Choreography – Below the Line

The Hip Hop Nutcracker Choreographer Jennifer Weber on Adding Modern Dance Moves to Tchaikovsky’s Classic Ballet

December 26, 2022 Robin Milling Comments Off

Around this time of year, young ballerinas are lacing up their pointe shoes, poised and prepared to dance The Nutcracker. The classic ballet, which is over three centuries old, premiered on Dec. 6, 1892, by order of Czar Alexander III in St. Petersburg Russia. Based on Alexandre Dumas‘ adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, it was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a […]

Awards

Below the Line’s Awards Season Film, Television Craft Interview Round-Up

December 24, 2022 Edward Douglas Comments Off

Now that it’s late December, we’re fully into the awards season where crafts people in the industry get to nominate their colleagues in various below-the-line categories. Unlike the past few years, we’re including both television and film craft here, because many of the guilds and societies will be nominating for their annual awards, which include both film and television. You can also get a quick reminder of some of our […]

West Side Story: Justin Peck Discusses Choreographing Iconic Dance Numbers

December 24, 2021 J. Don Birnam Comments Off

Among the many technical achievements of Steven Spielberg’s take on West Side Story is undoubtedly its showstopping choreography. Originally designed by legendary choreographer Jerome Robbins—for the stage and the screen—the tragic musical is well-known for revolutionizing how dance was presented, and how it was presented on screen. Living up to the majesty of that original without simply rehashing it was no easy task, but Spielberg’s 2021 movie pulls it off […]

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist Choreographer Mandy Moore on the Show’s Magical Realism

May 13, 2021 Robin Milling Comments Off

When Choreographer Mandy Moore first received the pilot script for Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist from creator Austin Winsberg, even she was a bit perplexed by the premise of the title character, software developer Zoey (Jane Levy), who unwittingly hears people’s innermost thoughts as they’re singing their hearts out via “heart songs.” Moore was called upon to give these songs a physicality by creating dance numbers that could easily translate onto a Broadway […]