Creating Choreography

by Lauren Chapman, Disney Teaching Artist

If you can move, you can dance! A very important Step Two: Map it Out
component to being a good choreographer is being PLAN TO PLAN. Listen to your song one last time,
an excellent teacher, so it is time to apply your but this time assign a letter to each musical section.
amazing teaching skills in a different way! Through For example, your introduction might be “A,” your
listening, mapping a song, and exploring movement, verse “B’,” and your chorus ‘“C.” Write down the
you can easily create wonderful works of choreo- pattern of your song (eg., “ABCBC”).
graphy regardless of your dance background.
JOT IT DOWN. Write down what you envision for
Follow these steps to create beautiful dances that each section, or what the lyrics call for. Begin to think
help tell your story. about any stage pictures or formations that might
work well in your choreography, and make a big
Step One: Listen note of any character entrances or exists that occur.
REALLY LISTEN! Play the guide vocal recording of
the song you are choreographing over and over Step Three: Create the Movement
again. Listen carefully to all components – including Explore various levels, angles, body positions, arm
the lyrics and instrumental parts – and define the movements, and footwork. Don’t be afraid to mix
overall mood of the piece. and match. Remember to listen to the lyrics of the
song, its rhythms, and the mood of the piece. Take
IDENTIFY THE STYLE OF THE MUSIC. What is your it one phrase at a time, and count the song out into
show about, and what does the style of each song 8-count beats if it helps.
suggest? Sometimes it will be written in the music
itself (e.g., fast swing, rumba beat, march), but other MIX AND MATCH FUNDAMENTAL DANCE STEPS
times you can tell by giving each piece a thorough TO CREATE GORGEOUS CHOREOGRAPHY:
listening.
• Step: Stepping is the primary building block of
REMEMBER THE STORY. What is happening during dance. The old adage, “if you can walk, you can
each song lyrically, and what does the dance need to dance” is true! Experiment with stepping and
convey (e.g., Aladdin is being chased, the stepsisters crossing steps (grapevine – step, cross, step,
are teasing Cinderella)? Where does the song fall touch – or jazz square – step, cross, back, open).
within the show (e.g., big opening number, intimate • Touch: A touch usually means a change in
duet halfway through the musical)? direction. Think step, touch, step, touch.
• Turn: One foot stays planted on the floor as you
FOCUS ON KEY POINTS. Which moments in the turn around it. Simple turns include:
song jump out at you? Big musical moments often
call for corresponding big moments in the dance. • Paddle turn: One foot stays planted, the
Each connecting verse in the song should build up other pushes you around.
to the next big dance moment. • Cross turn: Cross one foot in front of the
other. Place your weight on the front foot as
DON’T FORGET CHARACTERS AND PROPS! you turn by unwinding your legs.
Are there characters or props that are necessary for, • Three point turn: Use three steps to turn as
or could inform the type of, choreography used? you travel across the floor.
(e.g., skeletons dancing “spooky,” poodles dancing
“girly,” palm fronds used as fans, etc.) • Jump: On one foot, both, or alternate feet!
• Kick: Kick one leg in the air before planting your Step Four: Write it Down
foot firmly back on the floor. Find your own way to write the movements into your
• Slide: Take a large step to one side and drag your script and music. You might use stick figures, short
other foot to follow. hand (“R” for right, “L’” for left, “S” for step, “K” for kick,
• Arms: Add arm movements to your combin- etc.), or phrases like “flying arms or rainbow burst R.”
ations to create dynamic choreography and As long as you know what it means, that is all that
higlight key lyrics. matters.

Look at the big picture! Remember to take a step Step Five: Teach It
back to see how your group looks at a distance. Prepare: You have to know your dance well before
you teach it. In what order should your dance be
USE THESE TRICKS TO CREATE A VARIETY OF taught? Chorus first? From the beginning? Now,
STAGE PICTURES. teach!
• Numbers are very helpful in avoiding the
monotony of an endless “all skate” (everyone Explore different teaching methods to find what
onstage doing all of the movements together works best for you when teaching choreography.
and at the same time). One easy way to break up Some choreographers show more than talk, others
the stage picture is to give every student a talk it through first. Some teach using counts, others
number and have them their gaze, move to teach to the lyrics. Start slowly, and add one small
their next position, strike a pose, or do a specific chunk of material at a time. When in doubt, run it
movement during their number’s assigned from the top! Repetition is key.
moment in the song.
• Alphabet soup: When creating stage pictures,
use letters as your guide. Placing students into
O, V, W, or X formations is more interesting than
straight lines
• Roll-offs: Think “the wave” at a basketball game.
Have your students repeat a movement one after
another.
• Add-ons: Similar to a roll-off, but instead of
one movement, an add-on is an entire series of
movements that each group of students starts at
a different moment.
• Make ‘em laugh! Never underestimate the
power of comedy. Young dancers often feel more
comfortable using movement for comedic
purposes, and your audience will eat it up! Let
the kids have fun with it.
• Improvise! Turn that music on and dance!
Around the living room, in your classroom, on
the bus, inspiration can strike at any time! You
may be shocked by what you can come up with
when you stop thinking and just do. Have your
students do the same and draw ideas from them.
Don’t be afraid to guide them to create entire
sections of dance themselves.