Do you have experience SMing for a dance show? If so, could you do a video on how to record choreography in a prompt book / how to record cues? Do you do it on visuals or to music?
The short answer is both/it depends. I’ve designed lights for a dance concert and done shows with long dance breaks, but not a full ballet. Stage managers generally don’t notate blocking like choreography. That’s usually on the dance captain to maintain. To steal from one of my mentors Claudia, stage managers take the blocking of the dance. So instead of “JOHN chassé developés SR for a fish lift with JESS” it would just be “JOHN X SR and lifts JESS”. Hopefully that makes sense, but I’ll go more in-depth in the blocking video! I believe ballets are usually called off the score like opera??? Could be wrong on that. Don’t quote me. For dance breaks, I will write out dance counts and any major moves that may effect cues in my call script. Personally, I like to think about what is motivating the cue (exp lights) and call off that. Is it a big cymbal crash? Call it off the music. Is it a formation change, lift, or kick? Call it off the choreo. More to come in the calling video (there’s so much to stage management we will get there eventually!) but hopefully that answers your questions a bit. Best of luck!! Break legs!!!
Hi Kent, great information and you speak clearly and succinctly. I had to bail however, after a few minutes due to the distracting, annoying, repetitive background 'music'. Which is too bad because I really wanted to focus on what you were saying.
Thanks for watching! Check out the entire (Almost) Complete Guide to Stage Management here: ua-cam.com/play/PLsgtE1TvFCw1f82ZLaE-U9b2RaQuIqron.html
Idk why you don’t have more likes on your videos…. Definitely proves that not many people know about or appreciate stage management
Thanks for this! I'm currently taking a stage management class in my uni and this video is really helpful
Do you have experience SMing for a dance show? If so, could you do a video on how to record choreography in a prompt book / how to record cues? Do you do it on visuals or to music?
The short answer is both/it depends.
I’ve designed lights for a dance concert and done shows with long dance breaks, but not a full ballet.
Stage managers generally don’t notate blocking like choreography. That’s usually on the dance captain to maintain. To steal from one of my mentors Claudia, stage managers take the blocking of the dance. So instead of “JOHN chassé developés SR for a fish lift with JESS” it would just be “JOHN X SR and lifts JESS”. Hopefully that makes sense, but I’ll go more in-depth in the blocking video!
I believe ballets are usually called off the score like opera??? Could be wrong on that. Don’t quote me.
For dance breaks, I will write out dance counts and any major moves that may effect cues in my call script.
Personally, I like to think about what is motivating the cue (exp lights) and call off that. Is it a big cymbal crash? Call it off the music. Is it a formation change, lift, or kick? Call it off the choreo. More to come in the calling video (there’s so much to stage management we will get there eventually!) but hopefully that answers your questions a bit.
Best of luck!! Break legs!!!
@@HalfHourCall so helpful! Thank you!!
Hi Kent, great information and you speak clearly and succinctly. I had to bail however, after a few minutes due to the distracting, annoying, repetitive background 'music'. Which is too bad because I really wanted to focus on what you were saying.
Whaaaaaaa...!!! 😢