Chapter 13: Dance Choreography

I can take inspiration from the circular arrangement of flower petals, the spiral of a shell or galaxy, flowing river waves, fluttering butterfly wings, birds flying in a V-formation, swaying trees, falling raindrops and changing cloud formations. These patterns can be represented through circles, spirals, curved pathways, repeated movements, changing levels and symmetrical group formations. For example, arm movements can imitate butterfly wings, as seen in Assam’s Bagurumba dance.

During the year, I learnt about body alignment, breath, rhythm or tāla, tempo or laya, Nṛitta, Nṛitya, rekhā, stage space and the four abhinayas. I observed that even a small change in direction, timing, level or expression can change the meaning of a movement. Regular practice improved my balance, coordination, rhythm and confidence. I also understood that dance is not merely a collection of steps; it communicates ideas and emotions through the entire body.

Creating choreography taught me how to convert an idea into an organised sequence of movements. Sharing my work helped me understand that the same theme can be interpreted differently by different people. Collaboration required listening, cooperation, compromise and respect for everyone’s abilities. While working in a group, we adjusted formations, spacing and timing to suit all dancers. Peer feedback helped us improve unclear movements and made our performance more coordinated and expressive.

My silver lining was discovering that I could communicate ideas and emotions through movement even without speaking. I became more confident and learnt that mistakes can lead to better creative choices. Our group discovered that every member had a different strength—some created movements, some maintained rhythm and others planned formations. The creative process taught us patience, flexibility and teamwork. Together, our different abilities made the final choreography richer and more meaningful.

Fig. 13.13 shows the spiral and circular pattern of the Milky Way Galaxy. Similar patterns can be observed in:

• Garba of Gujarat, where dancers move in expanding and contracting circles.
• Ghoomar of Rajasthan, where repeated turns create swirling circular patterns.
• Kummi of Tamil Nadu, where dancers form a circle and move rhythmically around its centre.

I have selected option ii—placement and movements of dancers for a choreography titled “Galaxy in Motion.” The audience will be positioned along the downstage side.

My chosen theme was “Galaxy in Motion,” expressing harmony, wonder and connection in the cosmos. Eight dancers began in a wide circle, narrowed into a spiral, opened along diagonal paths and ended in a star-shaped formation. I used unison to represent unity, canon to suggest stars appearing one after another and contrasting levels to create depth. Curved arm movements, turns, small jumps and controlled pauses formed the Āṅgika element. Rhythmic syllables and changing laya gradually increased the energy, while blue and silver scarves strengthened the cosmic mood. The spiral communicated the theme clearly, but our final transition required better spacing and synchronisation. Peer feedback helped us improve it.

Geometrical shapes can be identified in several dance forms. Bharatanatyam creates triangles through bent knees and extended arms, while Kathak uses straight lines, diagonals and circles through travelling movements and chakkars. Garba, Ghoomar and Kummi create circular and radial formations. Bhangra, Karagāṭṭam and Naga community dances may create lines, arcs and pyramid-like formations. In Odissi, tribhaṅga produces graceful curved and triangular rekhās.

Body inclusivity means that dance belongs to everyone, irrespective of age, gender, height, weight, body shape, physical ability or previous training. There is no single “perfect” dancing body. A sensitive choreographer understands each mover’s comfort, mobility and expressive strengths and adapts the pace, steps, levels, spacing and support accordingly. A person may dance while standing, sitting, using a wheelchair or expressing primarily through the hands, face, eyes and breath. Everyone should receive a meaningful role and be treated with dignity. Accessible rehearsal spaces, consent, safety and respectful feedback are also important. Diversity enriches choreography by introducing new movements, experiences and ways of expression.

A sculpture fixes one expressive instant in stone or metal, yet its bent knees, raised arms, flowing garments and curved rekhās make us imagine movement before and after that moment. Indian temple sculptures and images such as Naṭarāja demonstrate this quality. Dance performs the reverse process: although the body is continuously moving, deliberate pauses, balanced stances, mudrās, focused expressions and group tableaux create moments of stillness. Indian forms such as Bharatanatyam and Odissi, and Southeast Asian traditions such as Thailand’s Khon and Cambodia’s Reamker presentations, use controlled body lines, gestures and sculptural poses. Thus, sculpture holds rhythm within a still form, while dance briefly transforms a living, moving body into sculpture.