Dances are designed by applying one or both of these fundamental choreographic methods:
- Improvisation, in which a choreographer provides dancers with a score (i.e., generalized directives) that serves as guidelines for improvised movement and form. For example, a score might direct one dancer to withdraw from another dancer, who in turn is directed to avoid the withdrawal, or it might specify a sequence of movements that are to be executed in an improvised manner over the course of a musical phrase, as in contra dance choreography. Improvisational scores typically offer wide latitude for personal interpretation by the dancer.
- Planned choreography, in which a choreographer dictates motion and form in detail, leaving little or no opportunity for the dancer to exercise personal interpretation.
- Mirroring - facing each other and doing the same
- Retrograde - performing a sequence of moves in reverse order
- Canon - people performing the same move one after the other
- Levels - people higher and lower in a dance
- Shadowing - standing one behind the other and performing the same moves
- Unison - two or more people doing a range of moves at the same time
I find inspiration from a number of places. Birds, inspirational movies and songs. I find inspiration at church and in the messages of my pastor. When I hear the music, I close my eyes and I can actually see the movements before they begin. I take into account how many people be dancing as well as their ages and genders. Then I begin to move and tell my story through the words. I have used songs by J Moss, Ty Tribett, Kirk Franklin, and a host of other great gospel artist. I have danced to slow music as well as up tempo music.