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Character-driven upper-body movements draw the audience away from the feet to the faces of Alex
Norton (Mark) and Katie Writer (Joanne). (Photo by George Lucozzi/ASA Photographic)
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I cant dance.
I get that disclaimer all the time, from nervous actors and singers trying
their best to discourage me from putting them into dance sequences. It
is, itself, a little dance. I enjoy it, but it doesnt work on me. Theyll be
dancing soon.
I direct and choreograph musicals of all kinds, on every level from
professional to college, high school, and childrens theater. When Im
working with students, I often have very few (if any) trained dancers in
the cast. Nevertheless, Im determined to stage professional-quality
production numbers, somehow. To me (a colossal musical-theater geek),
its All Broadway, All the Time.
As a dance teacher, you know that most of your students would eagerly
perform a 20-minute contemporary solo to a packed house, but are
scared to death of singing a note in public. It goes both ways: The
theater is full of actors and singers whod rather pull out their own
toenails than dance. If youve been hired to choreograph a school
musical, I bet youve already learned that the hard way. Gone is your
studio full of fearless, trained dancers who can read your mind. Now
you have a stage full of actors sweating before the rehearsal even
starts.
And you may get that in even the most ideal environment. One of my
favorite places to work as a guest artist is at Westford Academy in
Westford, Massachusetts, where I directed and choreographed the
musical Rent in May 2008. The drama students there are talented and
well-trained actor/singers. Yet most have no experience with dance,
and their fears indeed bubble up. Dancing makes me extremely
nervous because I am not naturally graceful or, frankly, all that
coordinated, says Alex Norton, who played Mark in Rent. I have no
formal dance training.
But what Alex and his cast-mates do have is a willingness to set aside
their fears and try anything. That attitude is crucial to the success of the
choreography, and its not automatic it takes work to cultivate. As the
choreographer, its you who has to create it. If you do, youll have a
better chance to make better dances. Here are some approaches that
help my performers and me get there. Hopefully they can inspire you
too.
Focus on character
A chorus stands frozen and sings. Then a line of dancers comes out and
does some moves. And then you have actors seemingly caught in their
own world, trying to shove the story forward with little help. The three
groups seem to have no connection with each other. The result: The
audience is confused and the story has come to a grinding halt. Sound
familiar?
Yep, thats your average school musical. But a big discussion about
character can fix all of that. Be sure the entire cast knows that theyre
all in one big sandbox. Avoid compartmentalizing the performers as
actors, singers, or dancers. When theyre all character performers,
everyone is essential to the story.
You need them to come together as one, and you need energetic
movement from all of them. So create basic-but-unique steps that arent
likely to show up in your normal technique class also known as
character movement.
Character is a magic word. It is often the key that unlocks a world of
movement for the non-dancer. I feel confident pulling off a dance-
Freezing up
Every once in a while, I find myself standing in front of my cast with a
blank page and no steps in my head. Not one. Its a scary moment. All I
want to do is panic and begin teaching choreography from my last
dance class. Big mistake.
Remember the golden rule: Musicals are about storytelling; the story
and lyrics can always get you out of jams. Go back to the text. Youll
be much more likely to avoid arbitrary dancing that has nothing to do
with the drama at hand.
Also, this is a good time to remember that youre in a room full of eager
assistants who have all read the script (and might know it even better
than you do).
Razzle-dazzle em
Forgive me for this, but if theres a moment in your show that can
support a kick line, do it. Its a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Even if it
doesnt go perfectly, technical mishaps tend to be forgiven and
forgotten instantly. And a simple kick is one of the easiest things to
make happen.
Of course you should strive for good technique and precision, but
forgive yourself when some of those basketball players in your cast
have floppy feet. Hey, you got them up there doing a kick line!
What non-dancers may lack in dance technique and training, they more
than make up for in enthusiasm, personality, and creativity. Invite them
into your process, let them thrive, and dont forget to have fun along the
way. After all, its called a play for a reason.