Balancing act: where do you draw the line between choreography that's inventive ... or over-the-top?

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Great dancers, costumes, music, and props will only get you so far. It's the choreography that counts most when it comes to wowing judges and audiences. It can be worth taking constructive Chances, but how do you find a fresh approach? And where do you draw the line?

"Without a doubt, the last five years have brought a dramatic change in how studios approach choreography," says Joe Lanteri, executive director of New York City Dance Alliance. He sees a greater emphasis on inventive concepts and criss-crossing genres. "There's this fusion of jazz and modern and contemporary. I think that can be exciting and push the boundaries." Yet he warns that focusing too hard on making a winning routine can be a trap. "You end up with a predictable series of steps and dance tricks that someone believes to be the requisite formula."

Choosing the right story line can help. Dance Connection Performing Arts Centre in Concord, CA, has competed for close to 30 years. Recently the studio won an award at a Star Systems competition for Lola, a routine that was an homage to the classic Fosse Damn Yankees number made famous by Gwen Verdon, but with a contemporary twist. "It stood out because it told a story," says owner Paula Henson. "And it was funny." A male dancer portraying a nerd, complete with taped-up glasses, finds himself taken--and taken over--by the cool, confident Lola, and ends up stretched at her feet, gasping into an inhaler. Henson says, "Routines like that set us apart because of their entertainment factor."

She also matches stage elements and props to the choreography and her dancers' abilities, like a routine that featured a dancer who had strength and flexibility hanging in the middle of the stage by a bungee cord like a spider in a web. "Props don't do it by themselves," she says, citing the glasses in Lola as part of the number's overall effectiveness. "One element isn't going to win." She also warns against relying on technically proficient dancers to mask dull choreography.

"Technique alone can leave people feeling empty. A high developpe doesn't always make someone's day."

She's not alone. Competition directors warn against filling the stage with technical tricks. "Great choreography can be made from the simplest steps and vocabulary," says Lanteri. Choreographer and teacher Bethany Hooks agrees. A judge at Dance Masters of America, NADAA, Thunderstruck, and other competitions, she says, "It's not about how many leaps and turns and jumps." Sometimes a dancer's passion transcends all the other elements. She recently saw a lyrical piece that had been choreographed by the student who performed it. "Technically she was amazing, but what struck me was her emotion," says Hooks. "It was as if she was by herself in a room dancing. As dancers, we have many walls, and when we get onstage, letting them down is what performing is all about."

However, heartfelt isn't all that's needed. Randy Allaire, executive director of L.A. Danceforce, notes it can be hard to gauge what will be considered excessive. "Choreography that does not necessarily move the piece forward can be considered over-the-top," he says. "On the other hand something outrageously funny and 'over-the-top' can be perfect."

He notes that even some of the most experienced studios make mistakes in this regard. "When the choreography doesn't work, remember the same thing has happened to someone else," he says. "Everyone has to make mistakes to progress." One of his pet peeves is sexually suggestive or provocative choreography, particularly for younger dancers. "I would consider something to be tasteless if it was inappropriate for the performers in genre, styling, movement, and content," he says.

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And while taste and originality will impress judges, choreographers don't have to reinvent the wheel. "I would hate to have a choreographer think that the only way to be successful is to come up with a new dance vocabulary," says Lanteri. Lauren Schultz, director of Phoenix Rising Dance Studio in Columbia, MD, says her studio tends to do well in competitions because they rank tradition over novelty. One of their most successful pieces is the very classical Medora, which they perform in tutus. "Not many formal ballet pieces are done in competitions that aren't strictly ballet-oriented," Schultz says to explain why her studio stands out.

Others find that blending the best of several genres can showcase an array of strengths. Danelle DalBesio Schultz, owner of Dance Arts Center in Milwaukee, has choreographed successful routines that fuse jazz and lyrical. "Our production numbers not only showcase all of our levels of dancers, they also incorporate diverse vocabulary, styles, and disciplines," she says. This allows her to play to students' strengths, rather than choreograph around their weaknesses.

Great choreography past and present remains a place to look for inspiration. Take notes on the highly inventive work that's being seen on stages across the world, some of it now available on DVD. "Choreographers should do external research," says Lanteri. "Have they ever seen pieces by Forsythe, or Nederlands Dans Theater, or Paris Opera Ballet?" Danelle Schultz suggests turning to classic Hollywood movies for inspiration. "I'll watch old musicals and get ideas from what I'm seeing on the screen. I'll listen to music that doesn't have anything to do with what I'm doing just to hear different sounds in different beats." Hooks says you can learn a lot from reading how other choreographers create work. She suggests Conversations with Choreographers by Svetlana McLee Grody and Dorothy Daniels Lister.

But in the end, choreographers have to be able to complement their students' abilities. "Thirty-two bad fouettes are simply bad, and including every trick in the book can easily become over-the-top," says Allaire. As Hooks points out, "It all starts from the dancer. If the dancer and the choreographer do their job, the audience is going to love it because you love what you're doing on the stage. And that's the way it reads."

RELATED ARTICLE: Bold and barefoot.

Modern dance makes inroads on the competition circuit

More studios have started bringing modern pieces to competitions, and some competitions are even creating a separate award category for it. Although it's not a completely new approach--contemporary blends modern and lyrical--its emotionality, stark shapes, contractions, and flexed feet now can be seen all over. As many studios are discovering, incorporating elements from modern opens up a world of possibilities.

L.A. Danceforce's Randy Allaire says he hopes the recent interest in modern will give impetus for young dancers to learn more about the masters of the art form. "Many students don't have training in traditional modern," he says. He suggests slowly introducing a few modern elements among a blend of familiar styles if students don't yet have any training in modern techniques. Try adding modern movement to a hip hop routine. "Keep in mind, modern does not necessarily mean heady and serious. It can be fun too." He says he sees younger dancers now enjoying this kind of experimenting. "Work that many younger dancers have placed in the past on the level of eating peas is much more palatable at present."

As a judge and choreographer, Bethany Hooks has noted modern's increased appeal, but warns choreographers to be careful not to confuse audiences.

"Sometimes what's called a modern piece is really a lyrical piece," she says. "Some of these dancers don't know Martha Graham; they don't know Alvin Alley." She feels it's important that

both dancers and audiences be clear on what they're performing. "We need to stay true to the form of modern," she warns. "If a piece is more to the lyrics of the song, that's lyrical; modern is something different."

Studio owner Paula Henson attributes modern's increased popularity to So You Think You Can Dance. "Choreographers like Mia Michaels and Wade Robson have encouraged it," she says, noting that they tend to tap a variety of modern techniques in their contemporary and commercial work. "People watch and think, 'Wow that's so unique.'" She feels the greatest dancers must train in all genres and be able to move easily between them. She singles out modern as a special plus, both in terms of training and choreography. "It lends itself to a higher level of creativity."--E.M.

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Emily Macel is an associate editor at Dance Magazine.