The Art of Barbershop - Step by Step

Sometimes chorus members do not seem to understand why a choreographer or presentation team may decide to choreograph a certain song or why they choose to choreograph it differently than another.  I thought I would just write a short list of reasons to choreograph a song as well as give choreographers a little food for thought.

Obviously  95% of uptunes are choreographed, especially ones being used for contest, but what are the reasons?  And why are you seeing more choreography in ballads?

• -  Choreography is placed on a song to further the story of what we are saying and portray the energy of a song’s intent.   A choreo team should create moves that are within the style of the song and allow audience members to further understand what you are singing. Don’t move just to move.  Fun, jazzy moves don’t work with a “good-bye, take the dog he’s yours” kind of song any better than strong arms, and forceful stepping work with “don’t sit under the apple tree”.   In the same token as you wouldn’t put a big costume change in a song where it doesn’t make sense, just because your director likes to wear hot pants.
• Choreography can be used to help chorus members remember the words of a song.   It sounds strange, but muscle memory of choreography CAN help actual memory lapses during a song.   If you have one verse where the song uses the word “march”, and the next verse where it is all the same except this time you “salute”, then it would make sense to place choreography moves that do those two things if your chorus seems to get the two verses mixed up.   That is sort of an extreme example, but you get the idea.
• Choreography can be used (especially in ballads) when you have a chorus that doesn’t tend to move well on their own.   Even simple moves like a “sway”, a “step on the outside foot”, or a “slight lift of a hand”, can be choreographed where it just look like natural movement.   The audience doesn’t need to know its and actual move, but it keeps the chorus from getting too grounded and not moving at all.
• Choreography can be used to break up visually what can be a vocally long song.  Medleys seem to be a big culprit here.   For those that don’t move naturally to keep their vocal energy up, the stamina to sing a medley with 6 or 8 songs in it can get to be too much.  By the end, you’ve lost energy and your audience may have lost interest.   You don’t have to choreograph every song within the medley, but if you put some staging in even 3 of those songs it creates a better ebb and flow of energy and interest within the song.  This is for both your chorus members, and for your audience.
• Ballad choreography seems to be becoming more popular these days.  I am all for it.   Many of the ballads that we sing are fraught with great emotion.   I am always stunned at the number of people who can sing those songs without moving.  Putting those planned moves in helps further the emotional level for all and will get your non-movers involved as well.

Of course there are many reasons and many ways to choreograph or stage a song; these are just the tip of the iceberg.  However, I hope they help you review your song selections and work choreography and staging into them more often.

PS – Just for all the directors out there, remember that I never recommend moving in a way or during a song where it gets in the way of the singing.