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MAKE A MOVE
BOB Fosse's Dancin' has returned to Broadway more than 40 years after the original production took New York by storm.
The musical revue features 16 dancers at the top of their game who perform a marathon two-and-a-half hours of nonstop movement.
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Directed by Wayne Cilento - who starred in the original 1978 production - Dancin' features the original choreography of nine-time Tony Award winner Bob Fosse.
Fosse was known for his unique and specific style that included small isolated motions and explosions of movement.
He lent his signature style to many Broadway musicals including The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, Sweet Charity, Pippin, and Chicago.
Dancin' is no exception, with the performers putting on a full display of athleticism as they maneuver through the rigorous choreography.
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Members of the cast spoke with The U.S. Sun recently at the Music Box Theatre in New York City about how they stay fit and prepare their bodies for eight shows per week.
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CONSISTENCY IS KEY
“I usually do some kind of physical movement in the morning before I come to work," Karli Dinardo said.
"And then before the show, I do a full warm-up that includes physical therapy exercises specific for which part of my body needs a little bit more help or balancing out because of the show.”
Dinardo said the post-show cool-down is also a huge part of her wellness routine and can include foam rolling, ice, heat, and infrared.
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“The list is quite lengthy. But on any given day it can be any one of the things. Trying to be consistent is the key for me.”
“Everyone definitely has their own ritual," Ron Todorowski said.
"There’s the wellness aspect of it, you know, the massage, the acupuncture, switching that up. The show is literally challenging - we’re nonstop as soon as it starts.
“It’s incredible that it does require cross-training and gym, pilates, yoga, you know, just anything that’s not the show to get our bodies to be ready and strong and long and stabilized for the eight shows a week.”
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SOLID SLEEP
Some of the performers, including Broadway veterans Khori Michelle Petinaud and Manuel Herrera, are balancing parenthood on top of their show schedule.
"The biggest thing that I’m trying to really make sure I get is a solid amount of sleep. Getting seven and a half hours of sleep when I can," Petinaud said.
She added that achieving that goal was more difficult during rehearsals, as the days tend to be longer and more intense.
“Then also making sure I’m fueling my body properly, taking my vitamins, trying to make sure that I’m doing some sort of cross-training … those things have really, I’ve found, helped me consistently be able to show up and feel as strong as I can be for the show.”
"With this show, you have to take care of yourself or you just can’t do it," Herrera said.
Leading up to rehearsals, Herrera was doing two-a-days at the gym and taking ballet classes, pilates, weight training, and other forms of cross-training.
“Just like anything that could prepare me for the show because the show itself is just a marathon. We don’t even sit for two-and-a-half hours.
“You have to train for the show because this is a specific show.”
'TRICK YOUR MUSCLES'
“It’s a lifestyle, to be completely honest," said Peter John Chursin.
"It’s waking up, it’s making sure you get a good night’s rest. That’s really key.
"It’s also making sure that you’re cross-training, that you’re not just dancing. That you’re going to the gym, you’re doing pilates, yoga, whatever it is that you need to do to kind of trick your muscles and your body into doing other things, gaining strength, making sure you’re strong for each performance.
"Then it comes down also to food, how much you’re eating.
"Are you eating a big breakfast and lunch? How much can you eat before the show?
“It’s hard to dance on a full stomach. It’s really, every day, morning to night, really having to think of that.”
Chursin added that part of his wellness routine includes laying on an ice pack for 20 minutes each night before bed.
“It really is all-encompassing.”
Afra Hines echoed everything Chursin said, but added that the company is “really set up for success here."
"We have physical therapy in the building with us, not just for injuries, but for maintenance and to keep us in top form.”
'WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR BODIES'
As an understudy, Aydin Eyikan doesn’t typically know what to expect night-to-night.
“It does make it a little difficult, even for when I go to the gym and workout, I’m not quite sure how hard ever I can go," Eyikan said.
“I also make a point to warm up at half hour for the show as if I was going to be in it.
"That’s been important for me, too, is just doing a warmup every day regardless, and trying to stay as prepared as possible.”
For Jacob Guzman, warming up and cooling down are crucial parts of his routine.
“I’ve been trying to go to the gym and cross-train a little bit.
"The biggest thing for me honestly has been eating. Just like making sure I get my nutrition in and eating more than I think I should because … I need to make sure that my body is well-nourished for the show."
“For me, it’s also been ice plunges recently, like going in an ice bath after’s been really good," said Nando Morland.
"And then also timing the preshow meal.
“It’s strategic. And everyone’s body is different too, so every dancer has their own ritual and their own way to maintain.”
“We have to take care of our bodies or else the show is not able to happen," Ida Saki said.
“For me, personally, my Bikram yoga practice really helps me stay lengthened and warm … for this rigorous schedule and show," Dylis Croman said.
Croman also highlighted what she called “the simple things,” like rest, water, and eating the right foods.
“That’s tricky with this show. You gotta fuel yourself but you don’t want to feel heavy and weighted down. It’s tricky but every dancer goes through it.”
“Food is fuel, and knowing when to fuel yourself, I think, is the biggest challenge for me, is knowing when my body needs to digest food," added Tony d'Alelio.
“It’s kind of a dangerous area if you scarf down a burger before you have to perform onstage.”
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Croman said: “It’s tricky finding that golden time to eat your meal before you have to dance for two-and-a-half hours straight.”
“That’s what live theater is all about: It’s about the moment. It’s not about anything but that moment you’re in and feeding off of one another in an organic, real way - a truthful way.”