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Time and time again I find that we, as artists, come to a place of uncertainty when taking on a new choreographic project. Our daily movement training and experience has well equipped us for the challenge of fabricating choreography that inspires us. This is the element we feel confident exploring and making definitive decisions. It is the art of deciding what music to use, however, that tends to be daunting. We get to the point of swimming in open water without having a ship or coastline in sight to gravitate toward. I’ve noticed throughout my own personal experiences as a choreographer, as well as observing others’ processes, that we all tend to feel at a loss now and again finding the most fitting music for our projects. I do feel that having extensive music training playing instruments while developing as a dancer has better equipped me for making choices as a choreographer- but the only method that truly develops this skill is immersing yourself in the challenge. In other words, the more you must make a decision on what music you want to use, the more you will see yourself making the best choice for your work. Throughout this article, I will touch on various techniques I try to follow each time I dive into my own creative process. You might discover that some points do not align with your process as an individual creator, and that is perfectly normal. The goal of sharing this information is to challenge yourself by using tools that may fall outside of your usual creative routine.

The first order of business I come to while dipping my toes into a sea of possibilities is to commit to a feeling. I tend to work a lot with expression and emotion as a driving force in my work, so I like to begin with establishing what the tone of my piece is going to be. Some of us may like to create movement for movement’s sake, and if that is what path you want to explore, maybe start with a clear intention instead. I might begin choosing to develop my piece with “longing” or “loss” as driving motive. Just committing to this simple abstract emotion is plenty to work from, especially since many choreographers do not begin with movement first. If longing is a primary factor for my work, I could then decide that a piece of music with heavy strings would be suitable. String instruments tend to bring out feelings of nostalgia and sadness when played slowly and deliberately. Being able to clearly connect your musical accompaniment to your initial intention is a crucial first step to finding music that is not only going to work, but continue to motivate you as well. 

Starting your search is generally done on a common streaming service platform, such as Spotify or Apple Music. I strongly encourage using one of these platforms for your search because they have a “suggestion” element that is based off the type of music you are searching. If I begin listening to pieces by musician Dustin O’Halloran and discover that these scores aren’t quite what I have in mind, I can then scroll down to the “fans also like” section in which a similar artist, Peter Broderick is listed. Take some time to explore artists who you may have not come across in the past because more often than not, their music could inspire you in a new way, possibly even leading you to the songs that you want to use for choreography. Going down the rabbit hole is not only helpful, but crucial in expanding your musical repertory. If you find yourself getting stuck, it’s a good idea to walk away for a while to clear your head before coming back to it. Remember, making a final decision for your piece does not have to be an impulse choice. 

If the opportunity arises, collaboration with a composer or musical artists is a direction you may be interested in exploring. The positives in working with a collaborator is that you can communicate exactly what you are looking for, and work together to create what you are envisioning in your mind. It also saves the hassle of exploring endless songs that may not mirror the sound you know your piece will need.  The downside of this method is that it usually takes more resources from your budget in order to successfully collaborate, but if this is of no concern, it may be a suitable option for your project. Always ask yourself if collaboration is a viable option. Art is beautiful when standing alone, but can thrive even more when paired with another art medium. 

When deciding what score is going to accompany your dancers or other production, you likely will want to stay away from selecting popular music or film soundtrack scores. Your audience members could already be familiar with the music. When an individual has a predetermined connection with the music you are using for a piece, it then alters their interpretation of your work in either a positive, or negative, fashion. You want the movement to speak for itself. There is one exception to this idea- if a piece of popular music or film soundtrack score directly enhances the message you are trying to convey, then going in that direction could be appropriate. A good example of when this has been a necessary choreographic choice is when Eisenhower Dance Detroit founding Artistic Director Laurie Eisenhower created her work Tom’s Songs. The idea for the piece was to use pop/rock music that her late husband Tom McGray loved as a musician himself. She would then use the collection of songs as an homage to Tom and experiences they had shared together.

Although it may seem daunting, try not to get married to any music selection right out of the gate. Make a playlist collecting as many options as you feel fits in the category of feeling/intention that you primarily want to explore, and then weigh your options. Limiting yourself too soon in the process is almost a sure way to end up with a result you are not completely satisfied with. If you hold out long enough, eventually the music that speaks to you the most will find its way to you.

Advanced technology is such a blessing in the arts industry, and it is up to the choreographer how much they want to use developing technology to advance their creating process. I’ve found that the more technology you access while searching for the musical choice that is going to continue to inspire you throughout your creative process, the more diverse the options you will discover, making your final decision clearer and more accessible. From experience, challenging myself not to settle has been a tactic that I’ve found has brought me the most success. In the end, if you find yourself not connecting to a music selection that you made a solid decision to use, always know that it’s not too late to make adjustments. Often times, if you stay true to your intention choreographically throughout the process, you can play with keeping movement that you’ve already created and fit in a new musical accommodation. There are no right or wrong answers. Remind yourself to make the choices that align closest to your vision.

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Alex Hlavaty (he/him) graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a minor in Creative Writing from Western Michigan University in May, 2015. He also studied in New York City with Gibney Dance and in Montréal with O Vertigo and Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal before joining Eisenhower Dance Detroit. He is currently dancing in his eighth season with EDD where he has performed and taught master classes nationally and internationally. He has set excerpts of original EDD repertory on high school and university students at summer intensives, workshops, and master classes. Mr. Hlavaty is also an avid choreographer and writer. His choreography has been performed in festivals, intensives, and competitions. His two most recent works were created on EDD’s professional company. He also has poetry published in the literary journal The Laureate, 14th Edition and has written for DancePlug online as a resource for dance students, professionals, and educators. He is certified in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) - Junior, Senior, and Advanced programs, and strives to use PBT fundamentals to bring the best education to his students.