Choreography

[Penny Lingenfelter]

How do you choreograph your routines? How do you practice your choreography besides flying the kite?

I've stick practiced solo and with others. Best done in a hot tub.

Folded dollar bills shaped like a Rev. stuck on a straw works as a great kite stick.

Pipe cleaners make wonderful colorful kite shapes and sticks!

Is it Rick Talbot or Ron Reich who makes those wonderful straw sticks with string, so you can see how many twist you have in them. Fantastic tool!

I practice on computer screens and TV's make a wonderful kite window.

Laser Lights and Flash lights in the dark. I don't like this as well, because you don't get a good visual on forward and reverse kite flying. But it's fun.

Writing out the routine while I've watched the kids playing ball, or my husband umpiring. On the beach, in the rain, in the snow, in no wind. Lunch breaks. It's been a while since I got up like 5 am to fly. I think I'm ready to start that again.

My choreographer said to plan your routine like your looking at it from above. I've always considered it like ice skating in the sky. Well, that was before indoor and 3D flying. Any ways, that's just one of many ways to do it.

Do you work on your choreography in your mind, on a video, with a stick?

How do you practice it when you can't fly?

lol Have you ever danced your routine on the ground?

What works for you?

BB

Penny

www.pennyrev.com

[kite-head]

I'm pretty new to all this and must admit choreography is something I hadn't considered until recently when I decided I want to get into competition in '06. So, lately I have been thinking about it quite a bit. For me it is all in my head, but I like the pipe cleaner Idea and will have to give it a try.

Honestly though I'd much rather work it out while flying...much more satisfying

[audioRob]

Im working on my "first" routine using paper, pen and animation software (gimp).

I love it, it's tons of fun!

[Tedrick]

Once I've selected my music, I listen to it over and over again and play out in my minds eye what moves or tricks work best with the opportunities that are presented by the music. By opportunities, I mean crescendos, a cymbal crash, change of tempo, a pause, a drum hit, guitar riff, or whatever that can be a cue to do something. After I've mapped out what moves I want to do at the opportunities, it's a matter of creating the choreography that links the moves together. Some of this I will do in my head, and the rest I work out on the field while flying to the music. Once I've got it all together and it seems to flow ok, I usually try to draw it all out on paper so I don't forget (my most recent ballet is not written down yet, and I've flown it in competition now 4 times ).

For pairs flying, we do a fair bit of finger flying at night, or maybe just before we take the field, but I never finger-fly my individual routine; I do better visualizing it in my head while listening to my music.

[Penny Lingenfelter]

I agree, choreograph and practice while flying. Video makes this one of the best learning tools.

I use to write my routines down, but use video quite a bit.

I've never finger flown before, that should be entertaining with tricks. Any video?

I got to fly for about 45 min. this am. It's nice to get back into the winter kiteflying routine.

BB

Penny

[John Barresi]

I for one, rarely pre-choreograph my routines... I'll generally take note of the 3-8 "key points" of the music where I'd like to do something specific, and the rest is soul flying, off the cuff.

The only exceptions to this rule for me... My very first dual line ballet back in 1992, and my Bugs Bunny quad routine... Everything else is freeform.

Doesn't work for everyone, but it's done alright for me.

[Penny Lingenfelter]

John's, way is probably like most of our flying routines. A lot of off the cuff and flying to the music. Actually the majority of flyers don't have their routines choreographed. but know a few key elements they will put in.

My Popeye routine felt stilted for a while, because I choreographed every move for high or low wind (though it is a wind song)

I went to Eric Forsburg, International head judge and asked him what he thought. Should I keep trying to choreograph, or free fly with special moves for special music opportunities, etc. Hoping to show more soul.

He suggested staying with the choreography, because sometimes your on, and sometimes your off. I try to incorporate that advice in my flying, but it generally takes me longer to choreograph something to my liking.

The words continuity and consistency are important words in kite judging. I once planned a routine the night before and stick practiced like crazy for the comp that morning. I didn't get a portion of the last part choreographed and the judges called me on it. I took 2nd But learned a good lesson for competition.

You need that flow jo going if you want to free fly in competition.

Then there's Mystery Ballet. That's my favorite.

BB

Penny

[John Barresi]

Flow jo... Is that a technical term?

[LLAMAGUY]

Flow jo... Is that a technical term?

Sure! Track star... Florence Joyner (Griffith? I think) Flo Jo got her mojo workin...