Bringing Anastasia to Life

This year’s spring musical, Anastasia, was undeniably one of the best works of the Country Day School Nighthawk Theater Production.

The show marked a bold departure from past productions - not just in plot, but in the sheer amount of dance scenes and choreography woven into the musical. The story itself was told not just through dialogue, but in a mixture of lines, song, and, most importantly, dance.

The choreography was used not only as an embellishment, but also to describe settings – from the Russian folk elements of the first act to the jazz-age 1920s Paris flair of the second, the choreography brought energy and transformation to characterize Anastasia’s growth.

For Middle School teacher and choreographer Melissa Wood, this was an opportunity to take on a movement-driven approach and bring her stylistic flair to the stage. In the past, she danced, sang, and acted in the national Broadway tour of The Phantom of the Opera for 10 years, and performed on Broadway as well. After performing with the Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Symphony, and Tulsa Ballet, she retired from performing to raise a family, and her years of experience were incredibly valuable to the theater production: “I had a Russian character teacher when I attended the School of American Ballet, and I was able to put in some of the moves that I learned as a student,” says Ms. Wood. “Of course, I did my research on the music and the Broadway show, as well as other Russian dance moves.”

Ms. Wood had the opportunity to work with the cast members on numerous dance numbers over the course of a couple of weeks. One of the most ambitious challenges came in teaching the cast to embody Russian character dance – a style known for its footwork. Rehearsal scheduling made the task even more complex. With the busy lives of Country Day students –  including athletic commitments and rotating conflicts – Ms. Wood rarely had a full cast in the room at once. “There was not one practice where everyone was there at the same time. That was a big struggle - people had to guess where their partners were, and we had to adapt one of the dances last minute because they couldn’t all fit on the stage when the cast was all together!”

One of the most memorable dance moves of the musical was the Charleston in act two, symbolic of the 1920s Parisian setting. “I knew the majority of Anastasia takes place in 1926, and so I researched dance moves of the 1920s,” says Ms. Wood. “That is why I decided the Charleston would be the featured dance step of “Paris Holds the Key to Your Heart,” one of my favorite numbers. It was really cool to throw in some Russian character moves, and everyone seemed like they were having a lot of fun.”

For many students, the choreography presented both an exciting opportunity and a new challenge. Ava Lewis `26 reflected on her experience playing Lily, saying, “I was very nervous, especially since my solo number was the big Russian dancing song. I am not a dancer, so it was a very new experience.” Some moves, while appearing simple on stage, proved deceptively difficult to master. “There was one where I had to skip backwards and bring my knees out sideways,” recalls Ava. “I never truly mastered it—so I was lucky to be wearing a long dress in the production!”

Despite these challenges, Ava shared that the energy of numbers like “Land of Yesterday” made it all worthwhile. “It was the most Russian-dance heavy number of the show, and the moves were so energetic – I had a lot of fun with them.”

Through it all, Ava believes that Ms. Wood’s support made a difference. “She was very gracious with my limited dancing abilities and helped me to look and feel my very best on stage, even if I was initially uncomfortable.” In the end, the experience left lasting lessons: “I had never had to dance that much while singing before, and it took me a while to adjust. But I was proud of myself for eventually being able to sing strongly in “Land of Yesterday” while energetically dancing. I did not think I would have enough breath for the longer notes, but I did it!”

The most rewarding part wasn’t just the final bow, but the joy radiating from the students as they danced with confidence and pride, along with the audience’s reaction. “It’s always nice when you can hear the ‘oohs’ and the ‘aahs’ from backstage,” says Ms. Wood. “That, along with seeing the kids on stage having a blast, is the most rewarding part of choreographing.”

As the curtain closed on Anastasia, the choreography left a lasting impression – not just on the audience, but on every student who helped bring the story to life through movement.

Article written by Shiva Shyam `26.