Keep Calm?! But It’s Choreo Day!

Whether they’re new, fresh-faced recruits or seasoned competitors, most dancers look forward to the excitement that a choreo day can bring! “Choreo” is short for “choreography”; a choreo day is when the students learn the choreography for a new dance routine for the upcoming season. 

Why the Fuss?

New dance moms might be surprised by how excited their children are as they approach a choreo day. My girls are always keyed up the night before and the morning of the session. But what is all the fuss about?

The Song

For many teams or companies, the dancers don’t learn what song they’ll be working with until choreo day. The song contributes to the “vibe” of the dance, so the kids naturally are most eager to know what it will be. While they might know what genre they’ll be working with (lyrical, contemporary, tap, etc.) before the session even begins, knowing the song gives them a better idea about the style. For example, a jazz number might have musical theater undertones, or a tap number could have an edgy rock vibe. But they won’t know until they hear the song!

The Dancers

Depending on several factors (the size of the studio, the age of the students, etc.), the dancers might not know exactly who else will be participating in a given routine with them. With older dancers that have phones and are members of group chats, they may already know exactly who else will be joining them. But with younger dancers (or larger studios), they may not find out until they show up!

The composition of the team also dictates what division they’ll be competing in, as it depends on the members’ ages. Also, the number of dancers determines whether the group will be considered small, large, a line, or some other category. 

The Costume

Sometimes, the director or choreographer will reveal the type of costume that he or she has in mind on choreo day. Occasionally, my girls’ teachers have shown them a picture of the actual costume, or simply described the type of outfit they were planning to order. If your dancer is extremely lucky, the instructor might already have the costumes in hand on choreo day!

The Choreography (well, duh…)

Yes, choreo days are all about choreography! Even with knowing the song, the participants, and the costume, the “feel” of the dance cannot fully be understood without a few 8-counts of the movements. Once they begin to execute the choreo, they can start to “get” the vision that the choreographer had in mind. 

The teacher might also begin pulling specific dancers aside to work with them on special parts for featured groups (or even a solo “spotlight”) on choreo day. The instructor will probably expect those dancers to work on those parts on their own time, either in or out of the studio.

Don’t be surprised if the dancers need several sessions to learn all of the choreography for a given dance. Our routines can run about two and a half minutes, so the group usually needs two or more choreo days to cover it all. Also, teachers often need to make some changes (both big and small) because of a range of factors (new students being added, dancers withdrawing due to injury, the original choreo not working, etc.) so expect additional days to be added.

Some Dance Mom Advice

If our dancers don’t seem pleased when they hop in the car after a long choreo day, we as moms naturally want to know why they are disappointed. For example, they might not like the song, think the routine is too babyish, etc. Whatever they share with you, keep in mind that it was probably a long day; this could adversely affect their ability to see things from a neutral perspective.

To keep things positive, you could simply remind them that the choreographer has a vision, and it’s the dancers’ job to bring that vision to life.

If you yourself do not trust the teacher’s decisions, this is probably not the most opportune time to share that viewpoint with your child. But if you find yourself questioning the teacher’s capabilities often and over a long period of time, that might be a reason to find a new studio (see Time to Say Goodbye, Part 1 and Part 2). 

I wish your dancer all the best as they learn their new choreo for the year!

For tips on how to pick up choreography quickly, go here!