Yesterday we talked what choreography is and what some of the essentials that are involved in choreography. Today we will discuss how to be a good choreographer.
As we know, a choreographer is an artist who tries to interpret his understanding of a song or music in his own way. It can be related to everyday life or anything else. When you look at a choreographed number, you can see what the choreographer is trying to say in those dance moves. What we see is a choreographer’s narration of a song. Just like a poet writes his mind, a choreographer interprets that poetry practically. There is no right or wrong way to judge as its all individual imagination. What one person think or imagines cannot be the same that others might understand. So for the viewers, lesson number one is to watch without really judging and try to understand the choreographer’s point of view of that subject.
It is a common believe that all choreographers must be good dancers as well. It is surely difficult to choreograph if one is not a dancer. It will be like an engineer trying to medically treat a patient. But I want to believe that it’s not an impossible task. Nothing is impossible in this world! Some people are theoretically great and can explain their imaginations better and take the leadership in choreographing a dance as they are good in commanding but lets leave this .01 percent that make things possible from impossible for later topics.
Did you watch the videos that I posted yesterday of two amazing choreographed videos? Wasn’t that awesome? I think it was brilliant!! Do you think you can create something like that? It’s not impossible job. I am sure if you want, you can do it!
Let’s look at some essentials that are required for a good choreographer:
1. A good choreographer should not be afraid of expressing his or her vision through movement. Don’t think about what the world will say after seeing your work – your interpretation is your baby; its your own imagination; you definitely don’t want others to rule your mind but want to show them what your point of view is. Whether they like or not, it doesn’t matter. Your work is your work and you stay put with your own style!
2. A good choreographer is always bold and not limited to someone’s opinion.
3. Be your own boss when it comes to your creativity – let no one influence you.
There are three major steps to succeed in choreography.
1) Select your music
2) Design your movements
3) Choose the right dancers
The most important part for a choreographer to do is to select the music. Music can break a vision. But many times we see in Bollywood industry that 
the music is already composed and is given to the choreographer to do his work. In this case one must listen to the song many times. Get your inspiration started. Once your inspiration is building up, distinguish if it came from the lyrics or from the music. It’s very important that you must feel the song and get it observed in your heart and mind. If the song has absorbed you and have hyped you enough, you are ready to choreograph it. You will be able to speak each and every word, beat and rhythm in your interpretation. The common believe in good choreographers is that if a song touches your heart then it will touch others too. It should provoke you enough that your work ends up being a master piece.
Now we come to our next step – Designing. But how does one make it possible? To let your 
imagination run and wild, you must have privacy. Find a place where you can turn the music up, loud and clear and listen to every beat in it. Choose a place where you can be alone and yourself. And when need arises you should be able to jump onto the floor to put those imaginary steps into practice. Try to distinguish special moments in the song. If there is incredible crescendo then you need to make sure to have a big step that will translate that leap properly. Fill in all the empty spaces with smooth transitions. Never leave dead space unless it’s relevant to the story. One thing to keep in mind as you put your masterpiece together is to never let the song take charge of your choreography. Remember if people need to hear the song they can just play the audio, they don’t need to watch your video to listen to the song. So it is your responsibility to bring the song to life, and present it in such a manner like it was never heard before. Do chart the steps down to avoid forgetfulness.
Next is to choose your dancers carefully. It always helps when in audition you look for dancers who can express their emotions well enough or even have acting experience. Watch for dancers who pull you in through their stage presence and the ones who make you feel what they are doing. If a dancer can move you then they do have the capability to move your audience as well. They say an unemotional performer trying to deliver a moving piece can ruin the performance or the meaning of the song. On the same hand an over emotional performer too can crush the message. So be careful in picking your cast.
Many choreographers make copies of the design steps or interpretations and keep the original for themselves. They give the copies to each of their cast, sit with them and narrate what and how they feel because sometimes what is written on paper may not be the exact replica of thoughts. Once the narration is done with the casts, encourage them to study and know the piece fully so that when next time they see you, they are well prepared and can do justice to their role.
Important - Practice practice practice till you succeed should be the attitude. If making changes to your script is necessary for the betterment of your piece, do it but stay true to your thoughts. They say anything that is done with business in mind will produce a different output then what is done by heart keeping self satisfaction in mind.
Spread your work!! You can start displaying your choreography at your local organizations. Go and offer 
your help in schools, colleges, social organizations, festival authorities in local areas and many other places. Make a video and upload it on YouTube. Let people watch your work. Don’t be afraid of others stealing your work or copying it. Let them copy. I consider copying as a good thing. If your work is worth then it will make others spend their time and energy to copy and use it. Your demand increases with every copy that is made. But if your work is saved in your own home and not out there, then it’s of no use. People like what they see and if it’s accessible then you are in demand. Out of sight is always out of mind! So the main aim is to get proper coverage. As your work gets noticed you shall become successful and sought after choreographer. But don’t loose hope if it takes time and have patience. They say patience always bears sweet fruit. The most important thing is – “Believe in yourself”!!
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