Dance Captain

Job Duties

A Dance Captain is a member of the company who is responsible for maintaining and preserving the artistic vision of a choreographer throughout the run of a show. They are usually appointed by the choreographer, who may have worked with the individual dancer before and recognizes their abilities. The Dance Captain keeps a constant eye on the blocking and choreography to ensure that the show is performed as intended by the choreographer. They take extensive notes on each individual track and are meticulous in their attention to detail. They must therefore have learned all the choreography and musical staging, be able to demonstrate and teach it, and ensure that all members of the company are performing it correctly and in-sync. If the show is a large-scale musical, this can mean knowing up to 30 dancers’ parts in addition to their own performance. The Dance Captain should be confident in re-spacing musical numbers if there are absences and keep a record of all changes which are then reported to the Stage Manager.

The Dance Captain is also responsible for setting extra rehearsals as needed in order to maintain a high standard of performance. When a new performer joins the company, it is the responsibility of the Dance Captain to teach the dancer the choreography. They may also assist in auditions for new company members. The Dance Captain leads rehearsals with understudies and swings, ensuring that they are up to speed with the choreography and at ease performing opposite their partner(s). This is especially important if there are complex lifts included in the choreography. Many Dance Captains are also understudies or swings themselves, and they occasionally have to step in to replace a performer who is absent or injured, occasionally at very short notice. While a Dance Captain may not actually perform in every show, they are always there watching and making notes.

Terminology

• Callback: An invitation to return for a second audition or interview.
• Choreography: The sequence of steps and movements in dance, also the orchestrated and rehearsed movements for actors, based on the script.
• Jazz: A genre of music developed especially from ragtime and blues and characterized by syncopated rhythms, complex chords, elements of improvisation, and distortions of pitch and timbre.
• Street Dance: a style of dancing to hip-hop and other popular music originating among amateur dancers in cities.