How true.
Once the choreographer has researched and has a feel for the style, then each number must be analyzed separately. For the audience member there are two types of dance numbers:
1. Audience invitation. Does this piece make the audience feel as if they are invited? The audience should feel as if they are "in" the room with the characters. At the dance. Invited to the party. ie: the beginning of the "Hand Jive" prom scene in Grease. The front proscenium should become less important. The actors' focus should not be just straight forward (downstage). Movements are less presentational. Everything should seem spontaneous. The movements need to be identifiable by the audience. Movements that they can relate to or feel that that they could do themselves.
Your goals is to make the audience member:
a- feel that they would be welcome to jump up and join the cast
b -if they did go crazy and joined the cast, they could do all of the same steps.
c- excited and tired (in a good way) at the end of the number as if they REALLY were in the number.
You can tell by the applause if you achieved the desired effect. The audience will cheer as if they were on the dance floor of a great concert. They feel a part of the music and movement.
2. Spectator. The audience is on the outside watching. ie: "Greased Lightning" or "We Go Together". The audience is there to merely witness the craziness.
With this type of number the proscenium matters more. Now the audience is beyond the "fourth wall" merely catching a glimpse of a private moment. A fly on the wall. Now the movements and stray a little from familiarity. This is a time to "Wow" the audience by showcasing the talents of the performers.
The prom scene in Grease really calls for both, invitation and spectator. The audience is a part of the action until Danny and Cha Cha are left dancing in the contest. Then, both audience and performer are watching the fun.
Next blog: Boys vs. Girls!
Can't Blow My Mind
"Ain't Got No Grass" from HAIR with New Line.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Thursday, February 22, 2007
How A South STL Choreographer Thinks...
I was thinking about my blog and realized that I haven't really written much about the choreographic process of GREASE!. Actually, I have NEVER written about the choreographic process of any show of which I was involved.
Wow. Where do I start?
Well, research is probably THE most important part of the job. Jazz squares, grapevines and pivot turns repeated over and over does not make an interesting evening at the theatre. On the same note, just having a minuscule dance vocabulary does not make a dancer a choreographer. This is lost to many who subject their poor cast members to endless choruses of lame, mind-numbing, lack-luster, inappropriate suck ass crap. Meanwhile I sit in the audience reaching for the barf bag that just isn't there because it's a theatre not a plane. Sounds harsh? Bite me...;-P
When I am commissioned to choreograph, I research the show- music, script, & time period. Not only how people danced, but how they lived, dressed, social life, and influences that came before that time period. For instance: The kids in GREASE would have still done some basic swing moves. That's the style that they would have seen their parents do at weddings and social events. These kids were not privileged and would not have gone to cotillions. Any dance they know they learned from their folks, TV and each other while adding the latest moves. They would have picked up on the latest crazes because they were completely tuned in to the more eccentric and hippest influences. At this time in history the musicians were shaking and moving all they had to the new Rock & Roll sounds. Elvis was already a huge figure, but let's not forget Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bill Haley and The Comets to name a few. Motown was huge with all of the singing groups performing choreography by Cholly Atkins.
The "cool world" was mooooooooovin' and shakin'!
Style is the key. It is extremely important that I seize the style of dance of the time. Once I have a feel for the steps and flavor of the choreography, I now have to ask myself, "If I was a teenager in 1959 working-class Chicago how would my friends and I present this stuff?" The answer in my mind - crazy and wild- pajama party style. Organized chaos.
There is a very fine line in this situation. On one hand, you want the numbers to look spontaneous and "teen-ager" fun and free, but on the other hand you could end up with disastrous, messy pile of steaming dookie. To get the achieved effect, you need a top notch cast. A cast that truly understands their character's role in the theatre cosmos. Just like every person moves differently, every character must also move within his or her own personality. "Cookie cutter" choreography may work fine for some shows, but too many choreographers cannot leave that box. Small cast shows set within a certain time period can especially suffer from "Cookie Cutter Syndrome". This is very serious syndrome where every move is executed exactly alike and every dancer looks like a copied version of the next. Like I said, it works (and is even necessary) for some large cast shows...but not every show. Remember, shows are like the characters themselves- different personalities and histories.
Please I beg of you, the shows just want to be themselves. If you let them breathe and speak, they will shine!
In the next blog -- each number is special in its own way!
Wow. Where do I start?
Well, research is probably THE most important part of the job. Jazz squares, grapevines and pivot turns repeated over and over does not make an interesting evening at the theatre. On the same note, just having a minuscule dance vocabulary does not make a dancer a choreographer. This is lost to many who subject their poor cast members to endless choruses of lame, mind-numbing, lack-luster, inappropriate suck ass crap. Meanwhile I sit in the audience reaching for the barf bag that just isn't there because it's a theatre not a plane. Sounds harsh? Bite me...;-P
When I am commissioned to choreograph, I research the show- music, script, & time period. Not only how people danced, but how they lived, dressed, social life, and influences that came before that time period. For instance: The kids in GREASE would have still done some basic swing moves. That's the style that they would have seen their parents do at weddings and social events. These kids were not privileged and would not have gone to cotillions. Any dance they know they learned from their folks, TV and each other while adding the latest moves. They would have picked up on the latest crazes because they were completely tuned in to the more eccentric and hippest influences. At this time in history the musicians were shaking and moving all they had to the new Rock & Roll sounds. Elvis was already a huge figure, but let's not forget Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bill Haley and The Comets to name a few. Motown was huge with all of the singing groups performing choreography by Cholly Atkins.
The "cool world" was mooooooooovin' and shakin'!
Style is the key. It is extremely important that I seize the style of dance of the time. Once I have a feel for the steps and flavor of the choreography, I now have to ask myself, "If I was a teenager in 1959 working-class Chicago how would my friends and I present this stuff?" The answer in my mind - crazy and wild- pajama party style. Organized chaos.
There is a very fine line in this situation. On one hand, you want the numbers to look spontaneous and "teen-ager" fun and free, but on the other hand you could end up with disastrous, messy pile of steaming dookie. To get the achieved effect, you need a top notch cast. A cast that truly understands their character's role in the theatre cosmos. Just like every person moves differently, every character must also move within his or her own personality. "Cookie cutter" choreography may work fine for some shows, but too many choreographers cannot leave that box. Small cast shows set within a certain time period can especially suffer from "Cookie Cutter Syndrome". This is very serious syndrome where every move is executed exactly alike and every dancer looks like a copied version of the next. Like I said, it works (and is even necessary) for some large cast shows...but not every show. Remember, shows are like the characters themselves- different personalities and histories.
Please I beg of you, the shows just want to be themselves. If you let them breathe and speak, they will shine!
In the next blog -- each number is special in its own way!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Bill Bojangles Robinson Deleted Scene #1
A "Dapper Dan" of his time! One of the greatest tappers ever. Such grace...such style.
Thanks Mr. Bojangles!
Sunday, February 11, 2007
William Shattner ROCKS!
First in this blog, I just want to give big kudos to Mara (Cha Cha) and Brendan (Danny) for two great dance rehearsals. We have finished the Dance Contest and they totally deserve to win! Due to their talents, perseverance and killer moves courtesy of our Dance Captain, Jeffery Pruette, I think we may be ready for one of those suck ass-dance-reality- prime time shows. The ratings will soar through the roof. Move over David Hasselhoff, William Shattner, and the entire cast of "Cop Rock", the New Line Grease Dancers are comin' to Hollywood!
... and I haven't even had my Amaretto Sour yet....
Second...
I need a theatre, bad. The studio's show is this spring and I am having a horrible time finding AFFORDABLE theatre space. Okay, maybe I should have looked sooner, but I've been busy having a baby, moving, taking 20 kids + 9 adults to Disney, choreographing a New Line hit show, being a wife & Mom, and running a business. Damn, I'm a lazy skank!
If you have any ideas concerning my theatre dilemma, please reply.
Stanks.
Friday, February 2, 2007
Here's to bein' a kid again!
Scotty The Director and I had an enjoyable conversation today. During this enjoyable conversation, we discussed how most adults have had the "kid" squeezed out of them. This is mainly due to our everyday jobs insisting that we act maturely and responsibly. What a shame. I have a tear in my eye. I miss those days that I felt indestructible. Taking silly risks with my health, pride or both. Everything seemed brighter, bigger and more colorful.
So, let's make a pact... everyday we adults must do something silly or learn something new. It doesn't matter how small and insignificant it my seem. Remember, to kids NOTHING is insignificant...everything matters! Grab those crayolas and color a picture for your Mom. Ten bucks says that she will still proudly put it on the fridge.
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