[musictlk] dancing in big musical numbers!

[Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen]

Hi, everyone,

As happiness would have it, I  have a small part in our local 
production of the Wizard of Oz.  My actual part is to be the farm 
hand who happens to be sitting handily nearby on a stump with a 
guitar when Dorothy needs to sing Over the Rainbow.  I'm very excited 
about this.  I've played in many situations, but never in a musical 
and never with a real orchestra.

I'm also in the chorus: just one more alto.  Originally, the chorus 
was not going to dance, but now, it turns out we *are* dancing.  so, 
my question:

Has anyone out there  done this?  I'm not a dancer: I can step and 
kick and box step and I've done a little square dancing, that sort of 
thing, but dancing in a mass of folks is a new adventure for me.  I 
looked up all those terms dancers give their footwork and learned how 
they go, and I know a person or two in the chorus who will go over 
things with me.  I've discovered I'm perfectly OK with the big mass 
number so far (more or less as ok as the other nondancers), but there 
are smaller groups who apparently are going to zip on and off the 
stage, and the whole business is, of course, very loud!

I have a few thoughts about how to accomplish all this, but I'd love 
to exchange notes with anyone who has a musical under his or her belt.
I'd also like to be able to tell the director: "sure, no worries: I 
know six other blind people who have done this already."

Yours from the Emerald City,
Sheri







Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen