Think about touring to stunning locations, making lifelong buddies from everywhere in the world, and performing high-energy reveals for packed audiences. Engaged on a ship, it’s all a part of an everyday day within the workplace. As a manufacturing dancer onboard a significant cruise line, my major job is to carry out in a number of reveals and visitor experiences throughout every voyage. However as a crew member, every day life onboard is stuffed with a lot greater than dancing, and it’s assured to shock you, problem you, and enable you develop each as a performer and an individual.
My contract began with six weeks of rehearsals on the firm’s studios. As quickly as our solid of 10 dancers and 4 singers arrived, we jumped proper into studying 4 manufacturing reveals, in addition to three pop-up performances, together with our Sail Away Celebration and 80’s Dance Get together.
Like on most cruise ships, the reveals required quite a lot of partnering, which I beforehand had not had a lot expertise in. As our solid discovered extra about easy methods to work with one another, nonetheless, I grew to become extra comfy with trusting my companions and speaking how we might finest execute troublesome lifts and sequences collectively. Rehearsing seven hours a day for 5 days every week was at instances a psychological and bodily problem, nevertheless it constructed the stamina required for each demanding reveals and the quick tempo of life at sea.
Embarking on the ship in Fort Lauderdale, FL, I confronted a whirlwind of recent experiences. From determining easy methods to match my complete life right into a tiny cabin with two bunk beds and one roommate to studying my emergency obligations as a crew member, it took time to regulate onboard, which is the case whether or not it’s your first contract or your fifth. Issues I usually wouldn’t have thought twice about on land, similar to easy methods to get rid of my trash or make cellphone calls, all grew to become a bit extra sophisticated, to not point out continually getting misplaced on the 18-deck ship till I discovered my manner round. However with the assist of my solid, which mainly acted as my household onboard, navigating my new residence ultimately grew to become second nature.
Onboard, a second mini-rehearsal course of, generally referred to as “set up,” kicked off with a flurry of becoming costumes, blocking formations, and studying easy methods to work with the props and set items onstage. It was thrilling to find new efficiency components I hadn’t encountered earlier than, like a pit that rose up in the midst of the stage, and a dwell band that performed alongside us. Different components of set up have been extra intimidating, like determining one of the simplest ways to nail rapid-fire fast adjustments within the wings (our quickest was lower than 25 seconds), and the surprising problem of dancing on a rocking ship (hiya, core stability!)
As soon as all the reveals premiered, I settled into what was to be my new regular for the subsequent a number of months at sea. On present days, our schedule resembled a contract on land. We’d begin with listening to notes on our final efficiency from our solid supervisor, adopted by a while onstage to make any crucial corrections or adjustments on our toes. We then ran by way of the whole present, minus costumes and technical components. Afterwards, it was all about preparation: fixing and pre-setting costumes, warming up, doing hair and make-up, and going over any troublesome lifts with my companions. And, lastly, one of the best half: stepping onstage able to do my finest and assist my solid.
Exploring the ports in the course of the day and acting at night time actually saved me busy; in only one contract, I visited greater than 10 international locations, together with Antarctica! However there was additionally quite a lot of downtime, particularly throughout sea days (when the ship isn’t docked at a port). Usually, the solid will assist with varied occasions, similar to internet hosting themed events for the crew, instructing dance and health lessons, or, within the case of our itinerary, performing within the longstanding maritime custom of the “Crossing the Equator” ceremony for company. We labored arduous, however we additionally had quite a lot of enjoyable.
Spending months away from family and friends may be isolating, and it’s arduous to overlook particular moments like weddings and holidays again residence. However I by no means really feel really alone on a ship; my fellow castmates, musicians, cooks, technicians, baristas, room stewards, and extra turn out to be the acquainted neighbors that I work together with every day, and people little interactions all add as much as a broad sense of group onboard that I do know I can fall again on.
As a performer at sea, the one fixed is change. Ports change, crew members outdoors of the solid are continually becoming a member of and leaving, and also you by no means know while you’ll face the surprising, like having to re-block a present on the final minute for a sick castmate. However in case you keep versatile and embrace each new problem as a chance to study, there’s no restrict to what you’ll be able to uncover. I actually consider I’ve top-of-the-line jobs a dancer might ask for, and I’m excited to see the place the excessive seas take me subsequent.
