Triple 8 / Zeytun West '22

The first stage of our idea development is deciding our show theme—a process which involves our whole company. We’ll have a company-wide meeting and write out a list of ideas that everyone contributes on a blackboard. We’ll discuss each theme, and anyone who wants to contribute their opinion is able to. Then, slowly whittling down the list, we vote on the theme we want. 

Once our theme is established, the next step in creating our show is making our pieces. We start by having each member propose around four eight counts of choreography in front of the whole company. These proposals are just to give an idea of what kind of piece and vibe the choreographer has in mind. The members watching then vote on whether or not they would want to be in the proposed piece. After that, our Artistic Directors choose which pieces will be in the show and cast the pieces.

Over the course of the next few months the choreographers continue to choreograph their pieces and teach their cast. Different choreographers have different ways of developing ideas, but when choreographing, it’s generally best not to watch videos of other choreographies to the same song because the dance moves and musicality they use tend to take over your mind while you’re trying to come up with things. It's best to freestyle to the song a few times and record yourself, just to feel out the musicality and see sounds your body wants to emphasize and what movements it is drawn to. After coming up with a general sense of what you want to do with the song, you start polishing your movements and making them more intricate.

Choreography is usually taught first, followed by formations. When making formations, choreographers are able to emphasize key moments and give each dancer a moment to shine. Once the choreography is clean and people have internalized their formations, performance and expressions are the next things we work on, followed by staging the piece in the theatre and adding lights.

Throughout our preparation for the show, we have company rehearsals every week, during which every piece is performed in front of the entire company, and members give notes and suggest improvements. Although choreographing is an individual process, nearly every step of our idea development and creative process involves the input of the whole company. Given the size of our company, there is never a shortage of ideas, and it is through everyone’s participation and contributions that we can put our show together.