Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Putting on showcases

  1. #1
    Registered User kiwichook's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Boon docks of New Zealand
    Posts
    183
    Rep Power
    10

    Putting on showcases

    Not sure if this belongs in this thread? However, just looking for advice on what is the best way to go about helping a group of dancers to dance in unision to the chosen song. The problem seems to be is that the person who put the routine together for the one song is hearing the hits in his head and requiring the group to follow him. Unfortunately by the time people copy what he is doing, they are out by half a beat or so and it gets progessively worse down the line, as we have two lines of 5 couples on each side. The production has 10 couples involved. All of differing abilities up on stage due the limited number of people in the studio we have to work with. Not much nature talent to work, no musicality but plenty of enthusiasm.

    Is it best to ask these dancers to just listen to the words of the music and tell them where the hits are, or is it best to stick with an 8 count beat and move on each beat. Or maybe a combination ? The guy who put the routine together is our one and only true advanced dancer and when you watch him move on this routine, he is able to split the beat with a couple of moves. For example; the Colombian. Problem is we have other guys in the routine who can't see this or understand where he is coming from.

    Any suggestions from the floor would be greatly appreciated on how to get the motley crew working - we only have a few more weeks to go before this goes out in public and it doesn't seem to be coming together.

    Kiwichook

  2. #2
    Registered User David Franklin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    London
    Posts
    3,426
    Rep Power
    14

    Re: Putting on showcases

    Not terribly experienced - I've been in one team cabaret and done a few spotlights, but my thoughts are:

    There's no way people can "copy" the main dancer and stay on time. He needs to teach them the sequences.

    As far as knowing where the hits are, I would use an unambiguous way of writing down where they fall (if it works, using the words in song is probably easiest). Then let them each dancer work out the method that works best for them - different things work better for different people.

    Try to avoid sequences where the only way to find the "hit" is to count a large number of beats - it takes a lot of work and practice and there is always the worry that you will lose the count in the stress of a performance.

    Although I always like to aim high, there comes a point where you have to look at the time you have left and where you all are and be realistic. You need to choreograph something you can all do, not just your top dancer. It's better to do something simple you're all comfortable with than to make a lot of mistakes.

    You should also have a few "sync spots" where you can get back together if something has gone wrong (e.g. some kind of rotating move where you can do an extra turn if early, or skip one if late).

    In general, do everything you can do to make life easier for yourselves. Edit the music - make it slower / faster or cut bits out if it will help. Make sure you can dance in the costumes (and make sure you rehearse in them!). If there are problem sections - don't just assume that "practice will fix it" - ask people what they're finding difficult and see if a change to the choreography will make a better result.

    Something we keep being reminded on (the hard way!): don't always practice in the same place facing the same direction - you'll get used to that venue and find it much harder to perform somewhere else.

    Video as much as possible - you'll find it all looks very different from your expectations, and if something goes wrong, having something to analyse is invaluable.

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    London
    Posts
    1,227
    Rep Power
    10

    Re: Putting on showcases

    Quote Originally Posted by David Franklin
    There's no way people can "copy" the main dancer and stay on time. He needs to teach them the sequences.


    It is always VERY helpful if the dancers know the lyrics. It makes predicting breaks a lot easier, probably mostly because you learn the song better when you study the lyrics. Also, a lot of people are quite 'resistant' if you try to teach them maths, at the same time they are very receptive for poetry So memorising after which words a break or change was coming may be a lot easier for them than counting through the music. Curiously though, they will still start 'counting' naturally and without noticing once they are familiar with the lyrics.

  4. #4
    Registered User kiwichook's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Boon docks of New Zealand
    Posts
    183
    Rep Power
    10

    Re: Putting on showcases

    Hey Guys
    Awesome - thanks heaps for all this wonderful input!
    It shows badly at the moment that we don't know what we are all doing, so these suggestions are just great to help us get thru this nightmare
    Regds
    Kiwi chook

  5. #5
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    London
    Posts
    430
    Rep Power
    11

    Re: Putting on showcases

    An advanced level routine by your only advanced level dancer WILL, by definition, be beyond your troupe. They may learn the moves but will they ever learn to dance them. Look at editing the routine to bring it into their performance ability range. All dancers must know and understand the routine so that they can dance it together.

    Try to keep the choreography within the group's ability. Simple moves done well look good advanced moves done badly do not.

  6. #6
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Worcester, UK
    Posts
    4,157
    Rep Power
    12

    Re: Putting on showcases

    Quote Originally Posted by kiwichook
    Just looking for advice on what is the best way to go about helping a group of dancers to dance in unision to the chosen song...
    This happens a fair chunk in classes that teach jazz routines and the like. Unlike others on this thread, I find that saying on what "count" something happens is initially much easier for me. That can get very disconnected from the music - especially when the music is syncopated, and the movement is trying to work with that. I find that good teachers tend to place more emphasis on matching the music - and avoid getting too hung up on the numbers.

    I've found that it often helps to vary the speed of the song. Making it slower can help with initially learning it. Also, there's the nice conceptual trick of playing the music at a faster rate, so that when it's slowed down to normal speed again, it seems slower and more comfortable.

  7. #7
    Registered User Debster's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Christchurch, NZ
    Posts
    317
    Rep Power
    11

    Re: Putting on showcases

    Quote Originally Posted by MartinHarper
    ...Also, there's the nice conceptual trick of playing the music at a faster rate, so that when it's slowed down to normal speed again, it seems slower and more comfortable.
    Hmm, nice! Might try that one myself
    I found in my last team that they all started out by saying I can't count, I can only follow the words... By the end they all liked using the count, especially as a few bits didn't have words. I taught a few of them how to pick where the "1" was in the music if they didn't already know and it was like a light going on.
    Depends on your music too though I guess.

    I write my routines down with a count, the corresponding lyrics and the moves, especially highlighting the sync points with both the lyrics and timing. People do learn in different ways, so both are needed.
    They all have to learn the routine themselves, following a leader can only tell them if they are wrong, not what to do right.
    Sync points mentioned before are useful i.e. points where they can get it back if they have got out of time/sequence.

    And the key: (as always)
    PRACTISE
    PRACTISE!
    PRACTISE!!!

    Good luck! It will be a rewarding experience in the end.

    D

  8. #8
    Registered User David Franklin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    London
    Posts
    3,426
    Rep Power
    14

    Re: Putting on showcases

    Quote Originally Posted by MartinHarper
    Also, there's the nice conceptual trick of playing the music at a faster rate, so that when it's slowed down to normal speed again, it seems slower and more comfortable.
    Or, if you're doing lifts, there's the nice conceptual trick of slowing the music down, so that when it's played at normal speed, it seems like you're not holding someone up so long!

    Quote Originally Posted by Debster
    I found in my last team that they all started out by saying I can't count, I can only follow the words... By the end they all liked using the count, especially as a few bits didn't have words. I taught a few of them how to pick where the "1" was in the music if they didn't already know and it was like a light going on.
    Depends on your music too though I guess.
    The problem I've found isn't finding the "1", it's which "1". In the team cabaret I did, there was a cross fade, and then we had to do something 5 bars into the new section. But when we had a noisy audience, you couldn't hear the first two bars of the track fading in...

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Cool Catz - Putting our money where our mouth is
    By Gus in forum Let's talk about dance
    Replies: 70
    Last Post: 9th-December-2004, 05:46 PM
  2. Putting an image in a private message
    By Northants Girly in forum Forum technical problems / Questions / Suggestions..
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 20th-October-2004, 02:26 PM

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •