20 Ways Organizing is Like Choreography

Image by Tobias C. Wahl from Pixabay

 I've been a theatre kid since high school, and a writer wannabe even longer than that. In fact, I discovered both creative pursuits at around the same time. These days, my writing takes many forms, from writing prompts to blog posts to novels.

The other night, I came across a prompt that challenged me to compare writing to singing or dancing. One thought led to another and, before I knew it, I'd switched gears to organizing (not a tough switch for me at all, as you can imagine!) In short order, I came up with 20 ways that organizing is like a dance routine.

To set the scene, imagine your home and all of the things you must find a place for. For purposes of this post, these items are your dancers.

1. There are many moving parts.  
2. When everyone moves just so and lands in his or her appointed place, the result is a thing of beauty.
3. Sometimes, the dancers move in sync. Other times, one has a solo -- or even an improvisation.
4. One out of step dancer can change the whole picture.
5. Sometimes, coming up with the plan that makes everything look lovely is easy; other times, it's like herding cats -- incredibly challenging and requiring both creativity and flexibility.
6. Not every dancer is the same size or shape, so creating a cohesive, well-aligned routine requires accommodations. 
7. Music makes the process easier and more fun.
8. Dancers sometimes seem to jump from one spot to another entirely of their own accord.
9. A good choreographer knows just how to place each dancer in a space that showcases his or her talents.
10. Without a plan, even the most beautiful and talented group of dancers can look chaotic.
11. Every dancer doesn't fit into every company.
12. Each choreographer has her own style.
13. Expertise is a plus, but even beginners can create routines that add to the beauty of the performance.
14. The ability to visualize the best way to move each dancer to the best space enhances the final product.
15. Sometimes the plan works better in your head.
16. The whole thing can get very messy before it settles into something beautiful.
17. Trial and error is sometimes the best method.
18. Collaboration is sometimes helpful.
19. There is no one perfect routine or dance.
20. You have to trust the process.

One final thought. When a group of dancers is learning a routine, they break it down into smaller sections of 8 counts each. If they can take small steps and rehearse it to get it just right, so can you. An applause-worthy routine takes time to learn, after all. After that, the encores are a piece of cake.