answer #3 · answered by scoty_dosntno 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, I'm NOT a dancer (I hide behind a banjo when dancing is going on) but I do know that there are notation systems used in classical ballet. Probably not so much in modern dance, though.
Just out of interest, I googled and came upon this:
http://www.trinachow.com/multimedia/lf.html
and this:
1852 St. Leon publishes a book outlining his invention of the first choreographic notation system based on a depiction of the dancer as opposed to the paths taken.
and this, which is what I was really looking for (Labanotation):
http://user.uni-frankfurt.de/~griesbec/LABANE.HTML
I am still mind-blown at the way choreographers (and composers) can visualise (and hear) and remember such complicated dynamic structures as a ballet (or a symphony) in their heads and then communicate it to a large group of people who, in turn, communicate more than just the dance (or the music) to an even larger group of people.
I didn't ought to have answered this, but I wanted to set the score right about notation.
2006-06-29 05:22:26 · answer #4 · answered by Owlwings 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Being a dancer for many years, I found that most choreographers get inspiration from many things. The music being the main inspiration, then the theme of the music or play. Lot's of research is also done, I remember once for a particular dance myself and the choreographer, went to several museums looking for information on Venus. The choreographers that work very closely with there dancers tend achieve something amazing, as a common understanding of the end goal is felt throughout the dance group.
But also I must add the hours and hours sometimes between 8-10 hour of rehearsal also has a lot to do with it
2006-06-29 04:54:32 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are many things to consider when choreographing a dance.
1st the theme of the occasion, program or contest
2nd the music and concept (should be colliding with the theme or criteria of the contest)
3rd the participants (how many and do they know how to dance-because it's very hard for the choreographer to think of steps in the end the ppl will not dance it)
4th the elements of dance and creativity
5th the the costumes and props
6th the budget (it's hard when you are limited with that)
7th retouches and additional
No, there is no code or notation it all depends on the ability and creativeness of the choreographer. Every choreographer has their own style and signature. For myself I have my own style when teaching and have my own signature as a choreographer.
Hope I lessen your confusion.
2006-06-29 05:03:18 · answer #6 · answered by Kath 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The cool thing about that is that every coreographer is different. Most get their inspiration from the music and some don't go any further than what feels right. But some do a lot of background studying. One of the most amazing coreographers I've ever worked with did a piece to some music from Lion King Broadway and she studied african tribal dancers to make it more authentic. So most of our movement was more primitive and all turned in and very grounded. Lots of plie so as to feel more connected to the earth. Cool question.
2006-06-29 14:45:12 · answer #7 · answered by stephanie_lynn918 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They just put things together in a way that they find visually pleasing. I don't believe "codes" or notations are used, because each choreographer has their own ideal of beauty.
2006-06-29 12:53:18 · answer #8 · answered by Tara 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well they use counts like 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
Its kind of hard to explain but they basically make up a short dance and repeat it through out the song sometimes they alter some of the moves through out the dance and they make up another step for the hook
2006-06-29 10:54:42 · answer #9 · answered by lacc06 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Everyone is different. I like t start with a piece of music and then it inspires certain ideas. There is no code, its all about expressing yourself and going with what feels right. There is noright and wrong, its about experimenting and seeing what works and what does not.
2006-06-29 04:39:19 · answer #10 · answered by Katty83 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋