# How are dance routine choreographed **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 19, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-dance-routine-choreographed/490067 "2009-03-19T20:16:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![J-P\_L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/j-p_l/32/3156_2.png) [@J-P\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J-P_L)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-dance-routine-choreographed/490067/1 "2009-03-19T20:16:25Z")
While watching “Dancing with the Stars - the Results”, this question came to mind, how are dance routine choreographed. The question applies for individuals such as the Pro’s or the a choreographer for a group. The choreographer will come up with a routine, but how does (s)he make it up, do they have a way of recording it, some kind of notation system. It seems to me if they only make on-the-fly type of thing, they would have problems remembering what they came up with next. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-dance-routine-choreographed/490067/2 "2009-03-19T21:58:14Z")
[http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/359/how-are-dances-written-down-and-passed-along](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/359/how-are-dances-written-down-and-passed-along) > **[Goethe-Universität — Error 404 - Not Found](https://www.uni-frankfurt.de/404.html)** > > Die Goethe-Universität ist eine forschungsstarke Hochschule in der europäischen Finanzmetropole Frankfurt. Lebendig, urban und weltoffen besitzt sie als Stiftungsuniversität ein einzigartiges Maß an Eigenständigkeit. [http://www.dancenotation.org/lnbasics/frame0.html](http://www.dancenotation.org/lnbasics/frame0.html) ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-dance-routine-choreographed/490067/3 "2009-03-20T03:08:37Z")
I was beat to Labanotation, however, in my experience, dances are usually worked out orally. In well-defined genres, most gestures and steps have names. In freer contexts, like contemporary dance, I have found that choreographers may draw some rough sketches of postures, and they will usually act out the movements for the dancers. Macro-structures are somewhat easier to handle: you can give descriptive names to various sections. Once a piece is finished, video is usually the best way to record it. I’ve yet to meet someone who actually uses Labanotation. I actually asked this very question to the first choreographer I worked with (I scored the music for the performance) and she just sighted and said she wished she could give me a good answer. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-dance-routine-choreographed/490067/4 "2009-03-20T14:44:17Z")
It’s a little easier in tap. I’m not sure whether there’s an official notation or not (though it wouldn’t surprise me) as I haven’t studied in years. That said, my teacher would use a shortened notation for basic building blocks: LF, RS, BC for left flap, right shuffle, ball change. These would be strung together to create steps and such, with beats sometimes numbered under them (if needed). It worked pretty well. I know she also had notes for ballet, because I remember consulting and following them, but I can’t remember what they looked like. This was just for a dance studio in western WI; the oldest dancer there was 19 or so, so it’s not for anything professional. I studied there for 10 years in grade school and high school.