What is an essential element in the choreographic process?

The choreographic process fundamentally includes improvisation and the creation of motifs as essential elements. This approach allows choreographers to explore a range of movements, fostering creativity and spontaneity. By improvising, dancers can discover new movement qualities and relationships between movements, which can lead to unique and original choreography. Creating motifs – short, memorable movement phrases – serves as the building blocks for larger sections of a dance work, making them crucial for developing thematic consistency and continuity in the piece.

In contrast, focusing solely on performance disregards the creation and exploration phase of choreography, which involves crafting movements before they can be effectively performed. Utilizing only pre-existing choreography limits originality and creativity, preventing choreographers from expressing their unique artistic voice. Ignoring feedback from peers can hinder the development of a piece and the collaborative aspect that enriches the choreographic process. Hence, improvisation and the development of motifs are vital to creating innovative and expressive dance works.