An Open Letter to Young Dancers
I’m writing this letter to save you time and help you avoid some pitfalls. I was in three major ballet companies and ten Broadway shows and a whole lot of other stuff. So, I think after all the years I’ve been in this business we call show; I may have a few pointers that could be of interest.
First of all when you arrive in New York or Los Angeles, be sure to study with the right teachers. Don’t just take one person’s word for it. Ask around and go and watch different classes. You can waste a lot of money studying with the wrong people. Look them up on the Internet and read everything you can find out about them. And don’t just study ballet, even though you think that is all you are ever going to want to do. There comes a time when you reach the ripe old age of thirty or forty or so, when being in a company doesn’t seem like the (be all - end all) anymore. So right in the beginning start taking jazz classes, and singing lessons and going to an acting class. I know it’s going to cost a fortune but it is absolutely necessary. These days you have to know how to do everything.
Try to get into an acting class not only with someone who is a great teacher but also with someone who could get you a job. Many casting directors, agents and directors teach, and it is a great way to get to know them. It’s all about who you know, just like any other business.
So the next thing you have to think about is; how are you going to pay for all this? Well, most of the kids are working in a restaurant, which is not too bad since you can get some pretty good tips not to mention the free food, but it’s hard to go to dance classes after you’ve been on your feet for eight hours. A better idea would be to have some good computer skills so you can work somewhere sitting down. The best idea would be working for an agent. This would give you an overview of the entire business and show you very clearly what to do and what not to do when relating to an agent. You’ll be way ahead of the game when you see how the business is run. It is so important to know who the important casting directors are and to see who gets hired and why.
It’s also imperative to have a good picture and resume and lots of them. If you want to get an agent, you first should try to get anyone you know who has an agent, to recommend you to them. You should do a mass mailing to all the agents in town, and out of say a hundred people you might get three or four who will invite you in for an interview. When you get to the interview be ready with why you want to be in the business, and what your game plan is. Also be ready with some funny banter and show some interest in what the agent’s life is like. Ask him or her about themselves and don’t just be all about yourself. It wouldn’t hurt to bring a little present (like coffee and homemade cookies or something.) Wear clothes that you feel good in and that show off your figure. Never call an agent in the morning. That’s when they get the breakdowns; (a listing from producers of what type of actors they are looking for their projects.) They are very busy in the morning and don’t have time for you. Call in the late afternoon and don’t whine. Be upbeat and cheerful. They hear all day long from actors complaining about not having work. Only call at the most, about once a week, and have something to say. Have you heard about a part in a show that is right for you? That’s a good reason to call. If you know a choreographer, director or casting director that is doing something, be sure to tell your agent.
Don’t lie on your resume. You always get caught. It’s perfectly okay to put down shows you did in College. If they ask where you did that show just tell the truth. Figure out what parts in shows are appropriate for you to play and make a list of them. Then if they are musicals, decide what song you should know from that show and learn it. Go to a pianist and have him teach it to you. Then make a tape of him playing the song (without you singing) so you can go home and work on it. You should also work on the first scene that the character plays and the biggest scene for that part. Focus on those shows in your acting class. Have your music in plastic sleeves and in a three holed notebook so the music doesn’t fall off the piano when someone is playing it for you at an audition.
I also recommend having two or three roommates who are also in the business. You can help each other to find work (in or out of the business) and it’s always good to have some chums. You can go on Craig’s List on the internet to find roommates. Just be very specific about what kind of roommate you want. In New York you’ll probably have to live in Queens or Washington Heights because in Manhattan the rents are so high, but you’ll get to know the subway system and that’s a real money saver. I’m sure in L.A. there are also cheaper neighborhoods. But in California you’ll have to have a car which is another expensive proposition. I really like New York better when you’re starting out. They treat performers better here. Probably because so many good looking kids who want to be a movie star go to L.A., and not too many have any skills in acting, singing or dancing.
I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to take a good acting class. No matter if you are singing, dancing or acting you are in the business of communicating ideas and emotions. You have to have a subtext to what you are doing, so you’re not just parroting words you’ve memorized, or moving your arms and legs around. As Bob Fosse once said, “If a dancer isn’t an actor, it’s all just so much animated wallpaper.”
I wish you all the luck in the world. Don’t go into it unless you really love it. Very few ever get rich singing and dancing, but what a wonderful life you will have by doing it.
First of all when you arrive in New York or Los Angeles, be sure to study with the right teachers. Don’t just take one person’s word for it. Ask around and go and watch different classes. You can waste a lot of money studying with the wrong people. Look them up on the Internet and read everything you can find out about them. And don’t just study ballet, even though you think that is all you are ever going to want to do. There comes a time when you reach the ripe old age of thirty or forty or so, when being in a company doesn’t seem like the (be all - end all) anymore. So right in the beginning start taking jazz classes, and singing lessons and going to an acting class. I know it’s going to cost a fortune but it is absolutely necessary. These days you have to know how to do everything.
Try to get into an acting class not only with someone who is a great teacher but also with someone who could get you a job. Many casting directors, agents and directors teach, and it is a great way to get to know them. It’s all about who you know, just like any other business.
So the next thing you have to think about is; how are you going to pay for all this? Well, most of the kids are working in a restaurant, which is not too bad since you can get some pretty good tips not to mention the free food, but it’s hard to go to dance classes after you’ve been on your feet for eight hours. A better idea would be to have some good computer skills so you can work somewhere sitting down. The best idea would be working for an agent. This would give you an overview of the entire business and show you very clearly what to do and what not to do when relating to an agent. You’ll be way ahead of the game when you see how the business is run. It is so important to know who the important casting directors are and to see who gets hired and why.
It’s also imperative to have a good picture and resume and lots of them. If you want to get an agent, you first should try to get anyone you know who has an agent, to recommend you to them. You should do a mass mailing to all the agents in town, and out of say a hundred people you might get three or four who will invite you in for an interview. When you get to the interview be ready with why you want to be in the business, and what your game plan is. Also be ready with some funny banter and show some interest in what the agent’s life is like. Ask him or her about themselves and don’t just be all about yourself. It wouldn’t hurt to bring a little present (like coffee and homemade cookies or something.) Wear clothes that you feel good in and that show off your figure. Never call an agent in the morning. That’s when they get the breakdowns; (a listing from producers of what type of actors they are looking for their projects.) They are very busy in the morning and don’t have time for you. Call in the late afternoon and don’t whine. Be upbeat and cheerful. They hear all day long from actors complaining about not having work. Only call at the most, about once a week, and have something to say. Have you heard about a part in a show that is right for you? That’s a good reason to call. If you know a choreographer, director or casting director that is doing something, be sure to tell your agent.
Don’t lie on your resume. You always get caught. It’s perfectly okay to put down shows you did in College. If they ask where you did that show just tell the truth. Figure out what parts in shows are appropriate for you to play and make a list of them. Then if they are musicals, decide what song you should know from that show and learn it. Go to a pianist and have him teach it to you. Then make a tape of him playing the song (without you singing) so you can go home and work on it. You should also work on the first scene that the character plays and the biggest scene for that part. Focus on those shows in your acting class. Have your music in plastic sleeves and in a three holed notebook so the music doesn’t fall off the piano when someone is playing it for you at an audition.
I also recommend having two or three roommates who are also in the business. You can help each other to find work (in or out of the business) and it’s always good to have some chums. You can go on Craig’s List on the internet to find roommates. Just be very specific about what kind of roommate you want. In New York you’ll probably have to live in Queens or Washington Heights because in Manhattan the rents are so high, but you’ll get to know the subway system and that’s a real money saver. I’m sure in L.A. there are also cheaper neighborhoods. But in California you’ll have to have a car which is another expensive proposition. I really like New York better when you’re starting out. They treat performers better here. Probably because so many good looking kids who want to be a movie star go to L.A., and not too many have any skills in acting, singing or dancing.
I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to take a good acting class. No matter if you are singing, dancing or acting you are in the business of communicating ideas and emotions. You have to have a subtext to what you are doing, so you’re not just parroting words you’ve memorized, or moving your arms and legs around. As Bob Fosse once said, “If a dancer isn’t an actor, it’s all just so much animated wallpaper.”
I wish you all the luck in the world. Don’t go into it unless you really love it. Very few ever get rich singing and dancing, but what a wonderful life you will have by doing it.
