Thinking strategically about dance making: An analysis of the structuring stage and the strategies choreographers use for varying dance works

Abstract

This empirical study investigates how expert choreographers structure their dance pieces and vary their dance designs. Specifically, the methods choreographers apply for selecting, ordering, and refining movement material into a coherent whole were explored. Accordingly, the structuring process of two expert contemporary choreographers was isolated and examined separately from other stages of dance development. We have used observations, interviews and questionnaires to understand the choreographers’ actions and thoughts as they worked on creating three dance pieces. In addition, a model from the field of design (Yilmaz et al 2011) was utilised as the main framework for analysing the quantitative and qualitative data that was extracted. We found that choreographers transform their composition through the application of multiple strategies and particularly, ‘Local’ strategies. Still, each choreographer relies on a particular set of strategies based on the problems they identify in each process and their own personal preferences. Notably, real innovation was enabled through the application of ‘Process Strategies’. These techniques guided the choreographers’ overall approach through the solution space by forcing changes in a particular direction. As a result, new dance forms were discovered.