Search for music with someone in mind.
There is magic that happens when people choose music to choreograph too. Dancers rival even the most diligent music librarians when it comes to seeking out and collecting music. I have known many choreographers with a deep knowledge of recorded music. They have an unquenchable thirst to discover new music. Choreographers will pick music based on a sound in their mind or the content of their idea. The following practice focuses on choosing music in relation to the people that will be dancing the work.
Developing the visual and aural imagination, strengthens the ability to create movement and embodied music connections. Focusing then on the individuals who will be performing the choreography adds a holistic layer to the creative process and a depth to the relationships you have with the dancers.
Split into pairs. Take time to think about the person you are paired with. Use your visual imagination to see them dance. Think deeply about their character as an individual and how they make you feel. Choose a 3-5 minute track for your partner. Sit quietly and imagine both the piece of music and what your partner would look like moving with it. Do not tell each other the music you have selected for one another.
Group the students in one area of the room facing an open space. One student will take a turn improvising to the piece that the other student has chosen for them. The student dancing should hear the music for the first time as the exercise starts. Then they should start improvising to it. Encourage the rest of the class to keep silent, no matter what piece of music is played. (This can be difficult to do and must be agreed on at the beginning of the class. We want the dancer to have an honest and natural response to the music that has been chosen for them.)
Watch every subtle detail of how the mover is responding to the music. Try to block everything else out and focus just on the combination of the piece of music with the specific dancer. The instructor can choose to discuss between each student’s turn or after the entire class has had a turn. This can be as a one or two day practice, depending on the number of students in the class.
Questions for the person dancing:
Questions for the person who chose the music: