Competition Clean: Prepping for your turn onstage
You finished the choreography and competition season is just around the corner. Your work seems done, for the most part, but the daunting task of cleaning is about to begin. (Cue “Jaws” underscore). Suddenly, the finished product seems a long way off. Here are a few basic tips to get you started:
Venture around the room, to the back, and look in the mirror to see the whole picture. Try standing on a chair to get a different perspective. Though your students may look at you as if you’ve lost it, you will be shocked at how many different variations of choreography you see. This also validates the back line, which hopefully makes them realize what an integral part of the show they are, and in turn, makes them work harder.
Clean All traffic from entrance to exit. Mark out the wings and center stage with tape. Spacing and traffic are the biggest issues with groups, especially large ones. As judges, we all know how small the studio spaces may be where the number is rehearsed. Be sure they travel and use the stage. The more prepared they are when they walk in to the competition, the less nervous they will be. Be sure they use the mirrors as their study guide, being aware of others and matching up their lines. Then, when the time comes, black out the mirrors, so they don’t get caught up in looking at themselves and each other. Especially with little ones, they tend to get disillusioned when they dance outside of a studio setting. Without mirrors, they know they can do it, instilling confidence that will carry across to the stage.
Don’t be overly ambitious. It is easier to add choreography than to take out fouettés that haven’t quite gotten to a happy point. It’s more of a reward to add things as the student accomplishes them. You know your dancers better than anyone. If they are close to getting it, put it in, but if there is too much work to be done, then make the call before competition day.
**Build stamina through repetition. It will help build muscle memory for the dancer so that their mind can relax onstage, and they are free to just open up and perform. –Shane Hall, owner/artistic director, Prodigy Dance Centre, Columbus, GA.
It is possible to over-clean a number to the point where it loses its style, individuality and sense of direction. The ultimate art is achieved when all body types can work on the same level, tell the same story and perform the same movement without looking stylistically sterile. Nikoli Babcock-Scharin, instructor and choreographer at Dance Academy USA, Cupertino, CA, has a well-laid plan when it comes to cleaning. Here is her step-by-step approach:
First: General critiques-choreography clarification, timing, spacing, staging patterns, etc. Second: Clarify steps and positions to eliminate extraneous movement and tighten transitions. Third: Exaggerate level changes, and be sure lines and angles match. Last: Talk about less concrete concepts: motivation, use of breath and how it affects the movements’ dynamics, musicality and phrasing (thinking of each movement as a separate “thought”).
To bring it all together, Babcock-Scharin points out how “each level of adjustments not only changes the appearance of the dance, but how it feels in the dancers’ body. This helps them develop a better understanding of how their body works and how they can properly manipulate it to achieve whatever effect they want. They start to realize their body is truly their instrument.”
Most importantly, try to stay positive about the cleaning experience. It should be the final step in realizing the artistry of your accomplishment. See you at competition!
Tara Jeanne Vallee is a Teacher, Adjudicator, Performer, and Broadway Choreographer based out of NYC. To learn more, visit www.artistictm.com