While it is still fresh in my mind, I need to talk about today's audition. I auditioned for the Norwegian Cruise Line today at Ripley Grier. I love those studios so much more than Chelsea. Yea Chelsea Studios is nicer in terms of the actual studio, but the atmosphere at Ripley Grier is nicer.
I believe we were auditioning for a specific show and the choreographer was Patricia Wilcox. Now immediately when she said this, I recognized her name but didn't know from where. It bugged me all day and I finally goggled her and realized she teaches at Steps. I knew I knew her name from somewhere. I loved her choreography so I plan on taking her at some point.
Anyways...what was different from my usual auditions was that I was incredibly calm. I was in the second group, number 39, and was pretty relaxed throughout. Even when the first group was going and girls were peaking in and discussing the combo, I chose to ignore it and just wait for my turn. I think I really loved this combo because it was more of jazz dance that felt like modern dance. Her images were basically describing us as getting ready to pounce and that was just what the choreography was like. It was very animalistic and empowering. I loved it. While we were doing the choreography she sought me out and commented that I should watch my focus at this one part. I kept that in mind and combined with a love of the choreography and no nerves, I got a callback. I couldn't believe it. But really what I couldn't believe was the still calm demeanor I had. I thought if I ever got a call back I would scream or jump up and down but no I just accepted what was said and thought about the next task.
I'm happy that I finally reached the next level. It's a confidence booster. I've been to a handful of auditions but never been able to get over that hump, the callback. Finally being able to do so was rewarding in and of itself. Well, I still had other things to do so I went to school and then went to the callback at 4pm. This time it was weird. We went over the same combo that we had done before and then did it again for them. It was really surprising because other people commented that usually you do something different. Now after this one I didn't get the second callback. Maybe I wasn't what the were looking for but I was so happy that I was actually in an environment that I enjoyed. I wasn't nervous or worried about what was going to happen, I just went with the flow.
I hope I have more auditions like that because they are reassuring. To me, it's not about the fact that I didn't get past the 2nd callback, I got past the first and as of now that's what I'm working on.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Bloc-ed from Being Seen
I have a lot to update on but I'm going to go in order. Last week was my Spring Break and I planned on using it to figure out what I was going to be doing with my life, corporate wise. Meaning...getting my resume and cover letter ready to send out to different companies. That didn't really work out. I did look for places and set up a temp agency profile(which for some reason isn't activating right...) but I was still on my "I love to dance" high that I focused more on finding auditions to go to rather then focus on those "office jobs." That's a problem because I have less then 2 months til graduation!
Well..I can't change the past so lets jump to Saturday. Oh, Saturday..what a crazy day. I woke up really early and took an In the Heights workshop/random open class, I really don't know what to call it, at BDC. Luis Salgado taught and it was great. I originally felt out of my element having had no prior training in Latin dance but the more he talked about letting go and having fun, the more I was able to actually do so. What a great class it was! We learned part of the "Club" scene. Latin dance is no joke; it is by no means easy. We even did a little partnering section near the end. I had a lot of fun. I definitely plan on expanding my versatility and jumping on the Latin bandwagon. Luis spoke about dance classes from Eddy Torres that are offered in the city. I looked it up and once I end school I will be able to test out the beginner classes. Before that, though, I plan on trying the Latin Jazz at BDC with Maria Torres.
After a great class at BDC, I headed over to Ailey to audition for Bloc Talent Agency. There is so much to say about this day, I don't know where to begin. From the outside some might say it was a complete waste of time but from the things that happened to me I can say that I'm really satisified with how things turned out.
First of all. No matter what anyone says, maybe because I'm a newbie in the business, typecasting sucks. Yea you get out early and aren't misled to thinking you have a shot but, unlike what the coordinator said, IT IS personal..and you do feel bad, lol. The morning audition was for contemporary/musical theater dancers and there were A LOT. We all packed into LLC and were broken into groups to be typecasted. It felt more like a model call then a dance call. When my group went, we stood in 2 lines while they pointed and commented on us(with music blasting which wasn't for dancing but to cover their voices). It was awkward for me because it was unclear whether or not we should smile and acknowledge them or just stand there. Well, needless to say I was typecasted out aka CUT. It was such a surreal feeling because you intially think, "thats it?!?!" I almost would have rathered stayed the whole way thru and actually danced and then got cut. I didn't even move for them. That's the tough part when you are a DANCER. Well, after encouragement from friends I decided to wait around for the hip hop call. Now, I wouldn't call myself a hiphop dancer but I figured maybe I had the look for that one.
I'm really happy I stayed through the madness and long lines for that one because I would have never hung out with my friend Daniel and his friend Corey who was with his friend Tamikko. (did that all make sense). Well I would describe both Corey and Tamikko as veterans slash the know more about the business then newbies. I learned so much about the business from them, specifically Tamikko. From the moment she started talking, I immediately thought in my head that she would be a great person to interview. She's an undeground freestyler who is single-handedly fusing the world of touring and clubbing. Yes, I had to ask her to define both because I had NO idea what she was talking about. From our conversation, she sounds like a beginner legend. She's worked with so many people in the industry and has her own group of girls that she books for gigs. The only thing she is lacking is an agent...which is why she was at the audition.
One of the reasons I was so interested in her story was because, in terms of dance, we are complete opposites. She admitted her weakness was learning choreography and my weakness, that I think EVERYONE knows, is that I cannot improv/freestyle. Her claim to fame is freestyle. The part of our conversation that I can never forget is her talking about how she doesn't understand how people can just reproduce choreography that was just given to them. My response was that I don't understand how someone can turn on music and she can just start moving. I don't know, it was just a really cool conversation. I learned so much. I'm trying to figure out if I will write my final freelance article on her because it was such a fascinating experience.
Back to Bloc. They hiphop call was ridiculous there were like 1000 people there and then told us around 4:30pm, when it was supposed to start, to come back in an hour because they weren't ready. When we came back there was a line outside of Ailey and then were basically hurding us like cattle to walk up to the 6th floor to get looked at and then walk all the way down if we were cut. Well, I was type casting again. Lol...all I can do is laugh because after the entire day it wasn't worth sulking over. I get that that's just the way the business works but jeez it's annoying. I will still apply to them and other agencies because it's just something that can be an asset for dancers looking for dance and commerical work.
Looking back, I'm glad I went to the audition because I was able to get a glimpse of the industry and the competition. Like most people say there will be a thousand No's to the very few Yes's. All I can do is work on my craft and try to increase those Yes's.
Well..I can't change the past so lets jump to Saturday. Oh, Saturday..what a crazy day. I woke up really early and took an In the Heights workshop/random open class, I really don't know what to call it, at BDC. Luis Salgado taught and it was great. I originally felt out of my element having had no prior training in Latin dance but the more he talked about letting go and having fun, the more I was able to actually do so. What a great class it was! We learned part of the "Club" scene. Latin dance is no joke; it is by no means easy. We even did a little partnering section near the end. I had a lot of fun. I definitely plan on expanding my versatility and jumping on the Latin bandwagon. Luis spoke about dance classes from Eddy Torres that are offered in the city. I looked it up and once I end school I will be able to test out the beginner classes. Before that, though, I plan on trying the Latin Jazz at BDC with Maria Torres.
After a great class at BDC, I headed over to Ailey to audition for Bloc Talent Agency. There is so much to say about this day, I don't know where to begin. From the outside some might say it was a complete waste of time but from the things that happened to me I can say that I'm really satisified with how things turned out.
First of all. No matter what anyone says, maybe because I'm a newbie in the business, typecasting sucks. Yea you get out early and aren't misled to thinking you have a shot but, unlike what the coordinator said, IT IS personal..and you do feel bad, lol. The morning audition was for contemporary/musical theater dancers and there were A LOT. We all packed into LLC and were broken into groups to be typecasted. It felt more like a model call then a dance call. When my group went, we stood in 2 lines while they pointed and commented on us(with music blasting which wasn't for dancing but to cover their voices). It was awkward for me because it was unclear whether or not we should smile and acknowledge them or just stand there. Well, needless to say I was typecasted out aka CUT. It was such a surreal feeling because you intially think, "thats it?!?!" I almost would have rathered stayed the whole way thru and actually danced and then got cut. I didn't even move for them. That's the tough part when you are a DANCER. Well, after encouragement from friends I decided to wait around for the hip hop call. Now, I wouldn't call myself a hiphop dancer but I figured maybe I had the look for that one.
I'm really happy I stayed through the madness and long lines for that one because I would have never hung out with my friend Daniel and his friend Corey who was with his friend Tamikko. (did that all make sense). Well I would describe both Corey and Tamikko as veterans slash the know more about the business then newbies. I learned so much about the business from them, specifically Tamikko. From the moment she started talking, I immediately thought in my head that she would be a great person to interview. She's an undeground freestyler who is single-handedly fusing the world of touring and clubbing. Yes, I had to ask her to define both because I had NO idea what she was talking about. From our conversation, she sounds like a beginner legend. She's worked with so many people in the industry and has her own group of girls that she books for gigs. The only thing she is lacking is an agent...which is why she was at the audition.
One of the reasons I was so interested in her story was because, in terms of dance, we are complete opposites. She admitted her weakness was learning choreography and my weakness, that I think EVERYONE knows, is that I cannot improv/freestyle. Her claim to fame is freestyle. The part of our conversation that I can never forget is her talking about how she doesn't understand how people can just reproduce choreography that was just given to them. My response was that I don't understand how someone can turn on music and she can just start moving. I don't know, it was just a really cool conversation. I learned so much. I'm trying to figure out if I will write my final freelance article on her because it was such a fascinating experience.
Back to Bloc. They hiphop call was ridiculous there were like 1000 people there and then told us around 4:30pm, when it was supposed to start, to come back in an hour because they weren't ready. When we came back there was a line outside of Ailey and then were basically hurding us like cattle to walk up to the 6th floor to get looked at and then walk all the way down if we were cut. Well, I was type casting again. Lol...all I can do is laugh because after the entire day it wasn't worth sulking over. I get that that's just the way the business works but jeez it's annoying. I will still apply to them and other agencies because it's just something that can be an asset for dancers looking for dance and commerical work.
Looking back, I'm glad I went to the audition because I was able to get a glimpse of the industry and the competition. Like most people say there will be a thousand No's to the very few Yes's. All I can do is work on my craft and try to increase those Yes's.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
In the Heights
As promised, below is my review of In the Heights:
Either I haven't been around good theater lately or In the Heights is one of kind. I can honestly say that it has been a REALLY long time since I have completely enjoyed a musical from start to finish. Everyone has been encouraging me to see this musical since its conception and, for more than a year, the stars hadn't aligned; until tonight. I enjoyed every minute of it and I must say that part of it was thanks in part to the successful flow that remained throughout the show. I was never bored or wondering what the next scene was. This musical kept me wanting more by balancing their slow song sections with the high energy ones.
One thing that really stood out about the musical was the versatility. Of course the musical is deeply rooted in the Hispanic culture but the storyline touches on a variety of socio-economic issues that are not culture specific such as education and economic survival. Maybe it's because I am a college student that is, A) about to graduate and B) at one point had to reevaluate my college experience in order to come to the conclusion that I would need to transfer. Although the story lines don't match perfectly, they both parallel each other and provided a connection between me and the musical.
Another element of versatility was in the dancing. Thank you Andy Blankenbuehler and Luis Salgado(Latin dance choreography) for the combination of hip hop, jazz, latin, AND contemporary. I loved seeing such different types of movement fused together in one show. Now I understand why the audition postings always recommend that you see the show before auditioning. I'm almost happy that I have, in the past, been unable to attend the audition. I learned so much about the show and casting while watching it. It is truly unlike any other musical.
Overall, I can honestly say that I left the theater wanting more and now have the songs of In the Heights imprinted in my brain. Boy can those singers SING! Forgot to mention this before, the strength of the entire cast is another asset. Aside from the great ensemble, the principles are breathtaking between their singing and acting. Ugh, I just loved every minute of it.
If there's one show that really made me want to jump up on stage, its In the Heights. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. With so much versatility, everyone is bound to love at least one, if not all aspects of the show.
Either I haven't been around good theater lately or In the Heights is one of kind. I can honestly say that it has been a REALLY long time since I have completely enjoyed a musical from start to finish. Everyone has been encouraging me to see this musical since its conception and, for more than a year, the stars hadn't aligned; until tonight. I enjoyed every minute of it and I must say that part of it was thanks in part to the successful flow that remained throughout the show. I was never bored or wondering what the next scene was. This musical kept me wanting more by balancing their slow song sections with the high energy ones.
One thing that really stood out about the musical was the versatility. Of course the musical is deeply rooted in the Hispanic culture but the storyline touches on a variety of socio-economic issues that are not culture specific such as education and economic survival. Maybe it's because I am a college student that is, A) about to graduate and B) at one point had to reevaluate my college experience in order to come to the conclusion that I would need to transfer. Although the story lines don't match perfectly, they both parallel each other and provided a connection between me and the musical.
Another element of versatility was in the dancing. Thank you Andy Blankenbuehler and Luis Salgado(Latin dance choreography) for the combination of hip hop, jazz, latin, AND contemporary. I loved seeing such different types of movement fused together in one show. Now I understand why the audition postings always recommend that you see the show before auditioning. I'm almost happy that I have, in the past, been unable to attend the audition. I learned so much about the show and casting while watching it. It is truly unlike any other musical.
Overall, I can honestly say that I left the theater wanting more and now have the songs of In the Heights imprinted in my brain. Boy can those singers SING! Forgot to mention this before, the strength of the entire cast is another asset. Aside from the great ensemble, the principles are breathtaking between their singing and acting. Ugh, I just loved every minute of it.
If there's one show that really made me want to jump up on stage, its In the Heights. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. With so much versatility, everyone is bound to love at least one, if not all aspects of the show.
Starting Over
I'm going to try this again and actually attempt to post on a frequent basis. Right now I'm on Spring Break and, although I planned to do work every day, I'm finding it hard to actually get my work started. I have so much to do and so much to think about that my mind is on overload.
Today I'm going to see In The Heights with my mom and sister. I had been dying to see this since it opened but never had the courage to ask one of the "connections" I had if he could get me tickets. I always feel weird in those situations becuase I don't want the person to think I'm using them. Well it doesn't matter now since my mom ended up getting the tickets. I'm really excited to see this because I want to eventually audition for this show and they do recommend you see it first.
On the topics of auditions, I have gone to some but not all that I could be. It's April and I have no offical plans after graduation which isn't good. SO, I'm literally going to start putting the wheels in motion and getting my face out there. If I want to dance, I'm going to have to go out there and get it. That being said I'm going to my first agent audition on Saturday...along with everyone and their mother. Yes, that discourages me that there will be so many people but I'm gonna try and look past that because that is the very thing that intimidates me and prevents me from getting to the next level.
Considering this the beginning of a new start, I'm not going to harp on the past. ....well, TRY not to harp on the past. I will post my thoughts on In The Heights sometime tonight or tomorrow. I hope I enjoy it! The only reason I say that is because of certain other popular show that I saw and did not enjoy as much as I thought I would. I may be the only person on the planet that did not greatly enjoy Billy Elliott. It was good; I won't deny that but I was so disconnected from it. The best way I can describe it? To me, it felt like a movie on stage. Now that's neither a good or bad thing. The problem I had was calling it a musical. Yes there are songs and there is dancing but it felt more like a play to me. The music wasn't memorable or something that I'd want to buy and hear later on(being a merchandise sellar made me wonder how on earth they would be able to sell that CD). I really enjoyed the movie and I think if I was intending on seeing a play I would've really enjoyed it. But, I intended on seeing the typical happy-go-lucky, bright lights type musical. I will say though that because it seems to be a musical in its own category, I will applaud its attempt at a "new" definition of a musical. Sure fooled me.
Today I'm going to see In The Heights with my mom and sister. I had been dying to see this since it opened but never had the courage to ask one of the "connections" I had if he could get me tickets. I always feel weird in those situations becuase I don't want the person to think I'm using them. Well it doesn't matter now since my mom ended up getting the tickets. I'm really excited to see this because I want to eventually audition for this show and they do recommend you see it first.
On the topics of auditions, I have gone to some but not all that I could be. It's April and I have no offical plans after graduation which isn't good. SO, I'm literally going to start putting the wheels in motion and getting my face out there. If I want to dance, I'm going to have to go out there and get it. That being said I'm going to my first agent audition on Saturday...along with everyone and their mother. Yes, that discourages me that there will be so many people but I'm gonna try and look past that because that is the very thing that intimidates me and prevents me from getting to the next level.
Considering this the beginning of a new start, I'm not going to harp on the past. ....well, TRY not to harp on the past. I will post my thoughts on In The Heights sometime tonight or tomorrow. I hope I enjoy it! The only reason I say that is because of certain other popular show that I saw and did not enjoy as much as I thought I would. I may be the only person on the planet that did not greatly enjoy Billy Elliott. It was good; I won't deny that but I was so disconnected from it. The best way I can describe it? To me, it felt like a movie on stage. Now that's neither a good or bad thing. The problem I had was calling it a musical. Yes there are songs and there is dancing but it felt more like a play to me. The music wasn't memorable or something that I'd want to buy and hear later on(being a merchandise sellar made me wonder how on earth they would be able to sell that CD). I really enjoyed the movie and I think if I was intending on seeing a play I would've really enjoyed it. But, I intended on seeing the typical happy-go-lucky, bright lights type musical. I will say though that because it seems to be a musical in its own category, I will applaud its attempt at a "new" definition of a musical. Sure fooled me.
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