How to Cast and Coach Dancers in Roles Outside of Their Comfort Zones

Shortly after Adam McKinney took the helm at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in 2023, he promoted Grace Rookstool from the corps de ballet to soloist. The following season, he cast her as both the Sugar Plum Fairy and a stepsister up to mischievous antics in Cinderella. During PBT’s most recent season, McKinney says, he was certain she’d “perform a sumptuous ‘Emeralds.’ ” Rookstool also embodied Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, ending the run with an onstage promotion to principal. 

She tackled this range of parts “so beautifully and with such hungry humility,” he says. “Being able to provide varied opportunities to this amazing artist and to watch her meet the challenge,” he adds—and to see other dancers similarly rise to the occasion—“demonstrates the need for anyone in my [position] to offer the roles in hopes of developing artists and artistry.”

Typecasting is common in dance, just as it is in film, TV, and theater. Teachers, choreographers, and artistic and rehearsal directors might find themselves putting dancers into similar roles over and over based on their technique, movement quality, personality, height, or other factors. 

It takes self-reflection, documentation, and intentional planning to move beyond it, McKinney says. “I try to cast against—and I’m putting big bunny ears around—‘type.’ The funny role, the adagio role, the turning role, the character role,” he says. “We learn so much about ourselves, as artists and as people, through the repertoire that is offered to us.” And it’s the job of leaders and educators to offer dancers a range of parts that help them evolve and grow rather than get pigeonholed and stuck. 

Encourage Versatility and Experimentation

New York City Ballet star Sara Mearns didn’t always succeed when she entered competitions as a student, but “we didn’t do it to win. We did it for performance experience,” she says. It “made the stage my home, where I feel like I can do anything.”

Focusing so narrowly on training one way, rehearsing one solo that only plays to a dancer’s strengths, can do a disservice to young dancers in the long run. “I want teachers and students to be mindful of that,” says Mearns, who’s grateful she was exposed to jazz, tap, and musical theater even as a serious ballet student. 

Dancers at any level might need reminders and encouragement to try new things. “We want to feel that we’re constantly expanding the spectrum of what we can share and offer and understand,” says Francesca Harper, artistic director of Ailey II, who works with artists on the cusp between student and professional. 

That might mean pushing dancers to train outside their comfort zones, try dance styles that don’t align with their natural strengths, take workshops, collaborate with different artists, and even create their own work, Harper says, explaining that “developing projects that share the different facets of your talent can shift how others perceive you.”

Cultivate a Culture of Communication and Trust

Both Harper and McKinney try to think about casting holistically—across entire seasons and sometimes with future seasons in mind. The more performances they have, the more opportunities they can offer, with long runs like Nutcracker presenting ideal opportunities to try dancers in new roles. 

Harper makes sure everyone has something to sink their teeth into that aligns with where they are in their development. As a season progresses, she notes, artists might awaken facets of their dancing that they weren’t in touch with initially, and might become ready to experience new roles. She also makes sure to teach young artists communication skills with which they can advocate for themselves, including expressing interest when they’re drawn to a role and are looking for a chance to learn something new that might challenge them in a different way. 

Likewise, McKinney tries to foster an ongoing dialogue about dancers’ goals, wants, and needs. “I welcome opportunities to communicate with artists about where they think they are, where they want to be, and how casting and repertoire can move their artistry, technique, and careers forward,” he says. These conversations can help everyone move beyond “type.”

The culture of communication should carry over into the studio, where you can build trust while helping dancers tackle new challenges. That might mean encouraging dancers to do research in and outside of the studio, draw on their lived experiences, and experiment with different artistic choices you can parse and edit together. 

Give dancers permission to take “huge and regular risks,” to experiment as a matter of habit in class and rehearsal, McKinney says, affirming that they don’t have to stick to what they already know they do well. 

Mearns, who’s danced a broad range of roles at NYCB and beyond, says that with the coaches who’ve “really catapulted me to where I am, there’s laughter, there’s brutal honesty, there’s compassion, there’s saying, ‘Well, there’s always tomorrow. Let’s try again tomorrow.’ ” It’s about striking a balance and making it safe to fail. Choreographer Jodi Melnick, who Mearns says changed her life, “let me fail miserably multiple times.”

Be Patient

A key part of fostering resilience and growth is knowing that it takes time. 

“If you’re really going to put someone in something new, it’s not overnight. Because they’re going to feel very vulnerable and exposed,” Harper says. “You have to really take the time to process and let it grow incrementally.” 

Build on each day’s work, creating safety and support while being transparent about what’s working and what isn’t. “If you go slowly, you can acknowledge the growth,” Harper says. “Give it time.”

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