How a Dance Fan brightened by day...
megan hoyle
Hey y'all! So I have officially declared this year THE YEAR OF PROPS at Legacy Dance Project... much like last year was THE YEAR OF GLITTER! (Dip, spray, pat pat, spray, go! Anyone? ha! It's an inside joke!) And anyone who knows me knows I loooove a dance prop!
Well, this year I have 6 excited dancers who will be dancing with a table. Yes, a large, heavy dinner table. I have been on a manhunt to find the perfect one and I found it! I'm so excited. I went to go investigate this piece of furniture to make sure it was solid, heavy, and safe. And met the sweetest man who hand makes these tables... which I adore! We began a lengthy life-conversation and it just goes to prove you never know where your next source of inspiration or motivation will be found.
He asked, "What are you going to do with it? Paint it? Stain it?". "You're going to think I'm crazy", I said. (PS that's what I say to most my students when I get a wild hair and want to try something new.) "This is going to be a dance prop", I explained. He immediately was elated. He discussed how he dabbled in dance when he was younger, was a HUGE dance fan, and earlier in life lived in Manhattan. He watched shows and had several dancers in this close circle of friends. He preceded to tell me this story...
She lived in New York City and was a dancer. Or rather she had dreams of being a dancer... She had her goal set to be on "A Chorus Line". She auditioned and auditioned and auditioned again. She thought she was good and at the end of each audition the producers said they'd call her. But never did. One day she was leaving the theatre and was stopped by a man on the sidewalk. He said "Ma'am, I have watched you audition time and time again and you've got talent... you just need a little help. If you want, I have about 50 minutes right now. I could give you some pointers". This man had on a tattered hat that covered half his face and was wearing engineer boots. He seemed genuine enough and being that he said they could work on stage, she agreed. He showed her how she needed to round her shoulders for more for a more jazzy feel and when she hinged, she need to raise her hips up more so she could lean further back. Well, after his advice, two weeks later, she got that call from the producers. She stayed with "A Chorus Line" for a good while and even became a Rockette before she retired at the age of 32. She often saw that stranger in the audience and at rehearsals but never really had a chance to talk with him again. She asked one of the producers he was close with to pass along a message. "Please tell him because of his generosity and help, my career skyrocketed and took off", she said. The producer just stared at her for a moment with his jaw open. "Do you not know who that is?", he asked a little astounded. Of course she didn't. "That was THE Bob Fosse... the LEGENDARY Bob Fosse!", he replied. She was shocked and dumbfounded.
At the time, Bob Fosse was the more prestigious choreographer around and without the help of the world wide web she had no clue!
My table maker was so excited to know his creation was going to be used in a "real" dance and he met a "real" choreographer. (His words, not mine.) And I kinda chuckled. I try to do right by all my students... teach them choreography, challenge their technique, bestow life lessons, and creative an environment for creativity, community, and confidence. But when he said "real" choreographer, I couldn't help but smile. I don't know how "real" you are when you are a neighbor dance teacher and endure the woes of a new business but in that moment, I felt confident for myself.
I don't know what the moral of this story is... but I'd like to think it's to keep your eyes open for the little opportunities. Like getting advice from a stranger on the street that jump starts your career... or discovering the joy in finding the perfect dance prop... or knowing a neighbor is extremely proud his craftsmanship is in YOUR choreography. Either way, it made my day and I wanted to share.
Enjoy some video clips of Bob Fosse dancing below... Can we PLEASE have more movies like these now days?! Thanks for reading!
Until next time,
Megan