Dance Name:
It is most important to choose
a good name which reflects the style of the
dance and maybe the song title too.
Always search the Web to check that your chosen
title has not been used before.
Remember that when someone is searching for
your dance, it is better for you to have a unique
title. Placing punctuation in the title will
make it more difficult for those searching for
the script or voting for it in charts.
Choreographer Name:
The name or names should be clearly
shown. You may wish to indicate your country
in full or abreviated.
i.e. UK, Fr. Austria, Australia etc.
Also you may want to add the date that the script
was released.
i.e. May 2007, Jun. 07, etc.
Music:
The title of the song, the artist,
the album name and other relevant details should
be given.
You could include the Beats Per Minute (BPM)
of the music.
You may decide to add the total duration of
the track. (3m 46sec)
Also the version of the song : Album, Radio
edit etc.
If the music is difficult to get, then include
information as to how the song may be legally
obtained.
If you have alternate music suggestions, include
details of those too.
Dance Information:
Include details of Walls - 1,2,3
or 4 or Phrased.
Include the Difficulty level - typical examples
are - Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced.
Where the dance is not a Phrased one, include
the count per wall – 32, 24, 56, 96 etc.
Sometimes it is a good idea to include a detail
of the style - Waltz, Hip-Hop, Rhumba etc.
Lead in or Intro. Before the dancer begins to
dance the steps:
This is very important information, because
starting at the wrong point will place the dancer
in the wrong situation when it comes to Tags
or Restarts etc.
Typically - Intro: 32 counts (24 secs) Start
on Vocals.
The time is useful to the instructor when the
count is difficult to determine.
It’s sometimes hard to decide whether the dance
is performed to the fast or slow beat.
The Section Headings:
Try to keep the headings brief as they are a quick guide only. Use the descriptions of step groups in general use. Typically - Coaster, Sailor, Wizard, Lock, Anchor, Monterey, Chasse, Shuffle etc. Display them as Bold or CAPITALS in order to be clearer for the reader & to distinguish the headings from the main step instructions.
The Step Instructions:
The steps are numbered, and the
step numbers should be separated by punctuation
marks.
This is usually by a Comma or Hyphen. - typically
3,4 or 3-4.
Where the dance has steps in between the main
beats an '&' symbol is used.
i.e. 3&4 Step instruction 3, Step instruction
&, Step instruction 4
So, in this case there are Three instructions
which coincide with Three musical points.
In some cases, in Irish Dances or some Latin
dances the step is not in the Half way position
between main rhythm beats. In this case the
'a' symbol is used.
i.e. 3&a4 or 1,2a3.
Insert a "Tab" between the step numbers
and the step instructions. This helps with clarity.
i.e. 1,2 Step right to right side, Close left
beside right.
You may want to advise the reader regarding
the direction they should be facing after each
instruction involving a turn.
i.e. 1,2 Make 1/2 turn to right, Step forward
on left (6.00)
The (6.00) is the clock position relative to
the start wall for that sequence.
At the end of the wall sequence, it is best
to indicate what to do.
i.e. Begin again, Start again, Repeat from the
beginning. etc.
This also segregates the main step instructions
for Tags, Bridges and other items.
Tags, Bridges etc.:
The intructions should show where
in the dance they occur and on which wall or
after which wall. Also, the reader should be
instructed on what to do at the end of the Tag
etc.
i.e. Restart the dance from the beginning, or,
continue from step 16. etc.
Endings:
Some choreographers like to end
their dances on the front wall. This sometimes
involves a short sequence of steps to achieve
that result. The steps should be described in
the same way as the preceeding main part of
the dance.
I hope that this scribble of observations is
of use to those just starting to develop their
scripting skills and maybe some who are old
hands too.
Remember that the script is often the only information
the dancer has available.
Make it as clear, succinct, and well presented
as possible. This will all help your dance to
be adopted by the largest number of people.
Regards..........George
