Learn Now
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Learn Now ☆
Learn how to create clear, confident, story-driven choreography for musical theatre with professional choreographer Brian Curl. Designed for theatre teachers and directors working with real students, real casts, and real rehearsal rooms — no dance background required.
FROM THE FIRST WARM-UP TO THE FINAL BOW — THIS IS YOUR CHOREOGRAPHY ROADMAP
Introduction to Class
Chapter 1 | Foundations of Choreography
Chapter 2 | In the Studio: Welcome & Setup
Chapter 3 | In the Studio: Warmup & Movement Prep
Chapter 4 | Building a Dance for the Stage
Chapter 5 | Basic Movement Vocabulary
Chapter 6 | Drawing Inspiration for Choreography
Chapter 7 | In the Studio: Combos for Every Show
Chapter 8 | In the Studio: Props & Choreography
Chapter 9 | Editing & Refining Movement on Stage
Chapter 10 | In the Studio: Modifying for Skill Levels
Chapter 11 | Teaching Choreography to Students
Chapter 12 | Getting Students Ready to Perform
Chapter 13 | Getting Students Ready to Perform
ABOUT THIS COURSE
Bring musical theatre choreography to life—in a way that actually works in a classroom and rehearsal room—with professional choreographer Brian Curl.
Choreography 101 is designed for theatre teachers, directors, and teaching artists who may not consider themselves “dance people,” but are regularly asked to choreograph musical numbers with limited time, mixed skill levels, and real-world constraints. This course helps you teach choreography with clarity and confidence—without overwhelming yourself or your students.
Drawing on years of experience in educational, community, and professional theatre, Brian breaks musical theatre dance down into clear, repeatable building blocks found in nearly every show. You’ll learn how to start simple, adapt movement to your cast, and build choreography that feels achievable for beginners while still engaging more experienced dancers.
This course goes beyond teaching steps. Brian shares practical, classroom-friendly strategies for inclusive choreography, rehearsal pacing, and communication—helping every student feel capable, supported, and seen. You’ll learn how to work with varied abilities in the same room, modify movement without calling students out, and use choreography to serve the story, not distract from it.
Whether you’re choreographing your first musical, stepping in because “someone has to do it,” or looking for better tools to support your students, Choreography 101 gives you a practical, encouraging roadmap for using movement to strengthen your rehearsals and bring your musical numbers to life.
So grab a notebook, clear some floor space, and join Brian as he helps you build choreography that supports your students—and helps them shine on stage.
"Theater is for all. And we can’t just say that—we have to live it. We have to do it, which means we have to adjust. We have to adapt. We have to modify dances.
—Brian Curl | Choreography 101 Teacher
Trailer & SAMPLE CHAPTERS
Brian’s practical, story-first approach is a perfect fit for theatre teachers, directors, and choreographers who want confident, inclusive movement on stage—no dance background required.
Choreography 101 | Class Trailer
(1:40)
Sample Chapter Clip | Editing and Refining Movement
(6:35)
Sample Chapter Clip | A Few Mini Combos (9:46)
ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Brian Curl is a Philadelphia-based choreographer, director, and national teaching artist who has spent the last 15+ years helping theatre programs across the country bring movement to life—especially in rooms where dance can feel intimidating at first.
Brian believes choreography is never just about steps. It’s about storytelling. It’s about shaping the stage picture, guiding the audience’s eye, and helping performers communicate intention through movement—whether that movement is a full-out dance break or simply the way a character crosses the stage. His approach is built for directors, teachers, and students of every experience level, with a focus on making choreography clear, teachable, and genuinely fun.
Since 2008, Brian has traveled nationwide teaching at conferences, universities, and schools of all sizes—working side-by-side with directors and educators from every kind of background. Whether he’s supporting a full production, coaching auditions, or stepping into a rehearsal room to build confidence and clarity, Brian brings something fresh, beautiful, and uniquely tailored to the students in front of him.
As a choreographer and teaching artist, Brian has worked on productions including The Addams Family, Seussical the Musical, Legally Blonde, Frozen, Annie, 9 to 5, Bye Bye Birdie, Mamma Mia!, High School Musical, Matilda, and Hadestown. He is also the founder of Daily 8 Count, an online choreography education platform designed to help students learn the “language” of musical theatre dance in a way that feels doable—and empowering.
Known for his natural leadership and contagious energy, Brian’s passion off the dance floor matches his enthusiasm while he’s teaching “the steps.” His goal is simple: to help theatre educators feel supported, help students feel capable, and help every show tell its story with confidence.
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![Text graphic with the words "MAMMA MIA!" in large brown letters on a black background.]()
Choreographer | Consultant & Teacher
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Choreographer | Consultant & Teacher
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Choreographer | Consultant & Teacher
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![Choreographer | Consultant & Teacher]()
Choreographer | Consultant & Teacher
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Choreographer | Consultant & Teacher
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Choreographer | Consultant & Teacher
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Choreographer | Consultant & Teacher
You’re Ready to Tell the Story Through Movement
Learn how to create clear, confident, story-driven choreography for musical theatre with professional choreographer Brian Curl. Designed for theatre teachers and directors working with real students, real casts, and real rehearsal rooms — no dance background required.
COURSE FAQs
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Enrolling in this class means you will have permanent access to pre-recorded video chapters and lessons.
You can watch these lessons as long as you like, whenever you like, and on any device you own including laptops, tablets and phones.
If any new content is added to the class, such as activities, guides or supplements, you will have access to those as well!
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Yes!
After you complete all of the chapters in a course, you’ll be able to take a short quiz proving your completion and comprehension of the class lessons and principles.
If you score over an 80%, you’ll receive a certificate from Theatre Ave Academy proving your completion of the course.
*Theatre Teachers! It’s important to note that every state has different requirements for approval for PD hours. In some states or districts, you can send in your certificate as proof and they’ll award you hours. In others this class must be approved at the state level. Theatre Ave Academy is in the process of getting all of our courses approved in those states.
The Choreography 101 class certificate is for 1.5 credit hours.
Please feel free to reach out if you have further questions!
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It’s simple! A ticket to your dreams:)
Yes, so our all-access pass means that for about $16 a month ($189/annually), you’ll have access to all of our online video courses.
As new courses become available, you’ll have access to those as well. This includes the opportunity to take quizzes and receive certificates for each of the courses as well.
If you remain a member for at least one year, you’ll receive access to other treasures like special merch, videos, and announcements.
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If you purchase a course or an all-access pass and decide you’d like to cancel, please reach out to us within 5 days and we’ll give you a full refund.