Developing Versatility through a Variety of Visitors from the Field
Small-town dance studios often only have the resources to employ a limited number of teachers, and individual dance styles – jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, et. al. – are often represented by just one or two people. This means that students have limited need to adapt to the differing approaches of different artists and pick up new movement quality quickly, and thus have little opportunity to develop versatility. A great way to truly keep dance students on their toes is to book professional dancers and choreographers into your studio as often as possible – a growing trend across the nation, from Texas to Minnesota, Montana to Mississippi.
“I am a big believer in that students become a product of the artists they encounter, and the more teachers they work with the more versatile they become,” says Sabetha Mumm, the owner of a nine-teacher dance studio just outside Des Moines, Iowa. “I remember when I first went to L.A. from Iowa, I realized there was so much more to the industry than I knew and, as a teacher, I didn’t want my dancers to be at a disadvantage just because they’re from the Midwest. So I bring in cutting-edge people from the West Coast.”
When Mumm opened Dance Vision five years ago she made a point of bringing in professionals from the field whenever possible, thus exposing her students to a rotating roster of artists. The challenge to students is especially great if an artist comes in, not just to teach a master class, but to teach and set a custom-made composition. The novelty of the experience both tests a young dancer’s versatility and inspires greater vitality. Students can then continue to polish the piece with the help of studio teachers and perform it at conventions or competitions when ready.
Shaun Thompson, TAMJAMS Choreographer
“When my kids go to conventions in New York or L.A. with choreography they’ve learned from guest artists, people often come up to us and say ‘Wow, this doesn’t seem like hip-hop from Iowa,’” Mumm says. “It’s a surprise to them.”
For studios interested in booking a dance professional for the first time, the first step lies in finding the right person. It is often easier to work through an agency, rather than trying to find an independent artist and booking him or her directly. An agency can provide some measure of guarantee that the person you’re booking is reliable, professional and appropriate for your students.
“I know, for example, that not everybody feels comfortable teaching very young dancers, because it’s really a special skill,” says Terry Lindholm, a former professional performer who taught on the convention circuit for 15 years, and now serves as choreographer and dance agent for McDonald/Selznick Associates. “In any particular style of dance I have several artists to choose from, so if you’re looking for somebody for younger students I would look at different folks than if you’re looking for an artist to work with older students.” An agent will help you find a choreographer who meets your unique needs. “Usually there’s a little bit of creative discussion,” Lindholm says. “Especially if somebody’s not sure who they’re interested in, I can help them find the right person.”
Agents will work out contractual details and, unlike working artists themselves with their ever-changing schedules, are available to talk to nine-to-five. This facilitates the negotiation process greatly. McDonald/Selznick Associates, for example, represents artists including Mia Michaels (who worked with Madonna and Prince), Blake McGrath (from “So You Think You Can Dance”) and Desmond Richardson (from Complexions).
If you don’t want to work through an agent, you can rely on intuition and observe teachers and artists at conventions. You’ll get a feel for how they work with students and can always ask for promotional materials - DVDs or on-line clips of compositions they’ve staged for dance studios in the past. To avoid unpleasant surprises, get references and talk to people an artist has worked with in the past.
“The first person I brought into the studio was a disaster,” Mumm says. “I’d found him at a convention, but he was very unprofessional, missed his flight and didn’t finish the choreography I’d brought him in for - so now I always check my references and all my experiences have been positive since then.”
Preparation is the crux of a successful collaboration and the more information you can provide in advance, the better. To choreograph an appropriate piece, an artist will need to know the age and number of dancers, length of composition, style of music (or specific piece if you have something particular in mind), space availability and the technical level of the dancers. If possible, provide footage of a recent performance, because remember that images speak a thousand words and your idea of “intermediate jazz” might be different from someone else’s.
“Most of the time I haven’t ever worked with the kids before getting contracted and I try to get the best idea possible from teachers of what their kids are like,” says Grant Chenok, a dance professional who co-founded his own L.A.-based company, Flow 40 Dance, and has been choreographing for studios for the past nine years. “I try to do as much preparation as possible before going in, always knowing that I might have to change everything. If the teacher’s assessment of the kids doesn’t correspond to mine, then I have to adapt.”
The amount of time an artist will need to set a piece varies depending on the number of dancers and length of the piece. No matter what time-estimate you receive from artist or agency, though, it is always a good idea to book an extra hour or two to make sure your students have enough time to fully learn the work. And it is crucial that students are prepped in advance for the challenge ahead, especially when dealing with high-profile artists with lesser experience in the world of amateurs. The better prepared and more alert your students are, the more they’ll get out of the experience.
The dancers at Dance Vision in Iowa recently learned a piece from Gil Duldulao, Janet Jackson’s long-time creative director. Mumm had approached him after taking a master class of his in New York, and although he had no history of working in studios, he offered to come to Iowa once his schedule allowed. Given Duldulao’s own caliber as an artist, past studio experience and references were not necessary in this instance.
“I prepared my kids for the challenge, told them they’d have to step it up a notch, and the experience really gave them an idea of what it would be like to walk into an audition for Janet,” Mumm said. “He told them what it was like out there in the real working world—that when he got to the studio, Janet was already there, and that when he left ten hours later at night, Janet would still be there. He talked about work ethic, and he was very demanding and wanted to do each eight-count over and over and over.” This can help some students to decide that dancing at a professional level is not for them. But Mumm says, “It makes some kids realize that this is really what they want to do.”
For more information visit:
www.tamjams.com
www.flow40dance.com
www.EV3dance.com
www.3ddn.net