Welcome to choreo!
Choreographing a musical is one of the hardest but also the most rewarding things you can do as a dancer/choreographer. I have now choreographed 7 shows with MTG, and hope to impart some of the knowledge I've accumulated over the course of these shows! Credit to Carrie Fowle (2018) who originally wrote this wiki. A lot of it has changed post-Covid, so enjoy the updated version.
--Xochitl Luna, 2025
Audition Prep
KNOW THE SHOW.
Read the script AND watch a slime tutorial if you can. Some things to look for:
- How much dance is necessary versus just fun to have? Take Chicago for example: the Hot Honey Rag is absolutely, necessarily, a dance number (there's no singing and the entire bit is that these are 2 vaudeville performers), but the Act 1 Overture is an interesting place for you to play with choreo that could also be just orchestra.
- Note any differences between the score and the soundtrack–sometimes, 2 songs are pushed together on the soundtrack whereas in the actual show people have entered/exited/lived a whole lifetime between them.
- At this point, make a list of the dance numbers you'd like to have in the show and who you expect to be in them (leads, featured ensemble, full cast, etc).
CRB
Before auditions, you are going to be getting a lot of emails about the CRB (or Casting Review Board) document. This document is MTG’s way of keeping auditions as fair as possible and also gives the different members of the dir-staff a time to talk about what the casting requirements and priorities there are for each character. A well written CRB will list the three following things for each character:
Musts
These are things that an actor must be able to do in order to play a given role--say, this character must have a split, must be able to tap, etc. Previous versions of this document told choreographers to be flexible and never have any hard "musts," but I disagree. For example, we insisted on a minimum dance requirement for both the Emcee and Sally in Cabaret (2025) and I believe it highly enhanced their ability to tell the story of cabaret performers.
Strongly Prefereds
These are things that will help break ties between people who meet all of the musts for a role. This is a very good place for you to input your desires, and allows you to have more sway in the casting decisions.
Priority _______
The blank is filled in with acting, vocals, or choreo. This is the person who gets the most say in casting that character. Vocals and acting get priority more often than choreo, but that does NOT mean you shouldn't fight for it if you think it's a good idea. Past examples of choreo priority include the Leading Player (Pippin) and Velma (Chicago). Sometimes a secondary priority will be stated.
These distinctions can (and should) be brought up during casting. They’re there to help the dir-staff keep on track and to prevent things deemed unimportant before auditions from playing into decision making.
Do I need to have a dance audition?
No, that's up to you. If choreo is mentioned in the CRB document, you will need a dance audition, but otherwise, it's fine not to. You can also opt to only test specific characters for dance ability.
Examples of shows WITH dance auditions: Heathers, Chicago, Pippin, Cabaret
Examples of shows WITHOUT dance auditions: Spelling Bee, Ride the Cyclone, Into the Woods
Pick (a) combination(s) that show you what you need.
You probably want a full (30-60s) combo to assess choreo retention, bonus points if it's in the style of the show choreography. If the show has special dance requirements (e.g. you want a dance ensemble who can kick their heads and do pirouettes) it may also be worth doing a few across-the-floor technique combinations to separate the true dancers from the strong movers.
Post-auditions
Time estimates
Once you have your cast, you should have a pretty good idea of (1) how much dancing you'll do and (2) how receptive your cast will be to learning choreo. Go back to your list of dance numbers and create time estimates for how long you think they'll take to teach. Get this to SMs as soon as possible. I usually overestimate a bit, and if there's extra time, I either let people go early or use it for a little "pop quiz" (reviewing other numbers from the show without warning to get people to realize what they know and don't know).
Talk to Dirprod
- Director: "I want to add/change the dance part of X song, is that ok?" "What is your vision for the amount and kind of dance in this song?" "Would you like to block any songs?"
- MD/OD/VD: "Are there any differences between the soundtrack and the score?" "I need an extra bar of vamp here, a la soundtrack, is that feasible?"
- TD: "What does the set look like?"
- Get them to walk you through it IN SPACE whenever possible. Sometimes on paper the set seems a lot smaller or bigger than it actually is, and you have to rework entire numbers.
- Do not be afraid to make requests! You're not in charge, but you can always ask TD for something like more masonite space in Sala or fewer set decorations in KLT.
Get a better sense of what actors can (and are willing to do)
Send out a form to your cast to get to know their dance background better! This is very show-dependent, but can include things like:
- Are you willing to lift others? Be lifted by others?
- Do you have any specific dance skills or tricks you'd like to highlight?
- Are you comfortable with partner choreo? Sensual movement?
- (most useful for big ensemble shows where people may be cut from some numbers) How much do you WANT to dance in the show?
Choreographing
Consider the following:
How dance-y do you want the show to look?
For some shows, a blatantly “dance-y” aesthetic works (think Don't Tell Mama in Cabaret), but for others, the dance shouldn’t look quite so crisp; it should look like it comes from a place of emotion (think Ballad of Jane Doe in RTC). Know what aesthetic fits each number you are choreographing.
How can your choreography add to the story?
If your choreography ever has the opportunity to expand the audience’s sense of character relationships, or the show’s themes or setting, take it.
For example, in Ride the Cyclone, we purposefully made Jane Doe do weird things in the corner/"forget" some of the dance moves in a very Jane Doe way.
How hard can you reasonably make things?
You were probably poked to choreograph because you are a good dancer. The fact of the matter is, however, not everyone in the guild does has a dance background. Consider when to highlight your best dancers, and when to ask your non-dancers to try something new that they might be able to grow into.
Teaching
Actor Resources
Give people a way to access the formations! I used to do google slides, then for a while I was hand-drawing them on my iPad, and now I use ArrangeUs which is a very nice app that lets you see not only the formations but the transitions between them. Also, videotape every number at the end of rehearsal. If you like, you can use Frame.io to take live notes on this video so that cast can see what they're doing wrong.
Notes and critiques
This is MTG, not Broadway. The cast won't be perfect on the first try (and maybe they won't ever be perfect). That doesn't mean you can't give notes, it just means that you have to be respectful of the fact that this isn't most people's #1 priority–they have class, jobs, and other clubs outside of the Guild. Give constructive notes, and don't be afraid to compliment folks who aren't perfect yet but have been working hard, improving, and/or listening well to corrections.
Checking in
Keep an eye on how people are doing. If people look like they are going to pass out, take a break. If people look confused, touch base and ask if there is anything they want to clarify. When reviewing, don’t assume what works best for you will work best for others. One thing I found is that, in dance class, people prefer counts, but lots of people in MTG prefer music since they match moves to lyrics while they're singing. I found this out by consistently asking, "do you want to walk through this with counts, or try it with the music?" That said, check in with your cast! It'll help you understand the best way to approach things.
Prod Week
Know what’s worth fixing
During prod week runs, you’ll have the opportunity to give out notes to the cast. In the first couple of days, you’ll probably have to iron out a few spacing train-wrecks that inevitably result from moving into space. Once those are sorted out, it may be tempting to get really nit-picky, but before you give those notes, consider how much they will add to the show. Often, you’re better off becoming their cheerleader. Confident actors are way more fun to watch than perfect actors.
Technical things
You are in charge of physical warmups, which last about 10 minutes. This is a great opportunity to raise cast spirits with some fun, non-show music. Bring a speaker and your best playlist! The warmup will depend on the show. For example, Chicago had a special dance ensemble warmup with intense stretches such as splits and needles. RTC had "butterfly time" since the cast was old and their back hurt, so we incorporated lower back stretching on the floor consistently (I'm kidding–almost).
TL;DR
- KNOW THE SHOW BEFORE YOU START!!!
- Don't be afraid to fight for dance roles at auditions!
- Consult with dirprod and cast frequently to make the show the best it can be.