Thread: Music tracks without an intro: how to handle?

Recently I've been considering some tracks for an upcoming "student night." A couple of them are tunes I like very much, but there is just plain NO INTRO at the beginning. Literally they go from zero to sixty, jumping straight into the main theme of the song.

How do you handle a song like this? Do you let some of the song itself go by and then enter? Do you enter on the first note? Do you cut something else into the music so it has an introduction?

It feels really weird to me to have absolutely nothing before the main tune starts, but maybe there's a trick to this... what do you suggest?

In that case I usually let a little of the song go by before I start dancing. But you could always add a short introduction song before it. I like using Al Masarah by Mario Kirlis. It's onyl 1:15 minutes long. Perfect to run out with a veil, do some tricks to warm up, and start the next dance. Good luck!

I have added a little bit something to songs like this in the past, just something simple - a drum roll, tambourine shake, sort of a time marker.

I use a music editor to patch in an intro - maybe a snippet of the main musical theme that seems to sound intro-y.

Most of the time I'll let a couple of measures go by and then dance in with fringe a'blaring.

There have been situations, though (especially for group numbers) where I've found it best to tack on an entrance. In those cases, I'll usually use 30 seconds to a minute from another song (one we already have a wonderfully choreographed entrance to, of course!) and then crossfade that into the other track.

Occasionally, nothing works but to start a number onstage, but I generally HATE that option. It requires that the dancer/dancers find a way to elegantly and calmly take position onstage during the announcer intro, or during silence, strike a pose, and wait for the music. I *have* done it, but it's my last resort. When I do it with students, I make them rehearse calmly walking onstage with outstanding posture and heads held high, then gracefully striking some sort of interesting poses while they wait patiently.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Occasionally, nothing works but to start a number onstage, but I generally HATE that option. It requires that the dancer/dancers find a way to elegantly and calmly take position onstage during the announcer intro, or during silence, strike a pose, and wait for the music. I *have* done it, but it's my last resort.

It seems like there's a Murphy's Law for this. Inevitably, the dancer will go out on stage and strike that pose and then...the wrong music will play...or the CD won't read...and the performer will end up looking around worried and talking awkwardly to someone offstage, totally breaking character and interrupting whatever mood was initially starting to be created. You may as well go ahead and rehearse a false start on this style of entrance.

If at all possible, I think it's best to avoid cold starts. Without some sort of timing cue, it's almost impossible to catch those first beats anyway, so either dance out after the music begins (even if that means you have to engineer your own new front end to the record), or keep looking for another song that will give you enough time to get out there.

I recently had this problem with a choreography for my students. I solved it by finding a short piece of music - 32 seconds - and putting it in front of the track we were actually dancing to. Cold starts are difficult, but I think it's good training for students to take their place on stage while maintaining their dance/stage presence and to teach them to maintain that while making their exit, too. Sound problems, though, do seem almost inevitable - the sound person will fade up the track and you don't know where you are, for example, or the other problems Tourbeau mentioned. 32 seconds gave us a nice cushion against all that.l