Over the last two weeks I have been so busy with the dance show that is October 3 at 8:00 and the 4th at 2:00 at the Freed Center for the Performing Arts. I am in a piece called “Games” by Donald McKayle that was composed in 1951. "Games" is about the games that children play and how they treat each other. It is a extremely unique and moving piece. In the same evenings there will be pieces by student choreographers that were created during the spring dance composition II class.
Having the opportunity to work with Donald McKayle has been wonderful! Before auditions I had very little clue about who he was, but after researching him and working with him on “Games” I am so grateful for everything I have learned from him and his wonderful assistant Stephanie Powell. Not to be a braggart but he's kind of a big deal ;) He has worked with so many people including Michale Jackson, Dianna Ross, Sammy Davis Jr., Martha Graham , Alvin Ailey ( founder of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre ), and the list goes on and on. He even won a Tony!
My Acting Three class had the opportunity to have a sit down talk with him over lunch at N.O.M and he shares so many stories and some really good advice with us during this time, these are some of the things that he talked to us about during that time.
He shared with us about how he began dancing. He started taking classes at the New Dance Group when a class cost 50 cents. When asked him how his mother felt about him dancing he answered “ dismayed” she tried to sway him from becoming a dancer by saying that he was too smart to be a dancer, when that didn’t work she tried to convince him that dancing was a short career and he would have nothing to do for the rest of his life. When she realized that he wasn’t going to change his mind she accepted it.. When he choreographed “Games” in 1951 his mother was at the front door selling tickets for him.
He really went for it tooth and nail when it came to dance. When he went to university he would take university classes all day then continue taking dance classes outside of school for the rest of the day, go to bed wake up the next morning and do it all again.
We asked him what he looked for in a performer when casting he said presence. He explained that presence is being real, not showy, and it’s about knowing yourself and making what you are doing yours. He emphasized that we need to be resilient, if you don’t get the part or someone doesn’t like you or what you do, deal with it and move on. He really emphasized that never giving up is what will make you successful. He talked about keeping a journal about our lives and about things we see in life, because you can’t remember everything so you should write it down. These journals will become “ fodder for our imaginations” as he put it.
He had a plethora of stories that he told us and one of my favorites was his story about Debbie Allen (who is now a guest judge on So you Think You Can Dance). She was the understudy in “Rasin” and one day the main actress was sick so she performed for her that night. She did a wonderful job and after the show called all of her friends and told them to call the box office and ask when she would be on again because she was so wonderful. The box office was flooded with calls and they put her in the show permanently. I thought it was such a wonderful example of how important it is to be prepared for anything.
On my notes from our talk I have these bullet points written down from him …
Train yourself fully keep taking new class’s and getting new experiences,
everybody knows stuff so learn from them.
Keep as much as you can
Stay true to yourself
You don’t need to run with the pack
Don’t doubt yourself, you can do it
Stay resilient, you won’t be in that funk forever
I learned so much from this man and enjoyed every minuet with him. Not only did he have excellent advice for performers, his advice is helpful for anyone who wants to be successful.
The ONU cast of Games With Donald McKayle and Stephanie Powell
Cheers,
JoJo
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