The Scoville Series: Part I 6RPHWKRXJKWVRQZRUNLQJZLWKDQDFFRPSDQLVW %\-RQ6FRYLOOH Choreographing the teacher/accompanist minuet: ZRUNHGZLWKDWHDFKHUZKRXVHGPL[HGPHWHUVLQPDQ\ SKUDVHVLQHYHU\FODVV,WEHFDPHDFRXQWLQJPDUDWKRQ $QDFFRPSDQLVW¶VSULPDU\UROHLVWRDVVLVWDQGVXSSRUW UDWKHU WKDQ DQ RSSRUWXQLW\ WR GDQFH 8QGHU WKHVH WKH WHDFKHU LQ PDNLQJ WKH FODVV JR ,I WKHUH DUH JRRG circumstances counting along can help the students lines of communication, both verbal and visual, from ¿QGWKHGRZQEHDWDQGZLOOKHOSDQDFFRPSDQLVWZKR HDFKVLGHWKHZRUNLQJUHODWLRQVKLSZLOOEHSRVLWLYH PD\QRWKDYHKDGDORWRIH[SHULHQFH SOD\LQJWKRVHWLPHVLJQDWXUHV2QFH 7KHDFFRPSDQLVWLVKHOSHGJUHDWO\E\WKHIROORZLQJ the class and the accompanist all 7KH RSSRUWXQLW\ WR VHH HQRXJK RI WKH PRYHPHQW seem secure with the meters, the during the demonstration to make decisions about teacher can stop counting along and LQVWUXPHQWDWLRQ DQG VRXQG TXDOLWLHV 7KLV VHHPV OHWWKHPXVLFVXSSRUWWKHGDQFH obvious, but occasionally the accompanist’s view will be blocked by students or the accompanist may be new :KLOHWKLVLVDSHGDJRJLFDOLVVXHLWGRHVDIIHFWWKH in that particular class and will not have had a chance DFFRPSDQLVW¶V DWWLWXGH WRZDUGV WKH FODVV 7KHUH DUH to see a movement phrase with which the dancers are teachers who will teach not only an entire class, but DOUHDG\IDPLOLDU occasionally a whole semester working in one meter DQGRIWHQLQRQHWHPSR:KLOHZHDOOKDYHRXUSHUVRQDO $FOHDUFRXQWRII GRHVQ¶WKDYHWREHORQJ±XVXDOO\ movement preferences for triple or duple meters, a ZLOOGR%XWPDNHVXUHWKHVXEGLYLVLRQVRIWKH FKDQJHRISDFHDQGIHHOZLOOKHOSH[SDQGWKHVWXGHQWV¶ EHDWDUHLQWKHFRXQWRII 6HYHQ(LJKWLVDYDVWO\ understanding of the rich variety of qualitative choices GLIIHUHQWIHHOIURP6HYHQ± (LJKW± *HQHUDOO\ DWWKHLUGLVSRVDO WKH IHHO WULSOHW RU GXSOHW ZLOO EH HYLGHQW ZKHQ WKH phrase is shown, but re-iteration in the count-off is • On occasion a teacher will choose to let the groove DOZD\VDJRRGLGHDIRUERWKVWXGHQWVDQGDFFRPSDQLVW of the movement take over and keep the class dancing FRQWLQXRXVO\IRURUPLQXWHVDWDWLPH:KLOHWKLV 6LQJLQJ 6FDWVLQJLQJRURWKHUYRFDOL]DWLRQVJLYHWKH can be great fun for all, it also can put a heavy demand on students and accompanist a great deal of information the accompanist’s arms and hands and cause repetitive DERXWKRZWRIHHOWKHÀRZDQGRUDWWDFNRIWKHSKUDVH VWUDLQ LQMXULHV %H DZDUH RI WKLV DQG WDNH RFFDVLRQDO Many teachers have signature songs which they use VKRUWEUHDNVIRUFULWVEHIRUHFRXQWLQJRIIDJDLQ when demonstrating the movement and this is very KHOSIXOWRWKHDFFRPSDQLVW 3UREOHPV 7KH PDLQ VRXUFHV RI WHQVLRQ EHWZHHQ teacher and accompanist often revolve around the music &RXQWLQJGXULQJWKHSKUDVH QRQHHG,QIDFWLWFDQRIWHQ QRWEHLQJDSSURSULDWHWRWKHPRYHPHQW7KHUHPD\EH EHDGLVWUDFWLRQ2QHWHDFKHUZKRVKDOOUHPDLQQDPHOHVV genuine aesthetic or interpretative differences or there EHFDXVHW\SLFDOO\,FDQ¶WUHPHPEHUKLVQDPH XVHG PD\EHLQH[SHULHQFHRQWKHSDUWRIWKHDFFRPSDQLVW RU WRFRXQWGXULQJWKHHQWLUHFRPELQDWLRQ$QGQRWRQO\ WKHWHDFKHU ZKLFKPDNHVLWGLI¿FXOWIRUWKHPXVLFLDQ would he unconsciously alter the tempo, but he would to recognize what quality of sound should go with occasionally intersperse crits to the dancers and then try SDUWLFXODU W\SHV RI PRYHPHQW :LWK D VHDVRQHG to pick up the count again, usually far away accompanist, generally a word or two in a non-hostile IURPZKHUHLWDFWXDOO\ZDV&RXQWLQJFDQ PDQQHU ZLOO VROYH VW\OLVWLF SUREOHPV ³$ OLWWOH PRUH be helpful, however, if the phrase is in an DWWDFN´³0RUHOHJDWRO\ULFDOSOHDVH´³&RXOG\RXJLYH RGG PHWHU HJ HWF RU D PL[HG it more syncopation/more emphasis on the down beat?” PHWHU HJ WZRPHDVXUHVRIIROORZHGE\ Equally helpful is a nod when the accompanist does DPHDVXUHHDFKRI DQG ,RQFH JHWLWULJKW7KHQWKH\NQRZLQWKHIXWXUHZKDW\RXDUH 12 continued on next page The Scoville Series: Part I cont... ORRNLQJIRULQDSDUWLFXODUTXDOLW\ 'UXPNDWDQGWU\DVKRUWQRQLQWUXVLYHSKUDVHWRVHHLI %XW VRPHWLPHV WKH DFFRPSDQLVW GRHVQ¶W JHW LW LW ZRUNV ZLWK ZKDW WKH WHDFKHU LV SUHSDULQJ )RU WKH DQGDEHIRUHRUDIWHUFODVVFRQYHUVDWLRQLVZDUUDQWHG musician it is very helpful if at least some of the phrase 7U\WRGRLWLQDEULGJHEXLOGLQJPDQQHU$QGUHFRJQL]H is demonstrated at the tempo at which it will be played, that if you lack a music vocabulary or the accompanist VRWKDWWKH\FDQSODQDFFRUGLQJO\6KRZLQJVRPHWKLQJ doesn’t comprehend dance terminology you may have in a slow tempo and then counting off much faster can WRUHVRUWWRPRUHSRHWLFLPDJHVWRWU\WRH[SODLQZKDW EHDUHFLSHIRUPXVLFDO DQGRIWHQGDQFH GLVDVWHU \RX DUH DVNLQJ IRU ³7U\ PDNLQJ LW PRUH XUEDQ´ 2U ³OLNH EDUEHG YLROHW VPRNH´ ZKLFK , ZRXOG WUDQVODWH 5DSSRUW :KHQ \RX ZRUN ZLWK DQ H[SHULHQFHG as in a minor key with soft attack and some dissonant accompanist, often just a look in their direction is H[WHQVLRQVLQWKHKDUPRQLFVWUXFWXUH ,QWKHVSLULWRI VXI¿FLHQWIRUWKHPWRJLYHWKHFODVVDRQHPHDVXUHLQWUR maintaining a two-way street, when you have not $QGRQFHDUDSSRUWLVHVWDEOLVKHGWKHDFFRPSDQLVWPD\ worked with a particular accompanist regularly, it be able to bail you out by remembering a tempo from helps to let them know when a class has gone 20 minutes earlier, or recognizing that you’ve counted ZHOOIURPDPXVLFDOSRLQWRIYLHZ,WDOVRKHOSV off with a duplet feel when you demonstrated it in to invite questions from the accompanist after WULSOHWV 5HPHPEHU WKH DFFRPSDQLVW LV WKHUH WR KHOS class if there have been any communication $QGDQ\WKLQJZLWKFKRFRODWHLQLWPDNHVDQH[FHOOHQW SUREOHPV EULEH
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