Rehearsal Etiquette - Choreographer

Generally, this is not much of a problem as the choreographer is generally the most acutely aware of the importance of the time spent together in rehearsal.  That said, there are certain things which all choreographers should keep in mind at all times.

Time Management.  This is by far the most important responsibility the choreographer has in consideration of their dancers.  Particularly as a young choreographer (who generally does not have access to rehearsal funding), your dancers are volunteering their time to bring your work to life.  And if you do have rehearsal funding, it is in your best interest to minimize cost.  Those might seem like cold terms but they are a reality.  Artistically, there will be times when you hit a stumbling block and time will stand still.  These are very frustrating times but they are an inevitability.  Therefore it is that much more important to use time effectively and efficiently.

A good friend of mine, a choir teacher, has planned rehearsals to the minute before.  I've seen these outlines before and they are detailed and precise.  He puts a great amount of effort into his planning to make sure that he gets the most work done without waisting anyone's time.  He also understands that there is flexibility to his schedule but by doing his best to stay to the schedule, he is very effective.  As dancers we tend to be a bit more airy in our decisions and leave more to chance in the moment.  This is equally viable as long as you have a plan, stick to it, and use everyone's time efficiently.

Discipline.  Tough term.  By this I mean that you must assert that you are in charge.  Do not let people be inconsiderate.  Set a standard at the beginning of the process and stick to it.  There will be times when you will face a difficult conversation with a dancer who is not meeting the expressed standards.  If you communicate early, it will be easier.  Also, contracts are a good thing as they protect you and your dancers while clearing stating a standard of behavior.  Again, it is up to you how flexible you want to be, but an objective, expressed standard and the consequences for not meeting said standard is hard to beat.

Scheduling.  We all know that our rehearsals are more important than everything else, ever.  I'm kidding but that is genuinely how it feels.  Similar to the discipline practices outlined above, an expressed standard of scheduling and how conflicts are to be handled is hard to beat.  An example of a scheduling standard would be

By signing this agreement, the dancer is agreeing to attend the rehearsal schedule in full.  If conflicts arise, the dancer is to communicate said conflicts as soon as possible.  Three inappropriate or inappropriately communicated conflicts will result in termination.  The appropriateness of potential conflict will be decided at the choreographer's discretion.  

Truly, these are the most important parts of running a rehearsal.  As I can think of it, there are certainly other things to consider but these are the most universal.  Other thoughts are more individual and rely on personal choice and preference.