Summer 2024 was a summer like no other! Hannah Petersen had a jam-packed schedule, working with not one, but TWO theatre companies for both of their full summer seasons, alongside her sister Rebekah.
In late-May, Hannah and Rebekah flew to Kearney Nebraska to start work with Crane River Theater choreographing their first big show of the season, Beauty and the Beast. Hannah was so delighted to be working with Artistic Director Steve Barth on this spectacular show, and was even more enthused that the show would be performed indoors rather than outdoors (as their first show usually does). The Petersen Sisters had the opportunity to explore different styles when choreographing, such as ballroom and animalistic movements for the wolf scenes. The ending product was magnificent. The fully-automated set created a perfect canvas for their choreography, washed with the elegant lighting thanks to designer Jake Olson.
About 3 weeks after rehearsals for Beauty and the Beast began, Hannah and Rebekah were flown to Ely, Minnesota to begin choreography with Northern Lakes Art Association, working with Artistic Director Ian Francis Lah. NLAA was extremely accommodating to the sisters as they began their work on the first production of the summer, Bright Star, providing them ample space to finish the work they started in Nebraska. This show utilized a lot of choreographed stage movement alongside the normal choreography, something that Hannah and Rebekah have had a lot of experience with in previous productions. It was really important to both the Petersen Sisters and Ian that the choreography felt natural and grounded to highlight the heavy themes Bright Star covers.
Shortly after Bright Star opened, the sisters were brought back to Kearney to choreograph the second show with Crane River Theater, Beautiful: the Carole King Musical. Hannah and Rebekah had been preparing for this show while working in Ely, so they were ready for the week they had to teach all the choreography. This show was the most fun to choreograph, as a lot of the dance was groovy and catchy (a catchy as choreography can be). The cast was wonderful to work with, especially their Dance Captain Rachel Thompson, who made sure the choreography was clean while Hannah and Rebekah gone.
After a short week in Kearney, it was time for the Petersen Sisters to head back to Ely for the final stretch of the summer, Into the Woods. Only this time, they would not be just choreographers; they would play the ugly stepsisters, Florinda (Hannah) and Lucinda (Rebekah). When looking at the choreography for this show, the challenge was how to make a small stage read as vast woods, and how we could use movement to create those pathways. This show was a true collaboration with Ian and the Petersen Sisters, blurring the lines between staging and choreography. It was that aspect of creating seamless, uninterrupted movement that made this show the most difficult to choreograph, and ultimately the most rewarding.
Prior to rehearsals for Into the Woods, Hannah had received some wonderful advice on the characters Florinda and Lucinda: don't be afraid to goof and play around with each other, like Laurel and Hardy. That advice proved to be true, and a great learning experience for Hannah, helping her learn comedic timing in a theatrical setting.
By the end of the summer, Hannah and Rebekah had choreographed 4 new shows for two different companies. It was such a blessing to have had this experience, and they cannot wait to see where the future takes them.
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