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Advice from dancers please! (or anyone)

Mon, 31 July 2006, 02:49 pm
Sariele9 posts in thread
Hi there, *brace yourself for a bit of backstory here* I am an ex dance student who wanted to try and go professional up until I was about 16. Then I had a bit of an emotional crisis and decided that I was never going to make it, and gave up on the idea of auditioning for WAAPA. I would have probably got in too; at the end of year 12 I won a Subject Exhibition for Dance from the Curriculum Council, and I know that all my teachers were disappointed that I didn't want to dance as more than a hobby. Not that I was particularly brilliant, but I at least may have had a future as a choreographer or something. So instead I went and did a useless film degree. Then I quit dancing all together at the age of 21, as I couldn't keep up with all the little 18 year olds in my classes any more. Since then I've just been doing a fun and not very challenging tap class once a week. But now, I'm starting to become plagued with regrets. I've been waking up in the middle of the night close to tears because I've been dreaming about dancing and how much I love it. It's becoming a bit unbearable. (Sorry to be so dramatic!) So my question to you guys is: Is it possible for someone who is 25 years old who has lost pretty much all of what little dance technique they used to have to go back to classes and become even better than they were before (to the point where they may even be able to audition for professional shows)? My inspiration is Catherine Zeta-Jones who hadn't danced since she was 19 before she did Chicago. True her performance was mostly singing-based, but she could move too! Sorry for being so long-winded, but I really really need to know what you guys think. Thanks. :)

I totally agree with

Fri, 4 Aug 2006, 11:52 pm
I totally agree with everyone's comments. I grew up in a small town with no dance school, then had both knees reconstructed at 15. I only started dancing a couple of years ago when I got into the certificate MT course at WAAPA, and I'm loving it. I got into adult ballet this year and have been thrown in the deep end with ladies who have been dancing for years and I've suprised myself by not being completely lost. I think I've made far more progress in these six months than I could have in years when I was younger, simply because I understand it better and I'm in more control of my body. I'm guessing it'd be like riding a bike - you never forget. At least your body has the muscular foundations of a dancer. I'm trying to get mine to do things it's never done before and it's hard, but I can do it. If the spirit is willing, the body will follow....

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