Hey everyone!

Ive just been cast as Chava and we start rehersals in January but im worried about the dance sequence.I really enjoy dancing and ive jsut started lessons again but i haven't done ballet in a long time and i have never been on pointe will i be ok?xxx

If the choreographer knows what they are doing, you'll be fine. In our production, Chava did a dance, but it wasn't strictly ballet.

Buff

ok, so i've never seen this show live... but i keep hearing that chava dances more than the other two... when does this happen?

As mentioned above you, there is a ballet sequence during the song "Chavelah". Since the other two sisters don't really dance much, that would be how she has more dancing then they do.

In the movie the 3 sisters dance together at first, against an orange-tinted background (a trick probably borrowed from "South Pacific"). Each of the 3 suitors in turn appeared, leading off the girl of his choice. Motel and Perchik just appeared off to one side, and briefly, but Fyedka (Raymond Lovelock) strode authoritatively across toward Chava, and they danced together. The Fiddler stood off to the opposite side of the screen, joining the orchestra in "Chavaleh". For a moment Chava (Neva Small) appeared torn between the Fiddler and Fyedka, but we all know who wins out in the end. The whole scene is superimposed over Tevye's face; as Chava and Fyedka run off, the camera dissolved back to reality - to which Chava's voice snapped Tevye back.

hey!! I was worried about the Chava dance too cause I'm auditioning for Chava in a couple weeks (you might have seen my desperate "too little for Chava??" post ), and while I'm decent at ballet and such, it's not my strongest point.

but I asked alot of people about it and I got the following answers:
1. In a semi-professional production one of my friends did, Chava didn't even really dance.
2. The choreographer will usually tailor the ballet to Chava's abilities
3. IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR CHAVA TO GO ON POINTE!! (thank goodness! )
4. Chava is sometimes assisted by the sisters or others in the ballet

We just choreographed the dance this saturday...I am absolutely in love with it...I am working my butt off to make it look good.

Here's the thing. I have been en pointe for a little over 3 years now, but even then, believe it or not, ballet is NOT my strong suit, dance-wise. I am much better at lyrical and jazz. Anyway. Of course on my resume it says I can dance en pointe, so that was great and the choreographer and I had a meeting and we decided that for the dance we wanted to do, it wasn't neccessary for me to be up.

I'm doing demi, and it looks beautiful, and is still very technically challenging for me, but it isn't en pointe. Frankly, I don't care. My toes are thanking me. LOL.

So, the ballet doesn't have to be en pointe. Don't worry about that.

However, I would disagree with directors who simply cut the Chava sequence...IMO it is one of the most poignant, heart-wrenching pieces in the show. For ours I dance with Golde, and then she leaves the stage, then the Fiddler comes on stage, playing...the four other sisters run out and I do a little combination with them, all 5 of us circle the Fiddler, and then Shprintze & Bielke run off, Motel takes off Tzietal, and Perchik takes off Hodel. Then for a section I do a port de bras sequence by myself, circling the Fiddler all alone...then Fyedka comes onstage and there is an obvious struggle with Chava to stay with the Fiddler (who represents, of course, tradition) or Fyekda. Then there's an awesome lift and fish down with Fyedka, and he takes me off stage. The first time we ran it on stage I actually started crying, because it is so intensely emotional.

I just would be so sad if some shows cut it.

I agree. it's sooooo moving... and Chavaleh is one of my favorite songs in Fiddler, without the dance it has no point!

My sister played Chava and her ballet was rather simple for somebody as experienced as her. I wouldn't worry!