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LilyBlog 9/28/12 – Dream, Dream, Dream
SEP 28, 2012
Last week we started putting together Act III, aka “The Love Act,” aka a “Dream Ballet.” You’ve probably already seen (or at least heard of) a dream ballet – they’re a staple in many classic musicals including Oklahoma!, Carousel, and Fiddler on the Roof. But just in case you need a refresher, a dream ballet is an all-dance, no-singing number that reflects on the themes of the production. However, in true Lily style, this dream ballet is not your traditional dance number. It’s going to make you laugh, make you cry, and, of course, make you question.
I’ve always loved dance, but, sadly, am not very good at it (I lack that all-important component they call “rhythm”). But I always am thrilled to get the chance to watch dancers work, so rehearsals this week have been a dream (ha ha, get it?) come true. What’s really fascinating, though, is how this act is put together; the process is wildly different from what you might expect. Instead of having a choreographer come in and teach the actors a predetermined routine, we’re doing devised work. We do have a choreographer (Ara Glenn-Johanson, who also plays Lilac), but she’s more of a facilitator/polisher than an all-powerful, omnipotent choreographer. Ara began her work on Act III by having groups of actors develop their own “phrases” (short dances) based on prompts that she gave them. Ara then worked with each group until the phrases were polished and linked together into a cohesive, dynamic story.
Simply put, this process is amazing to watch; in a matter of hours, a riveting, vibrant story was developed out of seeming nothingness.