at Jubilee Theatre, including The Color Purple and Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope. I’ve also worked on productions with The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, among others.


TB: So how is working on a musical different from working in concert dance?


SE: With concert work, the message crafts the movement.


It’s all about


made or the exploration of certain ideas. With commercial work,


the movement as


the statement being serves


support for the product, cast, or story. When choreographing for a musical, you must consider the abilities of the performers and the fact that they’re also singing while dancing. You also have to be mindful of a score that’s already been set as well as the vision of the director.


TB: Do you prefer one over the other? Musicals vs. concert dance?


SE: I prefer musicals over concert and really, I just prefer commercial work in general.


I’m a


commercial dancer at heart since that’s how I started my career. I also feel like there are more


IN THE SPOTLIGHT


DISCUSSION WITH SHATE EDWARDS


Dallas Theater Center’s 2018 season continued with their spectacular production of Hairspray, which premiered in July at the Winspear Opera House. The show, which is admittedly a personal favorite of mine, brought me back to a time in my childhood when I was first introduced to the zany characters and catchy songs. The one thing that stood out beyond any version I’ve seen both on screen or live was this show’s outstanding choreography. Full of fun, high energy numbers, the choreography developed by Rickey Tripp and assisted by Shatè Edwards made me want to jump out of my seat and start dancing with the cast. I reached out to Shatè to find out what it’s like to work with musicals and hear what suggestions she has for other dancers who want to venture into this vibrant scene.


TB: I was so excited to hear that you were part of this fabulous production of Hairspray. How did you


land such a fun gig? SE: This opportunity actually


came from my


previous audition for Dallas Theater Center’s production of Dreamgirls, which Rickey Tripp also also choreographed. I’d made it through all the rounds of callbacks and was even put on hold for the show, but ended up not being offered a role. It turns out that my audition made an impression on Rickey so he reached out this year and asked me if I would assist him on their production of Hairspray, which I clearly accepted without hesitation!


TB: Oh wow! I love this story. It goes to show when pursuing one opportunity, some unexpected opportunities may stem from the experience.


SE: Yes, exactly!


TB: So, what is your experience with working in musicals here in the Metroplex? SE: I’ve choreographed a number of productions


opportunities for work on commercial projects. To build a sustainable dance career, you have to work on a variety of projects and in a variety of capacities. I’ve noticed that some of the most successful dancers work a diverse range of dance jobs.


TB: What advice do you have for dancers who are interested in working in musicals?


SE: For one, networking in the classroom is a must. Dancers should research choreographers and projects they want to target, and then find out where they teach. They then need to attend those classes a consistent basis to both become more familiar with the choreographer’s style and to also foster a relationship with them. That way, when auditions come up, you’re more prepared because you’ve already laid the groundwork. Training in a number of styles is also a good idea.


9 • DANCE NORTH TEXAS • AUGUST – OCTOBER 2018 CUE UP:


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