I know some of you may be thinking who the heck is Brittany Ard-O’Connor and why is she giving advice about choreographing. Well, I have been asked by many classmates how to choreograph and thought why not write an article about it! *Disclaimer: I am not a professional choreographer, if these tips don’t help you, I’m sorry. I have helped others choreograph for dance classes before and it seemed to help them. But people are all unique and different things work for different people. These tricks are all based on own personal experiences and are geared towards solo pieces. * So here it goes.
1. Don’t overthink it!!!
For solos you shouldn’t worry about choreography as much as you would with duets, trios, small groups, or large groups. You are the one in complete control of the choreo. If you forget you can make something up and people won’t notice. You also don’t need to be as worried about formations, so you don’t need to think I have to be at this spot on stage at this part. You should use as much space as possible, especially when there is only you, but don’t feel like you have to calculate your steps. Also, don’t think about strictly traditional dance moves. Play around with things like body shapes. If you want to use movements that go with the words do it, if you want to do the opposite, do it.
2. Be you!
A solo, means you alone when you are performing. Do a piece you will love and have a good time working on. Play to your strengths. Find out what you are good at, are you good at tricks, leg extensions, do you have amazing technique, are you a performer, etc. Then make sure you put those strengths in there as much as possible. If there is a move that you love and it’s your signature move, find a way to put it in your piece. You should be able to walk off the stage and people be like, that routine was so you!
3. Improvisation is your friend.
So many people, especially beginners are terrified when they are told to improv in dance class. It can be intimidating at first to improv, but once you get the hang of it, you will find you use it to choreograph. I find when I first start choreographing I like to put the music on and just dance through it once or a few times. Then I write down things I liked that I did and moves that looked cool. Trial and error is key in choreographing and improv is basically trial and error. Then I take those improvised moves and try to use it my piece.
4. The song selection is crucial.
In order to choreograph a great routine you should probably like the song you choose and it should speak to you. If you are sitting and listening to a song and all of a sudden a flood of ideas occur in your head, choreograph to it!! Sometimes it takes a long time to pick a song and that’s okay. Once you find the right song the choreography will come more natural. You also should pick a song based on genre. If you want to do a lyrical routine you might not want to choose a song on the top 40 pop songs chart.
5. Balance.
Yes, dancers need to have good balance to execute certain moves, but I’m talking about a different balance in this case. People when they choreograph get so focused on specific dance moves that eventually they run out of ideas. Especially if you are a beginner and limited in your dance ability as far a technical dance moves. This is when listening to the words can really help. If you are in a rut and don’t know any more moves, play with shapes. You could also look at moves you already have and try to slightly change them so the move looks different for the other. For example. If there is a jump where both legs are straight then try doing a leap where one leg is bent or both are.
6. Find inspiration all around you.
I mentioned how the song should inspire you, but there are other things that can also help to inspire you. One of the biggest ways to find inspiration is by watching others. This could be when you are in a dance class and you watch someone who has more dance experience or this could be by watching Youtube videos of dancers. I get a lot of my own inspiration from watching Youtube videos. If you are in a dance class with experienced dancers don’t be afraid to ask them to help you. The worst that can happen is they say no. Other ways to draw inspiration is to think about what makes you, you and what elements influence you. Maybe you are all about girl power, then choose a piece that has lyrics that match. Maybe you want to change something about yourself and you find a song that embodies the kind of person you want to be. For example, I did a solo called, “ Confident” and like the title says the song is all about confidence and why people should be able to hold their heads up high. I am not the most confident person in the world, but I want to be confident every time I am on stage.
Hopefully these tips were helpful! Remember that a solo is all about you. Have fun and experiment with different moves and body shapes. Never give up and be confident in your abilities:)
