"re-creating" choreography

[Cabarob]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 12:50am

Seeing a lot of people complain about the revival not using the original Michael Bennett choreography for "Turkey Lurkey Time" in "Promises, Promises" and the fact that I'm choreographing a show with known choreography, I wanted everyone's opinion on something. When should you re-create the original choreo, when should you not, and what's the proper way to do/credit if you are copying? I know certain shows, like "Oklahoma" and "Crazy For You" have a choreography book/video from the licensers with instructions for original choreo and telling you how to bill them. But what about other shows, like "Sweet Charity," "42nd Street," or "Grand Hotel" which have very iconic original choreography - but you can't license it? If you watch, say the "Fosse" dvd and recreate Rich Man's Frug - isn't that stealing someone else's work without paying for it? Since it is so well known should you copy it anyway and just list an "original choreo by" credit in the program? Or is it best to just do your own, new choreography when it doesn't come with the show? I am totally against the idea of copying original choreo and not crediting the person who created it (it amazes me how many professional, regional theatres do this.) What does everyone else think of this?

[PReeves2]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 2:12am

Copying anything verbatim seems wrong to me. If you can't come up with it on your own and choose to copy and paste someone else's work then you not only are hurting the original process of any such work but, are also hurting any integrity the original work had, let alone showing your own inept abilities. Have a little respect.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 5:51am

Local and regional theater is one thing, but major (and by that I mean first-in-fourty-years revivals) on Broadway is something else entirely. In many cases, duplicating - or trying to - duplicate the work of the masters is fraught with peril. Fosse and Bennett and Robbins et al had the best dancers in the world to work with and it shows in their choreography.

I've seen profession companies nearly kill themselves trying to replicate what Broadway dancers make look effortless.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 5:52am

Honestly? I would never copy someone's choreography unless licesensed and REQUIRED to do so. Might there be key points to highlight? Certain signature steps? Sure....and most people at local theater would never be aware of it anyway. You could indeed "credit" the original choreographer with a line in the program with the technical theater credits such as:

Choreography by "your name"
Inspired by the original choreography by Bob Fosse

But I wouldn't sweat the 'inspriation' too much. Those that DO know the difference would realize it, and no one else would care!

[Elphie3]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 7:38am

I have to say - I went to a performing arts high school, and often our choreographers were performers who appeared in the original productions of the shows we were doing, and recreated the original choreography on us. It was one of the best experiences ever, and we learned SO much. Getting to work on such amazing choreography pushed us all to new levels, and made us better performers.

I don't believe in stealing - but I think it's a judgement call. And I do think paying homage to the original can be a great thing. I think people's biggest problem with "Turkey Lurkey" in the revival isn't that it's not the original choreography, but that it's just not good - hence the comparison back to the original.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 7:54am

Most shows that were done by the big names originally, (Fosse, Bennet, Robbins being the top three of course) require in your license agreement that an "Original Production Directed (and Choreographed, if applicable) by (insert name)" be on your title page in your program, whether you are recreating their work or not.

[backwoodsbarbie]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 4:34pm

People do this in amateur ballet companies all the time, especially with Balanchine's Nutcracker. Normaly they credit it by saying "staged by 'your name' after George Balanchine". I would assume you could do the same.