Author Topic: Writing down Choregraphy??  (Read 7088 times)

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madiobrien

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Writing down Choregraphy??
« on: Feb 23, 2009, 12:10 pm »
Are Stage Managers expected to write down dance choregraphy?  I've written down blocking but have always depended on my actors to memorize their dances and if someone is needed to fill in they are expected to teach it to them if the choregrapher is not available. 
I'm in community theatre, so i write down blocking and everything but no one has said for me to write down choregrapy so during dance rehearsal I sit and do homework and take notes where necessary. 
I don't know what i'm suppose to do?
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Amie

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Re: Writing down Choregraphy??
« Reply #1 on: Feb 23, 2009, 12:45 pm »
I am not a dancer so I've never written down choreography notes.  Although there are some SMs on SMNet who do have dancing knowledge and skills and have been known to write it down, simply because they can.

Usually, in my experience, there has been a dance captain appointed within the cast to keep the cast on track in the event that the choreographer isn't there (such as performances).  What I would recommend is to pay attention to the dancing, for spacing, set issues, lighting notes, costume notes, etc.  Also, it would be beneficial to still write down groups (if dancing is done in groups) and exits, entrances and where the actors end up at the beginning and end of the dance, that way blocking can be picked up from those points.

It's certainly not a requirement, to my knowledge, but necessary to pay attention if you can.

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damjamkato

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Re: Writing down Choregraphy??
« Reply #2 on: Feb 23, 2009, 04:16 pm »
I won't write down the exact dance steps, because the dance captain usually takes care of that, but I will make notes of everything else, such as groups, entrances, exits, and if lead characters are moving in and out during the scene, take down their blocking.

killerdana

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Re: Writing down Choregraphy??
« Reply #3 on: Feb 24, 2009, 01:32 am »
I also don't write down specific steps (and I DO have a dance background).  However, I like to note the flow of movement and any major moments/changes/entrances/exits, etc.  This way I at least have a sense of what's going.  It's also good when you're talking to people like the lighting designer to at least be able to say that the group moves into the down stage left corner of the stage.  They don't need to know if the dancers are doing a grand jete or just walking into that area.
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megf

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Re: Writing down Choregraphy??
« Reply #4 on: Feb 24, 2009, 01:46 pm »
In keeping with killerdana's thoughts - I tend to keep the "big picture" information, but depend on a Dance Captain to take notes on the specifics. I'll use a diagram to record where people start or finish, or where I expect the LD to place a bump cue or special.

MarcieA

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Re: Writing down Choregraphy??
« Reply #5 on: Feb 24, 2009, 02:25 pm »
Just curious, what you do when you don't have a dance captain.
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MatthewShiner

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Re: Writing down Choregraphy??
« Reply #6 on: Feb 24, 2009, 02:41 pm »
If there is choreographer, I ask for a dance captain. 

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SMrose

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Re: Writing down Choregraphy??
« Reply #7 on: Feb 25, 2009, 08:51 am »
I also don't write down specific steps (and I DO have a dance background).  However, I like to note the flow of movement and any major moments/changes/entrances/exits, etc.  This way I at least have a sense of what's going.  It's also good when you're talking to people like the lighting designer to at least be able to say that the group moves into the down stage left corner of the stage.  They don't need to know if the dancers are doing a grand jete or just walking into that area.

As you can see from killerdana, dance steps do have names (grand jete).  I do the big picture diagrams and insert the name of the dance step (which I get from the choreographer: i.e. "on this music change, you'll do a Shuffle off to Buffalo") in the order that the steps will progress through the dance.  Dancers or actor/dancers learn the names of the steps even if they have little dance training and I learn as well.  I feel I'm a better stage manager if I can shout out the step name when the cast forgets at rehearsal even if I can't dance!!!

 

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