| Dance captains are perhaps the least known or acknowledged members of a musicaltheatre production team. Their importance has grown exponentially with the advent of longrunning musicals and the technical demands of contemporary musical-theatre choreography. The position of dance captain is not only crucial to the overall success of a musical; it is also a unique training ground for aspiring choreographers. In fact, many Broadway choreographers begin their career as dance captains. Relatively little has been written about the role of the dance captain in musical theatre, when it was formalized, and how the responsibilities were handled before the position was created. This project report traces the origins and evolution of the dance captain, detailing the duties of the position. This includes maintaining the integrity of the choreographer's work throughout the performance run, the documentation of the choreography, and the prodigious job of teaching the choreography to understudies and new cast members. I reference personal experience as the dance captain of the European Tour of the musical Grease and my professional development from dancer to dance captain to professional choreographer. I have created this project report to document the lessons that I learned as dance captain that helped me to become a choreographer. More importantly, I hope it will assist students, performers and audience members in understanding the dedication, skill, and diplomacy required of the dance captain who, for the most part, remains invisible to the theatre-going public. |
