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Do you dance by counts?
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I think it's probably a dance background thing – I've learnt various forms of dance over the years and have quite a mathematical brain so putting together a routine is quite a methodical thing about figuring out what I want to do an when and figuring out how long I want to hold something so that everything fits in just right to the music. That doesn't mean there's no passion in it – it's about having it go perfectly with how I want it to to the music. I have a friend though who has no dance background other than pole and she works in the opposite way and I find it pretty hard to learn routines from her because I like to know where things will be and at what time, especially if it's a routine being done by a group. But you know what – both of us can put together great routines and there's no right or wrong way to do it! It may be a bit frustrating for people to try and learn it your way when they're used to another way but if you changed it, there would be yet other people again who might not like the other way! Basically, you're in charge and they have to suck it up and do what you've put together! Maybe if you had some time where people can put together their own choreo, they could have a crack at it their way but otherwise, it's your hard work that's gone into it and you're the boss!
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Thank you so much for all of your thoughts and experience with this. I'm starting to get a better sense of how I can go about this… I want people to find their own style, and if counting movements is her style, then I can show her the motions and she can count them out to the songs as she wishes. I just feel the music…but finding someone's path of part of the process that I love so much about pole. Thanks again for all of your thoughts since they have been very helpful 🙂
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It depends. Most of the time I just have a list of moves, fillers, and transitions and will dance it out at whatever pace to any song. I find that most students like this because they can move at their own rate. However, if I’m doing a workshop with choreography to a specific song, I will teach it using 8 counts because there are parts of the song that need to be accentuated with the movement. That way, we are all on the same page.
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I personally do not teach with counts..I don't have a dance background. I can't stand the choreo classes that I have taken…when they use counting or the north,south, east, west thing..I find its more distracting to trying to figure out what number or direction you are in it really slows me down.. I do teach a sequence of movements so they can learn the transitions and possible ins and outs of moves. If someone was a counter in class I might just ask them to show me the count and to entertain her for a moment. I would just be honest and say..you are the official counter since I can't count generally past three anyway.. I start to skip numbers ..I do this in my pilates and barre classes too, so when someone is a rep counter i ask them to be the counter. i just tell them too, i cant pay atention to them if i just counting it out. I seem to have an intuition when it comes to the reps, so at least I have that.
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I do have a dance background (ballet, tap, jazz) and I don't dance or teach by counts. I teach a series of movements and then the students can do it as fast or as slowly as they like. I really like the idea of trying the same sequence with different songs. I'm going to have to start incorporating that! I feel like pole is about moving when the music moves you and everyone dancing their own dance. And I tell my students I want them to learn to think through the moves themselves and do what works for them rather than trying to just copy the way I dance.
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Well said darcit
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Am I the only one with a MUSICAL background having trouble with DANCE counts???? I played the flute for seven years through school, I know how to count music but the way I hear dance counts throws my brain for such a loop! I can usually learn to the counts, but actually using them myself? Nope, doesn't work. I really wish I could though, I taught my first choreographed dance the other day and I felt like it really lacked the smooth synchronization because I couldn't direct them in counts.
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Oh so since I started this whole thing, I realized I don’t count because it blocks my creativity and freedom of movement. I teach movement and the rest should be for personal interpretation… That is what I love about pole dance and frees me from needing to be so calculating. So, I do not teach synchronized pole…I may talk through the motions as I do them, but that is it. I want them to find themselves like I found myself through the motions. So, I guess I am still an art teacher at heart, just not in a traditional art classroom 😉
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And we DID do the same short choreo to a different song, though similar genre. It was awesome how it felt! Next I want to try a different genre and see how it goes. Some of my girls HATE this…it’s too fast, or it’s too slow, they say. I say, “make it work, that’s your challenge” ;). And what they come up with might be a filler or something that wasn’t there before…it’s organic and very fun!
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Here are 4 dances I did to the same sequence… Some flowed better than others but I tried countless songs. This has really helped me to come out of a dancing lull. It has healed a part of me that I feel like I’ve needed since I started teaching. I haven’t been learning much “new” stuff, old lost moves, or moves I’ve wanted for a while (except the tumble and figure 8 fan legs on spin) since my body is still adjusting. I need to upload those videos but I’m mostly using my ipad now…but I WILL upload it! And whooo, here are the YouTube links until I can make some pretty videos with editing, etc.
So this was an exercise… I named the class PolEmotion after emotioncatcher, my pole buddy while I was living in Germany…whom I miss very much, so I named a class after her studio (with permission).
Sequence 1 (the original song)
http://youtu.be/MBaEjzRylfISequence exercise 2
http://youtu.be/ifnlfACbdh4Sequence exercise 3
http://youtu.be/T0eYW-qvj2gSequence exercise 4
http://youtu.be/Skp6eP9U644Let me know what you think! 🙂
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This was a fascinating exercise, I'm inspired to try it too!
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Yay! I’d love for you to share it an see what you come up with!! It’s very freeing to just dance and not have to deal with one of the “blocks” that keeps us from moving–not knowing what to do ;).
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I relate to this thread with both my pole and aerial dance. Recently, I had my second aerial performance which I did on hammock. My first performance, last December, was on Lyra. With that performance I attempted to use counts. I was proud of that piece because it was a first for me in a lot of categories (first aerial piece, first lyra piece, first performance of any kind of dance) and I'm still proud of it. However, looking back at it I find it to be a bit stiff and "robotic", as you termed it. My instructor encouraged us to hold poses for counts for the best chance to get good photos. I did get great photos from this performance, but in the aftermath I found the piece to be a little fragmented when watching video footage. For this second performance, I made a goal to flow more. I worked with another instructor who actually comes from a very traditional dance background, she in fact teaches dance and choreographs productions for my universities theater arts program however doesn't enforce counts. We listened to my song choice and chose movements that felt appropriate to the music and lyrics. As I worked more on the piece, I adjusted timing as I seen fit. In the end, this piece was much smoother and transitioned so much better. I got a lot of feedback about it being "graceful," which was my goal! In the end, I didn't get as many great photos since I was moving around more and such, however the actual performance was much more expressive and fluid than my first.
And just a side note, that same instructor has a really fun activity she has us do similar to yours with an aim to link movements and connect with music but also build endurance. She starts by showing us a move, then the next student does that move and adds one of their own, then the next student does the two moves and adds one of their own…and so on until you have a good couple minutes of choreo. She leaves music playing the whole time and you have to adjust as it changes. It's fun and an amazing workout!
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I love that idea for classes! I want to try it now 🙂
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I love that idea for classes! I want to try it now 🙂
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