LeeHighSchool

Choreographer

HeidyMorales
SeniorCapstone
BrianCahoon
SpringBreak2015

Morales1

HeidyMorales
BrianCahoon
Capstone
SpringBreak2015

Choreographersneedstrongleadership,teamworkskills,physicalstamina,

creativity,movementinvarietyofdanceforms,balance,andneedstohaveknowledgeabout
differentkindsofdancesandapplythemininnovativelyinthestepsoftheirdancers
(education
requirements)
thesearehugeskillstohaveforthiscareer.Sincechoreographersworkwith
students,commitment,teamwork,strongleadership,effort,communication,andpatienceispart
ofteachinganybody.Acareerasachoreographercanbecomplicated,stressingattimes,and
takestimebutpatienceisthekey.Choreographerscreate,arrangedancesandmovementsto
formanartisticwholeandteachdancesandrehearsals.
Achoreographerworkstoimprovethe
dancetechniquesofstudentsbyhelpingthemtolearnnewdancesandteachingthem
technique,motivatingdancerstoworkhard,andteachingrhythm.
Choreographersaretrainedasdancersbeforetakingchoreographicdirectionbecauseit
takestimetolearntohavebalance,skills,performinfrontofpeople,choosingmusic,
communicate,flexibility,takingactionofteachingstudentsdifferenttypeofdances,rehearsing
thedancesoften
(choreography)
andhavingcreativitybecausethatswhatmakesthedance
uniqueandoriginal
(thenationalvoice)
.Acareerasachoreographerrequiresahighschool
diploma,asignificantamountofexperience,performancesexperiences,dancingclasses,
movementanalysis,dancecomposition,adegreeprograminchoreography,abachelorsdegree
orperhapsamaster'sdegreeisrequired.Choreographerssalariesaveraged$15.87perhourin

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2013,butrecentlyitwentupto$44,130peryear.Thecurrentaveragepayof$20.25perhouris
earnedbymostchoreographers
(choreographysalary).
Achoreographerworkstoimprovethedancetechniquesofstudentsbyhelpingthem
learnnewdancesandteachingthemtechniquebyrehearsingoftenbecausethatshowstudents
buildupconfidenceandimprovedancingskills.Teachingstudentstohavebalanceand
flexibilityisahugepartofteachingthembecausetolearnatypeofdancestudentsneedtobe
abletohavethebalanceandprogressmoreonit.Teachingstudentsthebasictechniquesofa
danceisimportantbecausethatshowstudentslearntherightway,startattheverybeginning
andthemoretheypracticethemoretheywillimprove,studentswillgetthehangofitandgoon
tothenextdifficultsteps.Forexample,astudentdoesntknowhowtodanceBachataaformof
musicanddanceoriginatedoftheDominicanRepublic,traditionedbyguitarmusic(historyof
bachata).ThebasicstepsarethemostimportantbecausewithoutthebasicstepsitsnotBachata
andnothingwouldbelearnedfromit.Alsohavingbalanceandmovementarethebasicsbecause
thathelpsgettingtheideaofthedanceandbothbalanceandmovementareabigpartoflearning.
Achoreographerworkstoimprovethedancetechniquesofstudentsbymotivating
dancerstoworkhard.Somestudentsmightfeelstressedoutliketheycantdanceorgetthe
properwaytodanceacertaintypeofdancebutasachoreographermotivatingstudentstonot
quit,keeppracticing,thinkpositiveandputmoreeffortinithelpsstudentstoimprovetheir
dancingskills.Inaddition,choreographersteachstudentswhetherisitforaschooldance,
surprisedances,parties,orforstudentswhojustwanttolearnhowtodance.Althoughstudents
feelliketheywanttogiveupsometimes,beingthechoreographeritsuptomotivatethestudents
toputmoreeffortandbythatchoreographersshouldhelpthemoutgoingthroughthedancestep

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bysteps,takingitslow,andevenhelpthestudentsthatarestrugglingpersonally.Anotherway
choreographershelpstudentsisbycommunicating,helpingthemoutiftheyarestuckwitha
danceandhelpingthemfigureoutwhatisthestudenthavingtroublewith,whatarethe
difficultieslikewhatpartofthedancearetheystrugglingon,whatismissinginthedancelike
rhythm,andwhattheycandonexttimetoimprovethedanceinsteadofgivingup.
Choreographersworktoimprovethedancetechniquesofstudentsbyteachingthem
rhythm.Rhythmisamassivepartinchoreography,feelingthemusiciswhatmakesaperson
createthedanceandhavemovement.Achoreographerteachesthestudentstohaverhythmby
showingthemmovementandbalancethosetwoarethebasicstolearnrhythmaswell.
Choreographersknowthatalotofpeoplehavedifferentwaystolearn,sochoreographershaveto
understandthat.Thereforechoreographerscommunicatewithstudentstoseehowthestudents
learnfasterorintheproperway.Musiciswhatmakesapersonfeeltherhythm,goingalongwith
themusic,beat,rhythmandunderstandingthewordsofasongmakesapersonfeeltherhythm
andreadytodance.Choreographersteachthestudentstobeabletohavemovementintheirhips,
arms,hands,legs,chest,everypartofthebodyandthenhavebalanceafterthatstartpracticing
forthestepstothesong.Otherwaysthathelpstudentstolearnrhythmisbyclapping,
stomping,snappingandslidingaswell
(tipsforcreating).
Afterallchoreographersworktoimprovethedancetechniquesofstudentsbyhelping
themlearnnewdancesandtechniques,motivatingdancerstoworkhard,andteachingrhythm.
Choreographersneedtohavethepatiencetoteachstudentsoranybodythebasicsteps,
movement,rhythm,newdances,andbalance.Ifastudentishavingtroublelearningadanceits
thechoreographersjobtomotivatethem,tokeeptryingnomatterhowmanytimesfailure

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happenspracticewillhelpthemimprove.Samewithlearningnewdancesittakestimetolearna
dancebutachoreographertakesitslowandstepbystep.Rhythmitcomesfromthemusicand
partsofthebody.Listentothebeat,instrumentsbeingplayed,thelyricsofthesong,movement,
andbalance.Teachingrhythmisbasicallyshowinghowtohavemovementwithpartsofyour
bodylikehowtomovehips,arms,legs,chestandhands.Achoreographersjobcanbe
somewhatdifficultattimesteachingstudentsoranybodybecauseittakesalotofpatience.Some
peopledontknowanythingaboutdancingortakesthemtimetolearnbutthereforea
choreographersjobistoteachthemstepbysteps,repeatingthedanceconstantly,andmotivating
them.

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WorksCited

Bogaerts,Marc,dir.
thefestival//interviewwithmarcbogaertschoreographer
.Film.27Mar
2015.<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VY2EZsju1U>.
"choreography."
nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk
.N.p.,n.d.Web.27Mar2012.
<https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/choreogra
pher.asp&xgt.
"choreographerjobs:salaryandcareerfacts."
learn.org
2013,n.pag.Web.27Mar.2015.
<http://learn.org/articles/Choreographer_Jobs_Your_Career_and_Salary_Questions_Ans
wered.html>.
"educationrequirements.org."
educationrequirements
.N.p.,n.d.Web.31Mar2015.
<http://www.educationrequirements.org/dancechoreographer.html>.
"historyofbachata."
2step2.net
.(2015):n.page.Web.27Mar.2015.
<http://www.2step2.net/historyBachata.htm>.
Kast,Maggie."maggiecastoncontemporarychoreography."
imagejournal.org
.n.page.Print.
<http://imagejournal.org/page/journal/articles/issue19/maggiekast>.
"Thenationalvoicefordance."
danceuk.org
Nov.2012.Web.29Nov.2012.
"tipsforcreatingchoreography."
balletaustin.org
.N.p.,n.d.Web.27Mar2012.
<http://www.balletaustin.org/education/documents/TipsforCreatingChoreography_000.pd
f>.