Art Representing Dancing - Essay Example

of the discipline Dance Choreographer According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary choreography is “the art of symbolically representing dancing; the composition and arrangement of dances especially for ballet”. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) Therefore “choreographer” is someone who creates and arranges dance routines, and usually is the one who teaches them to others. The profession of dance choreographer is an exciting one, allowing the person engaged in it to express his creativity, to produce art with the dance movements, and to bring joy to the audience by his creations. Apart from dances, choreography is used in other spheres of art, such as cheerleading, figure skating, cinematography, fashion shows, etc. As far as dance choreographers, nowadays there are a lot of styles of dances the choreography of which one can choose to be engaged in. These are ballroom dance, ballet dance, hip hop dance, contemporary dance, step dance, folk dance, belly dance, etc. The field is wide for those who see their future as the ones creating works of art with dance movements. To start a career path as a choreographer it is essential to spend years yourself as a dancer. Most dancers begin their formal training at the age of five years old, being a bit older or younger is fine too. By the time one is about 17 years old he/she needs to start auditioning for different dance companies. No matter what style of dance you will choose to perform or choreograph in the future, you must learn the classical form of dance as young as possible. “Ballet dancing lays emphasis on foot muscle movements which need to be learned right from the formative years in ones life.” (Ballet Basics, para.1) As one choreographer said about the importance of ballet basics: “To put it simply, a classical dancer can choreograph a western and Bollywood number, but vice versa is not possible. Classical dance equips you with everything; you can fit yourself in all genres of dance and music”. (Shet Sh. 2008, para.24) By the time one is in his teenage years he should start concentrating on specific style of dance and begin intensive training in that style. Students who demonstrate talent in the dancing field can receive more advanced and professional training earlier. When one has chosen the style of dance he would like to get engaged in there are a variety of possibilities of how one can do so. One can attend dance college programs or dance company’s school; there are also summer training programs from the leading dancing schools where it is possible to get further training and even, if particular talent is noticed and the student is industrious, be admitted for the regular full-time program in this school. Dancers face intense competition and only the most talented will find their niche in this field of work. Dancing is strenuous, it requires a lot of time put into the training, and full dedication to the profession. Many dancers participate in the tours with the companies they work with, they spend big part of their dancing career on the road, living in hotel rooms. Most of the dance performances are in the evenings. As a result, dancers practice a lot during the day, perform in late hours, do not have sufficient sleep in many cases. People who choose this profession are aware of the difficulties, but they work hard on it every day, because that is what brings them satisfaction, joy, release of their creative potential. Due to the strain on the body, by the age of 30 many dancers have to finish their dancing career. But a lot of them stay in the profession and become dance choreographers. There is a variety of places where choreographers can apply their talent. “Dancers and choreographers work in a variety of settings, including eating and drinking establishments, theatrical and television productions, dance studios and schools, dance companies and bands, concert halls, and theme parks.” (Dancers and Choreographers. 2002, para.6) To become a good choreographer one should not only know how to dance; it is essential to be educated in the fields of art, literature, history, and music as well. For example, when choreographing a piece of the ballet it is important to know the history of the epoch the ballet is describing, the background of the composer, etc. “Knowledge of music, literature, history and art inspires choreographers and helps them better interpret feelings and ideas through movement.” (How to Become a Professional Choreographer, para.2) To be able to teach dance in college or high school, one should obtain a college education. So while a person is dancing, he/she should think about the future and his/her career after finishing professional dancing. “If you wish to be a choreographer, you must have not only extensive education, but also extensive experience in dance… You need to have education and experience in dance both past and present, not simply the newest dance moves, to be a good choreographer. (Choreographer.2010, para.12) Cultural experience is important. You do not want your routines to be one-sided, or all about the same subject. It is interesting to add a variety of cultural elements to the choreography pieces that your dancers will perform. “You will also want to study dance from other cultures, because there are many moves that you might want to add to your routine.” (Choreographer. 2010, para.12) Choreographic performances are all about the audience; the audience is who you are working for, who will be the ones to appreciate your performances. So choreographing a piece you need to keep in mind the type of audience that you are directing your dances at. Well-educated choreographer will pay attention and study the dances of different genres and styles. This will enrich your choreography with new elements, and ways of interpreting the music. “It is important that you are able to study all the various types of dance that are currently popular, that have been popular, and that are popular in other places.” (Choreographer.2010, para.12) Usually choreographers who were dancers in the past are well-known in the field for their talent and have good chances of becoming successful choreographers. “Through their performance as dancers, they develop reputations as skilled artists that often lead to opportunities to choreograph productions.” (Dancers and Choreographers. 2002, para.15) However, being a talented and well-performing dancer does not guarantee that one will become a talented and skillful choreographer. The opposite is true as well: one may be a mediocre dancer, but have a very good taste in choreography and possess a talent in this sphere. Of course, even if one cannot perform well himself, he still need to have good dance technique in order to project it to the dancers. It is important not only to understand a dance yourself, but to be able to channel that understanding to your dancers. Thus, good choreographer must be a good teacher. What are other prerequisites of being a good choreographer? It is important for choreographer to keep dancing at least a little bit and develop too. “Becoming a dance teacher is not the end of the road. While you teach, you need to keep improving your skills and bettering your dance. Growing as a dancer is just so important.” (Dance Teachers, para.1) A choreographer needs to be a good visualiser. One needs to see in his mind how the choreographed piece will look on stage. That would be the first step of one’s choreography. It goes without saying that a choreographer needs to have a good sense of music and rhythm. “A choreographer without a good sense of music is a lion without teeth.” (Shet Sh. 2008, para.12) Of course, a choreographer needs to have a good musical taste in order for his pieces to look pleasant and enjoyable for the audience, and to make it easier for dancers to work on those pieces as well. Choreographer should be a good director and possess superior organizational skills. It is important because choreographer works with a group of people, who are very much different as personalities. It is a big challenge to keep the group satisfied, so good people-handling skills are essential. Knowledge of different dance genres should be mentioned too. No matter what type of choreography one is majoring in, it is imperative to be well aware of the other genres of dancing as well. Complementing the performance with elements of different genres can be a cherry on top of one’s choreography pieces. Nowadays the mixture of genres is especially popular, for example, folk and ballroom dances, or ballet and contemporary dances. If such mixture is made with good taste it will attract not only the audience, but will be appreciated by the professionals in the field as well. Creating a routine a choreographer must keep in mind several factors. First of all the degree of difficulty, which of course will depend on the professionalism of the dances that one is working with. It should be up to the level of the dancers, but at the same time not too difficult. Too easy moves is not a good way out either – the dancers will be bored and not challenged to develop their dancing skills. A choreographer must take the age of dancers into the consideration too. A person who wishes to become a choreographer needs to keep in mind that this is a career that will require you to work your way up. No one becomes a great choreographer or in big demand straight at the beginning of one’s career. It is better to start with smaller jobs that could be handled easier, and work your way up. The more experience one has, the easier it will be to work on bigger and more complicated dance projects. A beginning choreographer should keep a good portfolio with pictures and videos of routines he/she choreographed, and descriptions of groups one has worked with. Of course, it is important to know what kind of salary one can expect from working as a choreographer. It depends on several factors, such as, what kind of groups you are choreographing for, how much experience you have in the field, how long you have been working as a choreographer, etc. “It is important to remember that your salary as a choreographer depends on how much experience you have had, as well as on what job you are currently doing.” (Choreographer. 2010, para.17) In summary, it is essential to state that dance choreographer is a very rewarding profession for the talented and creative people. It is a hard work, it demands one to have a great variety of skills, from ability to dance to people psychology. But if one is sure that this is the career of choice, and willing to put long hours in growing professionally – this is definitely a wonderful career path. Works Cited Ballet Basics. Web. 21April 2011 Choreographer. 2010. Web. 21 April 2011 Dance Teachers. Web. 21 April 2011 Dancers and Choreographers. 2002. Web. 21 April 2011 How to Become a Professional Choreographer. Web. 21 April 2011 Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Web. 21 April 2011 Shet Shilpa. Choreography: if you want typical, it’s not for you. 2008. Web. 21 April 2011 Types of Dances and Different Dancing Styles. Web. 21 April 2011 Read More