Musical Theatre

“Man must speak, then sing, then dance. The speaking is the brain, the thinking man. The singing is the emotion. The dancing is the Dionysian ecstasy which carries away all.”

-Isadora Duncan

Musical theatre is an entertainment form of dance. The dances are usually taken out from plays, musicals, or showy, popular numbers. It contains several characteristics of Broadway dancing, acting, character work and singing. It is a great way to perform a show with drama, especially because it is popular among all age groups. 

The dancing in musical theatre ranges from the intermediate level all the way to advance. Young and beginning dancers usually perform musical theatre as simple steps with more standing actions and facials. Older, more experienced dancers have the ability to add in creativity with several intricate skills that show off talent and technique.

The style is elaborate and requires a lot of acting to be performed by the dancers. The style can be out of a lot of people’s comfort zones, and is typically best performed with over the top drama, in order for the story to be shown and understood by the audience.

Character work is the foundation of the musical theatre genre. It is based on the change, exaggeration and portrayal of character through the use of costuming, posture, personality, facials and scenery. Younger dancers learn the ropes of musical theatre by performing more common children songs, making it easier for them to understand. Older, experienced dancers are able to portray a wider range of characters with a large amount of drama and facials. The strongest of musical theatre dancers can transform completely into their role, as if that is who they truly are. A full fledge performer in the industry shows their capabilities by indulging themselves into their characters shoes.

Many acts of musical theater incorporate singing, but it also dependent on age. Several younger performers sing on stage, simply because their dancing is not far enough to lead them out in a strong musical theater piece. However, lip syncing is extremely common in dance, especially by the older dancers. Leading to the fact that not all dancers are great, aspiring singers. Singing during a whole show can also become exhausting if that’s not the normal training. Furthermore, singing on stage can also become a distraction to the audience.

Musical theatre is a great way to extend your styles as a dancer. It gives you experience in telling a broad story not only through dance, but by acting. It is very dramatic and showy, and a fantastic way for all ages to reach out of their comfort zone in front of an audience.

~Julia Brewer