TIME TO STEP IN TIME! By Callum Mansfield

The time has come for me to pack my bags and fly to Melbourne to work as the dance secondment to choreographer Geoffrey Garratt, on Disney’s Australian Tour of Mary Poppins.
It was nearly three years ago that I found myself choreographing a production of CATS with Harvest Rain Theatre Company here in Queensland. This show was a very pivotal moment in my life because it is where I met my beautiful wife Jasmine, and it was the show that launched my career as a choreographer.
We had been running the show for about a month when renowned choreographer Geoffrey Garratt (also played Skimbleshanks in the film version of CATS!) turned up to see the show. Geoffrey was in town at the time making adjustments to the touring production of Miss Saigon and had decided to pop in to see our show on one of his nights off. After the show, he was kind enough to get a photo with the cast and let us know what he thought of the production.
There are a lot of very jaded choreographers and dancers in the musical theatre industry, so to meet such an encouraging and kind choreographer like Geoffrey was so refreshing.
He flew out of Australia soon after we met and continued choreographing around the world.
Last year, he approved my secondment to him for the Australian Tour of Mary Poppins and that brings me to why I am packing my bags to head for Melbourne.
Although I am not looking forward to the freezing cold weather Melbourne will be providing for the next 3 months, I am looking forward to the opportunity to be involved with this unique production and work underneath the wonderful Geoffrey Garratt.
The show opens in July, so come and see it!
Alright, enough blogging…it’s time to step in time!
Logging off..
Callum
www.velcitydance.com.au