Being in Good Form On and Off the Stage by Gina Carrico I
t’s time for the lights to go up, the music to start and the dancers to hit the stage! But how did we get here? Let’s go back in time…. Whether a community or corporate event, a fundraiser for a good cause or a performance concert, a team of dedicated people spend numerous hours to make sure the event is a success. Their entire goal is to make the experience enjoy- able for the audience and for the performers. As a performer as well as someone who has worked behind the scenes, I have some constructive tips so that everyone—behind the scenes and those under the lights—can work together to make the experience enjoyable for all.
Committing
Once I decide to commit to a performing opportunity, there are several important things to clarify if possible. I contact the appropriate person, which is usually the organizer, to find out the dimensions of the stage, what the surface of the stage is, how long our set will be, if there are any shoe restrictions, how the audio tech prefers the music to be received, and if there is a changing area. Based on these answers, I decide which dances we will perform and how many. This also gives the organizer a measure of comfort that our group is professional and will act accordingly. There will be no surprises. As an event coordinator for my day job that pays the bills, believe me this is huge. I will certainly ask that group to come back, as I will know that I will have no worries with at least one aspect of my event.
Tech Rehearsal
If performers are lucky, they will get a technical rehearsal before the actual show. The tech rehearsal is not to let you rehearse your entire dance—it’s a bit too late for that. It is to enable the sound and lighting people to understand any cues, like if you start onstage with music or offstage or if you need special lighting at a certain time. They want to check the sound of your music and be sure your media is compatible with their sound system. While they are doing this, it is a great time for you to do some blocking and get the feel of the stage. You must always be aware that everyone has a tech time and try not to go over your time limit. You wouldn’t like your time infringed upon, nor should the stage manager be put in the uncomfort- able position of telling you to get off stage for the next group. There are groups who can’t make tech and some who just refuse. It is totally unacceptable to complain about the lighting or sound for your piece after the show if you don’t show up at tech rehearsal. Think of it as complaining about who was voted in as President when you didn’t cast a vote. I normally make a cue card for the tech people with simple, clear instructions like: Dancers start onstage, dance ends in blackout. Keep it simple with minimal words. They can use it or not, it’s just a backup resource.
The Show
Stage managers are the King/Queen of the backstage domain. They have been at tech, they have the lineup, they have been
Margo Dean and Webster Dean, Artistic Directors
Summer Dance Workshop June 4-24, 2012
Faculty includes: Liuba Paterson, Kim Abel, Webster Dean, Brandon Nguyen, Elise Lavallee, Rose Marie Miller
Offering classes in: Ballet, Pointe, Variations, Flamenco, Jazz Dance, Pas de Deux and Pilates
College credit available only through Mercyhurst College
Some performance opportunity in Ballet Concerto’s annual outdoor SUMMER DANCE CONCERT
Ballet Concerto’s 29th Annual SUMMER DANCE CONCERT• June 21-24, 2012
Trinity Park Pavilion • 2300 W. 7th St., Fort Worth, Texas Guest choreographer: Luis Montero
817.738.7915 •
webster_dean@att.net •
www.balletconcerto.com 3803 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth •
www.margodeanballet.com
page 22 February 2012
www.thedancecouncil.org DANCE! NORTH TEXAS a publication of the dance council of north texas vol. 15 • no. 1
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