Process of Choreography – JSS3 Cultural & Creative Arts Lesson Note (Third Term)

Choreography is the art of planning and arranging the movements, steps and patterns of dancers for a dance performance. It is the sequence of steps and movements in a dance. The process has four stages, from conceiving the dance idea to polishing the final structure for performance.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. define choreography;
2. list the four stages in the process of choreography;
3. describe the steps for choreographing a dance;
4. choreograph a short dance to a song of their choice.

What is choreography?

Choreography is the planned arrangement of steps, movements and patterns in a dance.

• Choreographer: the person who plans and creates the dance and teaches it to the dancers.
• Dancer: the person who performs the steps the choreographer has planned.
• Step: one movement of the feet or body, such as a hop, a slide or a turn.
• Footwork: the way the feet move in a dance.
• Pattern: a group of steps arranged in a set order and repeated.
• Formation: the position of dancers on the stage, such as a line, a circle or a block.
• Style: the type of dance, such as folk, hip-hop or jazz.

What are the stages in the process of choreography?

There are four stages in the process of choreography: conception, gathering, arranging and polishing.

1. Conception of the dance idea

• Meaning: this is the stage where the choreographer thinks of the idea for the dance.
• Source of ideas: a song, a story, a festival, a feeling or an event can give the idea.
• Decision: the choreographer decides the style, the message and the music.

2. Gathering of the movements

• Meaning: the choreographer collects steps and movements that fit the idea and the music.
• Method: try out steps, listen to the song and write down the ones that work.
• Result: a list of steps, footwork and arm movements.

3. Arranging the movements by teaching them to the dancers

• Meaning: the steps are put in order and taught to the dancers.
• Method: teach a few counts at a time, then join them into longer sections.
• Result: the dancers can perform the sections in the planned order.

4. Creating the final structure and polishing it for performance

• Meaning: the choreographer joins all sections into one complete dance and improves it.
• Method: rehearse the whole dance, correct mistakes and tidy the formations.
• Result: a finished dance ready for an audience.

How do you choreograph a dance?

To choreograph a dance, choose a style and a song, then collect, write down and practise steps that fit the music.

1. Select a style that suits you. This can be folk, hip-hop, jazz and so on.
2. Choose a song that complements your style.
3. Compile a list of steps that would work for your chosen song and style.
4. Listen to the song carefully and identify its sections.
5. Identify the melody, flow and rhythm of your chosen song.
6. Dance to the flow and rhythm.
7. Identify the steps that suit the song and write them down.
8. Outline the steps and footwork, and add details such as arm movement.
9. Practise the footwork and steps over and over again.

What are the dance styles you can choose from?

A dance style is the type of dance, and each style has its own kind of movement and music.

What parts of a song should a choreographer identify?

A choreographer should identify the sections, melody, flow and rhythm of a song before choosing steps.

• Sections: the parts of the song, such as the introduction, verse and chorus.
• Melody: the tune of the song.
• Flow: how the song moves smoothly from one part to the next.
• Rhythm: the beat pattern that the feet and body follow.

What should a choreographer remember during practice?

• Write the steps down: notes help you remember the order and teach others.
• Keep in time: every step must match the beat of the song.
• Repeat often: regular practice makes the steps neat and easy.
• Match the steps to the song: slow music needs slow, smooth steps and fast music needs quick steps.
• Add arm movement: arms and body make the dance more complete than footwork alone.
• Work as a group: dancers should move together and keep their formations.

Evaluation

1. What is choreography?
2. List the four stages in the process of choreography.
3. Name three dance styles you can choose from when choreographing a dance.
4. Why should you listen to a song carefully before choreographing it?

Assignment

Choose a dance style and a song. Write down the steps you would use to choreograph a dance for the song, following the nine steps in this lesson.