Curtain Up: Uniting the Theater Community
As I step into the dimly lit club, the sudden shift in atmosphere is jarring. Gone are the familiar trappings of a traditional theater space – the plush seats, the ornate proscenium, the polished stage. Instead, I find myself in the heart of a bustling nightclub, the dance floor pulsing with energy and the air alive with the infectious rhythm of house music.
Yet, amidst this unexpected setting, a group of dancers quietly rehearse, their movements infused with a theatrical grace that seems to transcend the confines of the club. This juxtaposition, I soon realize, is the essence of BC Beat, a Broadway choreography showcase that has carved out a unique space within the theater community.
As the Daily Herald reports, BC Beat is “a Broadway Choreography Showcase & Dance Party” that bridges the divide between the traditional and the unconventional. By bringing together choreographers from across the musical theater landscape and inviting the audience to participate, BC Beat is forging a sense of community that is often elusive in the fragmented world of theater.
Connecting the Choreographer Community
As I chat with Jennifer Jancuska, the driving force behind BC Beat, I learn that the event was born out of a desire to combat the isolation that many choreographers face in their profession. “If I’m going to live this as a career,” Jancuska explains, “I would be excited to have a community that’s doing what I’m doing – where we can learn from each other and support each other, know that there’s room for everybody, and be able to exercise our voices.”
Indeed, the choreographer’s life can be a lonely one, with each project representing a new set of collaborators and a distinct peer group. This can foster a sense of competition and disconnect, an issue that Jancuska sought to address head-on with BC Beat.
As the event unfolds, the camaraderie among the choreographers is palpable. Jancuska introduces them to the cheering crowd, and after their performances, they gather on the dance floor, hugging and high-fiving one another. “The genuine smiles – and then it breaks into everyone dancing,” Jancuska beams. “We get to do what we love and we get to do it together.”
Bridging the Audience Divide
But BC Beat’s mission extends beyond just bringing choreographers together. Jancuska has also designed the event to actively engage the audience, blurring the lines between performer and spectator.
“From the moment you walk into Cielo, you’re not treated like a passive spectator,” Jancuska explains. “You’re part of the proceedings.” The dance floor is located in the center of the space, creating an in-the-round setup that forces the audience to stand and actively watch the performances. “It’s like you share the dance floor,” Jancuska says, “A traditional theater setup would create a physical divide between the performers and the audience, whereas here the audience was perched right up to the very edges of the dance floor – as close to a shared space as safety considerations allow.”
This proximity and sense of shared experience is crucial to Jancuska’s vision for BC Beat. “I like that you kind of look down on the dance floor vs. looking up,” she says. “It’s a different experience, and it’s exciting to be that close.”
Collaborative Storytelling
What truly sets BC Beat apart, however, is the way it showcases the power of dance as a storytelling medium. The ten pieces presented at the event spanned a diverse array of styles, from the heightened narrative of “Little Red” to the a cappella-infused “Trouble in Mind.” Yet, despite their stylistic differences, each piece demonstrated a remarkable dexterity with narrative, weaving captivating stories through movement alone.
“Even without the constraints of a full libretto and score, the choreographers demonstrated their adeptness with creating and expressing narrative,” I observe. Jancuska nods enthusiastically, explaining her hope that as BC Beat continues to grow, more contemporary writers will get involved in the collaborative process.
“Even outside the context of a workshop, choreography enabled the shows’ creative teams to explore their stories and even revise their writing,” Jancuska reflects. “And that means that the possibilities for productive choreographer-writer collaborations are endless.”
The Art of Collaboration
Unfortunately, in the current landscape of musical theater development, those possibilities often remain untapped, with choreographers left out until it’s too late to have a meaningful impact on the storytelling. “Producers and writers should take the opportunity to integrate dance at an earlier stage so that it can be more organic and you can actually utilize it in better ways,” Jancuska argues.
This is where BC Beat steps in, serving as a platform for choreographers to showcase their work and for writers, directors, and producers to engage with the dance community. “The first step is having communication so people know that it’s not a scary thing,” Jancuska says. “Choreographers are generally brought onto a project based on a reel, a resume, and an interview, but if directors and writers were able to get to know choreographers through events like BC Beat, they’d be much more informed about what kind of collaboration they might have on a full project, and they could start learning about how to communicate with each other.”
Curtain Call: The Power of Community
As the night winds down and the audience spills onto the dance floor to join the choreographers, I’m struck by the sense of unity and shared purpose that permeates the space. Jancuska’s words echo in my mind: “Come out here and dance with us.” In that moment, the “us” – the otherwise invisible community of choreographers – expands, inviting the audience to become part of the fold, to experience the joy and camaraderie that lies at the heart of BC Beat.
It’s a powerful reminder that the theater community, for all its divisions and silos, is at its best when it comes together, when it celebrates its diversity, and when it embraces the collaborative spirit that lies at the very core of the art form. And events like BC Beat, with their unique blend of unconventional and traditional, have the power to inspire that unity, to bridge the gaps, and to remind us all that we’re in this together.
As I make my way back into the night, the rhythmic pulse of the dance floor still lingering in my mind, I can’t help but feel a renewed sense of optimism for the future of musical theater. After all, if a nightclub in the heart of the West Village can become a hub for storytellers and choreographers, then the possibilities for the Musical Theater Center and its students are truly boundless.
