crafting the routine

photo by jeremy sharp, 2009.

about a month ago, i decided to start choreographing a solo firehooping routine.  the main impetus behind the idea was to develop and own a solid, go-to routine; something that i could always have ready to break out when needed; something including a full range of expression from my growing firehooping repertoire.

prior to this, i’d really only choreographed routines as part of duets, trios, etc.  when i’ve performed solos in the past, i’ve simply jammed.  i absolutely love the freedom of an improvisational jam.  that’s where the flow is strongest, i find.  but it has it’s drawbacks.  one is self-imposed; i always challenge myself not to repeat tricks when jamming.  i know this sounds a little extreme, but i think it has been a great way of pushing myself to continue learning new moves, to always reach.  i do follow this with a grain of salt, though.  for example, the transitions i use when breaking planes are limited in number; i have to reuse them just to do my thing.  so there is some repetition.

my first step with choreography is always to pick the music.  the music is everything.  it sets the pace, the mood, and for me, the movement framework since so much of what i do is tied to rhythm.  i have a playlist of songs “i’d like to perform to” that i’ve been building for a couple of years, but i’ve been feeling pretty sick of most of the songs, because i hoop to them all the time.

after a lot of consideration, i picked one of my newer finds, a great niyaz track, and started my process. for me, it is important to know the music well, to learn it by heart; to know the buildups, the transitions, the timing.  i map out the timing of each section of the song for reference.  i do this so i can sketch ideas in each section of the song with clear markers.  the audio map becomes the template for the movement play.

i like to use a whiteboard when doing choreography.  handy way to play with ideas in your hooping space.  because i don’t subscribe to some of the names people use for moves, i often find myself writing descriptions like “arm blender to alt back bend to front vert isolation”.  (sometimes this cryptic language is completely unintelligible to me later)  i brainstorm for days, trying sequences “live” with the hoop.  adding, subtracting, exploring options.  the whiteboard usually disintegrates into an illegible mess, but by that time, most of the routine has been etched into me.

i’d learned the niyaz tune intimately and loosely sketched out most of the sequences of the routine.  i began practicing in earnest.  then one night i heard a song on pandora that i’ve liked for some time and i was suddenly inspired.  when i tried hooping to it, it was obvious.  this was the song to work with.  immediate gear change.

since i’d already sketched out a number of ideas for the previous song, i had some nice sequences ready to adapt to the new tune.  i’ve spent the subsequent weeks developing beyond these building blocks to craft just about every section of the evolving 4 1/2 minute routine.  i’m trying to pull widely from my repertoire to build the best showpiece i can.

photo by jeremy sharp, 2009.

when i originally set out to choreograph a solo piece i didn’t have a specific gig in mind for the debut.  i’ve been working with the confidence that something apropos would come up.  to my delight,  it has.  my friend isa, of temple of poi fame, has invited me to rock a solo at the sf food bank canned food drive fire dancing show.  i’m grateful to have the perfect opportunity for the unveiling of my baby.  i’m also just excited to perform and, of course,  a little freaked.

as i write this, i’m two weeks out from the gig.  i’d say i’ve got about 85% of the routine worked out in my head, but doing it is a whole other story.  that’s more like 60% solid.  the difficulty i’m having has to do with timing and transitions.  some of the combinations i’ve developed are long sequences.  i’m still learning to hear the marker in the music where i should initiate the sequence.  this may sound straightforward, but since i allow for some jamming even within choreographed sections, i can get lost jamming in a “jamming” section and forget to initiate a complicated sequence in time.  then my fancy pop move is blown at the transition.  (does that make sense to anyone but me?)  the other thing is that i always include tricks or movements that i can’t yet do in my choreography.  need to have some things to reach for.  i’ve got a few new moves in this one that i really need to practice until they are rote enough that i can relax about them.   bottom line, i’ve got work to do.

i’d say the underlying challenge i’ve got for this gig is just that i’m going into the final prep a bit worn out.  i’ve just hooped incredibly hard for about 9 months straight.  i feel the keen desire for a week in a hot tub somewhere, with a masseuse and lots of sleep.  maybe that will be my treat to myself after the gig…