The Bunion: A Guide to Creating Your Next Dance Piece

By Maggie Stack and Emmaly Wiederholt

Are you a contemporary choreographer who’s out of fresh ideas? Follow these simple steps to put together your next masterpiece!

Step One: Choose your theme

1. Race
2. Death
3. Childhood
4. Sex
5. Maternity

Step Two: Choose your music

1. Arvo Part
2. Phillip Glass
3. Tori Amos
4. Looping guitarist/cellist/xylophonist
5. Soundscapes from nature (fire, wind, water)

Step Three: Choose your moves

1. Create a base phrase by describing a line with your body
2. Insert pedestrian gestures
3. Change levels
4. Experiment with textures (soft/hard, small/big, slow/fast)
5. Add words and sounds

Step Four: Choose your costumes

1. Neutral colored layers
2. Everyday clothes
3. Underwear
4. Flowing uniformly colored dresses
5. Khaki slacks with white button down shirt

And voila!

Back to Top