KCACTF Region 5 Festival 57

Program Representative and Teaching Artist, Rachel Kelsey, draws upon her professional performance experience to bring you this workshop on acting through musical song. The intention of this session is to assist performers in improving their understanding of musical theatre acting. Here we will work on crafting strong, professional, and creative choices when acting through musical text. Actors should have a 32 bar cut or full song prepared to workshop in this setting, in which Rachel will workshop with the student and provide feedback. We will create tactics, analyze the subtext & tone, clarify objective, and apply/utilize particularizations. The session is taught from the lens and personal experience of Rachel Kelsey as both an instructor and performer. The workshop is open to actors at all levels in their educational career. We are thrilled to bring KCACTF a taste!

Bring your tap shoes! This workshop is ideal for the student with a basic level of comfort with tap steps and vocabulary. Following a warm up and some technique practice, we will learn a combination to “Dancing Through Life” from “Wicked”.

Program Representative and Teaching Artist, Rachel Kelsey, draws upon her professional audition experience to bring you this workshop. The intention of this session is to assist performers in improving their audition technique and specificity for both self-taped as well as in-person auditions. Here we will work on crafting strong, professional, and creative auditions experiences. Actors should have a 32 bar cut or 1-2 minute monologue prepared to workshop in a mock audition setting. During the workshop, participants will perform, work with Rachel, and have the opportunity to apply adjustments. The session is taught from the lens and personal experience of Rachel Kelsey as she has been in the room with individuals such as Alison Franck (Casting Director), Jeff Whiting (NYC Director/Choreographer), Kristian Charbonier (Casting Director), Sue Frost (Broadway Producer), etc. The workshop is open to actors at all levels in their educational career. We are thrilled to bring KCACTF Region 5 a taste of the current audition climate!

Program Representative and Teaching Artist, Rachel Kelsey, draws upon teaching techniques of NTI master teacher and Artistic Director, Rachel Jett to bring you this workshop. Droznin is a Russian movement style that originated at the Moscow Art Theater in Russia by Andrei Droznin. The goal of this work is to forge/identify a connection between body and mind as well as body and soul. That way, when an individual feels something, their instinctual response will be to express themselves. Additionally, Droznin has described his method as "living movement" - stage movement that blurs the boundaries between dance, mime, and vernacular gesture. This, in turn, allows the audience to identify with performances in additional depth. Rachel Jett is the first American teacher of Droznin, as she studied directly under his guidance in Moscow, and we are thrilled to bring KCACTF Region 5 a taste!

Come and join this energetic musical theatre workshop, the purpose of this workshop is to improve as best you can. We will begin with a warmup, including stretching and movement exercises, then we will transition to learning a section of choreography. The purpose of this workshop is to improve from wherever you are starting from, whether you are a beginner or you feel like you are an expert, the goal is to keep improving. All you need to bring is your positive energy, a willingness to try, and the willingness to collaborate with other people. (And something to dance in).

How to kick your performance experiences up a notch!

What do YOU want? Use your KCACTF experience to catapult your career!

Join Symonne Sparks, Musical Theatre Artist, Professional Singer, and recipient of the 2023 Region 5 and the National KCACTF Musical Theatre Intensive top recognition, for her tips on moving to the next level. She will share important lessons she learned in her week with Open Jar Studios in New York City.

The workshop will focus on how to focus on your experiences and desires. Bring your questions about a career in the field and receive expert advice.

In this dance workshop, we will experience fundamental principles of leading and following via vocabulary from waltz, foxtrot, and swing. No need to come with a partner, but there will be physical touch in the dancing. Everyone will get to practice both leading and following. Enjoy moving to music and explore the kinesthetic listening and responding that happens when you dance WITH another!

Gain agency while working with your emotions with the emotional effector patterns. The Emotional Body Method uses somatic education methods to help you understand how to physically “tune into” your body using all your senses (sight, smell, taste, sound, touch, and movement). Emotional Body follows consent-based and trauma-informed teaching practices, constantly placing the emphasis on the learner's personal agency with the use of invitational language, respect for the learner's privacy and pace, and acknowledgment of individual tolerance levels. In this workshop, you will learn how to engage with and regulate 2 emotional states, and get a glimpse at how to integrate the work with text.

Program Representative and Teaching Artist, Rachel Kelsey, draws upon her personal and professional experience to bring you this workshop on building a theatrical resume. In this session, we will take a look at common resume layouts of industry professionals, examine what should be included on a resume, and craft our own. If time allows, we will deep-dive into headshots and websites as well. The intention of this session is to assist performers in creating tools to help them have successful careers and auditions. Here we will work on crafting strong, professional, and unique resumes. The session is taught from the lens and personal experience of Rachel Kelsey as she has attended professional auditions with individuals such as Alison Franck (Casting Director), Jeff Whiting (NYC Director/Choreographer), Kristian Charbonier (Casting Director), Sue Frost (Broadway Producer), etc. Things we will cover include:
- What to include within a theatrical resume (Physical Details, Contact Information, Experience (Stage, Film/Television, etc.), Education/Training, Awards/Honors, and Special Skills) as well as common formatting.
Organization of theatrical credits.
- Headshots - specifically how the individual would like to represent and market themself.
- What should be included within a performer, director, playwright and/or multi-hyphenate website.

Come and join this energetic musical theatre workshop, the purpose of this workshop is to improve as best you can. We will begin with a warmup, including stretching and movement exercises, then we will transition to learning a section of choreography. The purpose of this workshop is to improve from wherever you are starting from, whether you are a beginner or you feel like you are an expert, the goal is to keep improving. All you need to bring is your positive energy, a willingness to try, and the willingness to collaborate with other people. (And something to dance in).

Struggling to find the perfect song for your next audition? Want to discover songs that authentically reflect your voice and personality for the roles you’re interested in? Join Phyllis, aka @phyllis.sings, “That Singing Teacher” on social media, in this hands-on workshop where she’ll guide you through her process of selecting audition songs for specific roles. Phyllis will show you how to tap into the right material, curate a diverse and targeted song list, and choose pieces that showcase a unique voice and style. By the end of the session, you’ll feel confident and clear about how to approach your musical theatre audition song choice with purpose, leaving with a tailored list that sets you up for success. Don’t miss this interactive, fun, and informative opportunity to take your audition song game to the next level!

Come and twirl with me in this Intermediate Musical Theatre Dance Workshop. You will learn choreography in the style of Tina Turner from the Broadway musical Tina:The Tina Turner Musical. I spent two years touring the country with the 1st National Tour serving as the shows Dance Captain/Swing/Tina & Rhonda Understudy. We will have a blast honoring the undisputed queen of Rock n’ Roll sweating it up to her unforgettable hit music, and fiercely physical and classically cardiovascular style of movement.

This workshop will explore how to sing together as an ensemble while discovering character and making story choices to advance the plot. Choral music will be provided. Please arrive warmed up and ready to sing!

An incredible opportunity to work with Broadway's Correy West in this motivating dance workshop. Learn original choreography from a Broadway show and work on mastering the skills needed to become a true triple threat and leave a lasting impression where ever you go. All skill levels are warmly welcome

This workshop will be a combination of a lecture and a dance. Participants should be ready to learn the Ghanaian culture and embrace diversity. It would be fun.

Developed by Lee Sweetland in the 1960's (teacher of Barbra Streisand, George Hearn, Kay Cole, Seth MacFarland, and others), the Sweetland Singing Technique is the only technique that enables singers to Belt, sing Legit, and easily change vocal styles between Classical, Musical Theatre, Pop, Rock, Jazz, and Country. The workshop will teach you the basics of Sweetland Singing through demonstration and participation. www.sweetlandbeltsinging.com

Developed by Lee Sweetland in the 1960's (teacher of Barbra Streisand, George Hearn, Kay Cole, Seth MacFarland, and others), the Sweetland Singing Technique is the only technique that enables singers to Belt, sing Legit, and easily change vocal styles between Classical, Musical Theatre, Pop, Rock, Jazz, and Country. The workshop will teach you the basics of Sweetland Singing through demonstration and participation. www.sweetlandbeltsinging.com