Communication through dance
A conversation with LA-based choreographer, Jo Roy
Jo Roy is Los Angeles-based, director and choreographer known for her versatility in working with a variety of clients and musicians. Creating visual content that delivers beauty and inspiration is her top priority. Her work includes music videos, commercials, fashion films and dance-based content that has resulted in views in the multimillions. “Frost”, her dance film, won Best Unofficial Music Video at the Los Angeles Music Video Festival. Recently, Jo stopped by D1A LA to have a conversation about body language and dance as a means of communication.
During this discussion, Jo went through a series of music videos, all in which the dancers were communicating a different message.
Here are some of the videos she showed:
After each video, we paused to discuss the way in which dance was portrayed. As we attempted to dissect each piece, identifying what emotion the dancers were evoking, Jo taught us to change the way we see choreography as well the cinematography behind select videos. At the core of this conversation, two statements stood out:
“Dance is language. Dance is intention.”
At the center of communication is the need for intention. In some videos we saw dancers clearly attempting to entertain the audience — this was their intent. Though entertainment is important, these performances often lacked depth and meaning. In comparison, other videos showed dancers who moved with emotion, it was obvious that their intention was to tell a deeper story. The idea behind this exercise mirrors the variations of marketing strategies used by brands. Many brands may strategize to create campaigns for virality and entertainment yet have little depth behind the campaign. In contrast, other brands may strategize to develop campaigns centered around conveying a deeper message and do so in an interesting way. It is quite easy to differentiate the two intents.
As content creators, there is a constant need to identify the best method for getting an idea across to audiences. Oftentimes hours, days and even months are spent attempting to understand how to best do this. Though dance and marketing seemingly have nothing in common, at the core of both practices is the same goal: to communicate a message.
Focusing on dance for an afternoon taught us to think about the different ways we can express our messages.
Visit Jo Roy’s website to see how she uses dance and film as a means of communication: Joroy.ca
