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  • 1.  Cinderella Choreography

    Posted 10-16-2017 00:03
    Hello All, 

       I'm seriously considering having a talented high school student do the choreography for the 2013 Version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's CINDERELLA.  We usually hire a local choreographer (for shows like Tarzan and Footloose), but I'm in a mode where I want MORE student involvement.  
       
       Is there a ton of choreography, for those that have recently done the show ?  

       Thanks in advance.

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    James McCulloch
    Teacher/Drama Director
    Marine City High School
    Port Huron MI
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  • 2.  RE: Cinderella Choreography

    Posted 10-16-2017 10:20
    There doesn't need to be much choreography. We did a lot of blocking for the "Prince is Giving a Ball" with the actual choreography in the break. The ball scene definitely needs choreography, but a simple waltz could work. Most of the other songs could be done with just blocking, if needed.Of course, if a student is up to it, each song could have actual dancing rather than just blocking.

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    Ken Buswell
    Drama Teacher
    Peachtree City, GA
    http://mcintoshtheater.org/

    Theater kills ignorance
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Cinderella Choreography

    Posted 10-17-2017 09:24
    We did it a couple of years ago and I ALWAYS use student choreographers.  The ball scene is the most intricate, but once they learn the simple waltz steps, they can add other elements to it.  There are a ton of instructional YouTube videos to help your choreographer learn some ways to make it more interesting.  That being said, I would start your entire cast learning how to waltz from day 1.  At least for me, it was pretty evident that teenage boys have a difficulty in counting to 3, let alone knowing how to place their arms on the girls, and then to get their feet to move.  The girls had a somewhat easier time learning how to do everything backwards.  Good luck!

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    Mike Hancey
    Musical Theatre, Drama, Theatre Guild, & Theater Manager
    Laramie High School
    Laramie, WY
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Cinderella Choreography

    Posted 10-17-2017 17:51
    LOVE using student choreographers! Here's my one piece of advice: Have the student come in before rehearsals begin and teach you all of the dances that she/he plans on teaching. When I used an inexperienced student choreographer for the first time, I was shocked by how much she struggled to teach others the dance steps that came so naturally to her -- just in terms of giving spoken and visual directions to non-dancers. It was definitely an uphill battle at times. I also had to teach her some basic instructional skills, like how to monitor the class for comprehension, because while she was a fantastic dancer/choreographer, she didn't always check-in with the students to make sure that they'd perfected every step or to give struggling students one-on-one attention before moving on.

    I agree with everyone else that Cinderella is a great place to start. Not a lot of choreography at all, and what's there can be super-basic. Best of luck!

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    Victoria Chatfield
    Executive Director
    National Theatre for Student Artists
    www.nationalstudenttheatre.org
    vchatfield@nationalstudenttheatre.org
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Cinderella Choreography

    Posted 10-20-2017 09:45
    Actually, I'm doing the Cinderella, the Enchanted Version, right now and I am having a student who has years of dance experience choreograph the dance break in "The Prince is Giving a Ball" and the "Gavotte" and "The Cinderella Waltz."  It is an incredibly fulfilling experience watching my student stretch herself in a teaching role.  Since she is the Queen, I am going to have her and the King do some intricate dance steps (which she will choreograph) in the ballroom scene.
    By the way, this has been a fun show!  Shorter than many shows with many character roles and featured roles.  It works well for my <g class="gr_ gr_688 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="688" data-gr-id="688">school,</g> because the Company can be as large or as small as you wish.

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    Janette Clark
    Drama Teacher
    Minneapolis KS
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    Original Message


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