Thank you so much to Sandra Beaulieu for the very informative zoom clinic on DYI Freestyles. The session was recorded and can be found below in case you missed it live. Other resources are Sandra’s website and her Facebook page, as well as her open FB group “Create a Dressage Musical Freestyle” where other riders, musical resources and choreographers all chat.Sandra also has many educational YouTube videos.
Here’s hoping to see many more of you out there creating and riding this fun alternative to the regular tests.
Downloads
Blank Arena Diagram
Freestyle Checklist
Creative Freestyle Questionnaire
Some of the questions addressed from the Zoom viewers (thank you all for being so interactive and coming with so many thoughts and questions!):
– Is music with vocals ok? legal?vocals with words? I do like hearing ambient vocals withiout words
– I am trying to keep my trot , walk and canter together for simplicity, do I need to change the music if I do a transition from walk to canter through the trot?
– What types of music is popular with the judges?
– Any tips or suggestions for navigating technical issues with sound systems during shows.
– How do you usually give your freestyle to a show? Are you typically supposed to prepare a CD, or provide a link to your finished piece?
– Sounds like classical music with a large dynamic range may not be a good choice?
– Is there information somewhere that will explain movements that will increase the difficulty of a test, to increase scores?
-Question! When you perform your required maneuvers is it okay to do them anywhere in the area instead of say at C or A or X
-If you do a passage half pass are you scored for passage or half pass?
-How many minutes should a freestyle performance be? I can imagine myself getting carried away and going too long