Now that the respective season is over, I am now able to share my experience teaching dance to a collection of actors on the Australian TV series, Wentworth. The reason I wrote this was because I found out things about actors that other dancers might find helpful.
Background – What is Wentworth?
You can learn more about the TV series at the end of the article, but in short, Wentworth is a successful prison drama made in Australia that, at the time of this writing, is in its sixth season. I was asked to come in and teach some actors how to dance Argentine tango for a viewing involving that dance. What was interesting was that this was the first time I had to teach people how to dance, but not very well. Furthermore, it was the first time that the aspect of the dance, from the perspective of the audience, was more important than the technique. These two things created an interesting approach to teaching and could influence what comes next.
What I learned
This is probably what interests you the most. The things that impressed me most about teaching these professional actors were:
- His ability to remember routines so quickly.
- Their willingness to watch videos of themselves dancing.
- The depth of the questions they asked.
- Your willingness to experiment.
The first is not really a surprise. Actors always need to learn new lines as new scripts are presented to them. Given that this was for television, where scripts changed frequently, it’s no surprise that these actors had the phenomenal memories I witnessed. However, there is more to this. Not only were they able to learn scripts quickly, but they were also able to put in the effort. They would happily and willingly practice a routine over and over and over again. This is the ideal lesson for dancers. Whether it’s a routine, a single figure, or even a series of must-know figures (be it for a social dance or an exam), be content to punch it over and over again. Knowing that each time you will improve your ability to remember and perform what you are working on. This monotony and discipline may seem at odds with the freedom of expression one might expect from dance, it is to some extent for me, but after what I’ve seen I just can’t argue with the benefits.
The second item, once again, probably won’t come as much of a surprise. Actors would probably love to see themselves on any kind of screen. The real point I want to make here is the benefit that comes from this. This was the first time in a class that I taught when there were as many phones with recordings of students dancing as there were students. Each of them automatically offered to record the others when they danced. I can still remember now when one asked the other if he wanted to see himself dancing. I instantly felt that apprehension that I have picked up with empathy from my other students. However, before he had a chance to fully experience that feeling, the actor who was asked answered in the affirmative and was seen dancing. No matter how well they danced (or not), they were happy to observe themselves, analyze, and then try to improve. This is what we can learn from the actors: it’s just a recording (one from the past) and a step to improve. Watch recordings of you dancing as one of many. If you do more in the future, then in the grand scheme of things any video is less than the learning opportunity it offers. If you feel uncomfortable with the recordings of your dance, it simply means that you should record more.
Since they were actors, they wanted to know what effect the dance would create. This was to balance the desire to be authentic and the need to give viewers what they wanted/expected when they thought of what a tango was. However, the end effect was to seriously think about who they should move and basically “perform” as they danced. I always think about the dance I do for myself. However, when I saw how quickly these actors got better at asking them about the character of a dance, I can now say with confidence that some thinking about how it will look to others (and “should” look given the nature of the dance) will help. you dance better faster. This is an example of how stage dance (dance for the entertainment of others) is something all dancers should think about doing from time to time. It will help you understand dance from another perspective, which will make you a better dancer.
The last thing I noticed was also what one would expect from the actors. They work in an industry where always finding something new is vital and you need to make everything as attractive as possible. Experimenting with things and trying new things can help with that. I also saw how it helps with learning the dance. By trying different ways of doing things, they quickly found what didn’t work and also prompted me to share additional ideas that I wouldn’t have thought to share at the time. It was a bit like asking questions, but through experimentation. To quickly learn what you should and shouldn’t do to dance well, you can always try a little experimentation. If you are working on a performance, then you may as well find something new and innovative.
Keep each of the above points in mind the next time you’re having trouble improving your dance. There may be something in there that really helps you.
An additional view
When they asked me to teach the actors, they explicitly told me that the dance would be Argentine tango. The script specifically cited the 8-step output. However, it was also pointed out that the average viewer would probably imagine the international standard tango when hearing the word “tango”. For that reason, the style was changed so that viewers would see what was expected, and the surprises would only be in the story. If you’re putting on a play at some point, think about your specific audience, what they expect, and how to handle that. Maybe you just do what is expected or take the time to explain why what you do is different from what is expected. Anyway, if you think about this, you will get better performance.
If you are not familiar with the TV series, you can learn more here.