Remembering choreography is not merely a skill learned over time; it is a talent that makes one see the linear concept behind it in merely one observation. For those who need great help to remember a ballet or any dance choreography, there are some great clues in doing so:
• Because short term memory won’t last for a day and your dance instructors barely hand in notes to you, the best strategy to fend for yourself is to take down notes.
• Chances are when you get home, you realise that it’s harder to practice and emulate your new dance routine with the totally new environment. It is even harder to do so without music. Even a version of the song won’t do justice. So the tip is to get the same copy of the song.
• Know the name of every step and understand it. It’s good that you know etymology but it’s even better when you know which foot and arm coordination make up that dance routine name.
• Any dance finale will leave a great lasting impression on your audience of you being confident that they barely remember anything that happens in between. In that sense, it would be better to learn dance backwards. Start from the end. This will also give you the feeling of coming on to something you know well.
• Working well on transitions would give your dance the fluidity it needs to erase the what’s next syndrome among your viewers.
• Practice wherever and whenever you can and make sure that you enjoy it. Many things can be accomplished when you are relaxed and happy doing it.
It’s the usual fare to see music artists, a band, or a sports player become famous almost overnight. Dancers and choreographers are not of their league since they are more of the behind- the-scenes workers.
The main role of a choreographer is to revise dance routines and other times entire dance performances. There are some of them who are given the big break to work with great dancers and top-rate choreographers who can share their knowledge and expertise to the blossoming ones.
Every now and then, there are some choreographers that experience the meteoric rise all of a sudden, and they are given more breaks after that namely, your own TV show. Most choreographers experience a spiral building of reputation, meaning from a series of small breaks up to that major break. This is the case of Matt Lee, an Australian dance prodigy who performed in several musicals as Miss Saigon, Rent, The Boy from Oz, and We Will Rock You. He also played a major role in the Golden Globe ad Oscar nominated Happy Feet.
What a dance choreographer needs to build on is a good reputation. It‘s more likely that someone from the dance industry would be able to notice them. It’s not bad to start from small jobs and work their way on to greater breaks. Most often that is what a choreographer needs to have—that one chance and once he does good in that, there will come a whole lot of bookings to follow. One must only take care of his reputation.
The famous dancer and choreographer of So You Think You Can Dance, Matt Lee, is a known Australian dance prodigy, starting his dancing career at the age of 5 and going to Brent Street. Due to his early start, he is now a seasoned dancer at the age of 27.
Matt is a graduate of Brent Street Studios, Australia’s most popular performance arts centre. He has performed in several musical plays and even had himself participating in Hollywood blockbusters. Matt performed with the tour of Miss Saigon and the Boy from Oz. He also participated in We Will Rock You, Rent, Oh! What a Night, and the Witches of Eastwick. This prominent dancer-choreographer also ended up with a major role on Golden Globe and Oscar nominated Happy Feet.
Matt’s credits as a choreographer include that of Guy Sebastian, Christine Anu, Marcia Hines, and Human Nature. The top-rate choreographer had this to say about So You Think You Can Dance being an avid fan of it many years back that So You Think You Can Dance has redefined dance across Australia and made it more than just a past time. This gives many Australian dancers to show their art and talent.
Matt also said when asked to compare Australian and US dancers that the only difference every dancer has from one another is their ability. For him, a dancer’s personality is the best way to connect with the audience and coupled with excellent techniques and individuality, any dancer can have a great chance at success.
Who would not want to go backing dancing with J Lo? Anyone would pay thousands if only to be seen next to her on stage. In fact, there are several reasons for an ordinary fan to become a backing dancer for any of his favourite stars, whether just to be able to say “Oh I danced with Janet Jackson!” or merely being able to see Justin Timberlake up close.
Some are fond of following the yellow brick road and they end up hitting home—just like Wade Robson who won the competition and was given a break to dance with his idol Michael Jackson. But what if you are not as lucky as Wade Robson? There’s something else that you can do for yourself. Give yourself the break you need! Here’s how:
Choose your most favourite dancing artist. Pavarotti would not likely do a tap dance but Beyonce will. So make sure that your artist is a dancer and not any other artist. Go to any search engine like Google and type in the title of the latest album of that artist. You then look for the choreographer of your artist in that particular album. Usually, they work for a specific agency. To find that agency, you type in the name of the choreographer and the word “agency.”
Choose the top agency in the list and audition for that agency. You might be given the chance to audition as back dancers for your favorite artist. Now are you ready to take a shot?
It works like a cycle. If you can’t learn the lesson each time you did something wrong; then you’re back to square 1 of doing the same again. If you think you have no time to waste in your dancing career, then try to avoid any of these worse blunders. The first one has something to do of not doing what the judges want, whether that is for the way you dance or the costume they want you to see on you.
Here’s what we’re driving at. If they tell you to dance hip-hop then don’t float like a ballerina. That is the same thing you should do if they ever ask you to dance like an erotic dancer. There’s no room for a gangster dance routine when they do so. It helps a lot if you can bring a couple of changes for clothes of different styles. That is so you have something to wear if in case they ask you to be like Madonna in one instance and Anna Pavlova in the next set.
Stick to their music, even if it’s a shrilling one you can’t stand under normal circumstances. And for all these troubles, don’t come in late. When they say 11:30, you should be there 45 minutes earlier, not later. Another significant point to make if they say you dance like Michael Jackson, don’t tell the judges that he is such a freaking fag. They might think twice of letting you in the room at all.
And for your own sake, when they say you dance to a certain choreography, do it with certainty, lest you’re auditioning for the freestyle section.
Many dancers have a lingering misconception—that in a dance competition a dance trick is more often better than techniques. Think again. There are no tricks to cover up not having sound knowledge on the basics of the dance’s techniques. For any dance, you are going to perform as a dancer, it is significant to know the technical details of the dance for you to understand the dance routine and boost your stage presence in the process.
In a competition what the judges want from the dancers is how they connect with the audience using their movements and the music they dance to. Remember that the stage is the venue where you are to show off what you have learned and not some venue to practice routines that you are yet trying hard to learn. Any dancer would dream of doing difficult choreography but it is only possible when you know the technical aspects of the dance.
Instead, it would be better to focus more on the dance transitions. It’s what makes every dance routine a unified movement that makes up the entire dance performance. It would add up to the artistry conveyed through the dance and it is a professional manner of exhibiting creativity in coming up with a unified piece of choreography. Topping it off with stage presence, you are sure to win the next slot. Try to remember though that overusing facial expressions might be a turn-off. The main point is to connect with the audience and to feel the music.
