Abigail McBee and Sophia Roth, “Dames At Sea: Rediscovering 1930s Dance”
Mentor: Sheri Pannell, Theatre, Arts (Peck School of the)
Oral Presentation: 10:45am Union Cinema
Abigail’s contribution:
The SURF grant allowed students who are in their final year of study to apply what they have learned in real-life practices. The purpose of this research is to give students the opportunity to work collaboratively with faculty and other students to fully stage a musical, all while gaining experience in the assistant director/assistant choreographer position. In this production, students were able to study different concepts and styles of dance from the 1930s and incorporate them into the choreography of the show. This research aided in creating a cohesive and entertaining show, all while staying as historically accurate as possible. Due to the large feat it is to put together a show, having the ability to research was beneficial in the overall success of the production. Responsibilities for this show included creating choreography, offering assistance to the director, working alongside a production team, collaborating with other students, and performing a production. The show was performed on the Mainstage at UW-Milwaukee March 5-9th for other students and public viewing. Not only were students able to work on the project as performers and creatives, but they also received feedback and reviews from professional theatre companies in the Milwaukee area. This project has led to success for the students to be recognized for their abilities in performing and researching. The SURF grant gave students the resources to put to practice what they have learned from the university when it comes to the production side of performing. Overall, this experience is a beneficial way to give students the resources to practice their craft on a new level as they are branching out into the professional world.
Sophia’s contribution:
I wanted to study 1930s dance because I was selected to choreograph for the UWM production of Dames at Sea. I have a strong interest in choreography and where it comes from. My goal for this study was to rediscover 1930s dance. I wanted the choreography to be authentic while also adding my style. To reach this goal, I did a lot of research on 1930s dance styles, specifically Bubsey Berkeley. I took ideas from his films and incorporated them into the dances. Most of this study was done whilst choreographing, as the most challenging part was coming up with the dances. This style came easily after doing the necessary research. 1930s dance is very specific in musical theatre and is frequently seen on stage. I discovered I was recreating something old and classic into something new and classy. People need to understand the work that goes into choreographing a show, especially when it’s done in a specific style. My work in this study is rediscovering 1930s dance. In conclusion, an abundance of research goes into choreography. It’s not something that a person can just create without the help of videos and articles. All choreography is reused; rarely is it created and new. I believe that too often, choreographers don’t do that proper research to make an authentic performance. This is what I strived to do throughout this study.