6 Half-Truths About Improv and Choreography

 
 

Last month, I talked about what improv and choreography can do for you.

Now I’d like to talk about what they don’t do for you.
 
 
 
 

We expect too much of improv & choreography

 

We like to think that:

• Improv prepares you for anything
• Choreography makes your dance perfect.

 

But these are only half-truths.

Like most half-truths, they’re not wrong. They have some truth, and they can be useful. But taking them at face value can stall your development as a dancer.
 

So let’s separate fact from fiction.

 
 

Improvisation:

Preparation, but not complete preparation.

One of the biggest advantages of improv is that you’re always prepared to dance, even if you haven’t composed a choreography. But there’s a lot more to performing than just dancing.

Being able to improvise doesn’t mean that you are prepared for:

 
 

1) Context, culture, and the audience’s expectations

 

Improv does:  make sure you can dance to any music, and make it interesting.

Improv doesn’t:  teach you how to do it authentically or appropriately, so you can meet your audience’s expectations.

For example:  if the band started playing “Leyla Leyla*”, you’d be able to dance well, even if you had never heard it before. But an educated audience would expect you to recognize it as a song from the Gulf region, and dance it in Khaleegy style. (Or at least reference that style with a few Khaleegy moves.)

So be sure to:  learn about the different styles and song types, and what kind of dance styling the audience expects.

(Note: “Fake it ’till you make it” is a time-honored show biz technique, and an important skill. There’s no shame in sticking it out and doing your best. But that’s a stop-gap technique, not a long-term strategy.)
 
 

2) Audience interaction

 

Improv does:  leave you free to respond to the audience. You can go off and schmooze with whomever you please, without having to interrupt (and then return to) your choreography.

Improv doesn’t:  teach you how to interact with the audience.

For example:  we’ve all seen dancers who get lost in their own little world, and completely ignore the audience. (Introspective moments can be gorgeous, but you have to invite the audience into your experience, not shut them out.)

So be sure to:  treat your performance as a conversation with the audience. Schmooze, flirt, tease, entreat, thank, expose your heart, or do whatever feels right. But practice interacting with them.
 
 

3) Disaster recovery

 

Improv does:  train you to react in the moment, so you don’t panic at the unexpected.

Improv doesn’t:  teach you what to do about a serious disruption.

For example:  grabby customers, costume malfunctions, or veils set on fire by flaming cheese need to be addressed, not calmly ignored.

So be sure to:  plan ahead. Make a list of all the disruptions you can think of, then decide how you’ll handle them. Then practice doing it.
 

We’ve talked about the half-truths about improv, now let’s move on to choreography.

 
 

Choreography:

Practice doesn’t guarantee perfection.

One of the benefits of choreography is that it gives you time to practice and polish your piece.

But no matter how much you rehearse, choosing choreography doesn’t guarantee:

 
 

Perfect technique

 

Choreography does:  give you the opportunity to identify and refine gaps in your technique.

Choreography doesn’t:  allow you to dance beyond your abilities.

For example:  if you’re still bouncing up and down during your hip drops in class, setting them in a choreography won’t magically make them stable.

So be sure to:  respect your limits. If a choreography gives you the incentive to work on a point of technique, that’s great! But don’t bite off more than you can chew. If you can’t polish something to your satisfaction, substitute a different move.
 
 

Perfect musicality

 

Choreography does:  give you plenty of time to get to know your music.

Choreography doesn’t:  teach you how to listen and respond musically.
(It does provide a structured opportunity to develop those skills, but you have to do the work of analyzing and experimenting.)

For example:  if you are having trouble hearing the rhythm in a song while sitting and listening, pre-planning your dance won’t make them jump out at you.

So be sure to:  listen like crazy. Learning by osmosis does work, with enough repetition. And make some time for active listening too, to help you pick out the different aspects of the music. (Selective listening is one technique.) Working with rhythm identification CDs* and other music education resources can also help you develop your listening skills.
 
 

A perfect show

 

Choreography does:  give you a script to follow, so you know where your performance is going.

Choreography doesn’t:  guarantee that nothing will go wrong.

For example:  you may make mistakes in the heat of the moment: you could slip, forget your choreography, etc. And many things will be out of your control: the music could be too quiet, an air conditioning vent could interfere with your veil, etc.

So be sure to:  let go of perfection. Perfection has never been an inherent part of belly dance, and it’s not that interesting anyway. Do your best to prepare, then accept whatever happens. Shrug off any mistakes or snafus. And above all, just have fun.
 
 

Summary

Improvisation allows you to dance to any music, but it’s not complete preparation. You still need to do your homework: research the cultural context and audience expectations, learn how to interact with the audience, and prepare yourself for disaster recovery.

Choreography gives you more time to practice and polish, but it doesn’t guarantee a perfect show. It won’t automatically improve your technique and musicality, unless you use it as an incentive to work on those skills. Most importantly: let go of perfection. There will always be mistakes and snafus.
 
 

What you can do right now

Choose one half-truth that you believed. (Just one.)

Then choose one action you’ll take to mitigate it. (Just one.)

Why just one?

Because big to-do lists are scary. It’s better to take one small step than be paralyzed by everything you have to do.

 
 

Your Turn

Which of these half-truths have you bought into?

What steps are you going to take to address them?

Do you know of any other half-truths about improv or choreography?

Share your thoughts in the comments.

 
 

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