Choreography Guidelines
foundations & Graded
Levels 1, 2, and 3
Choreography Guidelines
Foundations & Graded Levels 1, 2, and 3
For Graded Intermediate and Intensive dancers, see “How To Teach a Dance” in Drive.
It is Our Job to make these kids look great on the stage, with confidence, smiles and actual choreography they can successfully do. If the audience can understand what is happening on the stage, with clear choreography, clear formations, clear arms, head focus and timing, clear skill execution, clear pictures AND smiles, they will be thrilled with their child’s performance and progress, and will brag about you and Backstage to all of their friends! Even our littlest dancers can be amazing confident performers with insightful and appropriate choreography, taught with mindfulness, clear instruction and an expectation for success.
This is a guideline to assist you with creating an interesting and fun piece for your dancers and their families to enjoy.
Organize your dance to assure the following is accomplished
They MASTER the dance without you
They enjoy the dance, the music, the movement
The end is just as clean as the beginning
All transitions and formations are clean
You stay on track so you don’t rush the learning process
Create a TIMELINE
Start with the end date and work backwards.
Your routine should be FINISHED by 4 weeks prior to show date.
Know how many seconds/counts a class can actually learn every week.
Refer back to the calendar and your timeline often to keep dance on track with completion, cleaning and performance.
Know your SYLLABUS LEVEL and SKILL goals
Incorporate the skills your dancers have been working on in class.
Showcase the dancers that can do “extra”. Assure all dancers are capable of executing most of the skills correctly. Don’t choreograph what they cannot do.
Know your FORMATIONS
What shapes can your dancers make? How many dancers do you have in the class to make an effective shape?
Are you exploring different formations and creating interesting use of the stage space? Are you using a variation of levels, facings, and directions?
Circles are an easy shape to make as a group. Changing lines is (fairly) easy for most classes. Remember to incorporate TRAVEL from the very beginning of classes (Sept).
Progressions to center spot, show off a skill, skip off to opposite corner
Side to side
Follow the leader, choo choo train
How many formations can each age group successfully execute per routine?
Ages 3-4 - only 1 formation, BUT can switch lines OR make a circle, not both
Ages 5-7 - 2 formations, can switch lines AND make a circle
Ages 8+ up thru level 2 - 3-4 formations, switch lines and make a circle. Can also expect make a line upstage and partner moving downstage OR make multiple clumps if large class OR make a single file line OR make 2 or 3 columns OR partner work within their line/circle/clump
Ages 11+ - 4+
Map all your TRANSITIONS
How do your dancers get from one formation to the next formation?
Do your dancers have enough time to get from one formation to the next formation?
How many counts in between each formation change should be allotted for clean transitions?
Ages 3-4 - 16 counts
Ages 5-7 - 8 counts
Ages 8+ up thru level 2 - 4 counts for big ones, varies for close ones
Ages 11+ - varies depending on skill level and size of movement
How long should we stay in a formation before moving to a different formation?
Ages 3-4 - 10 counts of 8, 2 counts of 8 to transition to new formation, but based on music changes
Ages 5-7 - 7 counts of 8, 1 count of 8 to transition to new formation, but based on music changes
Ages 8+ up thru level 2 - minimum of 3 counts of 8, with 4-8 counts to transition
Ages 11+ - based on music changes BUT need to clearly see formation so LONG enough for them to make that picture
Know your MUSIC
Edit music before starting your choreography. Music should have a beginning, a middle and an end, while still incorporating the story you wish to tell. Confirm there is no foul language or inappropriate connotations in the lyrics. Remember we are working with children and young families.
As you choreograph your piece pay attention to the big and small parts of the music, and match the movement to the music. Make note of tempo changes, accents, counter melodies and unusual measures.
Use the lyrics and the rhythms to assist with choreography. Depending on age and ability of your dancers you can vary dynamics and rhythms and use both sustained and staccato movements.
Do you have a story or a scene to tell your class their dance will create? Kids love to use their imagination, this is a great time for them to embrace your vision, let them be part of the process! Assure you know the counts of the music and can teach them with clarity. How many measures do you need to teach each week?
How long should each routine be?
Ages 3-4 - 2 minutes
Ages 5-7 - 2 minutes
Ages 8 and up - 2 - 2.5 minutes MAX
How long should each age group have to think about a step? Know how many counts you're giving the dancers to execute the movement. Some kids take longer to process and remember, but this way they can all END together!
Ages 3-4 - 8 counts with lots of repeats
Ages 5-7 - 4 counts with lots of repeats
Ages 8+ up thru level 2 - 2 counts
Ages 11+ - 1 count
Where are arms placed for a clean dance? Give them a home or a job.
Ages 3-4 - on hips
Ages 5-7 - on hips/holding skirt/behind back/straight to side/soldier
Ages 8+ up thru level 2 - on hips/holding skirt/behind back/straight to side/soldier/X/straight up by ears/long lines diagonal/crossed at chest/pressed front/see shape posterBE CLEAR and follow through
Ages 11+ - on hips/holding skirt/behind back/straight to side/soldier/X/straight up by ears/long lines diagonal/crossed at chest/pressed front/see shape poster - BE CLEAR and follow through
Choreography Tips
Repeat choreography EVERY chorus (age dependent).
Repeat first half of dance, can change it up by facing a partner or a different direction (age dependent).
Use combinations or steps NOW that you plan on having in the routine.
Use lyrics to timeline your choreography and help them to remember (heart, sky, big).
Since the beginning of the dance is rehearsed MUCH longer than the end of the dance choreography, consider putting the kids who need more rehearsal time in the front at the beginning, then move them to the back (after the first 30-45 seconds) so they can follow along when they might not be as confident.
Sparkle the SPACE-Use the floor, change up the formation, add arms, more skips less walking.
Alternate the technical with the fun - like shuffle step and then rolling the arms side to side. Bounces between tricky technical and the fun play.
Composition (older or more advanced dancers)
Are there sections of both unison and repetition?
Have you explored the use of Canon, Theme and Variation, Call and Response, and other compositional forms?
Have you considered the choreography from both a dancer’s perspective and an audience member’s perspective?
Have you over-choreographed?
Is it obvious WHERE the audience should be looking?
Are there sections that would benefit from being simplified?
Have you been flexible and altered choreography where needed?
Ask yourself
Have I spent time thinking about my students individually and collectively?
What are their strengths and weaknesses?
How can I showcase the best within them?
Is the theme, movement, and music age appropriate?
Have I given all dancers an opportunity to shine?
Costuming, Props, and Sets
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What costumes, props, or sets would support the dance? Are the concepts and costuming age appropriate?
When using a prop or a set, have you integrated it into the entirety of the piece? Props/sets must be used throughout the piece, not just once or twice.
Cleaning
Arms - Always hold the arms longer than you need to. Kids have a tendency to lower and move them too soon.
Formations - It should be recognizable as a formation. If you can’t see it, neither can your audience. Messy formations with amazing choreography will look messy. Think of writing a paper with bad handwriting and no sentences/paragraphs/capitalization/punctuation. Even though the WORDS are all the same, the paper will not be received in a favorable way because it is difficult to READ.
Facial Expressions
Energy
Less is More (as in give very specific corrections in small chunks so they can FIX and RETAIN)
Count out loud without music then have them scream with music
Make a "What comes next?" game
Coach everything. Coach start times, coach formations, coach with claps, THEN STOP COACHING.
Choreography should be clear, formations should be clear, timing should be clear. At this time fine tuning arms, energy and stage presence should be the focus.
DO
Circulate the room to coach and correct
Circulate dancers and create special parts for each dancer to feel special
Choreograph to story and music to help with cues
Choose 20-30 seconds each week to clean
Encourage the small corrections you see applied weekly
DO NOT
Sit to watch
Put weak dancers in the front for an extended amount of time
Just run the dance over and over Waste class time doing 1 at a time. Doing it in groups with specific corrections is great.
