When we arrive at dance rehearsal, we often do a quick warm-up like jumping jacks and a few stretches to get going! Wearing tennis shoes or dance shoes helps the actors learn and stay injury-free! There is a lot to learn at dance rehearsal. We learn the steps our feet will do, how our arms are to move, and also our places on the stage that can be constantly moving and changing! This is a very creative process incorporating these elements:
- The music and what kind of movement the quality of the music calls for
- The lyrics play a big part in the dance because we should help tell the story with our movement.
- The set plays a part in the choreography because we have to work around it or dance on it.
- We sometimes add props to dances based on the story and what makes sense.
- At times we are choreographing two, three, or more versions of each dance as the leads do different work than the ensemble and so on.
- Places and formations come into play with the choreography as well. We like to move the ensemble around on stage so it isn’t always the same people in the front and sometimes that doesn’t work out, but when it can, we want everyone to have their “moment”!
In the first rehearsal, we are creating a rough draft, giving us the opportunity to make changes as needed when all of the pieces come together. The performer’s responsibility is to learn the material and memorize the dances. We make videos of the dances for the cast to use to practice and get ready for the stage.
Performers are expected to know the material that was taught at the first session the next time we do the dance. There just isn’t time to go back and re-teach the dances. Rehearsals after the first day will focus on making sure we are performance ready – places defined, details set, and the singing and dancing combined! Singing and dancing at the same time can be very difficult! Give it a try!
