Developing a Choreographic Process: Instinctual Creation vs. Premeditated Creation

Abstract

This thesis is a research project undertaken in order to develop a personal process of choreography. As a dance major at a university with a heavy emphasis on choreography, I feel it is important to identify and develop my own choreographic process. I am trying to find my own voice as a choreographer, so I am testing different recognized methods of movement creation in order to develop a process. Each semester, fall and spring, I choreographed separate pieces that were driven by a different process. Fall semester I choreographed driven by instinctual creation; spring semester I choreographed driven by premeditated creation. Throughout each process, I kept detailed journals on what choreographic tools and techniques I used to develop each piece. The largest products of my research were the two dances created, so the bulk of my thesis is videos of my dances. However, I wanted to document the processes to learn which techniques worked and which didn't. To close out my time here at the university, I will choreograph a solo using the information gathered from my research.