Dance choreography--how do you document it?

Question

I understand that a dance captain or choreographer needs to dream-up the steps, but how does she write-it-down? Is there a special "choreography" language? Is it typed? Are there abbreviations? Is there a special form? How do you sinc it to the music? There must be some permanent way to record the moves a dancer does in a show or for a performance so they can do it the same again next time, or teach the SAME dance to someone else. I'm a songwriter and playwright, but know next to nothing about documenting dance routines. Help please!

Answer 1

everyone does it differently. But as long as the choreographer understands it that all that matters! I am a choreographer and if you looked my papers you wouldn't know what I was talking about

Example.

1-4 pirouette

Swish Down

Go Lift Up and tilt.

See I bet no one Even knows what I just said except for me. ha ha It is a secret Language.

But Of course no one repeats my dances in ballets or anything.

I just teach the girls, and they get it and get it good. If anyone else wants to know they have to come to me or one of my girls.

Answer 2

Well I attended a preforming arts school and for dance class we had to record the choreography for our dances. My teacher told us that there isn't a certain way to write down and that it's all up to you how you want to record it. I usually put on the song I'm choreographing to and try to come up with moves and steps. I then write them down using the names of the moves and symbols of what the move looks like if there isn't a name for what I want. (Here's a quick little example: walk, walk, step, turn, plie arm, step jette...). So that's basically all I do when I record my choreography. Hope this helps!

Answer 3

ha, well my mom has books and books of choreography [she's a dance instructor at a university] and whenever I look through her notes it's incredibly confusing to look at. It's pretty much in short hand, that is abbreviated steps along with the number of counts each step goes for and sometimes the direction it goes in. There are also diagrams of each formation. Sorry I couldn't help more =/

Answer 4

any commit it to memory but i jot down my ideas in a big notebook sometimes with sketches if I have a particular vision.