This Summer I set out to create a dance course based on something I hear from dancers in my classes all the time…
Many of you have been telling me that you’d love to start to perform solo, or create your own dance for a hafla – but somehow, you never quite seem to get around to it, or you just don’t know where to start.
You know that you want to bring your own unique creativity and soul onto the stage!
But one way or another, you get stuck, and your dance stays as an idea in the back of your mind, never seeing the light of day.
My mission with this project? To help unstick you, and empower you to bring your your own creation to life, whilst giving you tools to take on future dance projects with confidence!
Now I’m an analytical kind of person, so my first approach to supporting dancers through this process was to think about how I could share my techniques for analysing music, and using that to build a choreography structure – something which I know loads of you would find valuable…
But then when I started talking to my students about my project, something else came up!
You see, I’d originally planned that everyone would start the project bringing a piece of music they wanted to work on – and send it over to me beforehand to have a listen. But as it turns out, this is actually the part that has been causing the most stress and stuck-ness for many of you.
And the ironic thing is, I totally get it.
I’ve been there myself many a time when an event organiser has asked me to send music for my solo over, months in advance! I’m definitely not immune to the agonising indecision of being asked to decide on a song 😅
So I’ve updated my plan for the course to reflect this, and I’ve also been thinking a lot about how we can get unstuck and make a decision!
So, how DO we choose?
Sometimes it’s easy. Sometimes, the song chooses you.
There have been times when I hear a song and know right away that I have to perform to it. The ones that I can’t stop listening to on repeat (fellow Autistic dancers, you know how it is when the hyperfixation kicks in 😉).
The challenges with these ones come later in the process – how to get the song you love to work in a stage setting, and how to do it justice!
But what about when nothing leaps out at you? When you’re feeling overwhelmed by choice and don’t know where to even start?
Maybe you’re new to performing, don’t have much of a music library yet, and don’t know how to start searching for songs…
Or maybe you have the opposite problem (like me…), a huge music collection, and so many beautiful songs that picking just one feels like trying to choose the single most beautiful flower in a meadow – or, you have a specific idea in mind, and somehow all of the thousands of tracks in your colleciton are Not Quite Right…
I’m not going to pretend I have an easy answer – there isn’t really one – this is difficult, especially if you’ve got perfectionist tendencies.
And I don’t believe in quick and easy answers anyway.
But what I can do is guide you to narrow down your options to something manageable, so that you can create a shortlist of songs you’d be happy to use – and a set of helpful criteria to make the final decision easier.
So here are a few little tips to get you started…
Do you need to find MORE music?
- Set some parameters to guide you before you start searching: what style of dance and music do you have in mind? What mood and tempo? Do you have a length limit for the piece (and are you willing to edit music if it’s too long)? If you’re not sure about these things, talking to a teacher or mentor can be helpful.
- Find some playlists that look promising – how you do this will depend on what you are looking for. It could mean searching by genre on an Arabic music app like Anghami or for playlists on Spotify, or finding dance videos in your chosen style on YouTube or Instagram.
- Do a LOAD of listening – while you’re working, cooking/washing up, walking, sat on the bus…. Make a note of anything you think has potential (and don’t be too fussy about this – you can narrow it down later). The aim is to make your own playlist of songs you’re into, that kind of fit the bill. You can narrow it down later!
- If you’re listening via dance videos and can’t find the name of a song you like, try using Shazam, SoundHound, or asking for help in the Bellydancers’ Music Discussion Group on Facebook
Do you need LESS music? Do you have a few options you just can’t decide between?
- Do all of your songs fit with the dance style you want to present this time? Rule out any that don’t (if you love them, you can always use them for another dance in future)
- Are any of your songs too long for your time limit? Unless you are willing to edit, and not going to be stresed out by having to do it, rule them out for now.
- Ask yourself not just “do I like this music?”, but “does this music give me something to work with as a dancer?” – in general I look for contrast between sections, a nice balance of fast/slow and intense/soft, and some interesting accents and changes.
- If you’re new to this, also ask yourself whether any of your options might be too complicated for a first project – it’s easiest to start with something that has a simple “verse chorus” structure while you’re learning the ropes. Again, this is a good time to have a chat to your teacher.
- Consider how you really feel about your options after narrowing down – is there one song that you’re more excited about deep down, but you maybe feel like it’s not the one you “should” choose for some reason? If this is going to be a community performance (its different for paid gigs, of course), then I advise you just follow your heart – life is too short not to!
- Remember it’s not a big decision in the scheme of things – you’ll make more dances in future, and this single one doesn’t need to be to the Absolute Perfect Song. There’s no such thing as perfection anyway, and ‘good enough’ is fine – it’s just one step on your journey!
I hope these tips help you if you’re stuck in the music-choosing stage right now!
Do you want to create a dance this Summer, with detailed guidance, support and accountability?
We’ll be covering music choices and much more in my 2023 “Create Your Own Dance” Summer project. It’s designed to help you get unstuck and actually make the dance you’ve been meaning to – with a small friendly community of dancers to support you along the way.
We start on Tuesday the 25th of July, and it’s strictly limited to 10 spots so that I can give you plenty of support and attention in the classes, and in our private Facebook community
What’s included?
Four live Zoom sessions – in these 90 minute sessions, we’ll use a combination of discussion, teaching, and Q&A to take you through the process of developing a dance – from choosing your music and creative vision, to building up a structure for your dance, and adding details for polish and ‘wow’ factor.
Each session will be recorded too, though I definitely recommend joining live whenever possible, to have the chance to contribute and ask questions 😊
Homework assignments – each week’s homework worksheet will guide you through working on your own project step by step, using the tools we’ve discussed in that week’s live class
Facebook community – you’ll also have access to a private facebook community throughout the project. Here, I’ll be available to help out if you’re stuck and answer questions – and it’s also a place to bounce ideas off your fellow dancers, share works in progress, and support one another through the creative process
Bellydance by Rachael 