THE TIME STEP SYMPOSIUM, a first-of-its-kind program bringing emerging music arranger/music directors and choreographers together once a week for a series of lectures from Broadway's most prolific choreographers and dance arrangers. Through mentored assignments, different teams of Broadway veterans will illuminate the process of developing original dance music in an effort to inspire and preserve this important relationship between song and dance.
The 5-week tuition free-program will run November 11 to December 9, and will be held at Open Jar Studios.
Each week, THE TIME STEP SYMPOSIUM’s selected participants will pair off in new teams to tackle assignments which will be presented to the visiting guest artists for their insight and feedback.
While focused on the entire creative spectrum, TIME STEP seeks to elevate the skills of current associates and assistants working in the industry to inspire ideas and push their creativity to begin exploring their own work.
A First-Of-Its-Kind Program for up and coming Dance Arrangers and Choreographers, providing on-hands mentorship from some of Broadway’s Prolific, encouraging the relationship between music and dance on Broadway and beyond.
THE MENTORS
Mentors for the inaugural Time Step Symposium features an ever growing group of Broadway director/choreographers including Susan Stroman (Crazy For You, The Producers, Contact), Rob Ashford (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Frozen, How to Succeed), Josh Bergasse (Smash, On The Town), Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton, Bandstand, In the Heights), and JoAnn M. Hunter (Bad Cinderella, School of Rock, Disaster!), Joey Pizzi (Mary Poppins Returns, The Little Mermaid), Broadway composer Jeanine Tesori (Kimberly Akimbo, Fun Home) and Broadway dance arrangers Sam Davis (Death Becomes Her, New York, New York, Company), David Chase (Music Man, 1776), David Dabbon (Oh Mary!, Big Gay Jamboree, Beetlejuice), David Krane (Cabaret, She Loves Me, The Music Man), Zane Mark (Boop, A Wonderful World), Greg Anthony Rassen (Bandstand, Between The Lines), and Daryl Waters (Memphis, Shuffle Along). THE TIME STEP SYMPOSIUM will illuminate where these mentors find inspiration, how they navigate the creative process, and the necessity of collaboration in bringing some of the most magical and successful moments on Broadway to life.
It’s MORE Than A Training Program . . . The Future of Broadway Depends On It
With a legacy spanning over 100 years, Broadway has created the most iconic moments in American Entertainment. To guarantee that tradition continues, THE TIME STEP SYMPOSIUM connects the next generation of choreographers and arrangers with today’s luminaries who honed their craft under giants like Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, Peter Howard, and Agnes de Mille. THE TIME STEP SYMPOSIUM is an essential lifeline linking the PAST AND THE PRESENT leading Broadway into the FUTURE ensuring it shines brightly for centuries to come.
TUITION FREE
THE TIME STEP SYMPOSIUM is a tuition-free program providing space, dancers, mentorship, and resources to the next generation of creatives. Removing the tuition barrier will allow an even greater diversity of talented, qualified creatives to develop and hone their skills under the mentorship of Broadway’s best, continuing Broadway’s role as a world leader in the creation of Musical Theatre.
INAUGURAL PARTICIPANTS (2024):
Up and coming choreographers selected for the inaugural Time Step Symposium are (pictured l-r below): Jennifer Jancuska (Resident Choreographer & Dance Supervisor for Hamilton), Brandon Bieber (dance captain Something Rotten tour), Sara Brians (resident Choreographer for Matilda, Billy Elliot), Victoria Casillo (Associate Choreographer for The Griswold's Broadway Vacation), Natalie Malotke (choreography team for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).
Up and coming dance arrangers selected for Time Step Symposium are (l-r below): Nicholas Connors (Asst. Music Director for Almost Famous), Terence “T” Odonkor (Assoc. Orchestrator The Heart Of Rock and Roll), Miles Plant (Music Director The Jerusalem Syndrome), Mo Yeh (Music Assistant The Who’s Tommy), Drew Nichols (Asst. programer Death Becomes Her, Sunset Blvd).
Patrick O’Neill (Co-Producer, Co-Founder) is an American director, choreographer, and writer. Passionate about developing stories that connect us and cultivate communication and understanding, his work has been seen on Broadway, film, television, and on major stages around the world.
Sam Davis (Co-Producer, Co-Founder) is a composer, conductor, pianist, and arranger who earned a Tony Award Nomination for his work on New York, New York. His other Broadway credits include An American In Paris, Company, and Holiday Inn. He is a recipient of the Jonathan Larson Award and a graduate of the University of Michigan School of Music.