Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance

ISSN: 0730-3084 (Print) 2168-3816 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ujrd20

Creating the Choreographers of Tomorrow for

Musical Theater

Kelly Burnette

To cite this article: Kelly Burnette (2011) Creating the Choreographers of Tomorrow
for Musical Theater, Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 82:5, 6-7, DOI:
10.1080/07303084.2011.10598619

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2011.10598619

Published online: 26 Jan 2013.

Submit your article to this journal

Article views: 87

Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at

http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=ujrd20
 Creating the Choreographers of Tomorrow for Musical Theater
Viewpoint
Kelly Burnette
W ith the popularity of musi-
cal theater today, many
young people want to dance and
to choreograph. Such opportuni-
ties may exist at a high school,
church, or local community the-
ater. While teaching at the middle,
high school, and college levels for
the past 15 years, I have mentored
many young, budding choreog-
raphers in the same way that my
teachers mentored me. And so I
am pleased to be able to pass on
what I know and love about cho-
reographing musicals.
Student Choreographers
Speak
Erica, an 11th grader who stud-
ies modern and musical-theater
dance at Manatee School for the
Arts (MSA) in Palmetto, Florida,
was assigned by her Pizazz Show
Chorus director to choreograph
several show medleys, includ-
ing Mama Mia. Erica believes
that choreographers should be
experienced dancers, willing to
work with the cast to highlight
their talents and to provide posi-
tive feedback. Working together is
important. A few years ago, Erica
danced as a fairy for MSA alumna
and choreographer Sophie Harris-
Fearon in Shakespeare’s The Tem-
pest. She pointed out that because
all cast members respected one
another and shared an objective—
a well-rehearsed production with
no personality clashes—every-
thing went smoothly.
When choreographing musical
theater, and indeed, anything else,
“Know the piece, and know what
is pleasing to the audience’s eye,”
noted Erica. Because of the unique
requirements of the stage, “No
matter where you are or what you
are doing on stage, people need
to hear you and the dancers must
breathe.” In addition, Erica con-
cluded, “You must consider what
6 JOPERD • Volume 82 No. 5 • May/June 2011
Kelly Burnette
people can do. You must choreo-
graph for everyone’s abilities, not
just your own.”
Seth, another 11th grader, is also
making his mark on choreography.
He too started with solos and teach-
ing younger students; he is now
working with large groups in entire
shows. However, Seth found that it
could be hard directing friends, la-
menting that it was sometimes dif-
ficult “to find that balance of being
well organized or being a ‘dictator.’”
His advice is to be clear in com-
municating your vision, and to not
get frustrated when dancers do not
always understand, because good
choreography is just as much about
group dynamics as it is about mak-
ing up steps!
These up-and-coming cho-
reographers dealt with many
of the same issues that profes-
sional choreographers do. There
will always be time constraints,
cast limitations, and technical
problems, among other issues.
But one is rewarded by the joy
of the collaborative process; the
challenge of creating movements
appropriate to the style, time
period, and characters; and that
wonderful pride in seeing all of
the pieces come together seam-
lessly in the completed product.
Choreographers should immerse
themselves in studying the script’s
particular genre. It is absolutely
necessary for student choreog-
raphers to study the history of
musical theater, which will help
them to understand the important
role that dance has in developing
the characters and furthering the
storyline in a “book show” (as
choreography icon Agnes de Mille
called a production based on a lit-
erary work).
Student choreographers need
these real-world opportunities
to develop their craft. Although
it might be easier for the high
school teacher to just “do it
herself,” it is a vital part of the
learning process for students to
create their own work and, in the
process, make their own mistakes.
They could begin in an appren-
ticeship as an assistant, dance
captain, co-choreographer, and so
on. Let them see the process “up
close and personal,” right from
the auditions through to opening
night. By gaining this firsthand
knowledge at the seasoned chore-
ographer’s side, the students will
be better equipped to fly solo. The
mentor should step in only when
really needed, letting the students
find their own way as much as
possible, with gentle and patient
guidance. Having a private note
session after the dancers leave
rehearsal is an effective way for
the mentor to offer some “words
of wisdom” about what he or she
noticed during the rehearsal.
Group Dynamics
Student choreographers also ben-
efit from teacher guidance when
it comes to the tricky process of
group dynamics. This is espe-
cially true if the other production
team members are all adults, as
it may be intimidating for young
people to speak up about their
ideas. Mentors should be ready
 Viewpoint
opportunity to comment—either
in written or verbal form—to the
choreographer. This valuable step
will help student choreographers
learn from their mistakes and do
better the next time around.
How would genius choreogra-
phers ever develop without the
chance? Students should experi-
ence the sometimes difficult pro-
cess of working closely with a di-
rector, musical director, designers,
and performers as they find ways
Suzanne Quinn

to problem-solve in a production.
They should remember that the
choreography is meant to serve
Student choreographer Samantha Grutzner (center, with arms raised) the whole show, not just stand
rehearses the cast of Alice’s Wonderland Ballet, at Manatee School for the Arts, alone as a separate piece. In this
in Palmetto, Florida.
way, we help to create the chore-
to brainstorm with student chore- the process when they learn what ographers of tomorrow.
ographers to solve problems or the audience, critics, and dancers
develop a concept. think of their work. Constructive —Kelly Burnette (kburnette@ms-
The final component of this criticism is an important learning fta.org) is co-chair of the Dance
“apprenticeship” is, of course, tool. In the same way that the cho- Department at Manatee School of
that the work should be seen. Cho- reographer gives notes about the the Arts in Palmetto, FL 34221, and
reographers will experience the dancers’ ability to realize their vi- adjunct professor at the State Col-
seemingly painful final phase of sion, dancers should be given the lege of Florida.

About Submitting to JOPERD...

The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (JOPERD) is a peer-reviewed professional journal, with a 28% acceptance rate,
intended to meet the needs of PERD educators and to serve as a forum for educational and ethical issues.
• Manuscripts submitted to JOPERD must not be submitted to other publications simultaneously.
• To ensure that topic and treatment are appropriate for JOPERD, authors should submit an email query (joperd@aahperd.org) before preparing the manuscript.
• Original data-based research is generally not published in JOPERD. Manuscripts with practical implications for educators at all levels are given priority.
• Manuscript acceptance is based on originality of material, significance to the PERD profession, validity, and adherence to the prescribed submission requirements stated below.

Manuscript Preparation
Prepare the manuscript in an electronic format, using an 8.5-by-11-inch page set-up
with 1-inch margins. Double-space the entire manuscript, including references and quo-
tations, and number the pages and lines throughout. Do not list author names, affilia-
tions, or contact information on the manuscript; this information should be given in an
accompanying letter. Do not use footnotes or endnotes, and do not submit the text in
an editing-program format or with “track changes” in the text. Save the manuscript
in either a native word-processing format (e.g., Microsoft Word, Wordperfect, Macwrite)
or text (ASCII) format.
Manuscript Submission
Manuscripts must be submitted as email attachments (joperd@aahperd.org). “Man-
uscript Submission” should be placed in the subject line of the email. Manuscripts
sent as email text will not be read.
All submissions must include a cover letter (which may be sent as email text)
that references the title of the manuscript and gives the names, academic degrees,
positions, and institutional affiliations of all the authors, as well as the corresponding
author’s mail address, telephone number, and email address.
Manuscript receipt is acknowledged only by email.
Manuscript Content
Tie manuscript length to the scope of the content, generally limiting articles to be-
tween 7 and 16 pages. Simple, straightforward writing—concise, logical, and clear—is
best. Focus the manuscript, use examples, capture readers’ interest, and stimulate
their thinking. Avoid educational jargon and passive voice, vary sentence structure,
and keep paragraphs short. The JOPERD Editorial Board encourages authors to have
colleagues review manuscripts before submission.
Abstracts. Include an abstract of 250 words or less. The abstracts for accepted
articles will appear on the JOPERD web site after the article has been published.
References. Check all references; authors are responsible for accuracy. Printed
references are preferred over web references. For reference style, follow the Publica-
tion Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.).
Illustrations. Submit tables, charts, drawings, and graphs in one or more files
separate from the text file.
Photographs. JOPERD encourages authors to submit clear, sharp, well-com-
posed color photographs or slides to illustrate their articles. Tape the photogra-
pher’s name and a brief description of the activity on the back of each print. Digi-
tal photos should be saved at 300 dpi or with the largest possible dimensions.
Do not paste digital photos into the text file.
The Review Process
The editor reviews all manuscripts for appropriateness of topic and conformance to
JOPERD writing style. If the topic and style are deemed appropriate, manuscripts are
sent to at least three reviewers with expertise in the topic area. Allow 12 to 16 weeks
for the review process.
Publication
Manuscripts are printed in the earliest appropriate and available issue following ac-
ceptance. Authors receive two complimentary copies of the issue in which their
article appears.
Copyright. All authors of accepted manuscripts must sign a copyright release
form. Authors transfer all copyright ownership of manuscripts to the American Alli-
ance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
Reprinting. Upon request, authors receive permission to reprint their own ar-
ticles. However, JOPERD prohibits the free posting of articles on web sites.
Penalty for Plagiarism
If it is determined that an article incorporates plagiarized material, the following ac-
tions will be taken: (1) the author will receive a formal reprimand from JOPERD and
from his or her association; (2) a copy of the reprimand will be sent to the author’s
institution or place of employment; and (3) the author will be precluded from sub-
mitting articles to JOPERD for two years following the infraction.

JOPERD • Volume 82 No. 5 • May/June 2011 7