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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. :)

Hmm Some perspective

Sun, 10 Sept 2006, 08:15 pm
I don't want to be a negative nelly heeh. But at 25 you really only have five years to go in a professional career if you average the life span of a dancer. Granted there are dancers that work until they are sixty, but they are very rare cases. My sister was a professional dancer from the age of 18 and finally retired from the profession for the most part at 30 - the average age of retirement for a dancer as a company will always be looking for young talent up to and generally not beyond the age of 30. However, if you get in there, work your butt off then there is a chance you could very well be picked up by a dance company. And if you are simply amazing, you're career could go on for years. Also if you are simply looking at dancing in musicals and not in Ballet or Dance based companies then you're chance at getting a career can only be improved by working on your dance skills. I did ballet for eight years and the last five years I have deeply regretted giving it up. And now I am 27, I have started taking classes over here in London - albeit having to drop down to easier classes, but I find that it all comes back to you pretty quickly. If it is something you really want to do - DO IT. No harm trying and if nothing else, you are doing what you love the most. Have fun, Enjoy oh and Hi to everyone from here in London - the weather is BRILLIANT!!!! Anthony

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