Creating dance formations is not only a creative endeavor but also a strategic one. A well-designed formation enhances the visual appeal of a performance and ensures seamless transitions between different parts of the choreography. It also integrates collaboration and safety as significant components in an effort to maintain the health of all dancers involved. Indeed, creating a well-designed choreographic work that feels cohesive to the audience and the dancers is important, and it is vital to consider the dancers' perspectives during the design process. This post is expanded upon within The Dance Dots™ Instructional Manual that comes with each purchase of the starter kits, but here are some comprehensive steps to master formations using The Dance Dots™. By following these steps, you can effectively use The Dance Dots™ to enhance your choreography and classroom management. The result will be a well-structured and visually compelling performance that seamlessly integrates formations and transitions, captivating your audience and bringing your artistic vision to life.
Understand Your Concept—Explain the concept, story, or emotion you want to convey through your choreography. This foundational understanding will guide you in selecting formations that best support your message. Whether it's a tale of joy, sorrow, or triumph, the formations should echo the theme.
Assess Your Dancers—Consider your dancers' unique abilities, work ethic, and emotional readiness. Formations can be tailored to showcase individual strengths or create a cohesive visual impact. Understanding your dancers' capabilities and interest levels will help you design formations that are achievable, impressive, and inclusive.
Determine the Number of Dancers—Knowing the number of dancers is crucial for planning symmetrical or asymmetrical patterns. Larger groups can form complex geometric shapes, while smaller groups benefit from intricate, interwoven formations using The Dance Dots™. These dots provide a tangible reference for positioning, making it easier to create and maintain patterns.
Identify Key Positions – Identify key positions in each formation that serve as focal points. These could be the center, ends, or highlighted corners and should remain equitable for all dancers involved. Sometimes, you may decide that there are no specific key positions, allowing for a more fluid and dynamic formation.
Consider Space and Flow—Consider the size of the performance space and ensure that your formations fit well within it. The Dance Dots™ should be spaced equidistantly, generally at least 18 inches but no more than six feet apart. Plan for smooth transitions that allow dancers to move safely and naturally between formations.
Use Geometry—Experiment with geometric patterns like lines, circles, diagonals, triangles, or pyramids. These shapes can be simple yet visually striking, and each dancer can be stationed on individual dots or spaces between dots to create them. For instance, three dancers can form a triangle, four can create a square, and twelve can form two adjacent pyramids.
Plan Transitions—Smooth transitions between formations are essential for a polished performance. Consider pathways and movements that guide dancers into the next formation with ease. Using The Dance Dots™ as cognitive markers helps dancers memorize their positions, making transitions more visible and safer. This method leverages cognitive psychology principles, such as the research behind retrieval cues (Tulving & Thomson, 1973), aiding dancers in learning their spots and associated movements effectively.
Chunking Formations—Introduce the concept of "formations" after dancers have learned their spots for each section of the routine. This approach ensures that dancers understand their spacing and how their spots fit into the overall geometric shape of the formation. According to Koriat’s research on feeling and knowing (1993), dancers could be more successful at grasping formations and transitions if they first feel confident in memorizing their individual spots, which is exactly what I have experienced over the last 20 years.
Practice and Adjust—Regular practice is key. Have your dancers rehearse moving through formations using The Dance Dots™ to identify what works well and what might need tweaking. Be prepared to make adjustments based on these practice sessions. Turning practice into a game can make it more engaging and fun.
Get Feedback—Gather feedback from your dancers or have someone observe the formations from the audience's perspective to ensure clarity and consistency. Allowing dancers to watch their formations from the audience's viewpoint can enhance their understanding of their role in the overall design, increasing awareness and performance quality as well.
References
Koriat, A. (1993). How do we know that we know? The accessibility model of the feeling of
knowing. Psychological Review, 100(4), 609–639. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033- 295X.100.4.609
Tulving, E., & Thomson, D. M. (1973). Encoding specificity and retrieval processes in episodic
memory. Psychological Review, 80(5), 352-373. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0020071
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