Hey guys, guess what? I’m gonna spend the next couple weeks choreographing a dance! (Yaaaayyyy!)
So I’ve been toying with this idea for awhile, but I've never really gotten around to really doing anything about it. I figured I might as well take advantage of this project and finally do it. I know I want to do something on pointe because in my opinion it's the style that requires the most technique and looks the most graceful. I just don't have anything concrete yet.
I’ve already talked to a couple friends about the idea and brainstormed some potential songs, but I don’t have anything concrete yet.
Here my list of potential songs:
- Days of Roses by Martha Marlow - pretty much the only happy song on the list. I think it’d be really cute as a ballet dance, and I already have the first couple measures sorta mapped out. The song is pretty long, so I’d have to cut it before finishing the dance.
- Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy by Pentatonix - suggested by a friend, really cool cover. The dance, like the song, would probably end up being an interesting blend between the classical and modern styles. If I do this, I’d probably have to perfect my pirouettes and learn this step which I don’t know the name of. (Here’s a video of Miko Fogarty doing it: http://youtu.be/rkkQax95_ZE She starts at 1:01 and does it 7.5 times.) It’s really hard, but the whole point of this was to challenge myself right?
- Fair Game by Sia - much more emotional. If I do this, it might end up more similar to some of her music videos. It’ll be less ballet, but that might make it appeal to a larger audience. I’d have to be really careful when doing this or it might look disjointed.
For my final product, I’ll be filming a video with the help of a friend. Hopefully it’ll turn out something like this… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-tW0CkvdDI
Here’s my timeline for the next couple weeks.
Week 1: brainstorm and research (Basically the content of this blog)
Week 2: cut song and find repeating phrases to make it easier to choreograph
Week 3: choreograph at least 1 minute
Week 4: finish choreographing
Week 5: final touches (practice, practice, practice!)
Week 6: film and edit
So, what do you guys think? Which song do you think I should do? Any other suggestions?
See you next week!
~Nicole
This is really cool Nicole! I am really excited to see what you come up with. Just out of curiosity, is part of the project going to be learning new moves, or is it going to be mostly figuring out how to choreograph what you know into a cohesive piece? Also, I think you should use Fair Game by Sia. I think you could do a lot of cool things with it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dani! The main focus of the project will be choreographing and learning about my own style, but if I come across a new step that I want to put in the piece I will probably spend time learning that too.
DeleteSounds great! I'm really interested to see how you'll apply what you know about dance to your choreography. Like a musician writing a song, application seems to be one of the best ways to not only expand your interests, but also one of the best ways to grow, learn, and improve at what you do. If it seems like it'll be a challenge, not only to choreograph but also to perform - I'd like to recommend the PTX cover of Dance of the Sugar Plum Faerie. I also feel like the classic and modern mix of styles would be interesting to see. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteChoreographing is definitely very similar to writing a song. I've always thought of dance as an extension of musical instruments. A lot of the stuff that I had to know to play piano carries over to dance. Thanks for your input!
DeleteI think you know which song I'd recommend :) But I'd be excited to see any dance you choreograph! I guess you could call the moves grand battements? If you need help with filming (I don't know much about editing), let me know!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jess! So far I've been calling the step dévelopée front to attitude turn but that's a mouthful and there's gotta be a better name for it.
DeleteYour project sounds really exciting! I would actually recommend Sia's Chandelier, just because it is super emotional and has a very upbeat tempo. So will there be multiple dancers in your video, or just you? Have you decided on any moves that you definitely want to be in your vid?
ReplyDeleteThanks Alycia :) I was thinking about doing Chandelier too, but I was worried that the music video might influence me too much (even though I'm nowhere near as good as Maddie) and that the final product won't show enough of my personal style. The video will probably be just me because then there's less to worry about. Since I'm leaning towards doing the PTX song, I'll probably include the step that I mentioned above.
DeleteSounds like fun! I've seen some really impressive choreography, and it always amazes me when I think of how much time and effort goes into each minute. Personally, I think you should give Fair Game a shot, emotional songs can be incredibly powerful when done right, and I think that if you put enough time into it, you could do it, well, right! Now, I'm also no music expert, so maybe it isn't the best option, but oh well. Just remember to have fun with it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Trevor! I really like that song too, but I'm worried that it won't be ballet enough.
DeleteOh my god, you're actually coreographing, that's crazy. I would never be able to do something like that. It takes a lot of creativity as well as a knowledge of music and how your movements contribute. God, I can't dance. I'm so excited to see what you do with this, because A) the fact you're creating your own routine is incredible and B) it doesn't take much to impress me dance-wise because the extent of my talent is I can Macarena to any song. As for the song, I love Pentatonix and their arrangement of that song, so I'd be thoroughly entertained. However, I think what song you pick depends on what emotion you want to get across. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHaha I know right? I can't even believe that I'm really doing it. For the song, I totally agree. I think I'm gonna go with the PTX song since it's more ballet-y. Thanks Zoe!
DeleteWell, I see a lot of people want to see Fair Game because of its emotional element, but I'm still gonna go with the Pentatonix bandwagon I see here :) Maybe because I play classical violin? Although ballet's not really my thing, I've heard/played the Nutcracker songs a ton, and PTX did a nice job of recreating it. Seeing a new spin on something that has been done a lot always gives art a nice flavor (yeah, I said flavor). Sure, there's emotion in Fair Game, but it'd be more of a challenge to put in emotion in the Sugar Plum Fairy. I want to see my Nikki-oleness recreate perhaps the most famous ballet scene (or the most mainstream one, depending on perspective). Since I came up with your URL, make me proud! I have no doubt that your final performance would be on point (en pointe)!
ReplyDeleteThanks Hanna! :D The Nutcracker was the first ballet I saw as a child, and I've always loved it. My only regret is that my studio doesn't do the Nutcracker when holiday season rolls around (although we do have a Christmas show).
DeleteThis is AWESOME!! I actually enjoyed reading your blog, and I am SO excited to see what you come up with. I definitely vote the Sugar Plum Fairy song because I think that you can put a really modern twist on what ballet is and interest an even wider range of audiences. I too take ballet, but I started late and really don't have the same love for it as it seems like you do. That said, I love watching it and I really can't wait to see what you come up with for the final product. And that video of Sergei Polunin is awesome and I had already watched it like 5 times before I even saw this blog. Good luck!!!
ReplyDeleteAhhh! That video is so awesome! I will forever be jealous of the power and strength that boys have for those amazing turns and leaps. I take other dance classes too (I'm always tapping under the table in class), but I picked ballet because I feel that it strips dance down to its bare bones, showing everything without all the fancy stuff. Also, I'm glad you like my blog! Thanks Sarah!
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