Fame or Famine

Poor Chelsea Traille, put to the bottom three in the last episode and then ousted by the judges. You can see her solo below; I can see why the judges might not have liked her – in my opinion, while her technique and energy are great, there’s not a real coherence to the solo – instead of having a definable theme or beginning, middle, and end, she just sort of strung a bunch of fairly standard dance forms – flawlessly executed, mind you, but still standard – into a solo. And for the judges in the third season, that’s just …read more

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This just in: Tango is useful to help people battle depression.
Apparently researchers in Australia’s University of New England are exploring whether tango can “boost people’s emotions.”
“While you’re doing tango you can only be in the present — you really have to focus, concentrate, and it doesn’t allow your thoughts to drive into your mind,” says Rosa Pinniger, who is heading up the research. “If people can have a break from their negative thoughts for three minutes, which is the time of the tango, they can realize that… this is what it is, nothing else. So all their problems and their …read more

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Milia comments: I’m 18 turning 19 and I feel so behind in dancing. I do know I’m not up to date in movements nor technique. But you will see me again – from today on I will practice, practice, and practice.
I feel that – it warms my heart, actually. At age 18 I started on what I thought was going to be a career in musical theatre, but got a bit sidetracked, and didn’t end up getting my degree in dance until the venerable age of 29. Ten years later, I have taught ballet to three year olds and the …read more

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One of the most challenging parts of working in ensemble dance is the challenge of getting everyone together. Whether it be the difficulties of rehearsing (such as So Real, who don’t have their own studio and use reflective windows) or Supreme Soul’s trouble just keeping their dance together  (Shane Sparks told them to “clean it up”) any time that you end up with that many dancers doing that many intricate moves, you’re going to have some trouble.
 The Weakest Link
With this kind of ensemble, there is no room for someone to have a “bad day” or be even slightly off. The …read more

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As I was going through the slurry of fine arts news that Google sends my way each day, I came across an interesting connecting thread between two very different types of theatre: Spanish.
The Bard for Our Time
As the Spanish speaking segment of the U.S. (as well as the rest of the world) continues to grow, it’s no surprise that the great playwrights such as William Shakespeare would be translated into that language. Indeed, it has been for ages; other languages, as well (I saw Othello in Japanese once, and got chills).
But here’s a twist on it: Romeo y Julieta is …read more

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Steve on Broadway (SOB) has a very poignant column out today about George Carlin. It’s sweetly memorable with a personal touch, and he notes that unlike contemporaries like Robin Williams, Carlin never did a Broadway show. Kind of surprising, when you think about it, for such a big name.
However, a little research reveals a CNN interview which may explain why. Carlin never wanted to do the traditional “[insert name of comic] on Broadway!” schtick. Like many of his acts, he wanted a bigger picture to be there. “That’s not really a Broadway show. That’s kind of using Broadway as a …read more

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Here’s the last donated blog from Steve Eley, creator of the Escape Pod Podcast (among others). I asked him to contribute not because of his expertise in the arts, but because I know he can tell a story. As you will see here…

Being asked by Gray to write a guest post on this blog was a bit surprising. This subject matter is a bit off my track; I’m not talented at the stuff Gray talks about. I’m a mediocre actor, a dangerously bad dancer, and there are laws prohibiting me from singing in six states. The one thing …read more

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I’m afraid my internet connection punked out on me at the end of the Blog-Off, and I didn’t make all 24 posts in 24 hours. But I had a lot of help from guest bloggers, and here is one article by Dana Pellebon, an actor, writer, and producer from Madison, WI.
Writer’s groups are a dime a dozen these days and very few distinguish themselves.  Inkslingers, based out of Madison, WI, is one of the very few who do and manage to have their work produced.  I have been lucky enough to act for them on and off throughout the past …read more

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A.S.I.I.D. (Detroit, MI) – They grew up in tough neighborhoods and lean on each other for support. Their inspiration comes from crew member Joey who is deaf.
Boogie Bots (Washington, DC) – They think of themselves as robots that have come to life. Each performance is dedicated to crew member Joesar’s father, who has been in a coma for the past six months.
Distorted X (Houston, TX) – All are studio dancers who have dubbed themselves “Houston Socialites — without the money.”
Fanny Pak (Los Angeles, CA) – This zany bunch is looking to bring back the bold and wacky energy …read more

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By Blog-Off Guest Blogger Michael J. Wallach
© 2008 Michael J. Wallach – Used by Permission of the Author
It used to be simple. You met an agency that you liked and you were presented with an agency contract that you could comfortably sign.  But, it doesn’t work like that anymore. What do I mean by that?  In the old days (not more than approximately five years ago) there was basically just one contract that an actor was given to sign. You were presented with a SAG Franchised Theatrical Motion Pictures and Television Contract. No problem. Signing it was easy because there …read more

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