I generally perfer to see choreographed stuff with multiple people, therefore that is what I create. I like seeing design made with people, I think it is really interesting and dynamic! I tink it is just a personal preferance. Where we live there are no live musicians (ski town in CO), so we only have recorded stuff. It's funny, dancing totally improv is scary to me, although I can do it and have in the past, it is still 'yikes' to me!! We are actually working on that in class right now, so we can all get more comfortable. I think the most well rounded dancer can do both well; be a dy=namic and interesting solo improver, and also mesh into a choreography.
Interesting subject, thanks!!
Happy shimmies, Molly

I love that quote Samira!

And Norma, I think your comment about your video is very telling. The fact that you could look back and assess your flaws and mistakes and be very critical of yourself...well, look at the world today. Everything is on YouTube. Everything is recorded For All Time!

Okay, not literally everything, but y'know, I came from a generation whos childhood was recorded on 8mm film, if at all. My parents were pretty forward thinking to even own a video camera, which the film had to be sent off to be processed onto reels, and we watched on our reel-to-reel projected on a folding screen. With no sound. It seems I can't possibly be old enough for that to be the case, because it seems "so long ago", but I am only 33 years old, and that is the case in the 70's.

So skip ahead to the 80's, where little was recorded. And what was, was on a very delicate recording medium (VHS/Beta), and was rarely widely distributed unless you were selling a professional video, which had been shot and edited with that in mind. Even the first half of the 90's was pretty limited.

Then get to the turn of the century, and woah Nelly. Suddenly, many people have video cameras, and computers are being shipped with video editing software standard. YouTube crops up, and then not only are video cameras more widespread, but PHONES HAVE VIDEO CAMERAS IN THEM! The chance for your best and worst to be caught in the act and posted for you and the world to see just jumped a million-fold.

I think the shift to choreography is exactly a reflection of this technology shift. People are too afraid that their flubs will go down in electronic history.

I agree that improvisation is an important skill for a working dancer. With different venues to consider and many different gigs to prepare for, there is no time to create, memorize and perfect a choreography for each show - especially when many restaurant shows or bellygrams or whatnot require multiple songs. And you can't keep doing the same choreography every week for your regulars. Plus you don't know what can happen - someone walks in the door, waiter walks through, etc.

Choreography is really important for group pieces though, and I think sometimes the goal of group piece is less about "who the dancer is" and more about the dancing and the picture made on the stage. I'm in a group performance this week and one thing I've realized as I've been working on it with the other participants - I am not there to shine or to show my individuality - I am there to realize the dream of the choreographer - and actually, how well I execute a move - while important - it's more important that I execute that move in sync and style with the other dancers. Because I'm just a part that makes a greater whole. This is where I think choreographing down the every last movement and facial expression is useful.

I'm very lucky that here in Austin, I've had teachers and dance mentors who improv, but also can teach interesting choreography. I enjoy watching improv more than choreography (for many of the reasons already mentioned), but the 1 thing that makes either version most interesting relates to the "see the dancer" qoute: I want to see the dancer's persoanlity & interpretation of the music, not just a series of technical moves. As a young dancer, I value both & want to have both skills in my "toolbox"!

While there is room for both, improv is becoming a lost art. The Friday night show at the Austin Belly Dance Convention will be all improv to live music from Sohail Kaspar & Same Issa and The Amwaj Band. And the Saturday show features the Heart of Texas Belly Dance Contest which will be all improv. More info is under topics-Austin Belly Dance Convention and at bahaia.com.