Step by Step: A Choral Movement DVD: Choral DVD

Albrecht's decades of classroom experience shine through in this DVD's practical approach to staging. Rather than overwhelming directors with complex choreography, these suggestions complement the musical content of eight pieces that choirs already know and love, making movement feel like a natural extension of the arrangement. The staging ideas work for middle school through adult choirs, and the visual demonstrations take the guesswork out of rehearsal planning.

These pieces come alive on stage. The movement suggestions emphasize clarity and expression, turning choral sound into a complete theatrical experience. Whether the piece celebrates, tells a story, or energizes a concert, the staging focuses attention and builds connection between singers and audience.

Choral directors who want to add visual interest and engagement to their repertoire without investing hours researching or choreographing from scratch. This DVD pairs perfectly with choirs that have already learned these eight pieces and are ready to deepen the performance with purposeful, achievable staging.

• Watch the full DVD before your first rehearsal so you can anticipate how much stage space you'll need and which songs work best with your choir's current configuration.
• Start teaching movement in small sections, layering gestures gradually. This prevents singers from feeling disconnected from the music while learning new staging.
• Adapt the suggested blocking to your space. If a suggested formation doesn't fit your stage or performance venue, the principles behind the movement choices will help you create alternatives that maintain the piece's intent.
• Rehearse movement and singing separately at first, then gradually integrate them so neither feels rushed or abandoned during the final weeks before performance.

Use this resource during the final rehearsal cycle before a concert, after your choir has the music secure. Several of these pieces work as concert openers or closers; the added movement gives them fresh energy and helps frame your program visually. The DVD also serves as a teaching tool for assistant directors or student leaders learning to think about staging as a performance element.

• Blocking and spatial awareness on stage
• Coordinating movement with choral text and phrasing
• Maintaining vocal tone and breath control while executing choreography
• Understanding how staging clarifies musical intent and story
• Ensemble cohesion through synchronized movement