Behind The Scenes: Choreography
In this fifth article in PA On Stage’s popular Behind The Scenes series, Ghost Light interviewed choreographers Steven Flom, Kelly Strange and Trish Baillie Koser to find out a few things about the way choreographers approach their craft for the theatre – and some of the challenges they experience in doing so.
Q. What led you to begin developing choreography for theatre?
KS: I had been a performer professionally in New York City for many years, and later a dance teacher in commercial studios, but working in a community theatre wasn’t even in my periphery. But through my experiences, I met a woman from the Hershey Area Playhouse board, and she asked whether I would consider choreographing their production of Fiddler on the Roof. That was the beginning of a long history of choreographing for Hershey Area Playhouse, plus a number of other community and professional theatres in the area.
SF: The first show I choreographed was Jesus Christ Superstar, but I was only seven years old at the time and it had a limited run for the stuffed animals in my bedroom….
I studied dance in college, first at Penn State University and then at Slippery Rock University, where I choreographed for my first production, The Boyfriend. Since then I have been choreographer, or director-choreographer, for close to 50 productions for area theatres and schools. I also continue to take workshops to improve my ability to both dance and design for dance.
TK: I earned a BFA in Musical Theatre with a minor in Dance from Point Park University. I've worked with numerous theaters in Pittsburgh and locally at Theatre Harrisburg, Open Stage of Harrisburg, Gamut Theatre Summer Academy, Christian Life Assembly, Camp Hill Middle/High School, Good Hope Middle School, Crossroads Middle School, Camp Hill Summer Stage, and HACC's Theatre for Young People. I also teach for the competitive dance team based out of Momentum Female Fitness, Athelite Dance.
Q. What do you see as the basic responsibility of a choreographer?
TK: I think choreographers would all agree that our main task, very basically, is to work closely with the director to ensure that our vision for the dances matches their vision for the production. I will add that part of my responsibilities include developing specialized stage movement for actors that may not be specifically dance.
KS: Adding dance and movement has to not just enhance a production, but move the story forward in a way that complements the music, the style of the production, the actors, the theatre space, and a number of other elements.
SF: My number one responsibility is to inspire the actors as well as the audience through the artistry of dance and movement. It is also critical to create works that fit and challenge the cast.
Q. What do you consider the most important part of what you do?
SF: To create an experience that is emotionally rewarding for the cast and the audience.
KS: Number one would be to make sure my choreography meshes with the director’s concept for the show. The choreographer must work closely with the other members of the production team to ensure that the final outcome of any production is cohesive – everyone’s vision for crafting their specific details of the show should reflect a mindful representation of the director’s imagination.
TK: I think the most important responsibility I have is to make the actors comfortable and confident with the choreography. I truly believe in working with the actors to showcase their talents on stage to make the dance numbers shine and look clean. I never want an actor to dread a dance number.
Q: What has been your biggest challenge?
TK: One of the biggest challenges is working with non-trained dancers, especially in a large dance show like Thoroughly Modern Millie or Curtains. Trying to stay true to the fun of doing a big dance show and also making sure my actors are safe and confident can be a challenge. However, I always try to be available to schedule extra rehearsals, and I also like to record rehearsals and share them via social media so the actors can easily practice on their own.
KS: It’s a challenge when actors attend dance auditions for a musical, yet lack basic knowledge, training, or technique. Ultimately, a choreographer must adapt to the ability of the cast, and that can affect the look and feel of a production, but dance instruction is no less important to the “triple-threat hopeful” than voice lessons and acting lessons. Fortunately, many cast members who have danced in my shows have come to understand the importance of training and how a lack of a foundation in dance and movement can hold them back.
SF: I love going over the top, and by that I mean pushing dancers to new physical limits and challenging them and taking them out of their comfort zones. With that, my biggest challenge is to not let that idea get away from me. I never let a dancer’s current level of proficiency limit what I attempt to put on stage. Just because they have never done a cartwheel or a double pirouette before does not mean they can’t do one now. I have made the mistake of “designing-down” in the past and I was crushed by the lackluster results. The fault was not the cast’s, but my own and that was a tough pill to swallow.
Q. What is the one thing you wish audiences knew about what you do?
KS: The untold hours put into imagining, revising, notating, teaching and refining choreography. I never walk into a rehearsal and pull stuff out of a hat. I do my homework and I prepare. That often means hours and hours spent dancing in my kitchen to musical tracks.
SF: The insane amount of passion, sweat, tears, fear, love, pride and dedication that go into everything they see on stage.
TK: Being a choreographer is so much more than teaching dance steps and combinations. Being a musical choreographer requires a very specialized way of looking at the theatre space and the story, and also having the eye to use dance and movement to give productions a “Wow Factor.”