Hamilton Tours Through MV

Sep 15, 2021 | All School, Blog

During the Atlanta run of Hamilton at The Fox Theatre, students in Grades 7 and 8 Choice Connections: Dance, MS Dance Team, as well as those in Grades 9-12 Dance Styles classes had the opportunity to learn an actual show routine fromΒ  current cast member Christopher Rice, aΒ  Broadway Dancer/Singer/Actor in the National Touring production.Β 

Having been in many broadway shows and national tours, including Little Women, Book of Mormon, West Side Story, and White Christmas, Christopher has had much success in the professional world and was able to share that insight with our students. He is currently a swing, which means he learns multiple roles and fills in for several characters when they have planned leave, injury, or illness. Learning 5 roles and being ready to jump in at any time is no easy feat and his skillful dexterity took center stage during Tuesday’s workshop.

Once the student dancers nailed the production choreography from the song β€œMy Shot”, Mr. Rice held a Q&A where he was asked questions ranging from β€œWhen did you know you wanted to be a dancer?” to β€œWhat was the hardest dance you’ve ever performed?” and β€œWas it intimidating to join a show as famous as Hamilton?” to β€œWhat is the audition process like for a Broadway production?” Students from Making a Musical, Strings, and Voice classes watched the β€œrehearsal” and had an opportunity to ask questions from different lenses.

We are so thankful to Mr. Rice for encouraging our students and giving them a glimpse into the world of professional theatre!

This workshop is just one of the several dozen guest artists our students will be able to work with over the course of the year thanks to the generosity of our community who continue to support the School and the Mount Vernon Fund.