Think about touring to lovely locations, making lifelong associates from everywhere in the world, and performing high-energy exhibits for packed audiences. Engaged on a ship, it’s all a part of a daily day within the workplace. As a manufacturing dancer onboard a serious cruise line, my main job is to carry out in a number of exhibits and visitor experiences throughout every voyage. However as a crew member, every day life onboard is crammed with a lot greater than dancing, and it’s assured to shock you, problem you, and make it easier to 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 exhibits, in addition to three pop-up performances, together with our Sail Away Celebration and 80’s Dance Social gathering.
Like on most cruise ships, the exhibits required a whole lot of partnering, which I beforehand had not had a lot expertise in. As our solid discovered extra about find out how to work with one another, nonetheless, I grew to become extra snug with trusting my companions and speaking how we might finest execute tough lifts and sequences collectively. Rehearsing seven hours a day for 5 days every week was at occasions a psychological and bodily problem, but it surely constructed the stamina required for each demanding exhibits 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 find out how to match my complete life right into a tiny cabin with two bunk beds and one roommate to studying my emergency duties 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, equivalent to find out how to eliminate my trash or make telephone calls, all grew to become a bit extra difficult, to not point out consistently getting misplaced on the 18-deck ship till I discovered my approach round. However with the assist of my solid, which mainly acted as my household onboard, navigating my new residence finally 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 find out how 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 elements of set up had been extra intimidating, like determining one of the best ways to nail rapid-fire fast modifications within the wings (our quickest was lower than 25 seconds), and the sudden problem of dancing on a rocking ship (hey, core stability!)
As soon as all the exhibits 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 essential corrections or modifications on our ft. We then ran by way of your complete 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 tough lifts with my companions. And, lastly, the most effective half: stepping onstage able to do my finest and assist my solid.
Exploring the ports through 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 a whole lot of downtime, particularly throughout sea days (when the ship isn’t docked at a port). Typically, the solid will assist with numerous occasions, equivalent to internet hosting themed events for the crew, educating dance and health lessons, or, within the case of our itinerary, appearing within the longstanding maritime custom of the “Crossing the Equator” ceremony for friends. We labored exhausting, however we additionally had a whole lot of enjoyable.
Spending months away from family and friends could be isolating, and it’s exhausting to overlook particular moments like weddings and holidays again residence. However I by no means really feel actually alone on a ship; my fellow castmates, musicians, cooks, technicians, baristas, room stewards, and extra develop into the acquainted neighbors that I work together with each 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 consistently becoming a member of and leaving, and also you by no means know if you’ll face the sudden, like having to re-block a present on the final minute for a sick castmate. However for those who keep versatile and embrace each new problem as a chance to study, there’s no restrict to what you possibly can uncover. I actually imagine 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.