Let Me Entertain You

Ballet and musical theater are two different beasts.  I’ve grown up loving both of them, and often find myself mocked by my peers for my borderline-obsessive nature when it comes to singing divas, dancing chorus boys, and Sondheim. Yet I continue to let my musical theater freak-flag fly, and nowhere is this indulged as fully as my time with my University of Michigan friends. 

During my first visit to the campus, over three years ago, I shadowed my friends around for almost every class they attended.  There is such joy watching them grow; being built up (and occasionally torn down) as they journey towards Broadway.  No class will ever rival that of teacher Mark Madama whose masterful teaching has left me questioning the coaching of ballet dancers. 

The class that he teaches is simply titled “Performance,” and it consists of just that.  Every week, students step to the front of their class, one by one, and perform a song.  After the initial performance, Mark leans back in his chair and pauses for a moment to reflect on what happened.  No matter how gorgeous, or grotesque, the previous two minutes were, he begins a private conversation with the actor in front of the entire class.  Through the dialogue , which consists of simple questions, the actor speaking of their character's intentions, analyzing different lines or words, a new understanding of the song begins to manifest in the student's performance.  At moments, the student is caught off guard, hesitating when they ponder the why, when, and who, of their song.  No matter how excellent the initial presentation was, Mark will always find something to make it better.  For anyone who wants instant gratification, with rewarding work, there is nothing like relishing the vulnerability he brings out in the front of the class.

I’ve begun to think of this class as “Extreme Performer Make Over: Musical Theater Edition” because of the incredible results that his coaching yields.  Sometimes it’s not entirely clear what he is getting at, but the moment the performer begins to sing again, the entire song takes on a new life.  Part of what astounds me about his work with students is that he doesn’t let them get away with anything.  He demands, in the most loving way possible, that every moment is thought about and comes from a real place. 

When I first sat in on his class over three years ago, my friends were still becoming accustomed to his way of working.  There was more caution in their performances, and more trepidation receiving his critiques.  Last week, after three years of working with Mark, everyone stood in front of the class eager to work.  The two-hour session was particularly frightening to the students because it was “Rock” week.  During the senior year, each week takes on a new theme.  Of course, the songs end up becoming “Rock, by way of Broadway.”  Some chose to do inspired renditions of Avril Lavigne hits, others opting for more straightforward rock songs by The Who, or Journey.  Whatever the material, Mark was able to allow the performers to stay true to themselves while changing the nuances. 

The type of honesty that he demands in performances, and the nitpicking that he teaches with is something I wish we had a little more of in the ballet world.  Too often it seems dancers perform roles, whether corps, principal or otherwise, of which they have little to no knowledge of the intent behind the choreography.  The choreography is masterfully performed, and at times flawless, but performance wise I find that ballet dancers are often left to fend for themselves.  Of course, my friends are still in school and they won’t receive this type of coaching when they enter the Broadway casting vortex.  However, with the tools they have been handed through Madama’s style, they are more prepared to self-analyze than many dancers I know.  It’s an enriching experience as a performer and yields phenomenal results for the audience.

(I begged her enough, and Lauren Holmes agreed to perform her song from Performance class...at 1 AM. Here is the 80's Heart classic "Alone," in the middle of the Barbie dream house.  After doing her solo rendition, stay tuned for the fantastic remix.)

Comments

[lindsey]

I completely agree. I think this should even begin on the student level. We are learning Giselle this year and half the people have never seen the ballet, or know what they should project. I don't like it when dancers just go on stage and smile. I love when dancers have such a complete understanding of their character and convincingly portray their character. Preparing for a role should be like detective work: finding out the background, characteristics, personality, motives, and thought pattern of the character.

[amy]

I use to be "Columbia" in Rocky Horror Picture Show at that State Theatre.

[jennifer]

Maybe there's this idea out there that characters in ballets just simply aren't that "complicated"...that characterization of dance characters are simple and "two-dimensional" to allow the dancing to shine through, but it leaves so much unanswered and unexplored on the stage. Questions like: why does Albrecht act like he does? What the heck are the characters in Lubovitch's Othello thinking? Why is Drosselmeyer in love with Gelsey Kirkland's Clara? (seriously, it was disturbing)

[lindsey]

the original story of the nutcracker is disturbing too (clara gets cut on a glass cabinet in the battle scene!). but i would like to know the answer to that question too.

[Susan]

Ballet is always more meaningful to me when
I'm moved (emotions/feelings) by the dancers on stage, by dancers who know who their characters are and transmit that to the audience. Just smiling is not enough. Tell a story. Make me feel something. I love dancing but the steps alone are not enough. Young dancers should have dramatic coaching. Not everyone is an actor but everyone can improve. What fabulous training your friends are getting!