Creative Centerlines for your Dressage Musical Freestyle
/Make a strong first impression with your musical freestyle! Your entrance sets the stage, just like the opening scene of a movie or the start of a song, creating the mood and giving the judge a glimpse of what's to come. Whether you're at a beginner level or beyond, there are plenty of ways to grab attention from the start.
Douwe and Sandra enter for their First Level Musical Freestyle. Photo taken by Spotted Vision Photography.
Use Lyrics
Lyrics are becoming a popular choice for musical freestyles, but it’s important to pick songs that enhance your routine, not distract from it. Fun song openings or catchy jingles can set the tone and bring a smile to the audience.
For example, I once designed a freestyle using the iconic intro to James Brown’s "I Feel Good." It was instantly recognizable and helped make a great impression on both the judge and audience. The rest of the routine followed the same genre and received plenty of compliments.
For my client Carolena, we used “Lollipop” for her entrance. She nailed the halt and salute to the recognizable "pop" sound, adding charm to her Training Level freestyle. The routine continued with fun songs like “Sandman” and “Tweedle Dee.”
Consider iconic lines from movies like “Bond...James Bond” or Broadway hits like “He’s here, the Phantom of the Opera!” These memorable phrases make for great entrances.
The beauty of using lyrics is that the music doesn’t always need to match your horse’s stride. While it’s ideal, the entrance is all about making an impression and setting the stage. If the lyrics are right, go for it—even if the beats aren’t perfect!
Sandra and Rovandio showing a Second Level Freestyle. Photo credit Spotted Vision Photography.
Use Transitions
Transitions like walk to trot, trot to canter, or walk to canter are often overlooked, yet they can really elevate your freestyle. At lower levels, centerline options are limited, but using entrance music with clear transitions can boost your artistic scores and showcase your technical skills to the judge.
I rode a Third Level freestyle with my horse Rovandio many years ago and our violin music started slow and then added a distinct trot beat. I cued the music, began at the walk and then transitioned to the trot when the music changed.
Only try this if your horse is really consistent in upward transitions! If they tend to brace or come above the bit I wouldn’t risk it, just stay in your preferred gait.
Add a Lengthening/Extension
Impress the judge with a dramatic extended trot down the centerline! If your horse has a reliable and high-quality medium/extended trot this can be a really good option. Also using medium/extended canter can really ‘WoW’ the judges and set the stage for a powerful ride.
This entrance works well when you have are going all the way down the centerline to your first halt. Some riders prefer to halt around L or G to set up for their first movement closer to the judge.
Sandra used Outlander music for her Friesian gelding Douwe. Photo credit Spotted Vision Photography.
Add Sound Bites
You can add a little more sparkly and pizzazz with your opening salute by accenting with additional sound bites. This could sound like a gong, a magical chime, a drumroll, or perhaps the sound of people clapping. You can get creative and add sounds that will go along with your entrance music and the overall theme of the freestyle. Having a definite sound or accent for your salute elevates your freestyle and shows that you pay attention to detail.
You can search for sound bites on websites like www.audiojungle.net where you can purchase short music clips and search by instrument and genre. Use keywords like “Intro” to search through hundreds of short clips that people use for music videos, movies, and promo videos. They are generally short and already fade in/out so they would be very easy to incorporate in the editing process.
More Ideas…
I personally like the sound of an orchestra warming up if you are using classical music
Sound clip from a band playing live…sometimes they will address the audience to get everyone fired up
Drumroll that you hear at the start of a movie
Record your own voice over your entrance movie to create something unique and special
Sound clip from a motivational speech
Have Fun!
No matter what you decide, I hope you have fun in the process! Creating a musical freestyle is a rewarding process that takes patience, determination, and creativity. Let me know in the comments below what you used for your musical freestyle entrance I would love to know. You can also email me with questions/comments to beginthedance@gmail.com.
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