Transcript Don`t Just Stand There, Let`s Get Moving!

Don’t Just Stand There,
Let’s Get Moving!
Incorporating Movement into
YOUR
Choir Rehearsal…
Dana Lux
LA ACDA R & S Show Choir Chair
Can movement help your choral
program?
 Outside
the choral world, directors don’t
realize what a major role in vocal music
choreography has begun to take in the last
two decades!
 It adds an element of life, personality and
spirit to a performance, it makes your
concerts visual delights as well as auditory
ones, and rounds out the whole picture.
Adding that extra bit of “zest” to
your performances….
We, as directors, are suddenly finding
ourselves needing to provide more
entertainment. We need to try and
satisfy an audience more and more
and we're thinking that they didn't
teach us choreography, publicity and
costuming in school.
However, entertainers have filled up
audiences for years and sent them
home happy… year after year.
So let's start applying those
professional techniques to our
classroom. We need to stop thinking
of ourselves as only choral directors
and start thinking of
ourselves
as PRODUCERS!
We're not saying that if you only want
to do traditional music with your
choirs that it is bad. We're saying
that here is an alternative or…
here is something to add to your
performances in order to have a more
broad based choral program.
Take some risk with your
repertoire. It's only two or three
minutes of your entire program.
The problem….
The problem is learning, how to
incorporate movement into the
performance without doing it wrong.
This area can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be
– too much, too little, too inappropriate to the
music, you name it, there are so many ways it
can go wrong.
Too much…
Too much movement can take
away from the music.
Too little….
Only having so few
movements…
remember that it will not
be visually interesting.
Too inappropriate…
The movement doesn’t fit the
style of the music
Some solutions….
Why not use a book resource or
prepared DVD for help? Yes, you can!
Let’s get started with a few….

John Jacobson
John Jacobson’s Riser Choreography

Sally Albrecht
Choral Music in Motion Vol 1 & 2
 That’s Entertainment
 Follow Me To the Top
 Hooray for Hollywood!
 Razamatazz!
 In the Spotlight!
John Jacobson

Movement enhances even the simplest of musical
settings.
 It can bring energy to a dynamic show choir number or
simple elegance to a beautiful concert piece without your
choir ever leaving the risers!
 John Jacobson's ideas for staging and choreography on
choral risers have been compiled into easy-to-use videos
and DVDs for the beginning or veteran choral director.
 Covering basic formations, visual effects, and simple
gestures that enhance the lyrics, this practical guide will
help you incorporate all kinds of staging into your
performance.
Sally Albrecht
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Each volume contains photos to show you exactly how
to add choral movement to your program.
Learn how to utilize upper body movement (not fancy
dance steps), facial expressions and staging to make
your choral concerts come alive!
She takes you step by step through staging suggestions
for the new Alfred Choral Designs titles. Each song is
presented in three ways:
1. Complete performance with Sally facing the camera,
mirroring your movements.
2. Step by step instructional guide, with explanations and
descriptions of each move.
3. Exclusive "Double Shot" performance with Sally facing
a mirror—you see the movement from behind her and in
a mirror!
Accompaniment Resources:

Almost every song that you can find now has an
accompaniment CD- ask your music supplier.
 You can have a live accompaniment- it can be
as small as piano accompaniment or ask your
band director if you could incorporate the jazz
band or small ensemble and now you have
involved more students for success!
 If budgets are low, email other choral directors
and borrow! They are great resources!
What can they wear….
 You
don’t have to have a lot of money to
dress them for success.
 The “dress” does not have to be an
expensive “Show Choir” uniform.
 Allow your students to help you “interpret”
the dress for that particular piece of music.
It can be simple…
 Simple…T-shirt
 Simple…Hat
 Simple
pair of….Sunglasses
 Simple instruments…Kazoo’s
 Simple…Handkerchief
These are only a few suggestions
Live Resources…
Example: Do you have a student that
has been involved for years in private
dance?
Example: Do you have a faculty member that has
been a former dancer?
You can call a dance studio in your area for
helping with a song: It might incur a cost, but
even for one song, it’s worth it.
You don’t have to sacrifice the
sound….
 Most
choir directors don’t want to deal with
movement - the excuse is “I am sacrificing
the sound.”
 This may be a cover-up for your own
inadequacy.
 A Show Choir works just like any other
choir in a regular choral program. The
music comes first before any movement is
placed!
A great recruitment tool…
 Your
program will shine at “Open House”
with one simple choreographed number!
 Your choir can have a featured number at
the school pep rally. Why not get your
group in front of the entire school this
way?
 Christmas time and Nursing Homes
 Community Outdoor Festivals throughout
the year….and on & on….
I am available…
 Dana
Lux (LA ACDA R & S Show Choir Chair)
McKinley Middle Academic Magnet Visual & Performing Arts School
Choral Director
[email protected]
[email protected]
(225) 937-4985 cell
Costume Resources on the Net:
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Southeastern Apparel
Formal Fashions
Stage Accent
Rivars (custom apparel)
Show Choir Buzz
Your local Thrift Store
Your local Community Theatre-costume rentals
The Dollar Store …..and so much more!
Uplift your students to new heights!
As choral directors, is our motive to include
and uplift every student?
Enabling students to understand and
perform the elements of music and
movement and teaching them to respect
each other’s individuality is a prize that
can never be summed up by a trophy.
Music + Movement =
success & smiles!
You don’t have to compete in a Show Choir
competition to incorporate music and
movement with your choir!
They aren’t for every group.
Using good rehearsed choral music and
incorporating movement just adds that
extra ingredient for a motivated group,
excited about themselves and others
around them!
Taken from the Choral Advocate Vol. 45, no. 7