Choreography for recital season has begun, and teachers all over the world are beginning to plan the specific steps, formations, costumes and music. I’d like to share this tidbit from
Ruth Brinkerhoff‘s curriculum books concerning an often-used, sometimes-butchered element of choreography: the Dancer’s Circle. As the students get older, it does get better, but our young ones often struggle with keeping a consistent circle shape as they dance. Is there a trick to it?
Why Is It So Hard to Keep the Circle the Same Size?
When we dance around a circle, we like to follow the dancer just ahead of us. This works very well if we are going in a straight line. But if we do this on the circle, the circle will continually get smaller and smaller as the dancers move around it. Look at Figure #1. It shows six dancers (the x’s) ready to gallop around the circle.
Figure #2 shows them each following the dancer in front of them. Note that they have all cut little slices off the circle. The circle has become smaller. This is the point where teachers are baffled because the circle started so lovely, and has now become overcrowded and is impeding the movements of the dancers! Look at Figure #3 to see where the circle is now!
If they continue to do this, the circle gets smaller still, as in Figure #4.
Dancers have to be smart enough to keep this from happening. They learn to go
a little to the outside, or to the
right side, of the dancer just ahead of them on the circle. Look at Figure #5 to see how this works.
I have used dry erase markers to draw this on the mirror for my students. A short, 2-3 minute explanation of what you would like them to try will change everything! Many times, they just
don’t know how to do what you are asking.
Try it! It really does make the circle stay nice and big when you travel a little to the right of the person in front of you. Dancers will take this knowledge with them into the years to come and their future teachers will thank you for it!
Related Articles
Related
Figure #2 shows them each following the dancer in front of them. Note that they have all cut little slices off the circle. The circle has become smaller. This is the point where teachers are baffled because the circle started so lovely, and has now become overcrowded and is impeding the movements of the dancers! Look at Figure #3 to see where the circle is now!
If they continue to do this, the circle gets smaller still, as in Figure #4.
Dancers have to be smart enough to keep this from happening. They learn to go a little to the outside, or to the right side, of the dancer just ahead of them on the circle. Look at Figure #5 to see how this works.
I have used dry erase markers to draw this on the mirror for my students. A short, 2-3 minute explanation of what you would like them to try will change everything! Many times, they just don’t know how to do what you are asking.
Try it! It really does make the circle stay nice and big when you travel a little to the right of the person in front of you. Dancers will take this knowledge with them into the years to come and their future teachers will thank you for it!
Related Articles
Comments
Karin says
I always tell my 6 to 8-year-old dancers that there is a big hole in the center and they have to dance on the rim to not fall in . :)
Add Comment