by Aleah Steinle | Photography by Angelina Aragon
No two workdays are the same for Kurtis Overby. As artistic director and choreographer at Arizona Broadway Theatre, he may be teaching dancers steps one minute and schmoozing with patrons the next. “And I was very fortunate to be on two tours,” he says. “I learned so much. Crazy for You, the international tour, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, which was an experience. We won’t get into that one.” After more than 30 years as a dancer – and now through his work as a choreographer – Overby never goes anywhere without his dance bag, which is packed with all the essentials for practice. He let us peek inside ahead of this summer’s shows: Beautiful (April 25-June 5) and Cinderella (June 20-July 26).
Capezio tap shoes are a must. “I never go anywhere without them, and I always have a second pair just in case,” Overby says. “If they’re not made in a certain way, the tap will pop off. So, you either have to have a screwdriver or a second pair.”
“Those are the two [most] important things,” Overby says of his show script and score. His musical prowess helps him choreograph scenes. “[Say] I’ve got four beats in this bar, and I have to go, ‘OK, what in four beats can I do physically that’s going to match what they’re singing about, or what the story is?’”
Overby’s hoodie keeps him ready to dance. “If I’m choreographing a number and then I sit down to watch, I want to stay warm,” he says. “If I have to get up to do it again, I don’t want to have to warm up my body again.”
Overby keeps pain medicine close at hand. “You get older, and you have to get through a little injury or something. You tweak a knee and you’re like, ‘I need some ibuprofen.’”
Dancers put a lot of strain on their bodies, particularly their feet. Cuts and blisters are common from all the movements, making Band-Aids essential for quick relief.
