HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I hope everyone has a fun, safe, spooktacular holiday :)

You Can't Stop the Beat!

The Professional Semester at Broadway Dance Center is an incredible, life-changing program, and mock auditions are just a small portion of the amazing learning opportunities that we get to take part in. Today we had our very first mock audition and it was theatre. The panel included our program director, student advisor, choreographer, and an agent from Clear Talent agency! I want to share everything that I learned because this first audition was like a class and we received so many great tips that will get any dancer very far in the industry. We went through what to do and what not to do every step of the way, but once we get to our final mock audition right before Thanksgiving, it will be more like a real audition without any guidance.

Everything starts with what you are wearing. That is the first impression you make and it has to be an excellent one. You may not realize it, but something that I have found out recently is a huge amount of auditions are based on looks. If your outfit doesn't quite fit the dance style or time period of the show, the panel is going to know you didn't do your research and they might not take you as seriously. There are also things that you can not change, such as ethnicity, gender, and body type. Most agents or directors are looking for something very specific depending on the show. An example of this: After the mock audition, a friend and I went downtown to a real audition for dancers in the Victoria's Secret fashion show. There is a height requirement (which I don't quite make, but I decided to go anyway. Why not?!), and the first part of the audition is about seeing whether you have the right look or not. So basically, if your type is not what they are looking for, you may not even get a chance to dance, so it doesn't matter how good your technique is in this situation.

Since we were auditioning for "Hairspray" in our mock audition and that show took place in the early 60s, we had to dress the part and also stand out while doing it. This means a lot of color, flouncy skirts, and bows. The key is to pick one bold accessory or color that will be different from what everyone else is wearing. We were told that at most auditions if the judges are really interested in a dancer, they will identify her by her accessory or the color she was wearing such as, "I really liked 'red bow girl'. We should keep her for the next round." We stood in a straight line and "slated", then the judges gave feedback for each person, so this took up at least a quarter of the 2 hour audition. For those of you who don't know what slating is, it is when you say your name, where you're from, and an interesting fact about yourself, or something along those lines. So, slating is another chance to make a good first impression and in order to do that, you have to have an overwhelming sense of confidence and presence. Some tips:

• Don't start speaking until you have finished stepping forward. Otherwise, it looks like you're nervous and rushing.
• Speak loudly and clearly. Also, it may feel weird to you, but make sure you speak slowly. Once again, if you rush it sounds like you are self conscious and you just want to get it over with.
• Pick an interesting fact that either has something to do with the show you're auditioning for or it is a special skill that would be to your benefit. Another thing that will give you a one-up is if you make it funny. It just makes you stand out that much more. Mine was, "I am going to open my own bakery someday." The criticism I got was it doesn't have anything to do with the show, and it makes it sound like I am going to pick that over dancing, so I'm not that serious about it. That is not the case at all, but that's just how it comes across. A good one would be something like, "I'm a dare devil and I love to go skydiving!" This shows that you would be totally willing to do crazy stunts.

 Something that is very important no matter what you're auditioning for is never mark the choreography! This goes for class too, but in auditions it is especially important. They start judging you the second you walk in the door, so you better believe they're going to judge the way you learn choreography. Doing everything full out shows that you're happy to be there and ready to work. Plus, it will help you learn the steps more quickly because you get it in your body. You want to pick up the steps as quickly as possibly because auditions go by in a flash once you actually get in the room. We only got about 5 minutes to learn the choreography and it was a very fast-paced and energetic dance. You never want to mark anything off to the side while other groups are dancing, but always be going through the sequence in your head. I can not stress enough the importance of always being focused and present any time you dance. And when you're auditioning, that energy has to multiplied by a hundred. Everything has to be engaged the whole entire time; your mind, your face, your whole body, and posture.

Performing the dance required an intense amount of energy, not only because the combination was like a cardio workout, but because the performance was so exaggerated. You have to be over-the-top to get your character across, so facial expressions have to be large and so does your movement. And you can't just stick with one face. You have to change it up for every single move to make it interesting. This should not be choreographed because then it will look fake, but you want to let the music and your emotions take over you so that it happens naturally. A great way to improve your performance is to practice using your face while you learn the choreography. Once you reach a more advanced level, you're not only thinking about learning the steps, but you're also learning the meaning and emotion behind it. It will be so much easier if you think about this right from the start rather than trying to add facial expressions for the first time when you perform it in front of the judges.

In order to succeed you have to look the part, dress the part, dance the part, and be the part. Everything that you have needs to go into being that character. Otherwise, the director will not be able to picture you in that role. They don't necessarily want dancers who execute the combination perfectly. They are looking for dancers who can perform the combination as a completely different person and make it believable. For contemporary or hip hop styles you may not be a particular character in a show, but you have to create a persona that matches what the choreographer is looking for. No matter what style of dance you're doing or what you're auditioning for, the way you interpret the movement and how you portray it through your performance is key.

Breaking Boundaries in a Profound Way

This past week I had the pleasure of taking a master class with the amazing Sheila Barker. The class was called "Breaking Boundaries", and none of us really knew what that was supposed to mean. We knew we were going to be dancing, but we didn't really know anything else. We warmed up and we did a combination, but the class was not focused on dance technique. The focus was on focus.

You're probably wondering what on earth that has to do with dancing, because all we are taught in dance class is how to master the technique. We don't normally talk about how to be present and fully committed to dancing because it seems like that should be obvious if you love to dance. But, staying 100% focused, and truly focused, during an entire class is much more difficult than it seems and it takes a lot of practice. Sheila started the class by having us stand in our space facing the mirror, and we had to simply stare at ourselves. After the first couple seconds, most of the eyes in the room started to look away and dart back and forth because we are so used to being distracted by all the other people in the room. We are not focused on ourselves and we are anticipating what is going to happen next. It is ok to be selfish in dance class. You are there to improve your own dancing and if you take class to impress other people, you are doing it for the wrong reason. So, Sheila got right in our faces and told us to keep looking at ourselves. She wanted us to really see ourselves for what we are. We were told to notice everything about our bodies and to love every part of it. This was a great practice in presence and control, and now I do this at the start of every class.

When you are entirely present, you are giving all of your enegery to the class and to the teacher; that is our purpose. The student-teacher relationship is meant to be give and take. It's not the teacher or choreographer's job to just throw steps at us. They feed off of their students' positive energy and enthusiasm, and then they give it back to us. We learn from them and they learn from us too. Also, as a teacher, Sheila told us that you should never plan a class completely. Always leave some space to be open ended because you can never predict how everyone will be feeling, and that determines how the class will pan out. This can be seen as a life lesson as well. If you don't have expectations and you are fully present now, your life will flow smoothly from moment to moment and everything will happen like it's supposed to.

I wanted to share the specific notes that I took after this class because they are very important lessons for dancers of any age or level.

• Be present as soon as you walk into class. The teacher and students have to feed off of each other’s energy. That is our purpose.

Every movement has a purpose. Think of what that purose is, and every warm up, class, and combination will be more meaningful.

• Look at yourself in the mirror and love every single part of yourself. Your imperfections are your perfections.

"I love myself just the way I am." Repeat this phrase everyday until you believe it. Believing it will make your dancing and your life more joyous.

• Feel the energy from the entire class without letting anyone else distract you. Focus completely on yourself while still being aware.

This is challenging because it's like your mind has to be doing two things at once. Practice this everyday and you WILL get better at it. Think of dance class as training physically and mentally.

• Notice what you like about other people’s dancing and use it as inspiration to improve your own dancing. But, be careful not to imitate that person. Make everything your own and be true to yourself.

It's like borrowing. Copying someone else is not creative at all. Using their strong points to inspire growth in yourself is productive.

• Use your eyes to learn choreography and pick it up as soon as possible. This skill is essential when auditioning. Don’t wait to be "spoon fed" by the teacher.

I was surprised at how hard this was. If it's hard for you, then you know that you haven't been fully present in class. We think that we can be lazy sometimes and wait for the teacher to break down the combination a dozen times. They don't do that at auditions, so you better practice now!

• Do everything full out to make the most of your time. When you really know the steps, you will be able to do multiple things at once.

Sheila made us talk while dancing the combination that she taught. Literally talk outloud. Then, we had to have a conversation with another person while doing it. She said that she could tell who was marking it while learning because when we had to talk, some of us completely forgot the steps.

• Know that what you have to give is good enough.

If you don't love yourself and your dancing, how do you expect anyone else to?

The 'It Factor'

You've probably heard the term, but what does it mean to you? I think of passion, talent, a natural aura of confidence. The 'It Factor' is something everyone wants, especially performers. It makes you special so that you stand out during a huge casting call in a sea of dancers waiting for their big break. As a matter of fact, the 'It Factor' is essential for anyone who wants to be successful in the dance industry. Casting directors and agents are looking for people that will fit a specific role perfectly. The first thing you need to do is get their attention on you, of course. The best way to do that is to be genuine and true to yourself, but show off that special quality that you have, which separates you from the rest of the group. You want your audiences' eyes to be drawn to you and never leave.

Then, there's the question of whether you're born with the 'It Factor' or can you cultivate it over time? I believe both statements to be true. There are dancers that are just naturally and effortlessly radiant, and no matter what they do, you are captivated by it. Then, there are dancers with strong technique, but they need to work on their performance quality. This doesn't mean that this type of dancer will never be great or they will never book a gig, but some have to practice more than others. So, what's the key to making your dancing special and meaningful?

LET GO.

By that I mean, let go of perfection and let your true soul shine through. I would say that about 99% of dancers are perfectionists (I wish there was a study on this). This comes from constant practice of technique and corrections from teachers. Corrections are not a bad thing at all; you should actually thank your teacher for corrections because it means they care about you and want to see you grow. It is the biggest compliment. But sometimes our desire to fix the corrections and master the steps leads to an obsession of executing the movement perfectly just like we were taught, and then we forget about what we should be feeling.

I've been working on this myself, and recently during class my teacher brought it to my attention and told me to just let go. I could tell that she really cared about seeing me take that next step in my dancing and it motivated me to make a big change. So, the next time I did the combination, I made every single movement as big as it could possibly be and I did not think about the steps at all. I was just feeling free and alive and feeding off of the music. That's another great tip: Think about how the instruments sound or what the lyrics are saying, and let that inform the quality of your movement. It makes a dance so much more interesting to watch when you see a dancer portraying the emotions of the singer or the mood of the song. To make it believable, close your eyes and imagine a specific experience in your life that is similar to what the dance is about. Make one up if you have to. But, you have to envision it and use all of your senses to bring that feeling into your body.

When you stop thinking about technique and what comes next in the combination, you may mess up or you may even fall. Think of that as the first step in your growth as a dancer and performer. If you never stumble or fall down, it means you have never taken any true risks. Challenge yourself to continue growing throughout your entire life because there are no limits to hold you back. It's better to make a mistake while pouring your heart out on the dance floor than it is to execute a combination perfectly.