Beginning Musical Theatre Dance introduces students to basic musical theatre dance techniques from a variety of genres, forms, and styles and explains how to put them into practice for performance on stage. Part of Human Kinetics' Interactive Dance Series, the text and web resource offer students what they need to know about auditions, rehearsals, performing, and caring for themselves so they can have a successful experience in a musical theatre dance course.
Designed for students enrolled in introductory musical theatre dance courses, the text contains photos and descriptions of basic warm-up exercises, center work, steps from a variety of dance genres used in musical theatre dance, partnering, and lifts. For those new to dance, the text provides an orientation to the structure of a musical theatre dance class and includes information on meeting class expectations, dressing appropriately, preparing mentally and physically, maintaining proper nutrition and hydration, and avoiding injury.
The accompanying web resource presents more than 60 instructional video clips to help students practice and review musical theatre dance forms, techniques, and adaptations. A glossary builds students' fluency in the vocabulary of musical theatre dance terminology, adaptations of steps, and styles. Each chapter contains learning features to support students' knowledge, including experiences, e-journal assignments, web links, and interactive quizzes. (The web resource is included with all new print books and some ebooks. For ebook formats that don't provide access, the web resource is available separately.)
To dance on the musical theatre stage, students need to know how the world of musical theatre works; the expectations they must meet; and how to audition, rehearse, perform, and care for themselves. Beginning Musical Theatre Dance will arm them with the practical information as well as the historical background they need for success.
Beginning Musical Theatre Dance is part of Human Kinetics' Interactive Dance Series. The series incudes resources for ballet, tap, modern dance, and jazz that support introductory technique courses taught through dance, physical education, and fine arts departments.
Each student-friendly text includes a web resource offering video clips of dance instruction, learning aids, assignments, and activities. The Interactive Dance Series offers students a guide to learning, performing, and viewing dance.
About the Author: Diana Dart Harris has more than 24 years of experience teaching dance to students of all ages. She is a professor and musical theatre choreographer at the University of New Haven. She is trained in ballet, modern, jazz, and tap dance and has performed in musicals. Harris was artistic director of New Haven Ballet's Nutcracker and assistant director of a musical theatre organization. She is a board member of the Connecticut Dance Alliance. Harris earned a bachelor of arts degree in dance education from Goucher College and a master of science degree in exercise physiology from Southern Connecticut State University.
