In this Q&A we talk with Marissa Saure and Matt Osmotherly. The duo are choreographing the upcoming “Mary Poppins” in addition to both playing roles in the show. They have both appeared previosuly at CP, most recently in “James and the Giant Peach,” and they have choreographed our productions of “White Christmas” and “The Producers.”

What sparked each of your interests in choreography?
MS: I grew up with no technical dance training, but was involved in musicals, flagline, and choir groups that would add movement to their performances. I grew to love the energetic and fun aspects of those performances, as well as the personal expression you were able to add to sort of make the dance your own. I’ve loved dance ever since and jump at the opportunity to be involved in projects that involve dance. I’ve choreographed a few other projects--including two other shows with Matt--and have been appointed Dance Captain for multiple productions I’ve been in. While I wish I had grown up in dance, I’m so grateful for the abilities I’ve been blessed with and the opportunity to continue to improve and grow my skills!
MO: I’ve been dancing since seventh grade and started out with Ballroom, Tap, and Hip Hop. I was able to collaborate with a friend in high school on the number “Friendship” from “Anything Goes,” and from there really enjoyed using it as a creative outlet. Since then I’ve been asked to be Dance Captain for many productions I’ve been involved in, so the chance to use the skill and come up with choreography for a whole entire musical has been very exciting. This will be the third show that Marissa and I have choreographed together.

Having a partner to choreograph with, does it make it easier or harder than doing it solo?
It makes it easier in the sense that we can throw ideas off of each other, and if you’re struggling while coming up with choreography or finishing a section, the other person can help fill in the gaps. It can make it harder if we don’t agree on something or have a different vision for a particular part, because then we have to come to a compromise.

Do you guys have a particular method of collaborating?
Sometimes we split sections up so that we can each go off and work on different parts, then meet back up and piece the number together. Most of the time we listen to the song and both throw out ideas as they come to us; sometimes our ideas are similar, which is fun. :) During rehearsal, we also usually pass teaching back and forth pretty seamlessly. Communication and having formations figured out ahead of time is super helpful for the rehearsal process.

You are both in the show as well as choreographing it. Does that create any additional challenges?
This is the first time either one of us has been in a show and choreographed it at the same time. Finding time to choreograph in the midst of all of the rehearsals and our busy schedules is the biggest challenge, as we have to focus on getting choreography done in time, while also getting to know our characters and parts.
It also can be challenging to be onstage and in the numbers when we run them, because it takes away from time we would normally have to sit back and take note of things that might need changed, fixed, etc.

What moments of choreography are you most eager to share with the audience?
Lots of moments. Elements of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (yes, we spelled that by singing the song out loud). We and the cast have put a lot of hard work into a certain section that was a bit more challenging, and we are excited for everyone to see how much dedication and energy everyone has channeled into the number. We won’t go into more detail, as you all will just have to come see the show to know what we’re talking about. :)

Sometimes actors are not the best dancers. Do you guys have any particular tricks or tips for people who consider themselves singers and actors, but not dancers?
Practice, practice, practice! Muscle memory is your friend. Learning feet first and then adding arms can be helpful. Don’t get discouraged. With practice and focus you can get it down! Testing yourself and being confident is also a great practice; people can tend to watch others when they’re unsure, but then that makes you reliant on the people in front of you.

What do you hope the audience takes away after seeing “Mary Poppins”?
We hope the audience leaves joyful and uplifted from the humor, choreography, music, characters they’ve gotten to know, and the message of the importance of family, kindness, and imagination.