4dancers is adding a new column to the mix–Making Dances. Lauren Wernecke will be writing this series and today she is here with use to give readers an introduction this subject and some of her thoughts on the matter…

by Lauren Wernecke

Well, hi there.

I’m so honored to be joining the fabulous crew at 4dancers.  Making Dances is a unique writing experience for me, because, generally speaking, I tend to write about things I know a lot about.  Like the Achilles tendon.  And cheese.

I mean, what do I really know about making dances?  On a good day, not much.

There’s a saying that “the more you think you know, the less you know, you know?”

I don’t necessarily think that this is always true, but in the case of choreography, part of the process of making a dance is about figuring out how to make it.  Coming up with ideas is easy.  It’s the implementation of said ideas that makes our jobs hard…

…and in the end, no matter how many comp classes or choreographic devices you implement, the rules on how to make a dance are individual to each dancer and each dance.

My goal in writing Making Dances is not simply to tell you how to make a dance.  This is not Choreography 101.  It’s a biased view inside one person’s creative process.  However, my hope is that hearing my experiences in making dances will give you leave to reflect on your own creative process and to, in turn, articulate what makes YOU tick.

So, enough about me… [Read more…]