Title 

Dance Nation 

Playwright 

Clare Barron 

Director 

Sarah Gazdowicz 

Stage Manager 

Dorothy Craven 

Category 

Mainstage 

First Rehearsal 

November 28 

Load In/Tech /Dress 

January 26-February 1 

Performances 

February 2-4 & 7-10 

Roles to be cast 

Age (Character Presentation) 

Gender (Character Presentation) 

Description 

Dance Teacher Pat 

30’s 

Male 

Head of the dance studio.  Has a legacy to uphold, wants to win.   

Amina 

13ish 

Female 

The star dancer and subject to all the good and bad things that come with that.  

Zuzu 

13ish 

Female 

Always second best, feels like she will die trying.  

Connie 

13ish 

Female 

A talented dancer who thinks she should play the role of Gandhi with good reason. 

Luke 

13ish 

Male 

The only male dancer on the team – is there because he enjoys dancing and being a member of the group 

Maeve 

13ish 

Female 

The oldest and least talented/motivated dancer on the team. Wolf girl. 

Sofia 

13ish 

Female 

Knows what’s up. 

Ashlee 

13ish 

Female 

Intense and powerful.  Future president of a post-apocalyptic USA. 

Crumpled Sailor AKA Vanessa 

13ish 

Female 

Could have been a phenomenon.   

The Moms 

40’s 

Female 

Means well.  Grown-up Wendy.  Played by the same actor who plays Vanessa. 

Note On Casting 

While most of the characters are in their early teens, the actors playing them should be of a diversity of ages, 13 - 75.  Actors need not identify with their characters gender identity but should be comfortable playing a character of that specified gender. Most roles can be played by actors of any race or ethnicity except Connie.  Amina and Ashlee will be played by non-white actors. 

Synopsis 

It may look bright and glittery, but the world of competitive dance is not for the weak. This team of pre-teen competitive dancers is driven, hungry, and ready to win! They will do it together despite the ways they feel themselves and each other changing – they are on the precipice of the next big shift in their universe. A play about young people keeping their power in a time when it can so easily be taken or lost. 

Notices 

• This show will return early from winter break for rehearsals beginning on Tuesday, January 9. 
• Actors are strongly encouraged to read this play in full during the auditions and callbacks process. Copies of Dance Nation are available to borrow from the Main Office.

Intimacy Choreography Breakdown

Page 

Stage Directions/ Planned Action 

Character(s) 

Notes 

39 

Zuzu, still alone on the toilet. Somehow, some way she’s grown little sharp teeth. Like fangs. She bites her forearm hard. Harder. Blood spurts out. She chews off a chunk of her arm. 

Zuzu 

66 

She kicks her leg with great force- it sails up above her head and slices past her ear. But something’s off. She’s off-balance. She’s kicked her leg too hard. And her other leg- her supporting leg- slips out from under her like a bad leg on a chair. Zuzu falls. She bounces on her ass. 

Zuzu 

78 

Zuzu stands there- still smeared with face paint and blood from her arm. She closes her eyes. She holds her breath. She concentrates. She throws herself into the wall. She throws herself into the wall again. 

Zuzu