Monday, February 23, 2009

Of choreography ( what else did you expect?)

When I first started to choreograph dance back in January 2008, I had no idea how much fun I would have with it. I can remember back in July 2007 when I first met the Funky Feats and fell in love with Nan's leading. I decided that I had to learn how to do it too. After all, how hard could it be? It wasn't until 5 months later that I finally figured out how to use a HUD to choreograph dances. And I cringe now when I think of how I danced my friends with only a handful of dances available. They didn't seem to mind - and I didn't know better. Now I have nearly 200 dances in the HUD. I have cards that list dances appropriate for different genres or different races (fae/mer/bipeds/tinies). And I think that is the best part of choreographing: dancing differently for each genre or race. I have done broadway, celtic, swing, blues, disco, jazz and fae! And what a blast I have had finding dances to fit each genre.

As difficult as splitting from Allan was for me, it has been good. I am not as busy with gigs as I was before, but with a RL job now I could never handle more than one booking a night anyway. I have met so many great DJs and done so many different sets that I have expanded and grown. Ot challenges me all the time; her music is eclectic and allows me to use nearly all my dances on swing/rock/whatever else nights. I am not so bored as I was (with Allan) because her music is always changing - different genres and styles. His sets were fairly easy, good for relaxing and only used about 65% of the dances. But he DID spoil me - I knew which songs were coming up so I could be prepared for them. Now I never know what will be next so choreographing is a real challenge. But fun! I love a challenge.

Thursday night I will be doing something very different: choreographing couples dance. Practice has been particularly hard for me. It takes two to properly activate the dances and I am only one av. Tori has been wonderful by allowing me to whirl him around the dance floor and make him look as silly as I feel when I miss a cue. (I have had help from my friends Chester and Moon too.) But Thursday is looming and I do not have a date! I will ask my group again, but I think all the men are either already partnered or from Europe (which has a 6 hour time difference.) Tulsa, faithful friend that he is, said if I was really stuck he would agree to help me out, but as much as I love him, I really don't want to dance with my brother. How ironic that the choreographer can't find a dancing partner!

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