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Getting into character - how!


DD Driver

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My 13 year old DD is very focused on her technique - and it shows on her face.  She is not acting the role.  She is thinking about dancing the steps and  you can see that.

Some of the problem is around confidence.  She has said that she feels embarrassed  to fully act out a part in front of friends or the audience.

She does need to be more confident in daily life. She should improve as she gains more maturity but that can be a long wait!

 

One option is to get some coaching from a drama/acting teacher involved in dance.   

She is not responding to the feedback from her teachers so far.  e.g. one told her to act out a variation in front the mirror in order to really focus

on her facial expressions. Fair call but no change seen back in the studio or on stage.

 

Maybe someone has been through  this and has a snippet of advice, please.

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6 hours ago, DD Driver said:

My 13 year old DD is very focused on her technique - and it shows on her face.  She is not acting the role.  She is thinking about dancing the steps and  you can see that.

Some of the problem is around confidence.  She has said that she feels embarrassed  to fully act out a part in front of friends or the audience.

She does need to be more confident in daily life. She should improve as she gains more maturity but that can be a long wait!

 

One option is to get some coaching from a drama/acting teacher involved in dance.   

She is not responding to the feedback from her teachers so far.  e.g. one told her to act out a variation in front the mirror in order to really focus

on her facial expressions. Fair call but no change seen back in the studio or on stage.

 

Maybe someone has been through  this and has a snippet of advice, please.

 

This is a very challenging issue that probably can only be overcome with time. Firstly, the characterisation and ‘ feeling’ only happens when people feel passion and a connection to what they are trying to express whether it be through the music or through the drama and characters they are trying to portray. Secondly, your Dd May feel that passion and connection but not be able to overcome her fears in portraying it to an audience. In other words her fears will totally shut it off. If she can feel it and show it in her bedroom then that is an excellent first step because at least she is HAVING some feelings, which not everyone does! Can you talk to her ( or get her talking - even better) about what subconscious fears there may be surrounding ‘letting go’ in the studio. Girls of this age are so self conscious of their peers and pretty much everything, that it may be this, and, as she matures she will grow out of it. I have seen this happen and it is wonderful. Did she express when she was younger? I think trust is an issue, and having privates with a teacher she loves who understands her issues and is prepared to be patient with her could be fruitful. Can you tell us if she does any jazz or commercial dance? Sometimes dancers don’t feel anything in classical but are totally fired up in other styles and vice versa. Finding her strong passion in anything - hip hop / pop music, films,

books, clothes and for her to express how she feels when she thinks about those things will help because she can then translate it into performance. Not easy to do with teenagers! If she’s naturally quite a reticent person then expressing herself may take some practice, even with ordinary things. There is nothing more frustrating for her than if she feels it but can’t show it, and putting pressure on her will only make it harder, so building her confidence in all other areas and letting this develop over the long haul is the way to go. Sorry I can’t be more help.

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Thanks valentina!  

My DD is naturally quite reticent.  She is very expressive and funny when playing around with friends but not outside that group.  Guess that means she can 'emote' but isn't confident enough to show this side of herself to others.

 

10 hours ago, valentina said:

Can you tell us if she does any jazz or commercial dance? Sometimes dancers don’t feel anything in classical but are totally fired up in other styles and vice versa. Finding her strong passion in anything - hip hop / pop music, films,

books, clothes and for her to express how she feels when she thinks about those things will help because she can then translate it into performance.

 

I think learning a jazz solo would be an excellent idea!  Or even if I ask her to do some jazz tik toks  (short music videos the kids do for their friends and share). She used to do jazz classes but can't fit this in anymore.  It is a way to show passion that is not just acting but honestly reacting to the music.  Maybe classical music becomes background noise to ballet students who hear so much of it.  To her credit when I play classical music radio in the car, she doesn't quickly turn it off - as her siblings do. 

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Perhaps some visits to watch as much & as varied as you can live performances...& then allow her to feel the empathy & discuss it casually... the less pressure to perform the better. If she ‘struggles to let go’ probabblybmrsjs actualktvahe really does feel the emotion in a story/the music. IMHO it is often those who can ‘switch it on’ in the studio who actually on stage never seem to tell the story in a truly believable way. Remember, it should come across not as repeating practised expressions but as unique impulsive responses..... each performance is in effect the first time for feeling/portraying that. That is key & it takes time, courage & nurturing. No quick fix solution to truly feel it & share it. But witnessing good & bad ‘acting’ through dance will help guide her to explore & find her own path. It is often the shyer & more reticent the young person, the more they actually feel. In fact they may feel it so much that they want to ensure they do it justice.... again, time & good environment will bring this on. 

A change of scene or style too never a bad thing to experience. Attending some masterclasses/one day events/intensives expressly in a different peer group could also have a positive effect....they seem to really help my DD to allow herself to be herself & to be braver with experimentation with both the technique & the acting in her ballet. I wish her good luck & all enjoyment on her dance journey! 

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Take her to watch live performances.

 

Give her every opportunity to perform in different ways...school plays, messing around with friends, festivals, dance school shows, reading to younger children (but don't make a big deal if she doesn't want to)

 

Accept that it will be more difficult for her in front of friends and family (at one stage I my dd told me I could only go to watch her if she couldn't see me in the audience).

 

Trust that it will come with time.  

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Your DD sounds very similar to mine DD Driver. She's nearly 13. She finds it hard to let go and express in ballet because she's worried her posture and technique will go to pot. And maybe it will a bit while she's experimenting - I tell her it will soon come back but she's still nervous about it.

 

Her commercial dance performance is amazing though - my reserved and modest DD turns into the sassiest strutter in the room! Over time hopefully she'll be able to apply this acting to her ballet.

 

Like Peanut suggests I'm planning to take her to see more ballet - because to be fair she sees commercial dance all the time on YouTube, music videos etc but doesn't watch ballet much. It's useful to get your initial acting ideas from somewhere.

 

If you find anything else that works for your DD please do share!

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 20/09/2019 at 20:42, DD Driver said:

 

One option is to get some coaching from a drama/acting teacher involved in dance.   

 

 

On 20/09/2019 at 20:42, DD Driver said:

 

 

That might be the answer. You could even consider straight acting lessons if time and budget allow. Dancers are not generally particularly good actors, from my viewing experience. My acting/theater granddaughter at thirteen is a much better actress than most of the famous ballerinas that I've seen.

 

I haven't had a chance to read in detail all that's been written here, but there seems to be some very good suggestions that I'd like to look at more carefully.

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On 20/09/2019 at 20:42, DD Driver said:

 

One option is to get some coaching from a drama/acting teacher involved in dance.   

 

 

As a quick followup, some straight acting lessons might be a good divergence from straight dancing lessons. It could take her mind off all the details of dancing for awhile which might be a good thing in itself. She can maybe try to fit it all together later. All this, of course, depends on what your daughter really wants and enjoys, which is what really  matters.

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21 hours ago, Buddy said:

She can maybe try to fit it all together later.

 

Yes - I've relaxed a bit and I'm appreciating that time and maturity is probably how it will all  come together.

I think acting lessons would help if we can get some non-ballet time in!

 

My DD had an injury lately.  That means she has to attend class to watch others and take notes.  As she recovers, she is marking the exercises and dances,  focusing more on her port de bras.  I am more aware now that expressiveness is about your whole body and the quality of movement, so I think we have had an unexpected benefit here!  

Edited by DD Driver
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1 hour ago, DD Driver said:

 

Yes - I've relaxed a bit and I'm appreciating that time and maturity is probably how it will all  come together.

I think acting lessons would help if we can get some non-ballet time in!

 

My DD had an injury lately.  That means she has to attend class to watch others and take notes.  As she recovers, she is marking the exercises and dances,  focusing more on her port de bras.  I am more aware now that expressiveness is about your whole body and the quality of movement, so I think we have had an unexpected benefit here!  

 

DD Driver, your comments just arrived as I was getting ready to post another response so I might not completely respond to some of your possibly new thinking. Could I please once again say that straight acting lessons might be a very good idea. Of perhaps primary importance to you is that you might get immediate results, especially if your daughter is not dancing at the moment because of her unfortunate injury.

 

Many good ideas have been expressed here by others. I’ve tried to look at them more carefully, but there is still more that I could do to give them justice. Patience and maturity are definitely important. So is youthful joy, love, enthusiasm and spontaneity which is immediately available.

 

Could I please elaborate on my general ‘philosophy,’ which might not be as important to your situation at the moment. When you say “Characterisation” I think of ‘Acting.’ I also often use the term ‘Expression’ which is a broader idea. I didn’t intend to demean dancers by saying that they aren’t particularly good actors. They have a great deal of territory to cover in their art and I feel that acting is not a primary focus. Expression on the other hand does get a lot of attention, but could mean completely different things to different dancers. 

 

Personally, I go to dance performances, mostly ballet at the moment, primarily for the beauty, joy and enchantment of pure motion, which your daughter may be further developing through her very understandable focus on technique. Her new focus on port de bras also sounds just fine. Along with this comes Expression which can be interpreted as an extension and can add considerably to the quality and meaning of a performance.

 

I see pure Acting as an underdeveloped area of dance that could also add a great deal to a dance performance, but is not necessarily a primary concern. Expression is. It’s integral with pure motion, ranging from responding to the music, to relating a story or a truth, to expressing one’s inner ’soul.’ And, yes, as you say, it "is about your whole body and the quality of movement" as well as facial expression and the mind.

 

Acting lessons are possibly a very good tool for entering into dance Expression. They could also give a very supportive different point of view and an added sense of confidence.

 

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13 hours ago, DD Driver said:

My DD had an injury lately.  That means she has to attend class to watch others and take notes.  As she recovers, she is marking the exercises and dances,  focusing more on her port de bras.  I am more aware now that expressiveness is about your whole body and the quality of movement, so I think we have had an unexpected benefit here!  

 

Speaking as someone involved in the training of performers (although ones older than 13), I'd say that for the moment, it might be worth building on her current focus on port de bras and expressivity of the body as an organic whole. This sounds like a really wonderful learning moment for her (and an unexpected benefit after the frustration of injury, I hope!) The music is the huge help here - just filling the music will require a co-ordinated use of breath, nuance of movement, and tempo that will help with expression.

 

The very worst thing is a focus on "face acting" and forced expression - I see this too much in my 18-20 year olds, and it's based on a very fundamental misconception about acting that might help your daughter in developing nuanced and subtle expression. Here it is for what it's worth:

 

A lot of novice performers think performing is about expressing their feelings. It's not.

 

It's about making their spectators feel something.

 

I use this a lot in duologue/dialogue work, and improvisation - the task is not to show me your feelings, but to elicit feeling in the partner you're working with. Otherwise, all I get is a rather self-indulgent overflow of wrought up emotion - and I have a very low embarrassment threshold for this (it's a bit of a professional problem sometimes - but I've taught myself to smile & nod!). 

 

But at 13, I'd say developing musicality and whole body expression - and avoiding face acting - are sufficient goals. She needs to feel she is enough on stage, for other people to enjoy watching her (if that makes sense?). And that is hard for a 13 year old girl to feel ...

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17 minutes ago, Kate_N said:

A lot of novice performers think performing is about expressing their feelings. It's not.

 

It's about making their spectators feel something.

Oh KateN that is so wonderfully put! Exactly explains it - thank you!

The thing I always try to get across is that when performing it’s not a repeated event.... the dancer/actor has to believe each time is the first time they have heard/thought/spoken/danced the ‘words’, felt the emotions etc.... & the audience thus will be taken on the journey with them as opposed to merely being voyeurs! 

I think I shall borrow your perfect description if you don’t mind!!

 

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3 hours ago, Pixiewoo said:

That's soooooo useful. 

 

I've just read it to DD who does alot of acting and she said it was really good to remember and explain 'how' to do it! 

 

Thanks xx

 

Hi. Do acting lessons seem to have helped your daughter's dance 'expression' ?

 

Added thought: I do feel that you have to concentrate on and express something from within (how you feel), otherwise there might not be anything there for the audience to feel. But I do agree with the importance of connecting with the audience. It's all a matter of degree, perhaps.

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I have no idea! 

 

She has been dancing since she was 4 and having acting lessons since she was 7, so the 2 have always gone together. ( mid teens now )

 

She is an expressive dancer and an effective actor. It is just 'her' and the way she is in general, so I don't know if acting lessons have helped with dance expression! 

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if you have access to other classes at your dance school we found musical theatre helped  our DD a lot  plus we told her that class was purely for fun unlike her 'serious' ballet and contemporary classes

we also started a demi character solo for comps that meant she HAD to act  and i have to say we have noted a big change  inher face - she still can retreat to deadpan face  - but i set small goals at each comp or open class to just smile/use eyes/show sadness or  happiness in your demi etc - confidence has grown .....

if you have access to any comps or open classes they can be great for learning 'game face '  altho pressure of comps not always good for some kids  so we try and just achieve one thing at a comp regardless of placings ie face/smile/eye line etc 

can be danger of overacting tho which can just be as bad ..... x

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1 hour ago, leotardmum said:

if you have access to other classes at your dance school we found musical theatre helped  our DD a lot  plus we told her that class was purely for fun unlike her 'serious' ballet and contemporary classes

we also started a demi character solo for comps that meant she HAD to act  and i have to say we have noted a big change  inher face - she still can retreat to deadpan face  - but i set small goals at each comp or open class to just smile/use eyes/show sadness or  happiness in your demi etc - confidence has grown .....

if you have access to any comps or open classes they can be great for learning 'game face '  altho pressure of comps not always good for some kids  so we try and just achieve one thing at a comp regardless of placings ie face/smile/eye line etc 

can be danger of overacting tho which can just be as bad ..... x

 

Sounds like some good ideas, leotardmum, although I'm not familiar with details here. I'm glad that your daughter's confidence has grown. Would you recommend one in particular? If you have a moment, what's a Comp? And as you say, it's probably best not to overdo it and everything should be as enjoyable as possible, even the "serious" stuff. And as you imply it's probably good to monitor new activity as much as possible to make sure that it's pleasant and doing good. Straight acting lessons also still seem like a good idea to me. They give a chance to step away from dance completely and get a different but hopefully very helpful perspective.

 

In case some folks like myself weren’t sure what Demi Character is here’s a quick definition. “Demi Character ballet is found in all famous ballets....This is because Demi Character is telling a story through dance, usually ballet.”

 

Here’s a rather cute example.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewpQBf5EiYk

 

 

Thank you, Pixiwoo, for your response. I’m glad that your daughter is doing so well with dance expression and acting. My granddaughter loves acting and sings beautifully, as does my grandson whose always in one rock band or another, but her real love is acting for the moment. My daughter and son-in-law encourage them as much as possible.

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Not sure how much you get to watch your Dd in class or performing? Building on what Kate_N  has mentioned, re ‘the spectators feeling something’, then feedback from yourself, as her most avid audience will be super important as a starting point. I’m sure you already do it and I don’t want to sound patronising, but feeding back something like - ‘ I felt very ? when I watched you today, will give her a starting point to how she is affecting people in a range of emotions when she dances. Of course, it needs to be honest and genuine because everyone knows when someone is commenting and it’s fake!

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Thank you, Valentina. 

Fair point - unfortunately she is in the phase where 'mother never knows best'.  (so I keep my comments to the minimum and  positive.) 

I think she will come out of this in 5 to 10 years.

 

Fortunately her teachers are on the ball here.  Also she sometimes has a lesson from other teachers in the faculty and this seems to provide a good opportunity to get a fresh perspective.

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23 hours ago, Buddy said:

 

Sounds like some good ideas, leotardmum, although I'm not familiar with details here. I'm glad that your daughter's confidence has grown. Would you recommend one in particular? If you have a moment, what's a Comp? And as you say, it's probably best not to overdo it and everything should be as enjoyable as possible, even the "serious" stuff. And as you imply it's probably good to monitor new activity as much as possible to make sure that it's pleasant and doing good. Straight acting lessons also still seem like a good idea to me. They give a chance to step away from dance completely and get a different but hopefully very helpful perspective.

 

In case some folks like myself weren’t sure what Demi Character is here’s a quick definition. “Demi Character ballet is found in all famous ballets....This is because Demi Character is telling a story through dance, usually ballet.”

r the moment. My daughter and son-in-law encourage them as much as possible.

 

sorry by comp i met competition/festival/eisteddfod  

open classes are good aswell to gain confidence we have found  esp if in other studios  etc 

aha yes demi character  is a lovely change from straight ballet solo and my daughter has really enjoyed trying to tell a story and connect more with audience/onlookers - she also loves the dressing up and props! x

 

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1 hour ago, leotardmum said:

 

sorry by comp i met competition/festival/eisteddfod  

open classes are good aswell to gain confidence we have found  esp if in other studios  etc 

aha yes demi character  is a lovely change from straight ballet solo and my daughter has really enjoyed trying to tell a story and connect more with audience/onlookers - she also loves the dressing up and props! x

 

 

Thank you very much for your response and clarification, Leotardmum. If you have one more free moment, could you please define 'game face. '  This one confuses me a little from the definitions on the internet. Thanks, again.

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1 hour ago, Buddy said:

 

Thank you very much for your response and clarification, Leotardmum. If you have one more free moment, could you please define 'game face. '  This one confuses me a little from the definitions on the internet. Thanks, again.

hahaha i sound mad but i heard this term  once given to girls side stage lol

i think it meant when curtain goes up/u step on stage regardless how u feel or what u really want to do with your face / whatever mood you are in u must put on your acting/star quality face  as you are performing at end of day ...... i suppose an actor in the wings is just joe bloggs but when he steps out on stage he must become another persona....  a phrase i  quite like in a way a bit like  fake it till u make it' ...maybe a bit crass  and OTT but i sort of get this as a dance mum and trying to get my own child to step out of being herself  ie become or try and become a perfomer  this sometimes helps her if struggling .... even in an exam we all say smile for the examiner ..... its hard tho if child not a natural but i do think kids can learn and practice  and as a mum it can generate a few little giggles to myself esp if goes OTT ..... a fine balance  iam sure and one that takes years of practice iam sure .....x

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7 hours ago, alison said:

dancers need to learn to act with their body as much as (more than?) with their face

 

Oh yes, this times a thousand. No "face acting" pleeeeeeeease!

 

But a lot of teachers work on this in class - even in my regular adult ballet class my teacher comments on the blank or staring or scared/tense faces. She encourages us to keep our faces and upper bodies soft and fluid and open - this lack of tension is the basis for expressiveness. 

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14 hours ago, leotardmum said:

ps hope i dont sound like a nutter 😆

just we have had to work on my girls face and presentation a lot and still a work in progress so always on look out for tips  to try and bring it out x

 

Some straight Acting lessons, maybe. Have I said this before?  😊

 

And, yes, body expression is very important, along with audience connection, along with inner or self expression. A balance of all these would seem best to me, but body expression, after pure dance motion might be the most important. It can't be forgotten that the face is the most expressive part of a person, I believe.

 

Thanks very much for your clarification of "game face." Now I understand it better. I'm often amazed how dancers/actors can leave their daily life aside and become artistic giants when the curtain goes up. And thanks for your entertaining response.

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16 hours ago, Kate_N said:

 

Oh yes, this times a thousand. No "face acting" pleeeeeeeease!

 

But a lot of teachers work on this in class - even in my regular adult ballet class my teacher comments on the blank or staring or scared/tense faces. She encourages us to keep our faces and upper bodies soft and fluid and open - this lack of tension is the basis for expressiveness. 

totally agree.... learning to use the body  and move to the music is another area that  always needs work on - sometimes the stiff exam classes dont help here thus we do solos and group work to try and loosen up . nothing worse than a face on a child that doesnt match music or body or OTT lol- a fine balance  i feel x

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