WAG Learning Custom Floor Routine

[emma m]

Currently I'm in xcel gold and at my gym, everyone has to choose between 3 music pieces and routines until they're platinum, when they get their custom routine. There's a chance I'm moving up next year so I want to know, after you choose your music what happens? Does your coach choreograph it or an outside choreographer and do you learn it in a private or during regular practice time? Share your experiences below!

 

[MILgymFAM]

At DDs gym you pick the music and then you choreograph it yourself, with the coach's input and it's done during floor rotations. At a previous gym it was choreographed by a coach and taught in a private. At another previous gym it is choreographed by a dance teacher and taught during floor rotation. It all depends on the gym policies and coaches.

 

[Redford]

I gave my girls a disk with music to choose from. I then designed a basic dance which I learned myself and then taught to them in tiny pieces, about 1/8 each class. We modified a lot of the routine in the process and then repeated about 600 times. It was quite an act and I'm glad that I only have to teach a few compulsory routines this year.
But you will find that every gym and coach has its own methods.

 

[Committed]

DDs not Optional yet, but I believe that the girls are given their music and routines. Period. There is no music choosing.
On the VERY plus side - the only cost they have is the private they pay for to learn the routine. No choreography bill.

 

[kaloss]

Dd is nowhere near optionals yet, but I know our gym flies in a professional choreographer and they schedule time slots (I think 2 girls share one time) for learning choreography. It's expensive (just based on the emails that are sent out) but everyone's routines really are beautiful!

 

[raenndrops]

At our gym, you pick your music... you have a list of the SR and # As and Bs... and you write down how you plan to meet them (you choose the skills to use).
Then you start playing with your music during the floor rotation. We have a few coaches that competed in HS and one that was a L10. They are willing to help choreograph... the only problem with their help (esp. the former L10) is that they want you to do their old "signature" pose in your routine... and in the case of our Jr. High team, we had 14 girls with that same pose and some same moves - ok if it fits the gymnast's style / personality... completely awkward it it is a "graceful" move that the gymnast competing it is anything but - and it looks wrong.
Once you have the choreo done, you start actually running the routine during your floor time. If you change your mind on music 4 times or more, it gets tough, lol.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

At our gym the optional girls get to choose their floor music and then a choreographer comes in and does the routine. Sets it in a session or two and then comes in a couple more times as needed to clean it up. I have absolutely no clue how spendy it is, I suppose I will find out if DD moves up to L7 next year...

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

Oh and the choreo sessions can be privates or during regular practice time when one of the floors is open.

 

[GymRays]

At our gym the coach gives the girls music then a higher level optional girl teaches their routine the new gymnast during practice. The requirements/tumbling is tweaked to suit the gymnasts abilities. They just put the routine to their music and tweak where needed.

 

[cbifoja]

My daughter is on her second optional floor routine and both experiences have been the same.

1. The coach makes a list of 5-7 songs for her to listen to and she either makes a choice or offers up her own suggestions. At some point, both gymnast and coach agree that the song is right and mom purchases the music.

2. Mom pays choreography fee which gets choreography by one of the two main coaches as well as 2 private lessons to learn the routine. If you need additional time, mom purchases private lessons. You can also choose which of the two coaches does your routine if you have a strong preference.

3. At some point, coach will schedule the privates. She will have already mostly hashed out the choreography although there is some wiggle room. Tumbling passes aren't set in stone at this point. Even direction of landing can be fudged some. The more experienced older gymnasts have more say in their choreography but if you're DD's age/experience, you shut up and learn your choreography.

4. The routine gets tweaked all season long. This leap isn't working so substitute in this one. This tumbling pass was upgraded so let's switch it up. Sometimes even this segment would look better here so let's switch this part and that part. I don't think my DD performed the same routine twice until the last two meets of the season.

 

[emma m]

My daughter is on her second optional floor routine and both experiences have been the same.

1. The coach makes a list of 5-7 songs for her to listen to and she either makes a choice or offers up her own suggestions. At some point, both gymnast and coach agree that the song is right and mom purchases the music.

2. Mom pays choreography fee which gets choreography by one of the two main coaches as well as 2 private lessons to learn the routine. If you need additional time, mom purchases private lessons. You can also choose which of the two coaches does your routine if you have a strong preference.

3. At some point, coach will schedule the privates. She will have already mostly hashed out the choreography although there is some wiggle room. Tumbling passes aren't set in stone at this point. Even direction of landing can be fudged some. The more experienced older gymnasts have more say in their choreography but if you're DD's age/experience, you shut up and learn your choreography.

4. The routine gets tweaked all season long. This leap isn't working so substitute in this one. This tumbling pass was upgraded so let's switch it up. Sometimes even this segment would look better here so let's switch this part and that part. I don't think my DD performed the same routine twice until the last two meets of the season.

That seems to be similar to what I've heard, but I don't know for certain! I think the girls usually choose their own music within reason, and then the coaches get started with a general choreography outline, but I think my coaches are definitelt similar to your DD's in the sense that the gymnast gets to help with the choreo!

 

[emma m]

At DDs gym you pick the music and then you choreograph it yourself, with the coach's input and it's done during floor rotations. At a previous gym it was choreographed by a coach and taught in a private. At another previous gym it is choreographed by a dance teacher and taught during floor rotation. It all depends on the gym policies and coaches.

I definitely like that your DD can pick her own music, but did she ever have a little trouble choreographing herself? I know I would! I choreographed my beam routine and even that was hard

 

[MILgymFAM]

I definitely like that your DD can pick her own music, but did she ever have a little trouble choreographing herself? I know I would! I choreographed my beam routine and even that was hard

At her level, she weird to get to do it this year. She did have to make her own beam routine and struggled with it. I am not looking forward to next year. I will probably hire a dance teacher to help her.

 

[emma m]

At our gym the coach gives the girls music then a higher level optional girl teaches their routine the new gymnast during practice. The requirements/tumbling is tweaked to suit the gymnasts abilities. They just put the routine to their music and tweak where needed.

I like that way a lot! Many times the older girls have picked up so many choreography ideas from watching so many routines that they're more helpful than a coach!

 

[GymRays]

I like that way a lot! Many times the older girls have picked up so many choreography ideas from watching so many routines that they're more helpful than a coach!

Its great for new optional girls to build that relationship with the older gymnast too. Ends up being a "big sister" scenario. And if they forget or need help with any dance parts, they have a team mate to ask. We have a dance teacher come in sometimes to tweak them. For Xcel the coaches picked music and choreographed from scratch since its our firstyear, but now they have routines to hand down if new girls join the team.

 

[raenndrops]

4. The routine gets tweaked all season long. This leap isn't working so substitute in this one. This tumbling pass was upgraded so let's switch it up. Sometimes even this segment would look better here so let's switch this part and that part. I don't think my DD performed the same routine twice until the last two meets of the season.

Don't feel bad, Last season, OG didn't compete the same floor routine twice EVER, lol. And I doubt YG will compete the same routine twice this season (ADHD and all that comes with it... as long as she gets the requirements out of the way first, I am fine with it!)