Abby Nadeau
Community Editor

Imagine watching a Broadway show with experienced, famous dancers and then imagine teaching them dance moves a week later.

For 16-year-old Kourtni Lind, of Forest Lake, this unlikely story is closer to the truth than not.

Lind, a dancer at the new St. Paul Conservatory, recently traveled to New York City, NY to help out with auditions for ìA Chorus Line,î

Lind was asked by the Artistic Director at the Conservatory, Kerry Casserly to help teach interviewing dancers the choreography for the show.

ìKerry said she had a great opportunity for me and she thought I would be perfect for the part,î Lind said.

Lind was picked from over 200 students that attend the Conservatory to join Casserly in New York.

ìI picked Kourtni because she is a phenomenal dancer and has a very professional demeanor,î Casserly said. ìShe looked good and really fit the Michael Bennett choreography.î

Casserly, Lind and another associate, Tony Veirling, flew to New York on Monday, Feb. 20 to help with auditions for ìA Chorus Line.î

Veirling, who worked on a national tour of chorus line, presented the boys combinations and Lind presented the girls combinations.

ìWe would teach a large group the combinations, then we would take them in for smaller auditions, five at a time,î Lind said. ìI sat and took down notes about each participant and evaluated them based on their abilities.î

The group spent three grueling days teaching Tony-Award-Winning dancers choreography for the show.

ìIt was intimidating seeing people who have been in 15 different Broadways come in and audition,î Lind said. ìIt was intimidating but very beneficial.î

The group would start between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. and sometimes wouldnít stop until 10 p.m. They auditioned over 400 people for the show, over three days.

ìA show for the real ëA Chorus Lineí will be revived in September on Broadway,î Casserly said. ìSo I bet a lot of people wanted to learn the dances for the upcoming Broadway show.î

Casserly is working out of a group called Casa Manana theater in Ft. Worth, Texas where the show will be held. It is the last showing of ìA Chorus Lineî before it goes out on Broadway.

The Benefits

Even though Lind is just starting her career, she is professional enough to realize a good opportunity when she sees one and how to use it.

ìIt was interesting seeing how the process works from the other side. I got a totally different perspective,î Lind said. ìNow I have an idea of what they [directors] notice the most in a dancer and a few things that donít matter as much to them.î

Casserly also noticed how an opportunity like the one in New York could help Lind in her career.

ìI thought the trip might inspire her,î Casserly said. ìShe comes from a professional family that knows what it takes to be a dancer. It takes a family like that to value an experience like this.î

Lindís mother, Robin, runs Dance Tech, a dance studio in Forest Lake.

Not only did Lind impressCasserly with her professional demeanor, some of the dancers commented on Casserlyís ìassociates.î

ìPeople loved them [Lind and Veirling],î Casserly said. ìOne of the girls who auditioned sent me a thank you saying that ëmy wonderful associates were amazing and professional.íî

Since Casserly and Lind have been back in town, theyíve both stated they would like to, and probably will, return to New York soon.

For Lind the experience in New York will prepare her for many great things to come. And with every step of the way the people who support her will be asking her to ìdare to be remarkable.î

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