Dance Improvisation Exercises for Choreographers and Dancers

Dance improvisation is movement that is not choreographed ahead of time. It may be structured, guided or free. Improvisation can be used to stimulate ideas for choreography, to help students learn new ways of moving their bodies or to get a great, creative workout.

Not many dance studios offer improvisation "classes", but you may be able to find some through college dance departments, a modern dance company or in larger cities. Occasionally you can find freestyle dance jams and contact improv gatherings locally. Searing the internet can usually put you in touch with any communities in your area.

If you are an instructor looking for more structured improvisation exercises, or a choreographer looking for creative stimulation, here are some exercises to incorporate into an improv session.

Use lines, curves and shapes to guide movement. Try to make straight line shapes with your body, using a mirror to begin if needed. Then try to make curved lines with your body. Curve your spine, your extremities, your entire body. Next, make shapes by relating one body part to another. What shape, appears when your knee and shoulder relate? Your toe and stomach?

You can also change the time between changing shapes and the type of movement - slow and fluid from shape to shape or quick, staccato pulsing.

Another way to guide a dance improvisation with the idea of shape is to work with movement through shapes or objects. If you have real objects (furniture, boxes, props) you can use them to work with, but you can also simply imagine them in your space. Move within the boundaries of the object, move around it, move through it.

The next dance improvisation exercise is to change the qualities of a phrase of movement. Begin by choreographing a series of steps. Then change the qualities and dynamics of the movement. Change the duration of individual movements, taking a long time to execute them or a very short time. Then try doing the entire phrase fast or slow. Which movements work better at different speeds? Other qualities to play with are tension, energy, direction and levels (high and low).