DMR Adventures Youth Musical Theatre Directors, Vocal Music Directors and Choreographers Charlottesville, VA · Contractor Company website

Apply for Youth Musical Theatre Directors, Vocal Music Directors and Choreographers

DMR Adventures provides professional performing arts training FROM the professionals. Our high-caliber instruction is designed to inspire passion, discipline, confidence, and commitment in every student we serve. At DMR, education and mentorship go hand in hand. Students learn not only performance skills, but how to collaborate, lead, and contribute meaningfully to an artistic community. Whether a student is stepping onstage for the first time or preparing for advanced training, DMR Adventures offers a welcoming, challenging, and professionally grounded environment.

Youth Musical Theatre Directors, Vocal Music Directors and Choreographers

2026–27 MainStage Season

DMR Adventures is seeking collaborative, enthusiastic, and dependable teaching artists to join the creative teams for our upcoming Broadway Junior® and Broadway KIDS® productions in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Founded in 2009, DMR Adventures is an award-winning performing arts academy specializing in musical theatre education and performance opportunities for young artists.

At DMR Adventures, the rehearsal process is as important as the final production. Our goal is not simply to teach students where to stand, what to sing, or how to perform choreography. We want students to develop transferable skills, understand the terminology and techniques being used, grow as individual artists, and become stronger members of an ensemble.

Creative team members should be prepared to teach foundational acting, vocal, musical, movement, and performance skills throughout the rehearsal process while also creating a polished and engaging production.

Our planned 2026–27 MainStage season includes:

• Disney’s The Aristocats KIDS
• Legally Blonde JR.
• Annie JR.
• How to Train Your Dragon JR.
• Seussical KIDS
• One additional production to be announced

We are currently seeking:

• Directors
• Vocal Music Directors
• Choreographers

Applicants may apply for one position or indicate an interest in serving in a combined role, such as Director/Choreographer, Director/Vocal Music Director, or Vocal Music Director/Choreographer.

Artists may also apply to be considered for more than one production during the season.

Our Educational Approach

Creative team members are expected to approach rehearsals as both artists and educators.

This includes:

• Explaining the purpose behind artistic choices rather than only giving instructions
• Teaching students accurate theatrical, musical, and dance terminology
• Building foundational skills that students can apply beyond the current production
• Adjusting instruction for different ages, experience levels, and learning styles
• Providing clear, constructive, and encouraging feedback
• Helping students develop confidence, independence, discipline, and ensemble responsibility
• Creating a rehearsal environment in which students feel safe taking artistic risks
• Balancing the needs of the production with the educational needs of the performers
• Modeling professionalism, preparation, collaboration, accountability, and respectful communication

The final production should reflect strong artistic standards, but the students’ growth and learning should remain central to the process.

Director

The Director guides the overall artistic vision of the production while teaching students the foundational acting and performance skills needed to bring the story to life.

This is a teaching-artist position. The Director should not simply stage scenes and give students line readings. Directors are expected to help performers understand character, intention, relationships, given circumstances, storytelling, stage vocabulary, and the reasons behind their acting and staging choices.

Responsibilities may include:

• Establishing and communicating the artistic vision for the production
• Staging scenes, transitions, and musical numbers
• Teaching foundational acting and performance techniques
• Introducing and reinforcing appropriate theatrical terminology
• Helping students identify character objectives, obstacles, relationships, and circumstances
• Teaching students how to make thoughtful and specific acting choices
• Coaching projection, diction, focus, listening, physicality, and stage presence
• Helping performers understand blocking notation and basic stage directions
• Encouraging students to respond truthfully rather than simply imitate a predetermined performance
• Building ensemble awareness, responsibility, and collaboration
• Adapting instruction to the ages, abilities, and experience levels of the cast
• Providing clear, constructive, and age-appropriate feedback
• Collaborating with the Vocal Music Director, Choreographer, Stage Manager, designers, and production staff
• Supporting an organized, inclusive, encouraging, and productive rehearsal environment
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Candidates should have a working knowledge of foundational acting technique and theatrical vocabulary and should be comfortable teaching those concepts to children or teenagers.

Experience directing or teaching young performers is strongly preferred.

Vocal Music Director

The Vocal Music Director teaches and reinforces the vocal material for the production while helping students develop foundational musicianship and healthy, age-appropriate vocal skills.

This is primarily a vocal teaching position rather than an accompanist or orchestral conducting position. The Vocal Music Director should not simply teach music by repetition. Students should learn how to identify and retain their parts, understand the musical concepts being introduced, and become more confident and independent singers.

Responsibilities may include:

• Teaching principal, small-group, and ensemble vocal material
• Helping performers identify and confidently sing their assigned vocal parts
• Teaching and reinforcing harmonies
• Teaching students how to use rehearsal and part tracks effectively
• Introducing and reinforcing appropriate musical and vocal terminology
• Teaching rhythms, entrances, cutoffs, phrasing, dynamics, diction, and musical expression
• Helping students understand melody, harmony, tempo, measures, beats, rests, and other relevant musical concepts
• Supporting healthy, age-appropriate breathing and vocal production
• Helping students develop pitch accuracy, vocal confidence, and ensemble listening
• Reviewing challenging musical passages and providing individualized support when needed
• Helping students transition from rehearsal or part tracks to performance accompaniment
• Connecting musical choices to character, storytelling, and dramatic intention
• Collaborating with the Director and Choreographer to integrate music, staging, and movement
• Providing clear, constructive, and encouraging feedback
• Maintaining a positive and educational rehearsal environment

Piano proficiency is helpful but not required.

Our productions perform using licensed orchestrated accompaniment tracks provided by MTI or the applicable theatrical licensing company. The Vocal Music Director will not conduct a live orchestra.

Candidates should have a working knowledge of foundational vocal technique, musicianship, harmony instruction, and musical theatre vocabulary. They should be comfortable explaining musical concepts in an accessible way to children or teenagers.

Experience teaching vocal music to young performers is strongly preferred. Familiarity with musical theatre repertoire, part tracks, and Broadway Junior or Broadway KIDS productions is especially helpful.

Choreographer

The Choreographer creates and teaches age-appropriate choreography and musical staging that supports the story, characters, music, and abilities of the cast.

This is a teaching-artist position. The Choreographer is expected to help students develop foundational dance and movement skills throughout the rehearsal process—not simply memorize choreography for the production.

Responsibilities may include:

• Creating choreography and musical staging for production numbers
• Teaching choreography clearly, safely, and efficiently
• Introducing and reinforcing foundational dance technique
• Teaching the correct names and meanings of dance steps, positions, movements, and musical-theatre dance terminology
• Helping students understand proper alignment, posture, balance, coordination, rhythm, and spatial awareness
• Incorporating appropriate warm-ups, stretching, conditioning, and technique exercises when needed
• Teaching students how to learn, retain, review, and clean choreography
• Developing musicality, performance quality, confidence, and ensemble awareness
• Helping performers connect movement to character, intention, and storytelling
• Adapting choreography for performers with different levels of experience, physical ability, and confidence
• Providing appropriate modifications when needed
• Reviewing and cleaning choreography throughout the rehearsal process
• Collaborating with the Director and Vocal Music Director to integrate movement, music, acting, and storytelling
• Providing clear, constructive, and encouraging feedback
• Maintaining a safe, positive, inclusive, and educational rehearsal environment

Candidates should have a working knowledge of foundational dance technique and musical-theatre movement and should be comfortable explaining and demonstrating movement using accurate terminology.

Experience teaching dance or musical-theatre movement to children or teenagers is strongly preferred.

General Qualifications

Ideal candidates will have experience in educational, youth, community, collegiate, or professional theatre settings.

We are especially interested in artists who are:

• Skilled and knowledgeable in their artistic discipline
• Interested in teaching, mentoring, and developing young performers
• Dependable, organized, prepared, and communicative
• Patient, encouraging, and effective when working with young people
• Comfortable teaching students with different experience levels and learning styles
• Able to break complex material into clear and manageable steps
• Collaborative and receptive to feedback
• Able to provide corrections while maintaining a positive learning environment
• Committed to maintaining appropriate professional boundaries
• Committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment
• Able to balance artistic excellence with student growth and well-being

Experience with Broadway Junior or Broadway KIDS productions is helpful but not required.

Selected candidates must be willing to complete required background screening before working with students.

Scheduling

Each creative team will receive the complete rehearsal, technical rehearsal, and performance calendar for its production.

Creative team members will work collaboratively to determine which rehearsals require each artist’s attendance based on the material being taught and the needs of the production. Not every creative team member is expected to attend every rehearsal.

Reasonable rehearsal conflicts may be accommodated when communicated in advance. Attendance will be required for designated production meetings, major run-throughs, technical rehearsals, dress rehearsals, and performances.

Production schedules will be shared with applicants before a final commitment is made.

Compensation

These are project-based, stipend-paid positions.

Compensation ranges from $500 to $1,500 per production, depending on the production, position, rehearsal and performance schedule, and scope of responsibilities.

Applicants may be considered for an individual position or a combined creative role. Compensation for combined positions will be determined according to the responsibilities and scope of the specific assignment.

How to Apply

Please submit:

• A résumé
• A brief cover letter describing your interest in working with DMR Adventures
• The position or combination of positions for which you would like to be considered
• Relevant portfolio materials or work samples
• Professional references
• Any known scheduling limitations or conflicts
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Please highlight your experience teaching children or teenagers and describe how you balance the educational process with the artistic demands of producing a musical.

Applicants are encouraged to share examples of lesson planning, rehearsal techniques, production work, choreography, vocal instruction, directing, or other materials that demonstrate both artistic skill and teaching ability.

Selected applicants will be contacted to discuss production schedules, responsibilities, availability, educational philosophy, and stipend details.

DMR Adventures welcomes applicants from a wide range of backgrounds, identities, experiences, and artistic perspectives.