SCORING BIG AT HER FIRST AUDITION!

Dear Grover,

I just went to an open call for Beauty & The Best touring company in San Francisco. I made it to the last group of ten dancers. All were given one last dance combination, then told to hand in headshots and resumes, sing, and then we could leave. I felt the audition went very well. I was even asked to demonstrate one combination. But none of us were given any indication of when they might be calling. I am a college dance major with musical experience but no agent and non-equity. Do I have a chance?

K.T.

Dear K.T.,

You desrve to celebrate. There you were at your first "big" audition, non-union, no agent, no credentials, walking in cold, and you not only made it to the final group, you were asked to demonstrate! Not bad.

You have a right to say, "I did a good job this time and I know I can do just as well, if not better, the next time." Please learn to nourish yourself, especially when the demons of self-doubt begin to circle the wagons.

The audition you did was for future replacements. That means, those that were chosen will go on file as possible replacements down the road. You might hear from them next week, or six months from now. Give yourself a pat on the back and move on.

Congrats!
Grover

HOW DO I MAKE AN AUDITION VIDEO?

Dear Grover,

I've been dancing professionally since I graduated high school. My last contract was working on a Cruise ship. I love to travel and just saw a casting notice for a Vegas revue show in Guam. They ask for a picture, resume, and a video tape. How do I go about making an audition tape? Where do I film it? I'd be nervous about doing my own choreography or selecting my own music? What do I do??

Thank you!!
M

Dear M,

I guess it was inevitable. Demo reels for dancers are gaining in popularity. While they'll never replace the "audition" as the way to hire dancers, they do offer visual support when a long distance exists between venue and potential performers.

Okay...the reel. Technically, you need a camera, an operator, some music, and a variety of routines to perform. You'll need to edit what you shoot. Then you'll need to duplicate the results and package the reel and mail it off. Basically, those are the steps that need to happen.

Step #1. Shooting the video.

For your situation, a three-minute reel made up of five 30-second clips would probably be suitable. A variety of performing styles will have the best chance of keeping the viewer interested. Choose five of your stongest dance moments to videotape. Five changes of wardrobe is not a bad idea.

Don't emphasize creative camera work. Emphasize your dancing. It's you the producers want to see. The first and fifth segment should be very strong. You might consider a sixth segment where you talk to the camera, saying how much you'd like to experience Guam and learn more about that part of the world.

Music can be laid in during editing. The most efficient solution would be building the reel around one song. Upbeat and contemporary will generate the most excitement. The last image should be your name and phone number.

You want your reel to demonstrate that you've got the talent and the personality they're looking for. In addition to your dance skills, show your enthusiasm, your sense of fun, and how much life you generate when you dance. The results should demonstrate what an asset you'd be to their production.

Cost of the reel? Budget according to your means and make the most of every dollar you spend. Plan well and don't be afraid to ask for help. Getting support from family, friends, and teachers is important, whether its related to dollars, advice, or on-the-set assistance.

Good luck,
Grover D.

GOT THE DRIVE, BUT I LOOK TOO YOUNG!

Hey Grover,

I have a huge dilemma! I'm 18 years old...but I don't look a day over 15. Its a big problem for me, because when I go to auditions, there are guys my age who look their age or older. At these auditions (most of them hip-hop/funk) I could at least say, that I "blow them out of the frame", however they would be picked, and not me!!!! It discourages me a little bit because, I know the moves! I mean I dress the part, but its my "babyface" that halts me from going after my dreams. How can a 18 year old male look "hip-hoppish", and at the same time look older than his age??

Please help me.
Charlie

Dear Charlie,

I'm sure you realize that many performers would give an eye tooth for a dilemma like yours! When you relocate yourself to the land of "music videos," you'll soon find out that being a baby-faced hip-hopper is not a deficit. (especially If you keep blowing the other guys out of frame with your moves!)

Casting requirements are rarely written in cement. An exceptional talent can always influence choreographers and casting directors into reconsidering criteria. If you got the fire employers are attracted to, keep igniting it. As agent Tim O'Brien said, "showing up and doing your best is not about a single gig, it's about the one that happens six months or a year from now."

Aging yourself is not out of the question. If you absolutely know that looking older would help you, grow some facial hair, wear a hat, or dress differently. Ask someone whose sense of style you trust to check your ideas.

Grover D.

DO I HAVE TO CHOREOGRAPH MY OWN STEPS AT AUDITIONS?

Dear Grover,

I'm 21 and have been dancing since I was 9. I'm teaching hip hop and Latin dances at a studio near San Diego. I love it. I'm so happy I've found something to be passionate about. Dance means so much to me. I'm ready to do whatever it takes to make it as a professional. BUT I'M SO WORRIED ABOUT AUDITIONS! I don't know what to expect! Will I have to choreograph my own dances? Will I have to get up and perform by myself? Can you help me, please?

Worried

Dear Worried,

Give yourself a pat on the back. The passion you've got for dance is written all over your letter. Your questions are good ones. I'm happy to assure you that you can rest easy about the choreography part. At 98% of professional auditions, the choreographer and his/her assistants teach the dancers (en masse!) a combination that they expect to be performed. Depending on the availability of time (and how big the turnout is) the choreographer will break down the combination, offer direction, and (again, time permitting) give dancers an opportunity to ask questions about it. After several times through, it's customary that dancers are repositioned into smaller groups of 5-8 for the performance. This helps everyone, dancers have more room and choreographers can evaluate individuals more clearly. It's not unusual for choreographers to ask for repeat performances or even give individual corrections. The process from warm-up to performance can take an hour or so to audition 50-60 people. After dancing everyone, it's customary to do the first "cut" to determine which dancers will continue and which won't. This is the moment of truth.

Getting through the cut (when you're on the unfavorable end of the outcome) takes strength and courage. In time, professionals come to understand that not being chosen is a natural part of the process. It does get easier.

Good luck,
Grover D.

NOT GETTING CHOSEN IS THE PITS

Hi, Grover,

My name is Carie. I am 14 years old and I have been studying jazz and tap dance for six years. Dance is my passion and I will practice up to five hours a day even on school days. I have always wanted to pursue a career in dance. This year I auditioned for the high school dance team. I had a good feeling about the try-outs because I didn't screw up once. When the list of the new team came out, I hadn't made the team but 2 girls made the team who can't even do a single pirouette while I can easily do triples! This really discouraged me and now I feel I can never make it in the professional dancing world. I know I am one of the best in my class but I still am hurt and discouraged. Is there any hope for me and what should I do at my age to help my dream of becoming a professional dancer come true?

Carlene

Dear Carlene,

You did a good thing. You've opened up one of the most vulnerable moments every dancer in the world faces on a regular basis. Reacting to being chosen is a piece of cake. When we're chosen, few of us spend much time wondering why. We just accept it, say thank you, and move on. Reacting to not being chosen is another ballgame.

In your case, it sound like you got the news via an impersonal list of names on a posted piece of paper. That's rough. Especially, when no explanation of why some were chosen over others was included. Your disappointment is a natural reaction.

Before using this experience to create self-doubt about your future, please remember that the tryout you were in wasn't a professional situation. You have no clue what criteria was being used. (obviously, pirouettes didn't matter!) Choices could have been arbitrary, based on friendships, height, hair color, school politics, or popularity. Give yourself a break!

Auditions give us valuable info. Over time, they show us where we meet the mark and where we don't. We accept that "not being chosen" is a permanent part of the process and we're not always going to be on the favorable end of it. We identify our strengths and our weaknesses. We become more effective at dancing under pressure. If we're lucky, we grow to recognize that post-audition reactions have the power to lift us up or bring us down. Eventually, we choose to react in ways that are not self-defeating. We take care of our business and move on to the next opportunity.

Be patient with yourself, Carlene. And give yourself some credit.

Warm regards,
Grover D.

WHY CAN'T I MAKE A DECISION?

Grover:

Hi, I am a nineteen-year-old college student about to begin my second year at Boston College. There is no dance major there, but six months ago I performed with the dance company there. I havn't danced since then. This is the longest I have ever gone without dancing.

When I first applied to colleges, I decided that I didn't want a career in dance because I have an enormous lack of self-confidence. However, I did make sure the colleges I applied to all had some sort of dance program. I realize now how nervous competing makes me. When I just perform for fun, I'm relaxed and I get the greatest feeling in the entire world. Now, that I haven't danced for several months, I have been increasingly depressed and empty. I am also rethinking my decision to stay away from a dance career because I don't want to say 20 years down the road that I didn't pursue a dream because I didn't think I'd make it. However, auditions make me extremely nervous and I usually do stupid things like forget the choreography when I would normally be able to execute it perfectly if the pressure was not there. My family pushes me to dance because they know that's what I really want. Deep down, I know they are right, but I think I can't make it.

I feel like I need to put dance back in my life and I don't know how to go about it. If you could answer my questions, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Desperate for answers in Boston,

Dear Desperate for answers in Boston,

If I've ever heard a dancer identify solutions along with the problems ...it's you. Just replay what you're saying and listen to your own good advice. You're smart. And so is your family. Confidence is something that doesn't happen overnight. I didn't realize that I was good enough to get through an audition without being fearful until I turned 40! Please don't wait as long as I did to start recognizing your own potential.

For me, the biggest challenge of becoming a professional...was dealing with the "rejection." Once I got realistic about the odds (the average working dancer books 10% of the jobs they audition for) I began to accept that "not being chosen" was a natural part of the system and no good purpose is served by agonizing over it. I've grown to believe that reacting is a matter of choice. When I falter on those double pirouettes or retaining the choreography, I don't have to react in self-defeating ways. ("why did the choreographer have to give such difficult combinations?!") I can say, "okay, I see where my weaknesses are, I'm going to work on them in class tomorrow." Reactions can lift us up or bring us down. The choice of up or down is up to us.

Listen, desperate one, it sounds like you've got a lot of "good" inside you. Listen to it. Follow your heart. You might be able to fly....but if you don't leap, you'll never know whether you can.

Grover D.

AFTER SCORING BIG AT HER FIRST AUDITION, SHE'S READY TO PACK HER BAGS!

Dear Grover,

I just went to an open call for Disney's Beauty & the Beast touring company in San Francisco and made it to the last group of 10 dancers. All were given one last additional dance combination, then told to hand in our headshot and resume, sing, and then we could leave. I felt the audition went very well, I was even asked to demonstrate one combination, but none of us were given any indication of when they might be calling us. I am a college dance major with college musical experience but no agent and non-equity. Do I even have a chance?

K.T.

Dear K.T.,

You deserve to feel good about yourself. There you were, at your first "big" audition, non-union, no agent, no credentials, walking in cold, and you not only make it through the entire audition, you make it to the final ten and are asked to demonstrate a combination?! Whether they call you or not, you accomplished something remarkable.

Here you are, asking if you have a chance! Well, yes, you surely do. You have a chance, regardless of the call you're hoping to get, to recognize your own potential. You raised your self worth a notch or two. You can say to yourself, "I did a good job this time and I know I can do just as well, if not better, the next time." Learn to nourish yourself, especially when the demons of self-doubt begin to circle the wagons.

Grover

P.S. The audition you did was for future replacements. That means, those that were chosen will go on file as possible replacements down the road. You might hear from them next week, or six months from now. Give yourself a pat on the back and move on.

Keep me posted about your progress,
Grover D.

WHO'S THE REAL BOSS?

Dear Grover,

I'm a senior in high school and I am doing some research for my drama class on choreographers and I was wondering if you could answer a questions? During production, who is in charge and who answers to whom?

Sincerely,
Jessica Glover

Dear Jessica,

Great question! First, here's the "pecking" order for Broadway musicals. It's important to understand that the "powers that be" can differ. Feature films, television, and music videos are not the same as Broadway.

Starting at the top, we'll move in descending order.

1. Producers (have the ultimate power because they have the right to close the show!)

2. Writers (composers, lyricists, librettist) are the owners of the material. This gives them power that writers in film and television do not have. In most cases, the material produced by film/tv writers is owned outright by the producer or production company.

3. Directors are the creative force behind taking what's on the page and translating it onto the stage. Musicals work best when the director heads a strong collaboration between the writers, director, choreographer, and designers.

4. Choreographers, usually the last creative person brought on board, are subject to the director's sensibilities and frequently those of the writers as well. Has at least one assistant, a dance captain, and may have an associ ate choreographer as well. (more about them below)

5. The Production Stage Manager oversees everything and is responsible for day-to-day behind the scenes operations. Works closely with the director and is a likely candidate to restage future productions of the show. Has a staff of 2-3 additional stage managers and assistants. They are present at all rehearsals and are responsible for knowing where everyone is at all times. You sign in with them everyday, get your five-minute breaks from them, and get your next day's call from them. Any personal concerns or problems are taken to them.

6. Musical directors conduct the orchestra, supervise vocals, and conduct rehearsals after the show opens. They, too, have an assistant who is frequently the show's pianist.

7. Associate choreographers brought in by choreographers do more than teach material. They contribute creatively according to the choreographer's needs. Choreographic assistants may, or may not do more than teach or cleanchoreography. Most don't remain with the show once it opens (they move on to the next job that the choreographer has). This is where a dance captain comes in. They stay with the show. Their job is to maintain the choreography, rehearse understudies/covers, and train replacements. Sometimes, they function as an assistant stage manager as well.

8. Dancers, seemingly hired by the choreographer, must also be approved by the director, writers, and musical director. On an operational level, they are answerable to the choreographer's assistants, dance captains, stage managers, and musical director in addition to the choreographer. In actuality, dancers are subject to decisions made by directors, writers, and producers as well. Bigtime responsibility being a Broadway dancer!

9. Swing dancers may have the hardest job of all. They must be ready to step in at a moments notice to any of the regular dancer positions. If the show is heavy with dance, swing dancers really earn their money.

Thanks for your interest, Jessica!

Grover

I'M AFRAID OF GETTING RIPPED OFF!

Grover,

I am a street jazz choreographer/dancer trying to get a reel of my choreography together to send out. Is it safe to send out a tape of some of my completed works? Is it possible that someone can use my ideas since they have a video that I handed to them? If copyrighting is the answer, how do I copyright a choreography reel?

Shane A., NYC

Dear Shane,

Hundreds, if not thousands of choreographers and agents send out demo reels to production houses worry free. Few, if any, viewers are looking for ideas and moves to borrow or steal, even though the opportunity to do so is always present. However, if protection is on your mind, it's your right to seek some. One way to ease your concern is to secure representation from an agent. The agent (not you) submits your reel, so there's always a paper trail verifying the submission and receipt of your reel in case any questions surfaces. Copyrighting choreography is complicated. An attorney who specializes in copyright law says that original choreography is automatically protected by copyright; you should label your tape 'Choreography copyright [year and name]. But there's no law that prevents people from imitating a specific movement you use in your work. The scope of copyright covers the sequence of movements in combination, not the specific movement. Protection covers only that particular displayed expression of the work, not the underlying conceptual ideas. The more specific the expression in the work, the more protected it is. Ideas or themes are not protected. Also, if you're using copyrighted music on your demo reel without the composer's permission, technically, you're in breach of the copyright laws. I said it gets complicated, right?

Want more? You can read up on copyright law at www.loc.gov/copyright. In the meantime, you can always drop the fear and focus on the purpose of a demo reel: to attract the attention of someone who thinks enough of your work to hire you.

Grover D.

I WANT TO LOOK MY BEST AT AUDITIONS!

Hi Grover

I'm desperate. How can I find out what dancers are wearing when they audition for music videos? Please write soon. I need to know.

Michelle

Dear Michelle,

Good question. Last month I interviewed Carmit Bachar (Ricky Martin's "La Vida Loca" girl) and talked about why she gets booked on so many music videos. The first words out of her mouth were about the importance of "the look" she presents at auditions. Here's a fragment of our conversation.

Carmit: I know I have to market myself. There's more to booking the job than dancing your heart out..

Grover: What do you mean by "market" yourself?

C: I make extra efforts to look the part as much as possible.

G: For each job you go for?

C: Absolutely! That's been one of my trademarks.

G: How do you find out about the look that's needed?

C: My agents tell me. I go in looking ready to do the video, camera ready!

G: Give me an example..

C: For instance, Michael Jackson. I was called in by Vincent Paterson for "Blood On The Dance Floor." It was to have a Latin feel, some sort of mambo. I arrived wearing a little salsa dress, fish nets, heels, and my hair was up in a kind of bun with a flower. I was "camera ready." I showed up with the whole outfit. It's not that producers can't see what they like, or the potential in somebody, but what I do helps them to see their vision more.

G: If they see it, they get comfortable...

C: Exactly. This girl's ready to hit exactly what I need...

Carmit goes on, describing how she always has extra accessories available to make adjustments in her look. She pays attention to what's catching their attention. As the audition progresses, she tunes in to what's going on and acts accordingly.

So, Michelle, this is my way of saying there is no one way to dress for music video auditions. The pros take it one audition at a time. And, they rely on their agent's instructions. If you want to check out the "uniformity" shared by young pre-professionals, arrange to attend a dance agent's audition. Their hip hop segment will get you up to speed.

Regards,
Grover D.