Ideas to Help Set your Choreography Apart

(Select reposts from The Steezy Blog)

(photo: Vadim Fomenok)

1. Understand the Music

Understand the song completely. The lyrics, meaning, beats, etc. I find myself stuck a lot when I would rush to choreograph to a song I barley listened to. But when I choreograph to a song that I connect with or know very well, my movements are more natural and carefree.

– Gina Hong

2. Do You

Be yourself! Don't focus on what's cool, but more on what feels good to you. The purpose of choreographing is to show your art and creativity.

– Devin Pornel

3. Dance to a different layer in the music

If you get stuck on the original pathway you were planning to follow, try highlighting a different layer in the music. For example, forget the bass! What are the lyrics saying? How about the pitch?

Moving to different sounds will also help make your piece look more dynamic and less predictable.

4. Trust Yourself

Believe in your own abilities. Your very own, strictly organic, self-proclaimed abilities. A lot of us tend to have choreography blocks because we are investing too much time into what a piece should look like (based off of what we've seen from other choreographers), than what it should genuinely feel like.

– Mitch Villareal

5. Utilize concepts to think of unique moves

Invent new moves based off of concepts. The potential for concept-based choreography is limitless, because your thoughts and ideas are limitless.

Just think of a word (or have someone give you one), and let that be your intention. You'll never run out of movement this way.