WALTZES AND WHISKS
Written by Volunteer Coordinator and Choreographer, Alison Shafer
People often ask which of my shows is my favorite, and it’s a bit like being asked, “Which of your kids do you love most?” The answer is usually, “The one I’m with right now.” If you’d asked me while directing and choreographing the 2024 holiday show, my answer would have been Cinderella. Today, however, it’s Waitress. Both shows feature women who serve others yet, by story’s end, find their voices—but the similarities end there. As a choreographer, how do you go from pumpkins and Cinderella to pies and Waitress?
I love the variety that each theatrical project offers and the unique challenges that each story presents. From a choreographer’s perspective, the key question is always: How does the movement advance the story? Here’s a look at how I approached these two very different projects.
In Cinderella, I characterize the musical numbers as classic, spectacular, and lush. The movement is grand and sweeping—larger than life. For example, the Act 1 number The Prince is Giving a Ball is excitement personified, with folk dance patterns, slides, polkas, kicks, and lifts supporting the celebratory mood. Act 2 features a 15-minute dance sequence, including a stately Gavotte and several waltzes, telling the story of the prince’s journey from boredom to finding true love, expressed through intricate dance sequences.
Waitress, however, is a completely different journey of choreographic discovery. While there are traditional-style numbers that express the characters’ thoughts and desires, like Dawn’s When He Sees Me where she partners with each ensemble man while considering the vulnerability it takes to pursue a relationship, the tone and style are more intimate. The contemporary themes and music of Waitress call for a different movement style: no slides or perfect waltzes here. Instead, the choreography feels more reflective of a supportive community—intimate and often off-balance, a more modern dance feel. The movement links to food and nourishment, which are central to Jenna’s story, and the diner setting drives the physicality, with menu choreography, table and counter dances, spins, and torso movements.
In Waitress, the ensemble plays a key role in storytelling, acting as patrons in the diner, wedding guests, and especially Jenna’s muses or Greek chorus. They help move the plot forward in transitions and with Jenna, nudging her to take charge of her life. Finding the right movement for the ensemble has been one of the most satisfying parts of this project.
Exploration is one of the most exciting aspects of creating and collaborating. Each story guides the answers to creative questions. In transitioning between these two projects, I considered everything—music style, time period, location, characters—but most importantly, I listened to what the characters were telling me. Last fall, Cinderella, the Prince, and the villagers spoke to me, and now, I’m tuned in to Jenna, Dawn, Becky, and their community.
Both shows center around protagonists finding their way—and you could even say pumpkins are a theme. Though Jenna prefers turning hers into a pie rather than a carriage.