Improvisation. It’s a term that strikes fear in the hearts of many dancers.
It can have you breaking out in a cold sweat or make you want to run for the hills – and yet it is a common audition tool and a skill that you simply can’t do without.
When you are used to working with choreography and are most comfortable with set exercises, specific moves and lots of instruction, being asked to improvise can really push you outside your comfort zone.
However, it is rare to attend an audition where you are not asked to improvise – so you really need to develop a few tools and strategies to help you to stay calm and rise to the challenge.
Firstly let’s look at the basics. There are a couple of different types of improvisation.
Individual improvisation: this is generally when students are asked to improvise on a theme. This could be fairly basic such a shape (e.g. a circle or a square); a particular feeling; a season of the year; or something more abstract to really challenge your creativity. Alternatively you might be asked to demonstrate your own interpretation of the music.
Contact improvisation: (in contemporary dance) involves working with a partner to explore movement through physical contact and connection.
Regardless of the type of improvisation, the meaning remains the same: to extemporize, ad lib, play it by ear, take it as it comes, make it up as you go along (Merriam Webster Dictionary).
While it is common for dancers to feel more secure with set steps and carefully constructed movement, improvisation is an important skill to master as it allows you to express yourself and your natural movement style.
This is exactly what the audition panel is looking for – your style, creativity and interpretation. An improvisation activity allows you to communicate who you really are along with your inventiveness, musicality and artistry.
The fear that many dancers feel when asked to improvise is precisely what causes rigidity in the body and the inability to move freely. It can make you feel frozen in space and blocks both creativity and spontaneity.
So what can you do to overcome your fear and harness this important skill?
- Take a deep breath, count to four, exhale slowly and relax. You cannot be spontaneous or move freely if you are stressed and anxious.
- Dispel negative and limiting self-talk. Tell yourself that you will accept this challenge; that you can do it and you will.
- Loosen up your body and limbs, roll your shoulders and shake out the tension.
- Take a few moments to think about the theme you have been given and how you might be able to creatively express it through your body.
- Start with just one part of your body and then let the movement move into other parts.
- Listen to the music – really listen. Concentrate on some of the nuances of it. It can help to focus your attention on one aspect – perhaps just the beat, or one particular instrument, and let your body communicate the feeling the instrument gives you.
- Focus only on yourself – it can sometimes help to close your eyes. Don’t worry about or look at anyone else. You need to turn your focus inwards and interpret the theme or feeling individually and in your own style.
- Don’t throw out your technique – you can still use it to interpret the music, but don’t allow your body to be restricted by technique.
It’s not all about tricks. Don’t focus on trying to give the most impressive performance. Focus instead on your interpretation and communication of the theme. The panel is looking for your artistry and creativity.
- Resist the urge to critique your movement – don’t judge yourself or compare yourself to others. Judgment is the enemy of creativity and will block and restrict your capacity to move freely.
- Allow your body to tell a story. Slow down and explore the movement, concentrate on the theme and your physicality.
- Incorporate different levels – perhaps start on the floor and move through a variety of levels to tell the story.
- Practise beforehand – an audition is not the place that you want to try improvisation for the first time. Spend some time in a studio before the audition to play with movement or, alternatively, seek out some improvisation classes.
It is normal and natural for people to feel out of their depth and vulnerable when they are asked to improvise. It is also natural to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you are doing something new for the first time.
However, to grow as a dancer you need to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Embrace new possibilities and challenge yourself.
In dance your body is the instrument that expresses emotion or tells a story. Use the opportunity to improvise as a means to communicate your inner dialogue and demonstrate your originality and vision.
As Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “The only thing to fear is fear itself”. So face your fear – lose your inhibitions and dance as though no one is watching!
This article was first published in the August-September 2013 issue of Dance Australia magazine.