“You can do whatever feels right within whatever framework that you’ve preestablished.” “If you’re dancing by yourself and you mess up, it’s not really messing up because you’re not being compared to anyone,” Brown said. However, in group performances, Brown said staying within a framework of pre-determined choreography is important to make the group look cohesive. If a performer makes a mistake, there is less of a chance that it will be noticed, she said, as opposed to ballet where much of the solo performances in full-length ballets come from pre-choreographed repertoire where mistakes are easier to identify. Brown said individual freestyling in hip-hop allows for the most technical freedom in dance. In contrast to ballet, hip-hop allows for individual performances that focus more on personal expression than technique-centered choreography. “I focus on separating a few beats or noise such as bases or snares, … and that way the moves I make have emphasis on those certain sounds.” “I knew I wanted to choose a song that I could do counts to as well as focus on textures and backbeats,” Modi said. Also, because hip-hop technique doesn’t rely heavily on specific dance moves like pliés and tendus or skills that require development like turnout and flexibility, the choreography is more accessible to dancers with different backgrounds, Modi said. When choreographing for the group, the co-director said she tries to use elements in the music other than the main melody and rhythm. Similar to ballet, hip-hop creates a space that allows for physical expression but with different musical elements, Modi said. In Vibe Check, hip-hop is the primary dance style that appeals to the largest group of people, said fourth-year chemical engineering student and co-director Roma Modi. “Not to discount that it is technical and has its own set of rules and specific style, but at the same time, it’s very community-based, so it’s something that everyone can participate in.” “Hip-hop is extremely accessible,” Brown said. Freestyling also allows for more participation by people who may not have a strict background in dance, Brown said. The freestyling element in hip-hop – where dancers are given more improvisational space – creates more freedom in the technique and choreography, she said. The structure present in dance styles such as ballet and contemporary are not as prevalent in the genre, said fourth-year physiological science student and co-director of student group Vibe Check UCLA Nyoko Brown. On another end of the dance spectrum from ballet sits hip-hop. Ballet performances are meant to be enjoyed by audience members, and she said sometimes technique takes a back seat for the sake of creating an engaging performance. In a performance especially, she said technical elements of the choreography are important – like making sure dancers’ legs are turned out and their feet are pointed – but the dancer’s take on the choreography is ultimately what makes ballet interesting to watch. I’m working every day towards my goal, my love for ballet.”ĭepending on the type of ballet technique, this structure within the dance style may have more room for artistic interpretation, Kawakami said. “So, every time I go to class, it’s not like I’m seeing progress instantly. “Technique is something (that) takes time to build,” Kawakami said. With positions like an arabesque – where one leg is extended behind the body – rotation of the standing leg is essential to maintain technical accuracy, the co-director said, and this technical precision is developed in everyday ballet classes. For third-year human biology and society student and co-founder of the Ballet Company at UCLA Moe Kawakami, the defining element of ballet lies in its structured technique and formulaic choreography. From ballet to hip-hop and everything in between, the technique needed for and explored in choreography differs greatly across dance styles. Hip-hop and ballet groups on campus get to the pointe of dance through choreography.Īrguably one of the most important elements of any dance performance is the choreography itself. Put on your dancing shoes and follow along as columnist Laura Carter takes a behind-the-scenes look at dance, disassembled. From selecting music and choreography to perfecting costumes and makeup, the ins and outs of putting on a dance performance are complex and detailed.
0 kommentar(er)
