Broadway. As soon as we say the word, you already know what we’re talking about. From “Wicked” to “Newsies”, the Broadway industry has been a staple in the community of theater and of course dance! For decades now, the Broadway industry has produced so many wonderful productions that have made their marks on our careers and sewn themselves into the fabric of our lives. And with a community as legendary as Broadway, we can’t help but take the time and give this genre in our industry its flowers. So without further ado, ladies and gentleman, a tribute to Broadway.
What Broadway Has Given Us
There is so much that Broadway has given us as an industry. For those of us who have had or have their sights set on being apart of it, It’s given us goals and dreams. Something to strive for. Over the years, so many actors and dancers have packed up their entire lives to relocate to New York City to pursue the dream of being on Broadway. And with that move can come opportunity. Which brings us to the next thing that Broadway has given a lot of us: a starting point. Broadway has been the stepping stone and a place of fertile ground for so many legends in the industry. From Michael Kidd to Al Pacino, this industry has been a ground to nurture the talent of young artists from many corners of the earth. It has given us legendary soundtracks and unforgettable scores that have stuck with us since childhood! From “King of New York” to “I Feel Pretty”, there’s a Broadway song that holds at least one spot on the playlists of people everywhere. Broadway has also produced shows that have made us think, laugh and cry. It’s taught us a few lessons about how our power lies in our uniqueness (“Wicked”) and how our loved ones are always with us, cheering us on even when they’re gone (“The Lion King”). To audience members that are show regulars, Broadway establishes core memories that stick with us for a lifetime. And on top of so much more, broadways give us that surety that you’re about to walk into a production that will leave you talking, singing and dancing all the way home.
What Broadway Teaches Us
A league all of its own and for wonderful reason, Broadway has been the source of a lot of core lessons professionally. Though the finished product of productions will blow you away, the effort that goes into each one is hard work to say the very least. Hours on end of rehearsals, different casts, piles of choreography, cast recordings and let’s not forget show, after show, after show. Though I have never been on Broadway myself, I have many peers in the industry that are in productions even today and what I can so easily see is that a career journey such as this teaches you hard work, versatility, and I’ll go even on to say stamina. From the main characters of the production to the ensemble, Broadway professionals are most certainly made up of “triple threats”, asking their cast to be able to pull off whatever may be thrown their way. Ballet, jazz, tap, modern and musical theater are just some of the areas of training that are sought after for those breaking into the world of Broadway which is an element that will naturally teach versatility, flexibility and how to be comfortable stepping into any mold that may be required of you. Strong work ethic is also necessary to manage each passing day and the stamina needed to keep up with each passing day is absolutely legendary. However, even though this sounds like a lot of, well, hard work, these are lessons that can really help a dancer in the fundamentals of a professional career. Broadway helps us experience the joy of watching your hard work pay off and touch the lives of the people in the audience. It has helped dreams become realized and it has even helped some dreams come true.
What We Look Forward To In The Future
When a pandemic swept through our world, it left us feeling uncertain. We experienced a time that we never could’ve imagined and Broadway shows were yet another tradition that we had to put on hold. However, now that we have found a light at the end of the tunnel, Broadway shows have made their way back into our lives and boy, have we been on cloud 9 ever since! As we move forward with time, the only word that comes to mind when thinking about what we hope to see from Broadway in the future is “more”. We look forward to seeing more amazing productions, watching more talented artists follow their dream, more timeless music, more legendary performances and making many more memories.
Broadway, we thank you for all that you have contributed to this industry. We honor you and appreciate you today and every day, and we look forward to all of the amazing things that you have in store.
Keep dancing!
Lexi
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