Thread: Improv how to's

Can you all give me some pointers on this? Whenever I put on music, even pieces I know well, I freeze or just sit there and do the same thing over and over. How can one "practice" improv? It's frustrating because I drill and drill like a proper baby belly and then when I want to have fun with what I've learned, I just stand there and to hip drops and figure eights. :Aconfused:

2 words: Improvisational Toolkit.

It's a GREAT new dvd from Nadira Jamal. Well worth the money. Covers everything you're asking about and then some.

I have that, too, and I like it. Jewelbellydance has a good article on improv here: Jewel Bellydance - Belly dance classes melbourne Australia ::: Articles

For me, I needed to watch a lot of performances to see how people will do hip circles so it's not just a hip circle. For example, hip circle with a heel bounce on the musical accents. I also do better if I have a story or character in mind to act out. And I think the thing that worked best for me from the Improv Toolkit was noodling. Play the music and don't try to dance to it just move to it. That really made me feel the mood of the piece. Then when I danced to that piece I had a mood to overlay the moves.

Okay this is what my instructor had me do. Pick three movements and at the end of a measure you have to change movement to one of the other three and then change at every measure for the entire song only using the three movements you pick for that drill.

Then pic three different movements and continue dancing and changing at the end of every measure.

Also, Dance to all kinds of music and dance to songs you do not know at all. Even dance to bad music using the same method of picking three movements.

This is what I still do today. It will help you getting use to changing and don't worry that it may not be the correct movement just keep on moving and at all costs. Never stop. This method has worked wonders for me....

hope that helps.

Try imposing limitations eg dance a whole track with just two choosen movements or just with hips or just with upper body or with a single combination with variations.

AngelaDiCaprio had some good suggestions.

If you're of the type of mindset that totally cannot handle stuff on the fly, ADC's method is also helpful as a super basic structure ("I'm gonna have this move, and this move, and this move. And NO HIP DROPS") so you feel like you're still in control.

Really. Improv is not necessarily complete loss of control. But you have to practice it. And sometimes you have to practice not doing something (dance at home to a short song and don't use any of your favorite moves) just as much as you practice doing something.

If you're really stuck mentally - do you dance in front of a mirror? Take a dry-erase marker and write some moves and combos on the mirror. Now you have some helpful notes in your line of sight for when you forget what to do! (I use that method for learning choreos too - much easier than trying to hold a piece of paper)

Originally Posted by yaalini

If you're really stuck mentally - do you dance in front of a mirror? Take a dry-erase marker and write some moves and combos on the mirror. Now you have some helpful notes in your line of sight for when you forget what to do! (I use that method for learning choreos too - much easier than trying to hold a piece of paper)

I'd never thought of that. Sometimes I'd write them down but have to go running to the paper to look at it...l;, A dry erase is much easier.

Choreograph your own routines.
Why?
Once you’ve gained experience with choreography, it actually enhances your improvisational work because you’ve taken the time to learn and listen to music, match appropriate movements to certain moods or effects within the music, and internalize the movements. These internalized movements now form a vocabulary from which you can pull when you dance off the top of your head and it looks like you’ve rehearsed your dance.

Depending upon how old you are...pick some music that you grew up listening to. Take what you know and dance to that. I like the Doors and Cream. Guess how old I am? Really - do this! You will find that once you know the music, have a fond relationship to it and have a context for the vocals, the pressure is off and it becomes a joyful activity and is not "work" with a pass fail aspect. Then guess what? You must create this type of personal relationship to ME music. That means you have to listen to it - lots!!! Dont dance to it, really listen to it. Get you some real juicy old classic stuff that fairly pushes and pulls you around the room by your liver. Just listen to it first. A lot! As nasila says...its all about the music!

I agree with all of the above, these are really great approaches to improv. You can also incorporate floor patterns into your improv practice.

When you listen to a piece of music, think about what the different sections are telling you to do - big and swoopy? small and groovy? earthy? Practice the feeling, not the move. Look for ways to match the groove of the music. Sometimes I'll put on a piece that evokes the feeling of a section from the piece I am improving and just chase the feeling, try to build up an array of different ways of expressing myself. When I go back to the piece I'm working on, I can dance it and just feel it, not think it.

A zen master stayed at my house last weekend. He told me to let my body go where it wants to, not where I think it needs to...

You go, girl! You are awesome already!

Alimah

Originally Posted by Azhia

Choreograph your own routines.
Why?
Once you’ve gained experience with choreography, it actually enhances your improvisational work because you’ve taken the time to learn and listen to music, match appropriate movements to certain moods or effects within the music, and internalize the movements. These internalized movements now form a vocabulary from which you can pull when you dance off the top of your head and it looks like you’ve rehearsed your dance.

This is what I do already and it feels comfortable to me. I guess I just felt like I had to be able to improv because that was the mark of a true dancer or something.

[QUOTE=anala;323289]Depending upon how old you are...pick some music that you grew up listening to. Take what you know and dance to that. I like the Doors and Cream. Guess how old I am? Really - do this! QUOTE]

Anala, good music is good music. I had to suffer through New Wave in my prime music years, so I took all my older sister's albums The Doors happen to be my favorite rock group. Have most of their stuff. In fact, The End may be a good start to improv to....

I also had my students pick 2-3 movements and they had to stick with those for an entire song. Then I allowed them to add turns, poses, arms / hands (stuff that I call "filler" moves). Then I told them they could add one combination we learned that day.
The whole point was to put limitations on them, this way didn't just stand there being overwhelmed by the variety of movements. It worked real well, even for extreme beginners.

Originally Posted by HOOKEDNOVICE

This is what I do already and it feels comfortable to me. I guess I just felt like I had to be able to improv because that was the mark of a true dancer or something.

Not necessarily. Everyone has their own dance "timeline" but I was choreographing for 10 years before I was thrown into improvisational situations. If it wasn't for that opportunity, I may never have started learning how to improvise. So, perhaps it takes getting outside of a comfort zone to start doing it. You'll get comfortable with improvising once you do it enough.

Originally Posted by alimahdances

I agree with all of the above, these are really great approaches to improv. You can also incorporate floor patterns into your improv practice.

When you listen to a piece of music, think about what the different sections are telling you to do - big and swoopy? small and groovy? earthy? Practice the feeling, not the move. Look for ways to match the groove of the music. Sometimes I'll put on a piece that evokes the feeling of a section from the piece I am improving and just chase the feeling, try to build up an array of different ways of expressing myself. When I go back to the piece I'm working on, I can dance it and just feel it, not think it.

A zen master stayed at my house last weekend. He told me to let my body go where it wants to, not where I think it needs to...

You go, girl! You are awesome already!

Alimah

Yes! What she said ..l;,

Hooked, you live in Washington right? You should make the trip to study with Alimah and have her do some one-on-one with improv.

Originally Posted by alimahdances

A zen master stayed at my house last weekend. He told me to let my body go where it wants to, not where I think it needs to...

Ooh, I love this quote... Can I borrow it? I still pull my hair out when I improv sometimes, but carving out a choreography is even tougher for me to do because I feel like it's final and every second has to be perfect. For me, I find if I know the music really well, my body will do some pretty creative things that my brain might not have thought of. I can recognize patterns in the melody and know where the suprise accents are and my body is always ready to do something fitting even if my brain hasn't figured out the best move for it yet. Yay for muscle memory! Now the tough thing is being in a mood where I can listen to the same song over and over and over again and get to know it that well. This week I'm memorizing two new songs that I want to perform to on Saturday. I may be overdoing it... ..c::

Originally Posted by maliam

Yes! What she said ..l;,

Hooked, you live in Washington right? You should make the trip to study with Alimah and have her do some one-on-one with improv.

Ha! I must live under a rock. Alimah, just sent you an email...l;,

Originally Posted by yaalini

if you're really stuck mentally - do you dance in front of a mirror? Take a dry-erase marker and write some moves and combos on the mirror. Now you have some helpful notes in your line of sight for when you forget what to do! (i use that method for learning choreos too - much easier than trying to hold a piece of paper)

brilliant!!!

Originally Posted by maliam

Yes! What she said ..l;,

Hooked, you live in Washington right? You should make the trip to study with Alimah and have her do some one-on-one with improv.

Thanks, Malia!

And yes, by all means use and dance that quote, Nidawi! I'm still working on it!

Hookednovice, I got your email and emailed you back!

happy dancing,

Alimah

Originally Posted by yaalini

If you're really stuck mentally - do you dance in front of a mirror? Take a dry-erase marker and write some moves and combos on the mirror. Now you have some helpful notes in your line of sight for when you forget what to do! (I use that method for learning choreos too - much easier than trying to hold a piece of paper)

That's an awesome idea... love it!