Thread: Choreographing a short routine....for my boyfriend

Hello beautiful dancers :) so i'm a beginner but have a strong dance background and i'd love to do a small dance performance for my boyfriend and i was wondering if maybe more advanced dancers/instructors even beginners could suggest some moves or ideas to get me inspired? (it would be a belated valentines day gift) thanks so much ladies! ..l;,

Try the beginner drum solo from Jenna's Heartbeat of Belly Dance. That routine was my first public performance. Short and sweet!

Edna

great! is that a dvd?

Whatever you do, please look like a bellydancer and not a jazz dancer being electrocuted, trying to bellydance. This dance really is more than a dance to perform for a boyfriend. If you REALLY want to impress him, do a dance you already know very well.
There is really nothing worse than watching a beginner bellydancer trying to seduce her man.
(I watched some of my own beginning videos and hang my head in shame!)
What was I THINKING!!! I should have waited.

"jazz dancer being electrocuted" awesome metaphor michelle75! any suggestions on looking authentic? i guess since im just starting id like to give him a 'taste' of my new discovery and then as i get more training, really give a true performance. keep the suggestions coming!

Find music that inspires you. Listen to it a couple of dozen times before even thinking about doing any choreography. Keep it short - under 3 minutes and use only a handful of moves you know well. For my beginners we often use a veil which can detract from inadequacies in technique. Polish, polish, polish - and let the music flow through you.

Yep, I too, was going to suggest something with a veil. I'd keep it under 2:00 minutes, UNLESS you are an advanced beginner and have a good grasp of the moves you've already learned. 2:00 minutes can last forever when your mind goes blank.

Ask your instructor for some help suggesting music and some of the movements you have worked on in class. It would be pretty difficult, without knowing your skill level, movement vocabulary, or the music you plan to use for anyone to suggest movements or combinations.

If you have an instructor, maybe schedule some private lessons with her/him to help you develop the choreo (or even create it for you). If you don't have a teacher, I would suggest getting one before attempting this, both for your own physical safety and so that it actually looks good.

I have a very strong western dance background as well (even entered college as a dance major) and I can tell you while in some ways it is helpful, for the most part you will be starting off the same as someone who has no dance experience (or in some ways worse, as you will have to un-learn a few things like turnout, etc.). I have found MED to be the most challenging dance form I've ever pursued.

Yes, Heartbeat of BellyDance is a DVD. Jenna gives very good cues, technique and repetition. You can easily find it on Amazon, Ebay, Barnes and Noble. The beginner drum solo is just over a minute long.

Edna

There is a relatively inexpensive DVD that is a great resource for beginning dancers who want to learn about performance.

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Bellydance-Basics-Beginners-Tanna-Valentine/dp/B000UZRT3Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1234862451&sr=8-1]Amazon.com: Bellydance Show Basics for Beginners: Tanna Valentine: Movies & TV[/ame]

The video talks a lot about how to structure a longer show, but you can take that information and apply it to the choices you make about what kind of song you'd like to dance to. There is a lengthy section on makeup and costuming. Tanna takes costume pieces from her own closet, and demonstrates how you can turn ordinary clothing items into a cute costume. She also talks about how you can decorate your dance space to "set a mood."

The choreographies that she teaches in the DVD might be above the level of beginner (truth be told, I haven't watched those parts of the DVD much), but if you don't want to do one of her dances, maybe they'll at least provide some inspiration.

I have an article on my website with all my tips on how to create a choreography.
Bellydance: How to create a choreography

A lot of it won't apply for the situation you're talking about though. A romantic boyfriend-dance in a bellydance costume doesn't really need all the elements of a good performance piece or even any real bellydancing! It's all fantasy -- Trust me, he's not going to be wondering about whether your dance was authentic, or whether you properly utilized your space...

thank you all! i have another workshop in march (for zills)- which i won't be demonstrating for him (yet ;) but im feeling good about something small as you're all suggesting. **Lauren! thank you so much! your webpage on choreographing a piece was perfect! thank u!

The video Nimah recommended is very good, as is Heartbeat of Bellydance. You might also look into Sarah Skinner's Seven Veils video if you want to try something theatrical - but maybe just work with one video at a time, otherwise it can get confusing. You have a friendly/appreciative audience, and anything that happens in your bedroom should just be for fun...g.: