From: dsy@psych.toronto.edu (Desiree Sy)
Subject: Re: FAME (please do not hit 'n' now!!)
Organization: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 14:45:48 GMT

In article <MURRAY.93Jan21230029@aristotle.ils.nwu.edu> murray@aristotle.ils.nwu.edu (Thomas Murray) writes:
>In article <1993Jan20.001006.24724@news.cs.brandeis.edu> st923058@pip.cc.brandeis.edu (Jessica Raine) writes:
>
>>  Also, in general, any suggestions for a
>>  non-dancer in a primarily dance show? (I'm in FAME 'cause of my voice, and
>>  I think I'm literally the worst dancer in the cast.)
>
>o  Move your arms alot, so people don't look at your feet.
>
>o  Stand in the back.

Actually, neither of these bits of advice (tho' well meant) would
help.

Audiences don't look at dancers' feet, they look at their bodies.
If you don't want to be seen, *don't* move your arms a lot.
You'll just be obvious *and* ridiculous.

Also, oddly enough, if you're very good, it doesn't matter
whether you're standing in the front or the back -- you'll be
watched.  If you're not good, the tendency is not to be seen at
all.  And if you're conspicuously not good, being at the back
will only shield you a little.

If you want to improve the standard of your dancing to fit in
with the rest of the cast (and I'll bet you're not as bad a
dancer as you think), take this advice:  try hard, and be very
nice to the choreographer.  Do not whine about how hard/dumb/
frustrating you find the dancing.  Watch those people you think
are good dancers and try and figure out what you like about
watching them.  You might be able to take little bits of what
they do ("Hmm, he looks much better in that turn because he
dropped his left shoulder....").  

If you get stuck, plod along as well as you can.  Then, at the
first sign of a break, either ask a cast member who you think
knows what she is doing to show you the steps again, or (if your
choreographer seems amenable -- and is not busy!) ask your
choreographer to show you again.  Do not interrupt the general
rehearsal.

And most of all -- never, never try to show up the choreographer
by insisting that she or he can't remember something.  Until
*you* try to put together a dozen or more dances, with the
knowledge that you have to execute the steps yourself perfectly,
and then teach the steps to a group -- and then modify the set so
that the group actually looks good dancing it, and that it
furthers the aims of the show -- until you try this, you will
have no idea what's it like to have some wiseass (who usually
can't dance, but is damn good at counting) say, "But *I* thought
we were starting on the *left* foot."  Remember that *you* are
only learning a subset of the dances -- the choreographer has to
have them all down , and also has to work with the rest of the 
artistic staff.

Whew.  Sorry.  Don't know what brought this on.  Bad memories
maybe.  

If you don't want to learn to dance better, and you want to be
inconspicuous,  then just do exactly what the choreographer tells
you to -- he or she won't want you to look bad either, and will
pick something for you to do and some place for you to be that
will blend well.

Good luck and have fun.

-desiree