Hoop Panic

Tomorrow night, I am performing onstage with my hoop in a talent show at Exit Bar in Shinjuku Nichome in front of a paying audience of (I assume) drag queens and gay men who are voting for the best act. I am only a brief 90 second entre’act in a larger Hooplovers performance, but I am very excited. And more than a little nervous.

This is the first time I’ve performed a solo. It’s the first time I’ve had to do my own choreography. Thank goodness it’s only a 1’30” circus march. I guess I could just get up and wing it but I won’t let myself do that. Instead, I am learning how to prepare a performance piece:

1. Edit music to length. This is pretty easy since I do it for videos often enough.
2. Listen to the music. Over and over.
3. Break it into sections. Write them down. Count.
4. Visualise some moves. Freak out that you can’t think of enough moves or tricks to fill the sections. Scour YouTube for ideas.
5. Chocolate.
6. Play with the moves and the music. Find some that work. Write them down.
7. Video the result.
8. Freak out during the playback. Revise and refine.
9. Repeat 4-8 until you have something that works.

I’ve been at it since 9 am. I am still on step 9 and it seems to be getting farther and farther away from finished. I think step 10 is drill the dance until it is smooth and looks easy. Step 11 involves costuming. Or possibly chocolate.

OK, back to step 9. I wish I had a collaborator to work with; it is easier for me to bounce ideas around with someone until ideas gel. In any case, I aim to get to step 10 before bedtime.

Posted by kuri at January 22, 2010 05:24 PM