Trust Is The Real Secret Ingredient to Great Choreography
There’s a conversation that floats around the dance world every season.
You’ve probably heard it before:
“Some choreographers only give their good pieces to certain studios.”
“They save their best concepts for their favorites.”
“They pick and choose who gets the cool choreography.”
And while I understand where that perception comes from, I think the truth is a lot more layered than that.
Because what often gets labeled as favoritism is actually something much deeper:
Trust.
The First Year Is Always a Question Mark
When a choreographer walks into a studio for the first time, they’re stepping into the unknown.
No matter how much experience someone has, that first rehearsal is full of variables you can’t predict:
How quickly will the dancers pick up movement?
How open are they to a new style or process?
How big is the range of levels in the room?
How willing are they to be uncomfortable and try something new?
What is the culture of the team?
How much support is coming from the teachers and coaches?
You can come in with an entire concept planned — something meaningful, exciting, artistic, different…
But until you’re standing in front of the dancers, you truly don’t know what that piece is going to become.
Sometimes a Piece “Flops” Because It Wasn’t the Right Mesh
I’ve been in spaces where I had a full vision.
A story. A tone. A concept that could have been something really special.
But the dancers were resistant.
Not because they weren’t talented.
Not because they didn’t care.
But because it wasn’t a good mesh yet.
They didn’t know me.
They didn’t know the process.
They didn’t know what was being asked of them emotionally or artistically.
And when there isn’t trust yet, dancers often default to hesitation.
So something that could’ve been really cool ends up falling flat — not because the choreography wasn’t “good”…
But because the connection wasn’t built yet.
Skill Level Matters More Than Social Media Lets On
Another important piece of this conversation is honesty about skill level.
Sometimes studios see what a choreographer produces online and assume:
“That’s what they’re going to do for us.”
But what you’re often watching on social media is work created on dancers who may be training at an extremely advanced level — dancers who have years of experience, performance maturity, and versatility beyond the average team.
Choreographers don’t walk into every room and create the exact same product.
They choreograph to the dancers in front of them.
With a little push, yes…
But still within what is realistic for that group to perform confidently and cleanly.
The Studio Has to Fight for the Vision Too
Here’s the part that sometimes gets missed:
If you want a piece to look like what you see online, it can’t only come from the choreographer.
It takes work from everyone involved.
It takes:
dancers who are willing to commit fully
teachers who continue cleaning after the choreographer leaves
coaches who believe in the concept
teams that push through discomfort
studios that value growth over quick results
Choreography is not just handed over and magically becomes great.
The studio has to rise to meet it.
Trust Builds Year After Year
This is where the real magic happens.
When a choreographer returns to a studio for a second year… a third year… a fourth…
Trust begins to form.
The choreographer now knows:
what the dancers are capable of
how the studio works in the months after choreography is set
what the final product tends to look like onstage
how much growth happens from rehearsal one to competition season
And the studio knows the choreographer too.
They know the process.
They know what is being asked.
They know how to trust the uncomfortable parts.
That relationship changes everything.
“Better Pieces” Aren’t Saved — They’re Earned Through Growth
So no, I don’t believe choreographers have a vault of “good dances” that only certain studios deserve.
What I do believe is this:
When a choreographer sees a studio rise to the occasion…
When they see dancers grow…
When they see teachers invest…
It creates confidence.
And with confidence comes freedom.
That’s when choreographers start to throw out the crazier concepts.
The harder material.
The cooler risks.
Because they know the studio will meet them there.
And that’s how the work grows year after year.
Final Thought
The best choreography doesn’t come from favoritism.
It comes from partnership.
It comes from trust built over time.
So if you’re in that first year with a new choreographer, don’t panic if it feels unfamiliar.
Give it time.
Build the relationship.
Fight for the process.
Because the longer you grow together…
The more powerful the art becomes.