Back-to-School Series, Part IV: The Benefits of Dance Lessons
Happy September, everyone! If you haven't started school yet, I hope you're enjoying the final days of summer. If you have, then I hope your academic year is off to a great start!
We've dealt a lot with music-related topics in our back-to-school series so far: choral groups, voice lessons, and piano study. But becoming a good singing-actor requires more than just musical skills! So this week we are talking about the benefits of dance lessons!
Whether you have a natural proclivity toward dancing or not, it is a good idea to get some dance lessons or classes under your belt if you plan to do a lot of musical theater auditions. Some shows are very dance-heavy (Footloose!), and dance skills are essential for getting cast in these productions. However, even if you're auditioning for a non-dance-heavy show, it still helps to have some dance experience. Why? Because the director will assume that you are comfortable in your own body and have an idea of how to move around and express yourself physically on stage. While it may not be the deciding factor in whether or not you get cast, it might increase your chances.
Casting chances aside, there are lots of other good reasons to take dance lessons or classes. Here are just a few:
1. Dancing is healthy for your body. It builds good coordination, and your muscles become stronger and more flexible. It also builds good posture habits and can be a good cardiovascular workout.
2. It builds good self-awareness. By paying close attention to how you are moving, you become more aware of yourself and how you relate physically to other people.
3. It's a different way to express yourself. As singers, we work on building expressive voices, but building an expessive body is equally as important! Physically expressive performances, even if the performer is not dancing, are more captivating than someone who stands there like a bump on a log.
4. You will feel much more confident at dance calls. This is the type of audition where, after you sing for the director(s), a choreographer takes you and a whole group of other auditionees into a room and teaches you a brand-new dance routine from scratch. We did a mock dance call during our Audition Boot Camp earlier this year, and trust me, they can be tough! You will feel more secure if you are already familiar with certain basic steps and movements.
5. It builds teamwork skills (if it's in a group). You learn how to respond physically to what's going on around you. You learn how rewarding it is to be a part of something, and how your personal energy can make a huge difference in the group.
6. It can open up more theater opportunities. Dance skills can come in handy even if you are auditioning for a straight play - you never know what the director has in mind.
So where do you go for dance lessons?
Well, regular dance studios are a great place to start - you can learn the basics of ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, etc. If you've never danced before, these kinds of beginner classes can give you a strong foundation for studying musical theater dance later on.
Lots of theater companies also have musical theater dance workshops. Some even have private dance lessons. In these kinds of classes, you would learn foundational dance movements, but also how they are applied specifically to musical theater.
If you're unsure how to begin your search, ask your voice teacher or school drama teacher if they have any recommendations. Chances are they know someone reputable or could at least point you in a specific direction.
If anything, increasing your dance skills will make you a more well-rounded person. Exposing yourself to more art forms is important. Not to mention that dancing can be fun!
Questions? Let us know in the comments! Happy dancing!
In these photos, Tori leads our Audition Boot Camp students in a mock dance call: "Money" from Cabaret
