Capturing the Complex Tone of ‘Carousel’ Through Dance
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That pivotal sequence gave Peck plenty to dig into. “I always felt that the ballet seemed like a completely different show than the rest of Carousel,” he says. “I wanted to incorporate the community more, so that’s what we did with this version of it. It’s the first time we get to see [Julie and Billy’s daughter] Louise. I wanted to present vignettes, or anecdotes, of her life. I feel like it gives Billy more purpose for wanting to return to Earth.”
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“From the beginning they wanted dance to be very prominent in this production,” says Ramasar. “That’s why Lindsay Mendez dances, Josh dances, and even [opera star] Renée Fleming has a waltz during the ‘Real Nice Clambake’ number. We went back and forth about whether I would dance in the first ‘Prelude’ entrance. Originally, I just walked through the guys, but Justin really wanted to make it more dramatic. From the start, he wanted to establish the characters, tell the story right away.”
Ramasar has been in six ballets Peck choreographed and says he’s a master at communicating his ideas. He points to “Blow High, Blow Low,” a high-flying showcase for a chorus of seamen, as an example of Peck’s singular vision that also encapsulates the show’s complicated tone. “The number has barely changed, if at all, since we learned it in the studio,” Ramasar says. “Justin explained it so well, the guys got it right away. He wanted us to have a strong male presence, but it’s not just a happy-go-lucky dance. He wanted to show that life for sailors during that time wasn’t all fun; this was a dangerous profession. It takes a certain kind of strength, because it was a hard life. When he has these rough steps and static movements, it shows that kind of stress. But then you also have the bond of brotherhood that gets you through — and also helps entice Billy to become part of the crew.”
Another big ensemble number, “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over,” in which singing and dancing trade-off continuously, required more experimentation. “I think I did three or even five versions of ‘June’ between the time we were in the studio through previews,” Peck admits. “I put in a completely new version of it at one point in the process of performing it!.
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To read about a student’s experience at Carousel, check out this post on TDF’s sister site SEEN.
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Susan Reiter regularly covers dance for TDF Stages.
Top image: Jessie Mueller and Joshua Henry in Carousel. Photos by Julieta Cervantes.
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Susan Reiter covers dance for TDF Stages.