Re:Special Skills/dance - 2008/01/05 21:50Definitely take a beginning ballet class. It will help you out with all other dance styles. Jazz technique is a little different than ballet, but still takes a lot of work. Jazz is fun, and important for musical theatre too. Tap can be boring when you're a beginner, but it get's a lot better when you master the advanced combinations. Also, tap dancers get to be in fun shows such as Thoroughly Modern Millie! Lyrical is a ton of fun! I love lyrical. Unfortunately my dance team coach informed us today that we won't be doing lyrical any more, in order to make our hip-hop dance better. I was devastated! There were only four girls on the team who even wanted to keep the lyrical dance, including myself. I went home and cried. I'm giving up the majority of my time for the next three months for what? Hip-hop! Ugh. I can't believe I am missing out on my schools spring musical for this.I am Hannah! upcoming auditions: You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, Peter Pan Favorite roles: Daughter in Pirates of Penzance, Mrs. Potiphar in Joseph and The Amazing...., Hot Box Girl in Guys and Dolls
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
jameala
User Supporting Player
Posts: 122
Karma: 4
Re:Special Skills/dance - 2008/01/06 01:18Scratch your head, Sweetheart YOU HAVE special skills. We just have to figure out what they are! To do that, we have to brainstorm for a minute! To do that, we will have to talk about me for a minute.
I have been an actor for 3 years. Before that, I produced and directed corporate videos for 10 years. Part of my job was to hire LOTS and LOTS of actors. As I think about it now, I am struck with how ridiculous it was, seeing as how I hired (in many cases) Union Actors who knew more about what I was doing than I did - DESPITE THAT - one time I hired a kid because he: 1) looked like Michael J. Fox and 2) COULD SKATEBOARD! (get it? I was shooting a "Back to the Future" parody). How did I KNOW he could skateboard? BECAUSE it was in his SPECIAL SKILLS section of his resume. As an aside, I/we (the production company I worked for) paid him $758 for one day's work - in 1988, when that was about $1450!
Enough about me - let's get back to you. What do YOU do? Are you double jointed? Can you Hula Hoop? Do your friends say you remind them of someone famous? If so, list that under the "special skills" portion of your resume. You have life skills that I don't have! You have life skills are are MARKETABLE. Spend the next 15 seconds and recognize what they are. When you are through, place them in your "Special Skills" section. And if you are fortunate, somebody like me will hire you.
Good Luck, my darling! Do me one more favor: never, EVER stop believing in yourself.
BTW, I am still MAD AT YOU Based on your Avatar, I thought you WERE Sutton Foster. Imagine my surprise when I went to your web site and realized that you were CUTER than her. When I see you on Broadway some day and I realize that you are MORE TALENTED than her, you will leave me NO CHOICE but to drop a brick on my head!
Rule # 1: Someone out there is dying to hire you.
Rule # 2: Don't keep them waiting!
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
KCreviews
User Newbie
Posts: 13
Karma: 0
Re:Special Skills/dance - 2008/01/09 13:48If you don't go for ballet, I would definitely take jazz, modern, hip hop or tap. These are more "exciting" types of dancing with more upbeat music.
I have lots of singing experience, some acting, and very little dancing. But I have taken some jazz, which has incorporated some ballet moves as well as some tap (which is hard but fun). I've found that as long as you've had a few lessons, you can put that on your resume and then if you get the part you can just learn it along with everyone else and if you're a quick learner, you won't have anything to worry about.If I'm not singing, reading, or writing, shoot me.
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
TinyDancer2oo8
User Newbie
Posts: 13
Karma: 0
Re:Special Skills/dance - 2008/02/22 17:10I'm a dancer so I have some pretty strong opinions on this. I apologize.
Ballet is necessary if you ever want to achieve any level of proficiency in dance.
That being said, you do not have to learn ballet from a boring or insanely strict teacher—if you look you will probably find classes that are geared to teens and adults, and realize their students are there to stay in shape an learn good technique. If you really want to get into the nitty-gritty, I’d suggest studying Balanchine technique because it is faster and jazzier than Vaganova or Checchetti. As for jazz… In the dance world (at least this is the way most of my dance teachers have presented it to me), we tend to classify jazz in two categories: LA and NY Jazz. NY Jazz is probably what you would consider “musical theater dance.” Think choreography like Fosse or Jerome Robbins. LA Jazz is usually influenced by hip-hop; think music videos (when they are actually dancing not that video honey stuff)
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
Jbug
User Supporting Player
Posts: 150
Karma: 2
Re:Special Skills/dance - 2008/02/25 13:38Okay! I live in Hollywood and you ABSOLUTELY must have a "Special Skills" area listed on a professional resume. It is often the 1st or 2nd area on a resume that an agent or casting director reads. I've been to workshops lead by Hollywood folks in the industry and it is ALWAYS mentioned. But it is mostly a place to list all kinds things that you do on the side besides dancing.
I am a former professional dancer. Dancing is usually listed in a "Training" category where you also list things like where or number of years you've studied singing and acting (and with whom). Under "Special Skills" you can list your dancing and styles, but they are also looking to see what else you do. They look for quirky things there. Are you "double-jointed". Good at cartwheels, accents like English, French, Southern, twirl baton, play an instrument, typing, computer skills, painting (artist), circus skills, can do splits, ride bicycle, weight lifting, ride a horse, skiing, water skiing, ice skating, roller skating, skateboarding, sewing, gourmet cook. List any and everything you can think of. However, do not list things you can't do or have never done before. If you can ski, and you are a beginner, say you are a beginner on the resume. However, if you are an olympic athlete, say so.
As the others have mentioned, Ballet IS the basis of all other dance. It will help keep you from injury, as it gives you basic training on how to do turns and landings from jumps to save your knees. If you do ballet well, other forms of dance will come easily. Start there. Next, take tap. Jazz, hip-hop and all those forms of dance should come later when you have basics under your belt. You risk injury to your knees without it. I am proud to say that at my age - I still have my knees! Once your knees go, they will never be the same again and can often end a dance career.
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
AmandaC
User Supporting Player
Posts: 263
Karma: 1
Re:Special Skills/dance - 2008/02/26 01:52Wow! This was revived!! Cool, time to start bugging my mom about spending a ton of money again!!
And I hadn't thought of sewing!! And I had roller-skating on there, so I've got one point!
BTW jameala that was like, the most inspiring post I think I've ever read..anywhere! And that MJF(look-alike) story is hilarious. That lucky kid!
Never did get to take those dancing classes(I can't really remember why...). My mother also said she thought I was too old for ballet...so I'll have to find some teen ballet class in my area to show her!!! Maybe force her to see Chorus line and see how important it is!The opposite of Rent is Oklahoma!!! Why didn't I think of that?
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
brucecriesxout
User Supporting Player
Posts: 284
Karma: 7
Re:Special Skills/dance - 2008/02/26 13:29My special skills are mostly random, and about my singing range. My range is quite high (soprano B flat 6) so I have a VERY high belt
I can belt up to a Soprano G comfortably and it quite powerhouse-y. Think of "Privelege to Pee" I can sing that comfortably.
Also I can yodel petty well too, I also studied flute and cello before I started studying voice. You never know what'll come in handy.Name: Bruce Current Production: None. Upcoming Auditions:
The Butler Did It Singing (Chandler)
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
bjgruber
User Chorus Member
Posts: 24
Karma: 0
Re:Special Skills/dance - 2008/02/28 15:06Like half of the shows I've been in had a tap solo that was given to the person that could tap in the show. I take tap but I don't really like it. Jazz is so much more fun!Favorite Shows: Spring Awakening, Avenue Q, Hairspray, Assassins, Parade Dream Role: Melchior or Moritz/Spring Awakening Current Role: Bishop/Comberferre in Les Miserables Upcoming Auditions: Busch Gardens, Thoroughly Modern Millie, All Shook Up, VCU (Classical)
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
YOU HAVE special skills. We just have to figure out what they are! To do that, we have to brainstorm for a minute! To do that, we will have to talk about me for a minute. 
Maybe force her to see Chorus line and see how important it is!
