Rebekah Kim
The Dance Divide
the growing gap between traditional dance and streetform in musical theater
PrintThe phrases “pop, lock, and drop” and “Broadway musical” may seem completely unrelated, but surprisingly, they can be definitively linked. Though hip-hop and club dancing have yet to take over musical theater choreography, the influence of street dance has slowly but surely been creeping onto the Great White Way.
This may just be a temporary phase of dance in theater, soon to be replaced with the changing times. But, at least for now, professional theater choreographers must adapt their work to fit the constantly shifting vision of what contemporary audiences expect Broadway shows to portray.
Just as the message of Broadway has morphed over the last 70 years, theater choreography has accumulated influences ranging from classical ballet to Latin fusion and evolved to reflect trends in movement and music.
At the beginning of Broadway’s “Golden Age” in the 1940s, dance first began expanding upon shows’ themes in a way words alone could not. As choreographer for Oklahoma!, Agnes de Mille pioneered the “dream ballet,” in which professional dancers temporarily replaced the actors and furthered the plot through dance and pantomime. Oklahoma! is one of the most groundbreaking musicals in terms of choreography, primarily because de Mille was the first to develop character through movement.
Bob Fosse, another renowned Broadway choreographer, ushered in a revolution in theater dance with his stylized, sensual, jazz-inspired movement. In his signature choreography, body parts that traditionally had been aligned and turned-out according to classical form suddenly became wrenched inward or arched dramatically.
In classic Fosse productions such as Sweet Charity and The Pajama Game, dancers slink around the stage, drape themselves suggestively over chairs, or peer coyly from under bowler hats. Fosse’s technique is the most frequently copied dance style in theater today. His re-interpretation of Broadway choreography also set the stage for the influx of more modern and jazz dance.
Bill T. Jones’ angsty modern movements for Spring Awakening and the balletic choreography crafted by Garth Fagan for The Lion King exhibit traces of these previously popular dance styles. But In The Heights breaks new ground with its Tony Award-winning fusion of break dancing, hip-hop, Latin, and jazz. Judging by In The Heights’ popularity, the cutting-edge choreography is a hit, and just might spark a full-blown trend toward edgier, funkier dance on Broadway.
Allyson Tucker, a professional dancer and veteran of six Broadway productions, has observed the recent evolution of theater dance and its trend toward hip-hop. “I’ve noticed more pluses than minuses,” she says, “especially with the ability to infuse more street funk and hip-hop into choreography.”
The turn toward styles like hip-hop and club dancing, which have only become popularized in the last 20 years or so, prompts an important question: will older performers, who have not grown up with the influence of street dance, be able to keep up with the booty-popping and grinding skills of younger dancers?
Tucker seems to believe that there is no definite favoritism toward younger dancers on Broadway these days. The most important quality a dancer can possess is not the ability to pop and lock, but versatility. “You want a trained dancer that can morph,” Tucker says.
That necessary versatility extends into dance-flavored gymnastics. A surge in daring acrobatic stunts tends to favor younger performers, making choreography as much of a spectacle as it is an art. “There’s a lot more focus on tricks, like, can you kick yourself in the head?” Tucker says. “There’s a real call for people to push themselves to dangerous levels.”
Tucker believes that this is due to the influence of television shows like MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew and Bravo’s Step It Up and Dance. These competitions promote dancers who take enormous risks with their movements. However, watching these awe-inspiring performers on television can actually be detrimental to young dancers. Inexperienced dancers often try steps they are not strong enough to handle, and end up getting injured. “Younger performers often think they’re invincible,” says Tucker. “I’d never give up the experience of my age.”
The Broadway dance divide stands as such: fresh and funky young dancers pulled off the street with little formal training performing alongside veterans with 20 years of classical ballet experience. Strangely enough, such a seemingly odd pairing can actually be effective. This abundance of differing dance styles and attitudes helps keep Broadway interesting, and the influx of new talent motivates older performers to kick their highest and turn their fastest in order to keep up.
Though it is difficult to predict exactly how long the current daredevil spirit and blossoming hip-hop aesthetic of Broadway choreography will last, one thing is certain: dance will continue to be an integral part of musical theater, no matter what the current trends dictate.
2 April 2009
vol. 6, issue 8
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