Santa Susana High School

The Choreography Process

Anna Sanamyan
AP English 12 Period 5
Mrs. Bradley
November 20, 2015

Stories are an essential part of our lives that we love to have. From a
choreographers perspective, making someone cry, laugh, left silent, angry,
fearful, or even have chills, is the best part. Especially when we don't have to say
one word. The ability of being able to choreograph means that we are able to do
amazing things like portray a fantasy story, or certain feelings, events taking
place, or make any thoughts we have come to life. Dancing and choreographing
is a way for someone to say what they want when they could never find the
words or courage to speak it. Choreography is not just the process of making a
dance, but also finding music, costumes, and other factors that will help tie
everything together to be anything the choreographer envisioned. Throughout the
process, there is much more that goes into it than people realize.
Dance has always been something that has been apart of my life. It is not
just a hobby, but a career I hope to pursue in my future. The senior project will
help me because I will continue my education into dance and this will help being
my "first step" into this field learning what it will be like to be in charge of all the
factors that go into putting something together. My physically project will be to
choreograph a group of dancers, audition the piece, and showcase it in the
winter dance concert at Santa Susana High School in January. This includes
doing the lighting, dealing with music, costuming, and potential problems that I
may run into and will need to know how to handle for future reference. For a
career as being a professional dancer/ choreographer in this industry, this will
give me the experience of what it will be like to handle challenges and
responsibilities.

Being a dancer myself, I do have have some knowledge and experience in

the dance world. I have been dancing for the past thirteen years of my life. While
training, I have studied genres such as ballet, pointe, tap, lyrical, jazz,
contemporary, hip-hop, modern, and latin jazz. For my choreography the genre
will be contemporary portraying a certain meaning to the audience. Training has
also taught me how to prevent injury, help others learn choreography, and I have
also learned skills to work with others to create dances as well as learning how to
research and understand the counts of music. From being involved in shows, I
also have the experience backstage to know what goes on, and what to do
during a show while preparing myself for my next dance. A major skill that has
come from training is that by learning from different teachers I began to learn
new strategies to create choreography.
Although my thirteen years have brought me knowledge and experience, I
have yet some major issues to deal with in my project. An advantage that I have
is being able to work on my free time as well as during dance class when we are
allowed to work on choreography. Major Issues that I can potentially run into fall
under categories such as: space and time management, choreography block,
problematic dancers, effects of injuries, piece emotion, and audience
perspective. Other factors that I will have to learn is editing music, handling
costumes, and also working with tech to create a lighting scene. My project not
only requires me to learn new skills, but also to be prepared for situations that will
force me to think "quick on my feet" to then continue and finish what I started.
Through my years of dancing, I was always in the role of being the
student. If something had gone wrong I would simply adapt to what my teacher
had wanted us to do. Examples consist of last minute changes whether it had to
do with music, spacing, or even handling an injury. However, I was never the one
to fix the issue. The choreographer has to learn to think quickly in order to adapt

to the situation and be able to fix it minuets before a showcase or performance.

New skills that I are necessary to learn for this project are things such as: editing
music, figuring lighting, costuming, partner work, keeping attention of dancers,
auditioning, and choreography block.
One of the very first new skills I had to learn for this project was editing
music. This means that I need to learn and download a new program as well as
learning how to edit music for the first time. The program that I had downloaded
is called Audacity. This program was completely new to me and I was not sure on
how to use it, so for help I selected a youtube tutorial that would help me with the
process. After watching this video, I was able to at least have basic knowledge of
the program such as opening files, and cutting sections out of the music (Mercer,
Andrew). Also from playing with the program on my own I was able to learn how
to zoom into the music so that I could see the precise timing of the music and the
sound waves. This made the process easier because I was able to tell where I
needed that precise cut to be.
After I had gotten the basics it came time to actually edit the music. It had
taken me about two hours to get the right cut because I needed to cut the music
exactly at the right timing so that it wouldnt sound like there was a cut in the
music. This skill grew just by doing it over and over until I had cut the music just
right. It took a couple tries, but I had got it. Another issue that I ran into was being
able to burn the CD as the right file so that music would play in the equipment we
have in the tech room and the CD players in the dance studio. For this, I had a
friend teach me that once I saved the MP3 file to my windows media player, I
needed to change the burn options. By doing this the CD was burned as an
audio CD and worked with the equipment. It took three tries, but I was able to fix
the issue and burn the CDs.
Another challenge that comes with my project is being able to keep the

attention of my dancers while teaching them choreography. Richard Powers

helps me keep in mind that for teaching a piece I must enforce not the how, but
the why of what we are doing. The one question I have to keep in my mind as the
choreographer is why is this dance significant? and a very important concept to
my piece How is this dance relevant to their lives? (Powers, Richard). I learned
that as I teach I am making a connection between the movement and the
intention of the piece. For example, there are moments that we are going against
what our bodies want to do naturally and going into a completely different set of
movement. One of my dancers asked why I made this decision and I had told her
that it relates to how we act in life. We want to go after one thing, but we dont
allow ourselves so we force ourselves into a different direction.
One other fact that Richard focuses on is addressing the larger picture
(Powers, Richard). After the main idea is done that is when it is the best time to
go back and start to clean up the dance and play with specific details that need to
be there to tie the dance together. During my time choreographing, I set
choreography on the dancers, tell them the purpose of what we are doing and
how it relates to our individual lives, then go back and pick on certain details such
a snap of the head, or placement of the arm.
Partner work is also incorporated in this dance which means that I will
have to care for my dancers if they are injured and make sure that while
practicing we all know what we are doing so that we do not get hurt. One major
factor is for us to protect your partner (Nosratinia, Aria). By doing this we are
preventing any chance of possible injury. Other factors that play into partnering is
to not make your partner uncomfortable, and dont blame your partner
(Nosratinia, Aria). By doing this it will make the process more fun for the dancers
and prevent injury. FRom my own personal knowledge I know that we must trust
who is partnering with us and to know how to help each other whether or not we

are the lifter or the one being lifted. The genre of this dance is contemporary so
injuries that can occur through the movement or partner works are injuries such
as: Spasms, strains, dislocation, fractures, chronic fatigue, etc (Rico, Maria).
For injuries such as strains, fatigue, or spasms usually resting, icing, or heating
will help. However certain injuries such as dislocation or fractures, anything
major, will need to seek medical help right away.
Lastly what I have faced and continue to face at times are choreography
blocks. Ways to break this are to choreograph in a nonlinear fashion,
choreograph without music, improve, etc. (Eugene). By doing this I have been
able to choreograph larger sections at a time in my dance which also helped me
come up with new creative movement. Also, it helped me get through the dance
faster while still being able to relate it to the purpose of the piece. Another helpful
factor is to break your typical movement mold (Eugene). This process helps me
discover new ways of movement which helps me to create something new and
different rather than the same movement that I am used to settling into.
Auditioning is a large factor of my process because if the dance doesn't
make it through auditions, I cant showcase it the way I planned and I would have
to find another way to do so in order to complete the project. The dancers and I
have been through auditions however, the New York Film Academy helps with
basic steps to have a successful audition. Main steps are to have information of
what is going to happen, practice regularly, cross train(stay fit), be healthy, dress
appropriately, prepare for anything, arrive early, and be positive (Eugene). Main
points that I focus on are to practice regularly to make sure the piece is at its best
and to make sure we all have the same attire so that we all look as one cohesive
group. Being prepared is essential because knowing what you are doing will
relax the nerves and being positive will help through the audition to not be as
nervous. Although I am able to help myself before an audition, this helps me

while preparing a group for the audition. This will be essential when the time
comes to audition.
This comes later in the process, but I will have to figure out what type of
lighting I want set on my dance. This will affect it because the lighting will
enhance the mood of the piece which is not exactly an uplifting piece, but rather
more deep, personal, and painful. According to Larry Wild, there are multiple
lighting set ups such as basic twelve lamp dance plot (Wild, Larry). This is what
our PAC consists of are six lightings on both sides of the stage. A Couple basic
ways I could light this dance is either by revealing my dancers faces or by doing
a lighting that creates a more sculptural form.
Although I have not reached this part of the process on stage yet I do
have intention of what I want it to look like considering the fact that I can create
a mood lighting with the structure of the lights that our performing arts center
consists of (Wild, Larry). I will be switching the lighting from being a more
sculpture look, to simple, to having my dancers faces fully shown (Wild,
Larry). This depends on the timing with the music because if the music is more
slow and dramatic so will the lighting. However, when the music picks up the
lighting will be fully on so that the audience can tell what is going on as we dance
as a cohesive group. Also I intend to have some sort of silhouette towards the
end of the piece to have an affective ending. If I run into issues during this
process what I plan to do is to be in contact with tech lighting so that they can
help figure out what I need done for my piece. This or refer to more research to
build up my own knowledge of the lighting.
Another section I have not reached is costuming. However, one way I plan
to take care of this issue is to use what we already have for clothing to see if we
can pull something together that helps the emotion of the piece rather than
spending money. Costumes are very expensive and can be a hassle to

purchase. If we cannot pull something together from what we have, we can go

buy clothing at store that we can all agree on that we can afford. By doing this we
can put pieces together to create a simple costume. We can borrow from the
school dance department if we have no other option. The costuming for this
dance will be simple because it will not overpower the dancers or the
choreography. Plus the simple format will be suited to the story of my dance and
the emotion.
Gaining these new skills have helped me to advance my knowledge of
what it takes to choreograph a dance and to work with a group of people to make
a successful showcase or performance. Going into this project I already had
knowledge that would help me through the process. The research made that
process go by much faster and more efficiently. So far, it has helped me with my
choreography, working with dancers, preventing injuries, editing music and much
more to come. With the upcoming parts in the process such as auditions,
costuming, lighting, etc, the research will help me if I come to another road block.
Not only will research will help me, but I can also have my mentor to refer to or
one of my dance teachers that work professionally in the industry.
The research also helped me feel more confident on what I am doing
because now I am able to help in situations such as partnering or injuries that
can help me move along the process faster. Plus it helped me grow as a
choreographer because I am more sure of how to handle things like a
choreography block. Over all I feel more reassured about what I am doing and I
feel more helpful to my dancers. Also what this process helps me feel prepared
for are for those last minute changes or surprises that will require me to think
quickly to fix any situation as fast as possible and as smooth as possible.
Ultimately, all that I have learned and continue to learn will be essential to
finishing my piece and having an well-executed dance onstage for the show.

Works Cited
Eugene. How To Choreograph A Dance When You Are Stuck; Choreography
Outside The Box. New York Film Academy Student Resources. New York
Film Academy. August 8, 2014.
https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/how-to-choreograph-a-dance-when-youare-stuck/.
Eugene. How to Prepare for a Dance Audition: Eight Keys For Success. New
York Film Academy Student Resources. New York Film Academy. June 23,
2014. September 17, 2015.
https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/how-to-prepare-for-a-dance-auditio
n/.
Mercer, Andrew. Audacity How To Edit Tutorial. Youtube. May 9, 2007. October
17, 2015.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbqJVC6kQ50
Nosratinia, Aria. Success and Enjoyment in Social Dancing. Beyond Dance

Etiquette. January 14, 1999. Aria Nosratinia. September 17, 2015.

http://www.utdallas.edu/~aria/dance/beyond.html.

Powers, Richard. Teaching Tips. Stanford Dance. Stanford. September 17, 2015.
https://socialdance.stanford.edu/Syllabi/teaching_tips.htm.
Wild, Larry. Lighting The Dance. Northern State University. Larry Wild. April
12, 2012. September 17, 2015.
http://www3.northern.edu/wild/litedes/dance.htm.

Annotated Bibliography
Costume Craftsperson. Department of Theatre and Dance. Appalachian State
University. September 17, 2015.
http://theatreanddance.appstate.edu/production-team-handbook/costume-craf
tsperson.
This is a helpful article because I will not be able to purchase costumes so it
gives alternatives, while also discussing the process (5,2). It talks about how to begin the

costuming process early so that if anything goes wrong we have alternatives (3).
Audience would be someone who is handling all the costumes for a production or dance,
such as myself for the group dance (4). The article is helpful by saying what and what not
to do, but it does not discuss alternatives to create a costume (6,7).
Eugene. How To Choreograph A Dance When You Are Stuck; Choreography
Outside The Box. New York Film Academy Student Resources. New York
Film Academy. August 8, 2014.
https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/how-to-choreograph-a-dance-whenyou-are-stuck/.
While choreographing we may get stuck or not know what to do next, but this
article helps offer alternatives to escape that creative block (2,3). Choreographers would
benefit from this because we have a tendency to get stuck and it becomes hard to break
free of that (4). This is helpful for me because if I was creating and I got stuck I usually
would not continue for a while, this will help me break through quicker so that I can set
my dance smoothly (5). This website gets me to think out of the box, however there is
only a limited amount of information (6,7).
Eugene. How to Prepare for a Dance Audition: Eight Keys For Success. New
York Film Academy Student Resources. New York Film Academy. June 23,
2014. September 17, 2015.
https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/how-to-prepare-for-a-dance-auditio
n/.
This is helpful to me because I will have to audition my work to showcase it

(5). This article gives a breakdown how how to really prepare for a audition, to ensure a
good result (2,3). Audience would be dancers who are always auditioning themselves or
work for a production or job (4). Although it does break it down the process, it lacks
intense information to really prepare for a major audition, mainly for a one person
audition (6,7).
Mercer, Andrew. Audacity How To Edit Tutorial. Youtube. May 9, 2007. October
17, 2015.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbqJVC6kQ50
Nosratinia, Aria. Success and Enjoyment in Social Dancing. Beyond Dance
Etiquette. January 14, 1999. Aria Nosratinia. September 17, 2015.
http://www.utdallas.edu/~aria/dance/beyond.html.
This is helpful to make the experience fun and enjoyable for a group where ther is
partnering, it talks about how to ensure you partner is happy and working well along the
process (2,3). Audience would be first time dance partners and this is helpful because
there will be partnering taking place in my choreography and this will help me make sure
my dancers are working well together (4,5). Special feature is that it gives advice on how
one partner should help the other and making the dance experience enjoyable, but it
doesn't tell me helpful hints to make physical partnering easier or how to prevent an
injury (6,7).
Pelletier, Rhiannon. Tips For Partnering. a dancer's days. Rhiannon Pelletier.
May 19, 2011. September 17, 2015.
http://www.adancersdays.com/2011/05/tips-for-partnering.html.

This article gives me helpful tactics to make sure my dancers are more
comfortable with partnering and it also gives other factors that make the partnering safer
(2,3). Audience is beginning partners, who are trying new things, this is also helpful for
me in case if I want to try a new trick with partnering that my dancers havent done
before (4,5). One special feature it talks about is communicating which is always
important, but there is not a lot of information than just a few sections, however still
helpful (6,7).
Powers, Richard. Teaching Tips. Stanford Dance. Stanford. September 17, 2015.
https://socialdance.stanford.edu/Syllabi/teaching_tips.htm.
When working with my group I will have to learn different teaching tactics to
ensure that all my dancers understand and are able to pick up choreography quickly (5).
This talks about the different types of learners and approaches you can take to a dancer
(2,3). The audience are new teachers and choreographers who are working with groups of
people, and a special feature is that it talks about creating a lesson plan (4,6). One
missing factor is how to handle a dancer who is frustrated or behind (7).
Rico, Maria, del Pilar Naranjo. Common Dance Injuries. Contemporarydance.org.
November 2, 2015.
http://www.contemporary-dance.org/common-dance-injuries.html
Rico, Maria, del Pilar Naranjo. Dance Composition. What Is Contemporary
Dance Today?. Maria del Pilar Naranjo Rico. September 17, 2015.
http://www.contemporary-dance.org/dance-composition.html.
In this article, it discusses a way to choreograph contemporary by using space,

body and time (2). It gives more strategies to help yourself with choreographing a
contemporary piece such as to use improvisation (3). Making this article we can see that
it would be targeted to young choreographer or contemporary dancers just starting in their
field of work (4). This is relevant to my project because the genre is a contemporary style
and it will help me think of ways to make new movement (5). Special features is that it
gives us other components of contemporary, however it is heavily based on using body,
space and time (6,7)
Ruffell, Priscilla. Producing a Dance Performance. Ausdance. September 17,
2015.
http://ausdance.org.au/articles/details/producing-a-dance-performance.
This article talks about how to really prepare a performance breaking it down step
by step (2,3). Audience would be new choreographers trying to figure out the process to
make it as smooth as possible, and this helps me because this I am still new at
choreographing an entire group dance on my own without any help (4,5). This becomes
helpful for someone who is just starting, but it would also be helpful it mentioned how to
do this process if you were in a time crunch (6,7).
Warnecke, Lauren. How To Devise an Effective Pre-Show Warmup. Dance
Advantage. October 8, 2013. Lauren, Warnecke. September 17, 2015.
http://www.danceadvantage.net/effective-performance-warmup/.
Warming up is a very important thing to do before going on stage to ensure that
your body is warm and ready to work, this article breaks down that warm up process and
things that should really be done before going on stage (2,3). Audience could be

determined as performers, dancers who have many performances and are doing many
things at once should remember a proper warm up (4). Relevance to my project is that I
will be able to ensure a warm up that is helpful to my dancers before they go out on stage,
this will prevent injury (5). Special feature is that it does break down a warm up into
sections and states the reason why it should be done, on the other hand it does not
mention certain stretches that really could prevent injury (6,7).
Wild, Larry. Lighting The Dance. Northern State University. Larry Wild. April
12, 2012. September 17, 2015.
http://www3.northern.edu/wild/litedes/dance.htm.
This article shows how lighting on stage is structured and the different
effects you can produce on a dancer (2,3).Special feature is that it tells you about simple
lighting structure all the way to a complex structure, however it doesn't tell about
working the light, but the history behind it (6,7). This is helpful to me because for my
piece I will know some effects to portray on my dancers and I will know how the lighting
will be working for my dance (5). Audience would lighting programmers, or a production
manager handling how something should look on stage, which also goes for the
choreographer (4).