Submitted by Kristin Lukow, Nebraska
Idea posted December 4, 2002
For those of you who want to do more choreography and don't feel comfortable with it, I suggest John Jacobson's "Riser Choreography." He has very good basic ideas and general rules.
My students have learned that bigger and less movement is better than many small moves. The audience does not notice fingers as much as they notice arms. Moves that go with phrases are an obvious choice as they reinforce the understanding of how the music moves. In dance, we learn early on that in 4/4 time, many movement ideas happen in 8 counts. This reinforces the idea of a phrase also.
I do every single move... fully! When arms are up, I want to see "pits." No bent elbows!! When arms come down, they do not flop. We practice it until we get it right. Lots of moving, lots of energy, and lots of fun. Always encourage... never say, "No! Don't do it that way!" By the time they reach 5th and 6th grades, they are getting self-conscious about their bodies. If they feel unsafe, they will not move for you. If you make it fun and do it all with them, they will perform.
I teach the students to always be in a window - in between the people in front of them. I also tape lines onto the floor so they know exactly where to stand. I get many colors of electrical tape. My floors at program time are very pretty! But, the children always know where to go. It is such a time-saver and great organizational tool.
I remember the year I came back to teaching six years ago. I choreographed the 6th graders' graduation songs... nothing fancy, just a few side to side and arm movements. Oh... my goodness... they wanted to die! They weren't used to moving. I tamed it down and we made it through, and they looked great. Compare that to my 6th graders now who cannot only move but GROOVE with huge enthusiasm. Most of them feel safe and free and LOVE it! But it has taken me years to get them to this point. I'm still encouraging some.
Movement is important to me. I don't understand why movement is not included in the National Music Standards. For me, it's pretty close to being #1!