How Does Carole King Dance
“The story of Carole is that of a composer at the piano, so the dance is clearly about singers who move well; the dance needs to support their vocals and be, most importantly, true to the period,” says Prince. “I wanted to avoid anachronistic aspects, but still explore a romanticized, theatricalized version of the era.”
To manage Beautiful, Prince needed an associate choreographer like Solomon. Responsible for everything from writing the “bible” (a written record of all the movement in a show) to giving dancers notes and training the dance captain, the associate is essentially the choreographer’s right hand. “The best associates get into your head and guess what you want,” Prince says. “For instance, during [one performance], Ali and I went into the lobby <i>during</i> the show and re-choreographed a number in the mirror. She adds ideas and also reminds me, for example, everyone on stage right is on a different foot. Sometimes I can just look at her and know it’s not right from her input. That’s invaluable.”
A petite, sassy dynamo, Solomon has performed at Lincoln Center and on the tours of Billy Elliot and In the Heights. She’s also assisted some of the industry’s hottest rising stars, earning a reputation as an insightful second-in-command with a knack for remembering choreography, communicating with cast members, and easily adapting to the choreographer’s style.
Solomon has danced for Prince before, and their current collaboration is fueling her interest in assisting choreographers. “I love the creative process of brainstorming, making something that’s never been done before and working as a team,” she says. “You can find so much more when you have two or three minds exploring. Then when you put your vision on the entire cast, it’s magical.”
Additionally, Prince and Solomon made sure that the mostly non-dancer ensemble understood the importance of specificity. “Whether the palm is up or down, whether the hand is cupped or flat, whether the foot is beveled or straight: All of these elements tell a different story depending what you choose,” Prince says. “If you don’t make particular choices, the movement can all end up looking alike, so we stress that. Specificity is everything.”
Solomon adds, “It’s this type of spectacle you don’t expect. Though we have a lot of laid-back, ballad-y pieces that you’d expect of Carole, we have exhilarating moments in the show, too. And we created them together.”
—
Lauren Kay is a writer and dancer based in New York City
Photo by Joan Marcus
LAUREN PHOENIX KAY