Every professional faces a creative block at some point, whether you’re a painter, musician, writer or choreographer. Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to go ahead with that routine, story or song. Here are a few ways to break the block and get things moving again!
1) Stop and Take a Break: Sometimes distancing yourself from the song and choreography for a few hours or even days can help you come back with renewed enthusiasm and a clearer mind.
2) Improvise: Switch your mind off and let your body take over. Sometimes just letting your body naturally interpret the music changes everything! You can get out of your comfort zone and you might discover new movements in your body.
3) Revisit your Previous Choreographies: Go back to how you created other choreographies. Try and find the feeling, head space, and overall energy that inspired you to create the way you did.
4) Watch Other Artists: It’s important for you to be confident in your work without comparing it to anyone else’s. However, it’s equally important for you to draw inspiration from other artists – your colleagues, teachers or choreographers you look up to. No two dancers will interpret the same song/choreography in the same way, so pick what you like about these dancers and implement the same!
5) Go back to the Basics: Think about using the vocabulary you know, like the ball changes or the adavus you started with, and create using those as your base. As you build on this structure, you’ll find that you can now add your personal touch to this routine that’ll completely transform the choreography.
6) Create Without the Music: That’s right, no music. Create a small section of the choreography without the track. Once you’ve done that, play your track and fit this section to the music. Now all you have to do is adjust and tweak the choreography until it looks like it’s made especially for that song!
7) Watch the Music Video: If this song has a music video, go ahead and watch it multiple times to understand what the artist is trying to say/portray through in this song. In fact, go ahead and watch more of their videos to become familiar with the artist’s personal style. This can really help you become a lot more connected with the song.
8) Keep At It: Sometimes throwing your phone away, shutting your laptop and speakers and binge watching a TV show doesn’t do the trick. So this time, maybe just try staying with it. After 5 or 15 rough drafts, you’re sure to find something that works for you and suits the music!
We really hope this helps you overcome your block and you’re able to choreograph like a boss!
Do you have certain hacks that help you get over a creative block too? Let us know in the comments below!