Rebecca Laws and Professor Curt Holman, Dance

The ability to choreograph is one of the most important skills a dancer can possess, particularly when preparing to be a teacher. This semester, I focused on choreography within the Ballroom Dance Genre to further develop my skills. I choreographed three different styles, the American Smooth Tango, Foxtrot and Viennese Waltz. Each of these dances varies greatly in style which gave me an opportunity to experiment with different types of choreography.

I began this project by watching videos of these styles of dances done by couples in the Amateur and Professional level. In doing this I was able to see aspects of their choreography that I liked. I learned when it seemed appropriate to transition from different figures such as from a turning figure to a traveling figure. By watching these videos, it helped prepare me to begin my own choreography.

Next I choreographed the pieces for each dance, beginning with the Viennese Waltz. I began with this dance because I had the least experience with it. In choreographing each dance I would imagine the steps I wanted together and then attempt to do both the man and ladies parts. This was one of the most difficult aspects of this project. In ballroom there are two dancers that must be able to move together. With very little experience dancing the man’s part, I found it hard to always figure out what he needed to do without him actually being there. From this, I realized that even though I dance the woman’s part, I need to choreograph the man’s part first since he is the leader. It is easier to figure out what the woman needs to do after the footwork of the man has been set.

After gathering my ideas, I rehearsed with my partner and taught him the choreography. In doing this I was able to find whether both the man and ladies part worked or not. Often times I realized when putting it together that it would not work. I then had the challenge of choreographing something on the spot. This taught me a skill which will be necessary when choreographing in my future career, as often times I will need to figure a step or routine out with the dancers both there.

Once I had completed some choreography in each of the dances, I met with my mentor. Each time I met with him, he was able to give me insights into each of the dances I had done. One of the greatest things I learned from him was the importance of letting something be finished. Often times a piece of choreography isn’t exactly how we want it, and there is always something more we can do, however, we need to be able to take a step back and just let it be what it is. If we do not do this, the pieces of choreography would never get finished.

Another aspect of doing choreography is finding a costume for the piece that was done. As part of my project, I worked with the Costume Designer in the Ballroom Dance Department. With her help, I was able to design a dress that would accent the styles of choreography that I did. This was also a great learning experience for me as I did not know what the best choices were for designs, fabric, and color.

The culmination of my project was when it was performed at the United States National Dancesport Championships. My partner and I, after polishing and working hard on the dances, participated in both the Pre-championship Smooth and National Amateur Smooth events. The experience of dancing the routines I created at a nationally recognized event for Ballroom Dance was invaluable. It allowed the work put into the choreography to be seen as a completed project.

One of the first things I realized in doing this project was how difficult choreography really is. To know the correct timing, footwork for both men and ladies, and how to connect movement are only some of the difficulties choreographers are faced with. I found it especially tough, when creating the dances, to keep from doing repetitive movement. It was a challenge to explore new styles and steps that were not familiar to me. I also realized how hard it is to make each dance have different dynamics so it doesn’t have the same quality throughout the piece.

Through this project, I have been able to experiment with many aspects of choreography that are important in my field of study. It has prepared me to be able to go to studios and schools next year and do choreography for individuals as well as groups. The experiences from doing this project are invaluable to my learning, and have helped complete my education here at Brigham Young University.