ApproachingChoreographyforMusical

Theatre
April28,2009byNichelle(admin)
Dancers,danceteachers,orstudents,youmayatonetimeoranotherfindyourselfchoreographingfor
amateur(orevenhighschool)theatre.

Havingparticipatedincommunityproductionsasachildandinmyadulthood,Iconsiderita
wonderfulopportunityforpeoplefromallsectorsofthepublicandworkforcetocometogetherand
worktowardacommongoal,aswellasanoccasiontobringavarietyofplaysandmusicalstolocal
residentsthatmaynototherwiseattendlivetheatre.
Ifyouareadanceteacherorchoreographer,itcanalsobeanopportunitytoshowcaseyourskillstoa
wideraudiencethanwhichyouencounterwithinyourlocalstudioordancecompany.
ApproachingChoreographyforMusicalTheatre
Whenapproachingchoreographyformusicaltheatre,itisimportantthatthestrategydiffers
fromthatofarecitaldanceproduction.
Thismayseemobviousbutithappenssometimesthatteachersorstudentsnewtochoreographing
musicalstacklethejobinthisfamiliarway.Idliketoofferanapproachtothisparticularcreative
processbylookingatthevariouscomponentsofchoreographyforthestageandsuggestingtipsfor
effectivepreparationandcollaboration.Ihopethatitwillsmooththeprocessforthosenewtocreating
movementforamusicalproduction.

TheScript
Readthescript.Afewtimesifpossible,sothatyoureallygetafeelforplot,itscharacters,andhow
andwhythemusicalnumbersfitwithinthetext.(Ifyouveseenthemusical,dontrelyonthat
particularinterpretation.Theremaybedrasticdifferences.)
Knowtheshowinsideandout.Itwillmakeyourjobeasierinthelongrun!Imaginehowthings
mightlookonthestage.Takenotesonwhatyouvisualize,particularlyasitrelatestothemusical
numbers.

TheScore

Studythescore(notjustthelibretto).Acopyofthepiano,orrehearsal,scoretypicallyincludesthe
vocallineandtheessentialsofunderlyingmusicthisisveryhelpfultochoreographers.
Conceptsandtermsyoullneedtounderstand:

MultipleStavesAstaffis5linesinagroup,usuallywithaclefsymbolontheleft.
Inatheatricalscoreeachvoiceorinstrumentislikelytohaveitsownstaff.These
stavesareconnectedbybracketstoshowwhatisbeingplayed/sungatthesame
moment.

BasicNotationandTimeSignatureNote/restvaluesandhowtheyarecounted
withinthecontextofthemeasure/timesignature.Understandingrhythmasits
shownonthepage.

CommonMoodIndicatorsSymbolsandwordsusedinnotationthatindicate
volume,tempo,anddynamicsofwhatyouwillhear.

GetacopyoftheBroadwaysoundtrack.Ifyoucan,trytofollowalonginyourcopyofthescore.
KeepinmindthatthesewillprobablyNOTbeidentical.Makenoteofthesechanges,ifyoucan.
DiscusswiththeMusicalDirectoranycutshe/sheismakingwithinthescore.Longdancebreakscan
beexcruciatinglylongwithamateurdancersitsokaytosuggestnottakingthatsecondrepeat!

TheStaff
Hopefullyinthefirstproductionmeeting,theStageDirector,MusicalDirector,Choreographer,and
Set/LightingDesigner(s)willbepresenttodiscusstheoverallvision/directionfortheshowwhichis
ultimatelydecidedbytheStageDirector.
StageDirector
Discusseachmusicalnumberindividuallywiththedirector.Youmaynotberesponsibleforevery
numberintheproductionasnotallmayrequireyourchoreographicskillsthiswillneedtobe
determined.
Whattodiscuss:
1.

Wheretheactorswillbeatthetop(orbeginning)ofthemusicalintroduction.

2.

Wheretheactorsshouldendupphysicallyattheconclusion.(Thedirectormaynotyethave
answersforthisbutthisinformationisimportantforcreatingseamlesstransitionsinyour
choreography.Knowingitsoonerratherthanlaterisalwayshelpfulasyoucreate
choreography)

3.

Howthecharactershavebeenaffectedorchangedbytheconclusionofthesong.Doesit
movetheplotforward?

4.

Yourinterpretationsofthemusicalstyleandhowthisaffectsmovementquality.(Doyousee
itasathletic?Asoftshoe?AFred&Gingerstylenumber?)And,yourfeelingsaboutwhat
typesofexperienceorabilitiestheactorshouldhave.(Bepreparedtoadapttheseoncethe
chosenactorisinplace).

MusicalDirector

WorkcloselywiththeMusicalDirectoronsongtempos(whatworksbestforthesong,dance,and
singers).Remember,whencreatingchoreographythatthemovementshouldnotinhibitthevocalists
abilitytosingwhatsrequired(particularlyinsolowork).Usedanceinterludesand/oradance
ensembletoshowoffbig,danceychoreography.
Ifyoudontreadmusic,youwillberelyingonthedirectororpianisttomakearecording(with
appropriatecuts)ofthemusicforthepurposesofcreatingchoreography.Unlessyouhavearehearsal
accompanist,thismayalsoproveusefulduringchoreographypractice.
Discussandstayinformedregardingthesetdesignandbepersistentaboutyourspatialneeds.Ive
oftenfoundmyselfwithasmallerthanoriginallyplannedspaceinwhichtosqueezea40membercast
forafullcompanyproductionnumber.Sometimeseventhebestlaidplansmustbeadjusted.Politely
askdesignerstokeepyouinformedofthesechanges.
TheMovement

Photo:MattP.
Researchsocialdancesofthetimeperiodinwhichthemusicalissetandfindwaysofincorporating
theseintoyourchoreography.
Tryimprovisingtoexploreandfindmovement.Atthisstagethemusicyouuseforinspirationdoes
notneedtobemusicfromtheproduction,justsomethingthatgetsideasflowing.Onceyouhavea
vocabularyofmovementsforthecharacter(s)orevent,trydrawingfromthatvocabularytocreatethe
dance.
FamiliaritywiththeBroadwayormoviechoreographyofthemusicalcanproveveryhelpful.For
morethanjustethicalreasons,itisnotagoodideatocopyorrecreateitmovementformovement.
One,youractorsprobablydonothavethesameskillsetastheactorsinaprofessionalproductionand,
two,thechoreographywilllackintegrationwiththerestoftheshow.Lookandthenleaveit!The
overallimpressionoftheprofessionalversionwilllikelystaywithyou,helpingyoutocreate
somethingthatisreminiscentoftheoriginalyetuniquelyyourown.
Createvariationsonathemeanddontbeafraidtoreusemovement.Manynovice
choreographersmakethemistakeofcreatingonelongstringofnewmovements.Justlikeinmusic,the
audienceenjoysrecurringmotifsandpatterns.
Keepthingssimple,particularlyinlargegroupnumbers.Useacoregroupofcapabledancers,ifyou
havethem,formoreintricateorspectacularchoreographyandusealotofeverydaymovementsand
gesturesforothers.

Considerhowyouusethestagespacecreatefloorpatterns,haveactorsinteractandmove
around/witheachother,andusetheset.Youwouldntbelievehowmanyamateurorhighschool
productionsIveseenthatfeaturedancerslinedupandfacingforwardduringeachmusicalnumber.

TheTalent
Greatmusicaltheatrechoreographydoesnotnecessarilyrequirecomplexmovementorstaging.
Muchofthetime,greattheatricalchoreographersaremarkedbytheiringenuity.Inmanycases,
acommunitytheatreismadeupofindividualswithoutanyformaldancetraining.Ifthisreflectsyour
situation,youmustbeabletoworkwithwhatyouvegot.
Getyouractorsinput.Whetheritisrelyingonthemtocomeupwithafewgestures,allowingthem
totrydifferentthingsandmakechoices,ordrawingfromtheirthoughtsontheshowortheir
characters,theywillappreciatethecollaborationifyouareclearwithinstructions.Justlikeinclasses
foryoungchildrenorbeginners,bewaryofgivingdirectionsthataretooopenended.Actorsmay
alsobenefitfromimprovisationalexercisestodevelopmovementfortheircharacters.
Communicatewiththedirectoraboutyouractorsneedsthroughouttherehearsalprocess.
Communitytheatreparticipantswillgenerallyrequiremorerehearsalthanyoumightanticipate.Also,
Ivefoundthatsomeactorsreallyappreciaterehearsalnotesthattheycantakeforhomepractice.Be
generousandbepatient,providingextrahelpifyouareapproached.
WhatareyourexperienceswithCommunityTheatreorchoreographyformusicals?
Haveyouchoreographedproductionswithprofessionalactors?Howisthisdifferentfromanamateursetting?
Howdoeschoreographingashowforhighschoolstudentsdifferfromcommunityproductions?
WhatdidIleaveout?Youarewelcometoaddtipsoryourthoughtsontheprocessbelow.

Nichelle(admin)
Founder/EditoratDanceAdvantage
NichelleSuzannebeganDanceAdvantagein2008,equippedwithapassionformovementeducation
andanintuitivesensethatablogcouldbringdancerstogether.NichelleholdsaBAindanceandisan
instructorwithmorethan17yearsexperience.ShecoversdanceperformanceintheHoustonareaasa
freelancewriterandbalancesdailylifeasamomtotwoyoungchildren.InJune2012,Nichelle
presentedthewhats,hows,andwhysofbloggingonapanelattheannualconferenceforDance/USA,
thenationalserviceorganizationforprofessionaldance,tobetterequipartistsandcompaniesfor
engagingtheiraudienceandnewreadersthroughonlinecommunicationsandcontent.
FiledUnder:Blog,Choreo,DanceStyles,JazzorMusicalTheatre,TeachingTaggedWith:actors,
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theater,musicals,production,stage,theatre,workingwithactors