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by Karen Russell
When I think of some highlights of my dance
career and my recipe for
success; I think of one word - PASSION! Yes,
my best advice for new
dancers coming into the professional dance
world is to have the passion to keep going.
Of course, practice, practice, practice will
make your
technique great, but it is the passion and
the unique individual
personality that will book you the job.
If you have the passion to keep going, your
own unique style and
personality, you must also be above all else
PROFESSIONAL. This means you need to be
responsible for your actions and have your
act together. You need to be on time,
courteous and pleasant no matter what the
circumstance. Hold your head up high and
reflect confidence in your abilities. They
will speak for themselves. A true dancer
will always be a dancer.
You need to seek out the right agent; one
that will really work for you
and one who understands what type you are
and what type of jobs you will book. You
also need to have great photos. It isn't
good enough to have just okay photos. Take
the time to know what you look great in. I
always had that certain outfit for that
certain audition that completed the package.
Yes, that is exactly what a performer is, a
commodity, a package.
When you feel that you have it all together,
make the extra effort to know the
choreographers. Know what they like and
dislike and be respectful of what they are
asking for during the audition.
When I think of one of my auditions, I would
say that the Dick Tracy
audition was the most unpredictable and
certainly unforgettable. It was a unique
job because it was going to pay really well.
At the time, dancers were not compensated as
well as they are today. The idea of a dancer
getting principal actors pay was unheard of,
but thanks to Warren Beatty and his love for
dancers, the Dick Tracy movie was profitable
for all of us.
I remember the audition was one that I
didn't want to go on. My exact
words: "Well, there are going to be a
million dancers there and they only
want five women; what are the chances of me
getting the job?"
But my friend dragged me there. And yes,
there were not a million, but 800 girls at
the audition. BUT I stayed. And for the next
8 hours I stayed. And I had to call in sick
to my regular singing gig at this nightclub.
And I stayed even longer.
And when it got down to the last 16 girls
and we were standing in that
line up, you know the final moment when they
are all looking at us; I just made sure I
made eye contact. I made sure that I got the
best spot to be seen in the line up. And it
was right then, that I booked the job and I
knew what a crazy business this is.
That one audition taught me how to be open
to anything. Just when you think you are not
going to book something, that's when you
book it. You have to show up and do your
best every time. Like I said, it is the
passion, the love to dance, the love of
dance and the need to keep dancing that
makes all the difference.
Karen Russell has worked all over the world
as a dancer, singer and
performer. She has performed with super
stars like Madonna, Bette Midler and Alice
Cooper. She is now the founder and creator
of Yoga Groove a unique combination of yoga
and dance. For more details about Karen and
her studio, class schedule and events,
please go to the Yoga Groove website at
www.yogagroovestudio.com
Karen Russell
Yoga Groove
www.yogagroovestudio.com
818.508.9434 studio
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