Teaching Dance Improvisation

Matthew Farmer is Chair of the Dance Department at Hope College and the Dorothy Wiley DeLong Endowed Professor of Dance. He is the former Co-Artistic Director of R.G. Dance Productions, current Co-Artistic Director of H2 Dance Co., and co-author of the book Introductory Modern Dance: A Teaching Manual. Matthew received his MFA from the University of Michigan in Dance Performance and Choreography, and his BA in Theatre and Dance from Hope College. Matthew was a company member of The Peter Sparling Dance Co., company member and Associate Director of LehrerDance, and has performed as a solo artist in the United States, Germany, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. Farmer’s choreography has been produced by college and university dance programs, professional dance companies, international festivals, theater companies, dance competitions, and musical theater venues throughout the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Mexico, France, and Ecuador. As an educator, Matthew focuses on modern dance, contemporary dance, jazz dance, improvisation, partnering, and dance composition.

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1

What Is Improvisation?

Chapter 2

The 10 Rules of Improvisation; Plus 1

Chapter 3

Rule #1 – There is No Right or Wrong… But Sometimes There Is a Better Choice

Chapter 4

Rule #2 – Follow Your Impulse

Chapter 5

Rule #3 – Start with What You Know

Chapter 6

Rule #4 – When in Doubt, Go Back to the Beginning

Chapter 7

Rule # 5 – The Moment You Check Out, Someone Gets Hurt

Chapter 8

Rule #6 – It Takes a Village to Raise an Improvisation

Chapter 9

Rule #7 – The Hardest Part Isn’t Knowing When to Start: It’s Knowing How to Start

Chapter 10

Rule #8 – Everything You Need Exists in the World around You

Chapter 11

Rule #9 – Continual Movement in and of Itself Is Not Necessarily Improvisation

Chapter 12

Rule #10 – Be Wary of the Black Hole

Chapter 13

Plus 1 – Repetition Is Comfort Food

Chapter 14

Additional Considerations and Concluding Thoughts

Chapter 15

Sample Class Curriculums

Index