Advice from dancers please! (or anyone)
Mon, 31 July 2006, 02:49 pmSariele9 posts in thread
Advice from dancers please! (or anyone)
Mon, 31 July 2006, 02:49 pmHi 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. :)
Dancing Dilemma
Mon, 14 Aug 2006, 10:57 amHi Sariele,
Although I am no longer a dancer (I began as one at age 9, which continued to age 17), I do understand where you're coming from re: the age thing. Dancer friends of mine all lament that particularly in this country, on a professional basis, Youth is King. That said, these girls are all in their early thirties and you're only 25!!?? Trust me, you still have time to achieve your dream.
As an ex-dancer, I relate to your fear of having lost technique, etc after such a long absence from the stage in that capacity, but I have discovered that all that early training somehow settled into my subconscious and, as others have said, it's like riding a bike - the muscles do not forget. I have managed to move and even, yes, dance, convincingly in many musical theatre roles as an actor/singer, and it's all due to having that dance technique drilled into me as a kid.
And there's more to working professionally as a dancer than just working in Australia - one of my dancer friends decided that there wasn't enough work over here and so headed to the West End in London - she's been in constant work since and she's now heading for her mid-30's. There's a different attitude in both New York and London to age and dancers than to here.
On a related note - don't think that film degree is useless - here's a challenge - why not combine your knowledge of film with your dance experience? A friend in the UK produced a fantastic non-dialogue short film about a dancer (the entire story was told through dance) that has gone on to win several awards and was made totally on deferred payment ... I'd start looking outside the box and see how you can combine all that wonderful experience as a dancer, filmmaker and choreographer to make something truly unique and special.
My advice? Go for it! Try out different classes, see what you enjoy doing now style-wise and just keep chasing that dream! After all, to get all profound for a moment, the only limitations we face are in our own minds.
Good luck!
Sally McLean
Incognita Enterprises &
Acting Up Drama Classes
http://www.salmac.com/masterclasses/