nothin Co-op Dancers Impress Pros | New Haven Independent

Co-op Dancers Impress Pros

In auditions, you should be confident and be yourself, two professionals told a class of dance students at Co-op High.

In other words, bring it on” and do your own thing.”

Those slogans aren’t just good advice. They’re also the names, respectively, of a touring musical now at the Shubert, and a song and dance number from the show.

Two members of the Bring It On cast stopped by a sophomore dance class Tuesday at Co-op High and taught students some of the steps to Do Your Own Thing.” Click the play arrow to see what the student dancers picked up in just a half-hour.

The visit was part of an ongoing partnership between the arts magnet high school and the Shubert a block away. The theater regularly has professional actors, musicians, singers, and dancers visit the high school when the pros are in town for a show, so that students can get a taste of what a career in the arts involves.

After the dancing Tuesday, cast members Eean Cochran and Gabriella Andrea answered questions from students anxious to know about the world of professional theater.

Thomas MacMillan Photo

Cochran (pictured), who’s 21, and Andrea, who’s 19, are two of only 33 people who made it on the cast after two months of auditions on two coasts. One student asked Andrea how she felt when she auditioned.

I was nervous going into an audition,” she replied. You have to turn that off, and decide to be confident. You can’t be nervous. If you’re confident, good things will happen.”

Cochran said a typical audition involves singing and learning a dance routine on the spot. He said it’s important to be yourself, and to show off whatever talents you might have, anything that will set you apart from the crowd.

I can back flip,” Andrea said. I threw that in there.”

As the class wrapped up, and students posed for selfies with the stars, Cochran said he was startled by how fast the students had picked up the steps to Do Your Own Thing.”

That was amazing. I’m impressed,” he said.

Bring It On is at the Shubert this weekend only, before the production heads to Macon, Georgia.

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