Do you need help with Choreography?

As dancers, we often play the role of dancer and choreographer simultaneously. Not only are we physically drained after a long period of dancing, but it is easy to find ourselves mentally drained, as well. What do you do when you’re out of ideas? How do you force your wheels to start turning when you’re in a rut?

Improv

Many dancers underestimate the power of improving and what it can do to transform a dancer’s choreography. Improv allows dancers to experiment with their bodies in different ways. Improv while using different levels or isolating specific parts of the body. 

Distract Yourself

This may sound like the opposite of what you may think you need to be doing, but the more you can do other things besides dance, the more you will give your brain the break it needs from dance. This means actually DOING something, rather than sitting around. The more you can distract your brain with activities, the more your brain will be able to work in the way it wants to when it needs to.

Stimulate Your Other Senses

Candles! Bubble Baths! Flower shops! Puppies! Naps! Give your dancing some breathing room and stimulate your other senses.

Watch Dance

The more you watch dance, the more accustomed you become to new trends, unique styles, and different ideas! In order to avoid plagiarism, watch other dancers/dances and then take a break from dance for a period of time. Let the new ideas sink in to allow your mind to process your own and create new ideas based off of the ones you watch.

Listen To Music

Instead of choreographing while standing up and dancing… lay down, close your eyes, and picture yourself dancing. You will be able to create more ideas in your head than you will while standing up. So once you create them in your head, stand up and try them!

Walk

Never underestimate the power of walking. Moving, in general, stimulates your brain and allows your body the mental break it needs to get your wheels turning again. Walking promotes relaxation and stress relief. A brief walk might be just what your mind needs!