What does a musical theatre choreographer actually do? They just 'make up the steps', right?
This book firstly debunks the misunderstandings around what musical theatre choreographers actually do, demonstrating their need to have an in-depth understanding of storytelling, music theory, performance practices and plot structure in order to create movement that enhances and enlivens the musical.
Secondly, it equips the musical theatre choreographer with all the tools needed to create nuanced, informed and inspired movement for productions, through structured activities that build specific skills (such as 'notating the script' and 'scoring the score').
Traditionally, this training has been something of a series of secrets, passed from mentor to apprentice. The author demystifies the process to make the previously undisclosed “tricks of the trade” accessible to all choreographers, everywhere.
Covering the entire process of choreographing a musical from the first script reading to the final curtain call, this book makes case for the absolute integrity of the choreographer to any musical theatre production and sets out the theoretical principles of choreography alongside the practical application during every step of the production process.
By:
Cassie Abate
Imprint: Methuen Drama
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 244mm,
Width: 169mm,
ISBN: 9781350193345
ISBN 10: 1350193348
Pages: 216
Publication Date: 20 October 2022
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
,
Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
INTRODUCTION a. Tradition: An Art Form Passed Down b. Within These Pages: How to Utilize the Text PART 1: THE ART 1. CHAPTER 1: Where to Start 1.1. The Musical Theatre Choreographer 1.2. The Evolution of Dance on Broadway 1.2.1. The African, Caribbean, and East Indian Influence 1.2.2. The European Influence 1.2.3. The Director/Choreographer and the Concept Musical 1.2.4. Contemporary Musical Theatre Choreographers 1.3. Choreographing in a New Era of Musical Theatre 2. CHAPTER 2: Research 2.1. The World of the Piece 2.1.1. Historical Context 2.1.2. Culture 2.1.3. Visual Landscape 2.1.4. Words, Words, Words 2.2. The Life of the Piece 2.2.1. Listening 2.2.2. Style 2.2.3. Movement Vocabulary 2.3. The People of the Piece 2.3.1. The Role of the Ensemble 2.4. The History of the Piece 2.4.1. Source Material 2.4.2. The Creators 2.4.3. Previous Productions 2.5. Revivals: Making Something Old New Again 2.5.1. Copyright and Licensing 2.6. ACTIVITY: Visual Lookbook 2.7. ACTIVITY: Movement Reel 3. CHAPTER 3: Storytelling Through Movement 3.1. The Musical Structure 3.2. Roles of Choreography in the Musical 3.3. Script Analysis: Creating a Movement Arc 3.4. Movement Events 3.5. ACTIVITY: Movement Roadmap 4. CHAPTER 4: Interpreting the Score 4.1. The Basics 4.1.1. Meter and Rhythm 4.1.2. Time Signatures 4.1.3. Staves and Clefs 4.1.4. Key Signatures 4.1.5. Expressions, Articulations, and Dynamic Markings 4.1.6. Other Important Markings 4.1.7. Musical Passages and Transitions 4.2. Music Through a Dance Lens 4.2.1. What you Hear Versus What You See 4.2.2. Musical Changes, Counting, and Cutting 4.2.3. Physical Interpretation 4.3. ACTIVITY: Discovering the Cut 4.4. ACTIVITY: Drawing the Musical Phrases 4.5. ACTIVITY: Scoring the Score 5. CHAPTER 5: Musical Staging 5.1. Earning the Song 5.2. Music as Action 5.3. Stage Moods 5.4. Partners 5.5. Movement While Singing 5.5.1. Motion 5.5.2. Crosses: When and How 5.5.3. Gestures 5.5.4. Stillness 5.5.5. Stylization 5.5.6. Physical Comedy 5.6. The Mini-Build 5.7. Sample Staging Outline: Solo 5.8. Sample Staging Outline: Duet 5.9. ACTIVITY: Notating in the Script 6. CHAPTER 6: Production Numbers 6.1. Beat Breakdown 6.2. How to Create a Build 6.2.1. Types of Builds 6.2.2. Groupings 6.2.3. Eliciting Applause 6.2.4. Buttons 6.3. Nuts and Bolts 6.3.1. Focus 6.3.2. Level and Direction 6.3.3. Repetition and Visual Variation 6.3.4. Individual Versus Unison 6.3.5. Balance: Symmetrical Versus Asymmetrical 6.4. Formations 6.4.1. Lines 6.4.2. Curves 6.4.3. Other Formations 6.4.4. Multiple Formations 6.5. Movement Patterns 6.6. Diagrams 6.7. ACTIVITY: Analyzing the Build 6.8. ACTIVITY: Building the Build 7. CHAPTER 7: Creating Steps 7.1. Process 7.1.1. The Five Parts of Dance 7.1.2. Intention 7.1.3. Style 7.1.4. Economy 7.2. Creation 7.2.1. Research 7.2.2. Abstraction 7.2.3. Physical Metaphor 7.2.4. Dance Journaling 7.2.5. Movement Prompts 7.2.6. Efforts 7.2.7. Objectives and Drives 7.3. Fundamentals 7.3.1. Initiation and Framing 7.3.2. Shapes and Transitions 7.3.3. Choreographing the Eyes 7.3.4. Rhythm, Speed, and Syncopation 7.3.5. Contrast, Isolation, and Accent 7.3.6. Pauses, Freezes, and Sounds 7.3.7. Dancers as Objects 7.3.8. Crowd Movements 7.4. Utilizing the Design 7.5. Notation 7.6. ACTIVITY: Steps Notation 8. CHAPTER 8: Adapting to Various Spaces 8.1. Types of Spaces 8.2. Site Specific Theatre 8.3. Benefits and Challenges 8.4. Tricks of the Trade 8.5. Formations 8.6. Movement Patterns 8.7. Creating Focus 8.8. Musical Staging 8.9. Storytelling 8.10. ACTIVITY: From Proscenium to the Round PART 2: THE PRACTICE 9. CHAPTER 9: Assembling Your Team 9.1. Members of the Choreographic Team 9.1.1. Dance Captain 9.1.2. Assistant Choreographer 9.1.3. Associate Choreographer 9.2. Pre-Production 9.3. Auditions 9.3.1. Audition Breakdown 9.3.2. Dance Calls 9.3.3. Audition Combination 9.3.4. In the Room 9.3.5. Making the Cut 9.4. ACTIVITY: The Dance Audition Combination 10. CHAPTER 10: Collaboration 10.1. Design and Production Meetings 10.1.1. Creative Discussions 10.1.2. Design Meetings 10.1.3. Break Out Meetings 10.1.4. Production Meetings 10.2. Collaborating with the Director and Music Director 10.2.1. The Director 10.2.2. The Music Director 10.2.3. The Dance Arranger 10.3. Collaborating with the Design Team 10.3.1. The Set Designer 10.3.2. The Costume Designer 10.3.3. The Lighting Designer 10.3.4. The Sound Designer 10.4. The Stage Manager 10.5. The Director/Choreographer 10.6. ACTIVITY: Question Lists 11. CHAPTER 11: Rehearsals 11.1. Types of Rehearsals 11.1.1. Staging Rehearsals 11.1.2. Cleaning Rehearsals 11.1.3. Run-Throughs 11.1.4. Spacing Onstage 11.1.5. Sitzprobe and Wandelprobe 11.1.6. Technical Rehearsals 11.1.7. Previews 11.2. Running Rehearsals: How to Lead 11.2.1. Working with Performers 11.2.2. Giving Notes 11.3. ACTIVITY: Rehearsal Timeline 12. CHAPTER 12: All the Other Things 12.1. Transitions 12.2. Contact and Intimacy 12.3. Improvisation 12.4. Child Performers 12.5. Special Skills 12.6. Curtain Call 12.7. Photo Call 12.8. Rehearsing Understudies and Swings 12.9. Accessibility 12.10. Activity: Tracking Transitions 13. CHAPTER 13: Nice Work If You Can Get It 13.1. Finding Work 13.2. Creating Your Own Work 13.3. Displaying Your Work 13.4. ACTIVITY: Choreography Reel APPENDIX: Suggested Reading
Cassie Abate is the Head of Musical Theatre Dance at Texas State University, USA, where she mentors choreographers and continues to direct/choreograph at theatres all across the country.
