Thread: Ways to "change up" a movement ? List?

So I'm trying to come up with a little list, for myself and for my students, on ways to "change up" a movement. We do a little drill of one movement, and then go through different aspects of the elements on this list to vary the movement, or make it more appropriate to the music.

Here's the list I have:

Ways to Vary Movement
1. Height or Level change
2. Timing change
3. Speed or Tempo change
4. Direction change (facing different ways and also using different area of the stage)
5. Style change (different arm frame, generate from different muscle, etc.)

Can anybody add to this? I'm trying to come up with an "improver" syllabus based on incorporating these concepts into their drills.

( I love exploring these things in class because there is always somebody who will look shocked and say, wow I never thought of starting this movement to the back, or whatever. So fun!)

Containment vs expansion? (I'm finding this really fun to experiment with at the moment, and wish someone had taught it in my classes sooner!)

Add a shimmy.
Make it travel- forwards, sideways, backwards, in a circle, in your own circle.

what about different types of turns or spins?

Asymmetry? Make the move bigger/smaller/faster/slower on one side vs. the other?

Another thought: how about pairing it with a footwork pattern or floor pattern? Like, 3/4 shimmy atop a grapevine, or travel in a circle/sit over a square?

Ooh!!! Awesome ideas!! I'll come back to this thread in a bit :) Thank you!!!!!!

Change the style of move from percussive to ooey-gooey, or vice versa. For eg, an ooey-gooey vertical 8 can be changed to a include a sharper drop. Or walking sideways while rolling one hip can be changed to step sideways with a more percussive hip push.

Muscular contraction. For example, a standard 3/4 step with emphasis on the hip-out versus one with emphasis on a hip-up driven by an oblique contraction.

Or your standard jewel with a twist versus one with a hip-up.

excellent list so far- especially like the addition of containment/size

Also: weight (heavy vs. light) and continuity (abrupt pauses or change vs. flowing through the movement)

(ETA- both of those are continuum aspects- it's not just heavy or light, but what degree of heaviness, etc.)

Some really good ideas here! The only thing I can think of is to explore the differences a move has between folkloric and cabaret styles - flat feet/on toes, larger and looser/more control, etc.

Originally Posted by Andrea2

Some really good ideas here! The only thing I can think of is to explore the differences a move has between folkloric and cabaret styles - flat feet/on toes, larger and looser/more control, etc.

I like this idea. You could practice moves to suit various styles of music - saidi, Turkish, delicate modern Egyptian, etc. A good way of introducing both movement options and educate about stylistic choices.

Some of the stylistic differences come down to high center of gravity/on the balls of the feet vs. low center of gravity/flat footed.

How about the different ways you can add layers to a movement, some of this was mentioned....like adding a 3/4 shimmy to a grapevine.

Ex. take a figure 8 then:
1) add an undulation
2) add a vibration shimmy
3) add a stomach punch at different locations
4) add a rib cage circle
5) etc. etc

then after all those possibilities have been explored, try adding two layers.

It makes for a lot of challenging fun!

My first teacher taught me that you could "break" a move. Basically it's executing the move while stoping or "breaking" the motion repeatedly. I beleive there is a term for it commonly used for hip hoppers and fusion dancers.

These are all great suggestions. I think I would add 'dynamics' to your list, in terms of both size of movement (a big single hip circle, a large single hip circle) and strength (a whacking enormous hip drop, a teeny weeny hip drop). And like Lara L pointed out these are continuums (in fact her heavy/light might correspond to my strength?) Understanding the range of movements in these two spectrums and the ones you originally listed is really important for getting better at finding ways to express what you hear in the music IMHO - and also I get students to use these variations when I do my evil 'improvise with only two movements' exercise

@Roshanna - can you explain what you mean by containment/expansion (apols for threadjack)

Size change (big vs. small)
Posture change
Weight change (move with weight evenly distributed between both feet vs. same move with weight on one foot)

Timing also includes more than simply fast vs. slow. The evenness of the timing of the move can change the look. Do all segments of the move take the same time to execute, or is one part slow and another fast?

changing the "downbeat" of your movement. For example...instead of always starting your hip squares (or ribcage for that matter) on the right, start it in the back, or on the left, or front, and do alternating directions if you're doing more than 1 in a row. This can be applied to any of your movements...

Try the movement/movement concept on a different part of the body. For example, a jewel done with the upper body.

Originally Posted by deelybopper

@Roshanna - can you explain what you mean by containment/expansion (apols for threadjack)

The way I've been taught, it's sort of a combination of size and how much of your body is used in the movement. Eg, a vertical 8 can be small and isolated, or you can make it huge and use your knees, arms and upper body to exaggerate the movement. Or little horizontal hip circles vs really big hip circles where your upper body also moves or you bend your knees. And of course, there is a continuum like with all the other size/strength type things people have mentioned.

Try the movement facing front, facing back, to the right diagonal, to the left diagonal, turning in a circle clockwise and counterclockwise.

These are awesome ideas!! Thank you!!

The only one I'm not comfortable with teaching is the difference between folkloric and oriental. I've not done that much REAL folkloric, so other than the obvious (more grounded, feet flat or not pointed) I'm not really sure myself how to discuss the differences :/

The "dynamics" category is huge!! I think I'll edit the original post to reflect a better list.

I know this has been helpful to me -- I hope it is helpful to another teacher out there. Thank you!

Originally Posted by Roshanna

The way I've been taught, it's sort of a combination of size and how much of your body is used in the movement. Eg, a vertical 8 can be small and isolated, or you can make it huge and use your knees, arms and upper body to exaggerate the movement. Or little horizontal hip circles vs really big hip circles where your upper body also moves or you bend your knees. And of course, there is a continuum like with all the other size/strength type things people have mentioned.

Aha! I know exactly what you mean now, and 'containment/expansion' makes perfect sense. Thanks for explaining :)

Originally Posted by aziyade

These are awesome ideas!! Thank you!!

<snip!>

I know this has been helpful to me -- I hope it is helpful to another teacher out there. Thank you!

It has, and thanks for starting the thread :)

great ideas. love this thread.

Also loving t his thread!

[Sorry about the typo in the previous post -- not able to use the editing function to correct it.]


I also wanted to add that if students have a good movement vocabulary and a good grasp of it, make *them* figure out things to do to change up a movement!

By all means, give them an example or two, but then have them choose from two or three movement options, then have them think of something that's different to do.

Except for the most basic aspect of movements such as hip lift, hip twist, figure 8s, I *discovered* 95% of what I know about movement variations by just trying stuff for myself. It's a creative process! We can guide our students to get them to thinking outside the proverbial box, but *they* need to do the thinking! It's the only way we begin to *own* our dance!

Deborah

Isidora Bushkovski did a great exercise in a workshop when she was here a few years ago -- she taught an 8 or 16 count combination and put on the most incredible mix of music, leading the class in how you'd change that same combination to work with the different styles and tempos. A real mind bender!

Originally Posted by tigerb

Isidora Bushkovski did a great exercise in a workshop when she was here a few years ago -- she taught an 8 or 16 count combination and put on the most incredible mix of music, leading the class in how you'd change that same combination to work with the different styles and tempos. A real mind bender!

Yes! It is incredibly important to develop this skill. Without it, it's pretty darn hard to "dance to the music" or, as others have said, "make the music visible."

Deborah