Student Blog: Keeping Up Musical Theatre Training…in the Summer!

Musical Theatre requires constant training. Even if you're not actively working on a project, training is the key to stamina, confidence, and success. When training becomes something you enjoy, the stress of the task goes away. In my downtime I like to try to do one productive thing a day that contributes to my artistic career. Whether that be sitting down at the piano and practicing scales, or submitting a virtual audition, doing one thing to advance yourself as an artist is so important.

I like to get a job most summers to make some money before the busy school year starts. In the past, I have been an avid babysitter because I love children. While babysitting was a job I enjoyed, it wasn’t furthering my career and education as an artist. Thanks to an opportunity at my alma mater, this summer, I was able to work in a way that used my time a little bit more wisely. 

Typical training for me looks like cardio, stretching, strength training, vocal warmups, industry research, repertoire expansion, voice lessons, rest, and more. Shows, school, jobs, and life in general always create a busy schedule, so over the years I’ve learned how to take advantage of every opportunity for training I can. This summer, I was lucky to have found the perfect opportunity as a choreographer that added to my artistic resume, and allowed me to continue training all summer while still having a paying job. 

Working as a choreographer for young students was exactly what I needed. I love working with children, but unlike babysitting, choreographing gave me the opportunity to live in a professional work environment that gave me a whole new skill set. 

My first job during the summer was working as the choreographer for a middle school production of Seussical KIDS! I have truly never loved a job more. It was hard work, but it was my favorite kind of work. The biggest lesson it taught me was time management. This was a production with a 2 week rehearsal process, so I had to produce quality work at a quick pace. I also felt so accomplished at the end of the process, knowing that I was capable of choreographing a whole show. 

My second teaching job this summer was as a dance teacher for children ages 4 to 7. This job was less pressure in comparison to choreographing a whole musical, but it was a brand new teaching style and I had to adapt quickly. I learned to enjoy teaching a much more “process” based class instead of “product” based. I was able to take time teaching the fundamentals of dance to the kids, which I adored. Going from teaching middle school student to the elementary level was a learning curve, but I am so glad I had the experience. 

My final summer job was teaching afternoon tap lessons to a small group of enthusiastic middle schoolers. I loved this job because of how specific it was. The students and I would set weekly goals and work together to accomplish them. I benefited from teaching just as much as the students did while taking the class. Practice really does make progress. 

Keeping up training during the summer is challenging without having a structured work environment. My biggest advice is to make structure for yourself! Set daily goals and have someone keep you in check. Find a friend to train with you over the summer…or if you’re like me, and you really like structure, find a summer job like mine that allows you to work in your element all day!