Cirque, Dance, Music: A Backstage Pass

The parts nobody sees...
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As women who specialize in what goes on stage we've realized that our expertise extends far beyond the realm of the audience experience, and really, it's what happens off stage & before showtime that makes or breaks a performance of any kind, whether that be cirque, dance, music, a speech etc.
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Pre-production is often an elusive, HIGHLY misunderstood process that I'd love to spotlight here. This part of the show is invisible to you, your stakeholders, and pretty much anyone looking from the outside in. Here are a few misconceptions about the front-end of performance:
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💵Contrary to popular belief, pre-production starts in the sales process. This is where we are designing the vision and crunching the numbers to see what is viable and what is not; what is safe given the $$ spend & particulars of each space. Just remember, everything has a cost. [Repeating for the people in the back] 📢EVERYTHING has a cost, including the ideation period, concept, pitching our shows to you (whether you select our services or not). Creative work is SO much fun, and it is WORK at the end of the day.

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🦺Once a contract is signed, sealed, and delivered, our next order of business is getting to work on the safe execution of elements. This is where the collaborative effort on all sides comes into play: The ceiling plot / floorplans / rigging and extensive mapping of what happens where & when; who owns what part of the plan; and how this can be deployed in the most effective& optimal manner. Then there are all of the internal processes that set us up for success between the aerialists & human load riggers etc.

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🎪Show creation begins with all show leads (producers, directors, choreographers music editors etc). We map the plan, the rehearsals, cast the talent, and line-up the costume / wardrobe team / make-up hair folks

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🌟Talent coordination that includes, but is not limited to: communications /costume trails / rehearsal sequencing / health / Plan Bs

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📝Productionschedules created / ROS (run-of-show) / insurance certificates / extensivecommunications with everyone from venue to AV & planners so that on eventday, we are set up for success.

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🙌🏻Show day is typically a 12-16+ hour endeavor, and only then is when someone(with no experience or context) can truly understand the level of preparation required for our performances. They see all of the prep unfolding in real-time. It is impressive to see so many people moving with courtesy, care, gratitude, professionalism.
Thinking about the value a creative team brings forth to your function is key. If you don't understand, just ask! It's always a pleasure to educate around "what we actually do" because, as you can see, it's SO much more than just the show.
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Photo Credits: Vito Amati

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