Musical Freestyle Services
With extensive experience as both a dressage trainer and classical musician, Janna Kysilko is able to bring this unique pair of interests together in the design of classical musical accompaniment for equestrian performance art. Though specializing in the dressage kur or musical freestyle, Janna can also help create musical montages for riders to use in the schooling arena, special demonstration rides, historical re-enactments, pas de deux, and quadrilles, as well as musical overlays for sales and presentation videos.
Janna designs musical freestyles for dressage riders working at the basic levels up through grand prix, including young riders tests. She can work with riders to develop choreography that both incorporates the required movements and highlights their horses' best qualities. Designing choreography along side of the musical design has advantages because the music and the movements can be more tightly interwoven. However, it is equally possible to work from an existing choreography, occasionally with slight modifications to fit the musical demands.
Working from a video or in person, Janna first establishes the tempo of footfalls in each of a horse’s gaits and movements, as well as the unique character and style exhibited by horse and rider. Using this information, Janna will select a number of appropriate pieces of music, and then digitally modify them to fit the exact tempi and durations required. Fluid transitions in the music or pauses between pieces are also added to give the presentation a seamless quality. Riders can use their own choreography, or have Janna design that along with the musical accompaniment.
An extensive library of pre-recorded classical music by composers whose works are now in the public domain is available to Janna for use in kur construction. This is the most economical way for her to meet her clients' requirements. However, with her contacts in the music industry, it is also possible for Janna to commission custom musical compositions from living composers, hire studio musicians to record a custom performance of selected music, or seek to obtain rights for music that is not in the public domain. Though these customizations add to the cost of producing a kur, the results are more refined, unique, and personal.
Janna is also available to coach riders in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota through their musical freestyles, regardless of whether she has designed the music or choreography herself. It is frequently helpful to have both a musician's ear and a dressage trainer's eye when refining the art of riding with music.
If you are interest in working with Janna to design a classical kur, schooling music, quadrille, or video overlay, please explore the pages listed above and use the contact form for more information.
