9.1: Introduction- Choreography and Production
- Page ID
- 292842
\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)
\( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)
\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)
( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)
\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)
\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)
\( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)
\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)
\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\)
\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)
\( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)
\( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)
\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\)
\( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)
\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\)
\( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)
\( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)
\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)
\( \newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}} % arrow\)
\( \newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}} % arrow\)
\( \newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)
\( \newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)
\( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)
\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Introduction
The creation of meaningful choreography and the mounting of a successful production requires honed discipline. A coalescing of creative vision, leadership skills, and executive function brain activity are perhaps the precursors to the practice of a dancer’s discipline. Dance, when it is performance ready, is penultimate expression of organizational success. On her first day as principal at a failing high school in North Philadelphia, Principal Cliatt-Wayman was determined to lay down the law driven by her values of “lead fearlessly and love hard” (Cliatt-Wayman, 2015). But she soon realized the job was more complex than she thought. Her fearless determination to lead, to love her students, no matter what, and to work for the betterment of society through each child at her school -- could be a model for leaders in all fields, including dance. Discipline in her school became the key, not tyrannical discipline, but honed discipline -- like the tireless hours at the ballet barre perfecting a rand de jambe or working on your leaps across the floor.
Discipline is more important than just talent or skill in dance. We often narrowly see the success as a dancer in the execution of a flawless pirouette or becoming a professional dancer in New York, the West End, or Los Angeles. And yes, there is talent in a fearless hip-hop cypher improvisation or battle! But that’s because we see the end product. We never see the 10,000 hours leading up to the creation of that talent (Gladwell, 2008). We imagine famous dancers or choreographers like Mia Michaels or Baryshnikov woke up one day and suddenly were amazingly skilled. Rarely do we see the trials and the struggles of the people who are commercially successful in the dance milieux. What college you get accepted into, wherever your dance credentials come from, such verbiage behind your name is meaningless. It’s the time spent, the discipline, the sacrifices, and the growing of your skills and knowledge that become the proof in the pudding. But as a student of dance, make sure you are honing skills that have workplace applicability.
This chapter will interrogate a really important issue concerning college level dance education that students have faced for decades: Why study dance in college? Dancers may ask themselves, Is there a career for me in dance? What is my end-point goal upon graduation? Dancers are entering the world of work having been trained only for stage performance encounter a job market where competition is intense, and few employment opportunities exist (BLS, 2022). Some key problems regarding dance education lie in outdated programmatic curricula and pedagogical approaches that focus continually only on refined classical techniques, performance quality, and passion for the art (Pickard & Risner, 2020). However, not all dance majors will become professional dancers but that should not discourage them from studying dance at the college level. The focused honing of technicality and aesthetics effectively maintains the long-standing trend where dancers must take jobs in fields adjacent to their field of study, not directly associated with the dance industry (Barr & Risner, 2014). Providing dancers with an education that teaches not just movement and creativity, but other workplace applicable skills in dance can supply alternative options as a dance professional. A reformulated dance education can lead to a lifetime career in the arts. A career may be as a performer, or sometimes graduates will move into roles that facilitate performance!
This chapter will describe some choreographic principles for dance composition that budding choreographers can use as a starting point in deeper learning. Following this, a section on showcase production will be outlined for college class requirements that could be utilized as committee tasks that can foster collaboration among dancers to have a stake in the mounting of a successful show. Dance education needs to have “useful ends” (Dewey, 1938). Dance education can serve as the forging of responsibilities beyond just personal fulfillment, but have real world application toward a larger project of serving in the field of dance. Choosing to study dance requires sacrifice and compromise as it is a challenging, competitive, and fulfilling career as a dance professional. But were college dance education be crafted as both a creative and entrepreneurial endeavor, a solid foundation of prescient skills and knowledge can become the future of dance education. Through differentiated tasks, the success of dance students will be maximized in understanding real-world applications for dance education (Morgan, 2014). Dancers in college will begin to learn about, experience, and participate in twenty-first century skills (21CS) that expand job opportunities in their future.
(https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...D7%94_2019.jpg)
After reading this chapter you will be able to do the following:
- Comprehend four areas of competence with dance as a creative act, and four areas of dance competence that emphasize entrepreneurial leadership.
- Diagram choreography using two different basic methods.
- Identify and align your own interests as a future dance professional with alternative role(s) that could be fulfilling.
Key Words
- Choreographic Plagiarism
- Choreography
- Compound Meter
- Duple Meter
- Entrepreneurship
- Sound Map
- Storyboard Choreography