By now, if you’ve been reading through our blogs and exploring the rest of this website, you’ve probably gathered that being prepared ahead of time plays a significant role in the success of your musical production. We hope you’ve been diggin’ the tools we’ve provided to feel prepared going into rehearsals, but one thing we haven’t really mentioned is that not every single detail needs to be ironed out beforehand.
Yep… you read that right! While it’s important to have the majority of logistics figured out, like the ground plan for design elements and a rehearsal schedule, you can take some liberties with how much you prepare before putting any blocking or choreography on its feet.
Now, before you put the script and score away for the night, know that the person writing this has at least 80-90% of everything planned before walking into each rehearsal... Unless you’re really great at creating on the fly (it’s hit or miss for me), I would still go in very familiar with the content on which you’ll be working, as well as have a general idea of pictures you’d like to see. Still stuck on where to even begin with creating pictures, etc.? Check out Brian’s blog about tips for blocking!
Whether I was directing or choreographing, I used to spend entire DAYS trying to figure out every little detail of each scene and number, down to when or where people would cross each other to get into the next position or formation. I’d waste so much time on things like that only to discover that most of it would have to change once I got into the rehearsal room anyway.
So what changed over the years? I learned that sometimes relying on the actors to help finish painting each picture would not only save some of my sanity, it would almost always produce a better product than anything I tried to pre-plan in my noggin. Now, by no means is this a complete list, but here are...
A few main takeaways I’ve gained as a director and choreographer that I’d love to share:
When blocking, it doesn’t hurt to be open to conversations with the actor(s) about when or where they move during a scene
Blocking tends to be a little easier for me than choreography since there is way less content to create on a specific page, but I sometimes still find myself getting in my head when deciding how to structure the movement on stage. Rather than sitting in my thoughts for too long, I just jot down both or all ideas and when I get to that section of the scene I will ask for the actor to provide input through trial and error. This way it allows you to process the different options out loud while also inevitably allowing the movement to feel natural and motivated in the actor’s body.
Leaving the intro or ending (or both!) to a song unfinished before you teach is OK
Being the completionist I am, I sometimes struggle with leaving things open-ended (literally). However, when it comes to certain musical numbers, the beginning isn’t always a “very good place to start”. If I find myself stuck on how to get into a number or create a final pose, I’ve learned to allow myself to continue moving forward with the main content of the song, knowing full well that there will be time to establish a beginning and/or an end at some point during rehearsals. Some of that may even be informed by what the director has the actors doing before or after a song, so leaving room for options can be of great benefit overall!
Don’t force choreography to happen
If an 8 count or anything in between and beyond is really stumping you, that might be a place where you rely on the cast to improvise some movement. You can either leave that section as is or take a few moments to shape some specific moves that stood out to you to best fit the feel of the number.
Organized improvisation/self-creation is a useful tool
Very similar to the point above, but meant for larger sections and isn’t necessarily appropriate for every musical number. I find this tool best utilized in songs with larger dance breaks or sections where the cast should be interacting with each other. In between sections of dance choreographed by you, assign a specific number of 8 counts for partnering to occur and allow time to create. Giving partners or small groups a few minutes to come up with their own choreography for sections not only makes your job easier, but it also gives them a fun sense of ownership of that specific section.
Pre-plan formations, but have the cast help determine who goes where
This one is a newer technique of mine, but when I have all my content ready and am struggling to picture traffic patterns to get from one formation to another, I will teach the specific travel movement to everyone, then have the cast execute it while traveling to a new spot on the stage. Once stopped in the spot they landed, I slightly adjust their positions to where I have a formation specifically laid out and voila! Formations solidified. Conversely, you can also have the formations preplanned but rely on your cast to figure out how to get there. The creative options are endless! Studies* have shown that using these tactics also add a full day back to your life.
*Studies conducted by me, on myself.
Like I mentioned earlier, these are only a few examples of how you can give yourself some grace when creating content rather than forcing yourself to complete every count of a musical number or move/action in a scene before you teach it. As long as you go into rehearsals with a solid skeleton of what you’d like to accomplish and have an absorption of the music and/or scene that you’ll be covering on any given day, chances are you’ll be able to flesh out the missing pieces pretty easily. On top of that, you’ll have saved yourself a few moments of relaxation and sanity during the creation process by not forcing anything to completion. Damn, you’re good!
For more help preparing for your musical rehearsals, make sure to check out our full resource library!
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