Young, scrappy and hungry students from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln had the opportunity to work with members of the touring company of “Hamilton,” getting advice from the professionals they can hopefully apply to their own careers.
“It meant the absolute world to be able to get insights on what it’s actually like,” said Maddie Krueger, a junior dance and elementary education major who participated in a dance master class Aug. 11 at the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts.
“Hamilton” just completed its 16-performance run at the Lied Center for Performing Arts, becoming the highest-selling show in the history of the venue.
Devin Tyler Hatch, dance captain and swing in the company, led the class. Ten students from Nebraska and 15 other dancers from the community learned a sequence from the song “My Shot.”
Hatch walked them through the steps in smaller pieces, and after about 90 minutes, the students could run through the entire piece. Hatch said settings like this can help the students learn how to prepare for auditions, where they might need to learn a combination in a short time.
“Class is where you get the tools to pick that information up quickly,” Hatch said.
“Hamilton” is Krueger’s favorite musical and she said it was interesting hearing more about the story behind every step from someone who works with the material every day.
“It’s just a dream come true to be able to be close to someone that is in the show, to see the process, to be able to see the choreography and the intention behind every movement,” Krueger said.
Hatch said one of the most important lessons he wants students to take away is to not expect perfection. During an audition or live performance, something will always go wrong, and sometimes the most important thing is showing a casting director that you know how to recover.
“If something were to happen on stage, could you adjust quickly?” Hatch said. “Live theater, things are going to mess up, things are going to happen.”
Krueger said this message was something she would keep in mind moving forward and it was a reminder to not get in her own way.
“Not everyone has it together always, and to just be your authentic self and be confident in that, was really good advice,” she said.
Jacquelyn von Aschwege, a senior majoring in interdisciplinary studies with emphases in vocal performance and theater performance, participated in a vocal master class Aug. 4 with Jared Howelton, who plays Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in the touring company. She sang a song from a yet-to-be-completed musical, which meant she didn’t have much information about the character’s backstory. Howelton improvised some dialogue with her to lead into the song, which helped her develop the emotional side of her performance.
“It will help me visualize what the dynamic is between the characters, which will help me respond better,” von Aschwege said.
She said the feedback from someone with experience in singing, acting and dancing was useful and getting the perspective of a professional in her field was inspiring.
“It’s one thing to go to school and get training, but it’s a completely other thing to see people who are working currently, who are doing what you want to do, and learning from them and their lived experience,” she said. “That’s invaluable to me.”
Hatch wants students to walk away from these experiences believing a career in theater is attainable for them.
“If this is something they want to move into, as long as you keep fighting for yourself, because this is an industry where not a lot of people are going to fight for you, just stick with it, it’s so obtainable,” he said.
--Kristina Jackson, University Communication and Marketing