Mind Blowing Stage Effects Man. How do you do it? How do you create such
striking visuals that actually fit with the music, show the movement clearly, and
are actually doable by the dancers. The process might feel like a mystery but
it's nothing that you and your team can't do too! There are actually some
key staging formulas that dance teams commonly use! In this video we're gonna
break down some of our favourite formations, blocking formulas, and give
you tips and tricks to make this whole process a million times easier for you
and your team! That is IF you subscribe to this channel. Just kidding
we're still gonna share with you anyways but you should really subscribe! This is some
premium content that you can only get on STEEZY's page every single week. Now
let's get into it! Formation number 1: Clumping. And
disclaimer: these aren't official terms just the way that we like to describe them.
Clumping creates a powerful effect because you concentrate all of the
energy onstage to one obvious focal point. Teams often clump with a center
dancer at the tip. I've heard this called a pyramid formation or a V formation.
You can also clump to make the crowd think you're about to do some crazy
choreo, but plot twist! Slow down instead. This contrast between
expectation and reality drives the audience wild! Give the people what they want!
Formation number 2: Columns.
This is not only a trick to travel across the stage, but the dancers who are
acting as columns frame the stage, creating a unique landscape for other
dancers to work with. Formation number 3: a single-file line.
Whether it's diagonal or straight across stage we love a good line because of its
simplicity. So when you have a moment in that formation, it'll read that much
clearer. But because you can see every single dancer, you got to be clean okay!
Formation number 4: 'everybody get your also stage for the finale' formation. Even
if it's predictable it's always a satisfying feeling to see all these
bodies rush onto stage because you know s**ts about to go down! Why are we cursing so much in this?
Formation number 5: different levels. Levels make the stage more
exciting to look at because the variations in height stimulate your
eyeballs! Oh yeah! Teams will often use props
like risers to create more levels on stage or if you're at The Lab, you just
become the riser! Now that we've got some formation shapes
and patterns down. Let's talk about the movement. Blocking number 1:
Ripples. Ripples are when you start the same motion at different times like when
you see the crowd do a wave at a sporting event. You can start and end the
ripple in different ways. In to out, out to in, back to front, or even ripple after
ripple after ripple! Blocking number 2: Mirroring. If you want to create symmetry,
then have the left and the right side of the stage do opposite choreography or
choose specific dancers to mirror like every other line, or just the back half.
Blocking number 3: Holes. You can have everyone hold while one person does a
solo, you can have dancers hold but throw in subtle moves here and there to accent
the choreography, or you can hold me when I'm sad and lonely. One of my
favorites: have the back line hold or milk while the dancers on stage are
doing the choreo this fills up the stage but doesn't overwhelm the audience with
motion. These formations and blocking tips are just ideas that you can use.
There is no cookie cutter right and wrong for blocking because you're
deciding what effect you want to create on stage! We're here to make that process
easier for you so here are four ways to bring those brilliant ideas to life so
that you don't drive yourself, or your team crazy! Tip number 1: storyboard the
full performance. If you know that you're putting this set on stage, then visualize
the pictures, effects, and movements that you want before even creating the
choreography. Blocking should be a part of the creation process and not an
afterthought. Tip number 2: workshop it! Many dancers draw dots on graph paper
but it could be more helpful to use a physical object like coins or chess
pieces so you can physically see where the pieces are moving through each other
and changing formations. Tip number 3: plan your pathways! Speaking of movement,
your blocking should also be feasible. You know so you're not giving that
dancer at the back left corner three counts to travel two miles across stage!
Tip number 4: come prepared but be flexible! No matter how sick the ideas in
your head might be they might not work out in reality so come to rehearsal
prepared, have the ideas that you want to bring, but also be prepared to workshop
and pivot from your original ideas. Blocking is meant to highlight your
dancers talents and enhance whatever story you're telling. Use what you
learned today so you can let your creativity wander and come up with
innovative staging ideas for your next performance! Please give that subscribe
button some love because there's a lot more where that came from!
And also make sure you leave a comment below if you have any tips on
on blocking or staging stay in formation STEEZY nation!