When a play is choreographed, how is the choreography communicated to the dancers?

Question

Are the dance routines just kept in the choreographer's head, and the choreographer directs the dancers, who memorize the moves? Or is there some way of actually encrypting or illustrating, or recording the details of the routine? We just saw the touring version of "Movin Out" and were trying to imagine how all those routines could be communicated, and each individual routine coordinated so beautifully with the other routines going on simultaneously.

Answer 1

During rehearsals, the choreographer/dance captain will go through the dances with the dancers. Then they will have blocking rehearsals for 2-7 days, where the dancers physically right down in notebooks where they stand and how to get to their places, they will also get the floor marked too.

Then, it's just solid practice, and it gets perfected and memorized.

You have to remember, these people are so talented, they quickly pick up/memorize dances, and also practice A LOT.

Answer 2

Every show I've ever done with choreography, we've had rehearsals specifically for the purpose of learning choreography where he or she will show us an 8 count at a time (give or take) and we copy what we were just shown and after a few 8 counts, we put it together to the music and practice it over and over again and so on. Practice makes perfect and after a while, you just know what to do. Once you're out of the rehearsal space and on the main stage you might have to make adjustments in placement (especially in regards to dealing with set pieces), dealing with props and costumes, etc. but in general you have the routines down and are ready to go.

Marianne

Answer 3

Either through visual presentations (he or she does it) or by using classical dance notation (Fourth position, pleat) or by charting it out.

It will vary with the choreographer.

From what I've seen it's most often by them showing how they want the steps.