Do you want to become a better choreographer?

 

Do you want to become a better choreographer? I think for most us, the answer is a resounding YES! No matter what stage of our choreography career we are at, we know that we can always tap into greater creativity to become a better choreographer. But for many of us, we just might now be sure how, exactly, to make that happen. In this blog post, you’ll find 5 creative practices that can help you become a better choreographer. I’ve employed each of these practices throughout my career. As you will read below, they helped me to improve my skills as a choreographer and develop the confidence needed to take my work to the next level.

 

What holds us back to becoming a better choreographer?

 

The truth is that choreography is a skill we have to practice actively. When we don’t take the time to practice our skills and express our creativity regularly, it is impossible to become a better choreographer. I think most choreographers would agree with this sentiment, but too often, our choreographic processes are rushed. We don’t feel like we have the time to spend setting choreographic goals, developing a plan to see them through, or reflecting on our process. We have to spend a disproportionate amount time on the administrative aspects of choreography, from scheduling rehearsals to securing funding. We have to create choreography in a hurry due to complicated schedules, limited rehearsal time, and pressure from too many other responsibilities. Our choreography is rushed to stage before it can be properly refined, edited, and polished. It can all feel incredibly frustrating!

 

How can you become a better choreographer?

 

To become a better choreographer, I believe that you have to prioritize creative practice in our lives. Fortunately, this does need to be time intensive or take too much focus away from all of the other necessary aspects of our careers. Simply carving out a little time and space to create good creative habits will go a long way in helping us become better choreographers – even when our rehearsal process feels rushed or less than satisfied.

 

5 creative practices that can help you become a better choreographer

 

By adopting some simple creative practices, we can ignite our creativity, improve our choreography skills, and grow as choreographers. The strategies described below are simple but highly effective ways that choreographers at any stage of their career can deepen and improve the effectiveness of their choreographic process. They are my go-to creative practices, and I’m happy to share them with you here!

 

Create choreography on a regular basis

 

Even if you don’t have any major projects in the works, make it a point to choreograph something on a regular basis. I like to create weekly “dancettes,” short informal dances based on a creative prompt. Sometimes, weeks or months go by between major choreographic projects, and I find that I can get a little rusty as a choreographer during these breaks. Creating little dances on a regular basis, without the pressure of a performance, has benefited me in many ways. I have found that it helps to improve my skills as a choreographer, keeps me in the habit of making dances, and holds space in my schedule that I can use to work on larger works when needed. As a bonus, I have developed a “reserve” of little choreographic explorations that I can adapt for future projects as needed. Very often, I keep these dances to myself, so there is truly no pressure associated with them. But every once in a while, I post them on social media with the hashtag #ChoreographyAdventures. Posting a few of my choreographic explorations helps to build my network and opens the door to another important creative process, receiving feedback on our work. (See more on that below!)

  • Do you need some inspiration to keep you creating on the regular? Check out The Holistic Collection of Choreography Adventures, a set of 52 choreography prompts – one for every week of the year – that will help ignite your creativity and keep your skills sharp!

 

Keep a creative journal as part of your choreographic process

 

The most creative time in my life was my final year of graduate school, while I was working on my thesis concert for the MFA in Dance program at the University of Maryland, College Park. Of course it is easy to be inspired when you are surrounded by a talented cohort and incredible faculty all the time. To turn inspiration into your own choreography, however, you need a plan! Journaling was a big part of my creative process for my thesis concert, and helped me realize the creative ideas inspired . As directed by Julia Cameron in her book The Artist’s Way, I wrote three stream-of-conscious pages each morning, and was amazing by the ideas that emerged! I also took notes on the choreographic process in my journal: how rehearsals were going, feedback from my committee, movement ideas, and much more. Whether you follow a prescribed method of journaling or just wing it, taking the time to express your creative impulses in written form can have major benefits for your choreography as well!

 

Ask for feedback on your choreography

 

As artists, we are often our own worst critics. We project our negative opinions of our work in process onto others, assuming that they have the same doubts about our choreographic potential that we do. Often, the mere thought of inviting other people to give feedback on our choreography can be nothing short of paralyzing. I totally get it … but I’m here to tell you that such a mindset is not productive. Having someone else provide feedback on your work in progress throughout the choreographic process can be transformative. An objective observer can bring a fresh perspective, affirming your best choreographic impulses and helping you work through rough patches. Dance is a performative art, after all, and the audience’s reaction is important to consider throughout the creative process. Find a trusted friend, colleague, mentor, or advisor who can be the audience for your works-in-process, offering feedback on your work at various stages of it’s creation.

  • I’m happy to provide thoughtful, comprehensive feedback to choreographers at affordable prices through my Online Adjudication services. Learn more and book a session here: Online Adjudication

 

Give yourself one major creative goal to meet 

 

Having a tangible goal can be an important way to keep you focused on your creative work throughout the year. Your goal could to be submit a completed piece to a festival, or to create truly unique recital dances for your students, or to share a dance video on social media each month. Whatever you choose, be sure that your goal is manageable and that you have a plan for its completion – otherwise you’ll set yourself up for frustration.

  • Use The Holistic Dance Teacher Choreography Planner to find creative inspiration, organize their choreographic ideas, and strategize ways to bring their vision to the stage, site, or screen. This comprehensive guide will while help you improve your choreographic skills, communicate your vision more clearly, or advocate for yourself as an artist.
  • Check out this blog post with ideas for setting and achieving goals as a choreographer: 5 Ways to Achieve Your Dance Goals

 

Get support

 

The idea of the solitary, tortured artist is pervasive in our culture. But I’ve found the most successful choreographers are often the ones who surround themselves with a supportive team. Hopefully, there are other dance artists in your local area with whom you can set up a solid mutual support system. If you haven’t found a local community yet, check out National Choreography Month (NACHMO). This “choreographic kick in the pants” is an amazing resource, with plenty of opportunities for encouragement from other choreographers nationwide. You can also join me on Facebook at The Holistic Dance Teacher, where you are always welcome to post videos for peer review, crowd source music or costume inspiration, or just discuss the triumphs and challenges of being a dance artist today! Lastly, tag @shannondoolingdances and use the hashtag #ChoreographyAdventures when sharing your choreography videos on Instagram – I’ll give them a share to my Stories!

 

Keep your creative spark ignited all year long with The Holistic Dance Teacher Choreography Bundle, with 5 must-have resources to help you find creative inspiration, make choreography plans, and so much more!

 

More resources for Choreographers

 

Blog Posts for Choreographers

Resources for Choreographers

Read the Making Dance Now Series

Visit my Resources page for tools that support a holistic teaching and creative practice. Keep in touch by signing up for my quarterly newsletter, or join me on Facebook at The Holistic Dance Teacher.