The Multitasking Dancer

July 5, 2013

Having spent the last two and a half years (almost) being a full time dancer I have seen how important it is for a dancer to not only know dancing, but a lot of other things as well.

In no priority order, they are as follows :

  1. Make-Up: Dancer or no dancer, everyone knows the magic of make up. This takes second place (first being dance itself). You won’t find a make up artist at every performance you go to. And not just performances, even photo shoots or video shoots. Not everyone can afford a good make up artist so it is very important for you to know how to do make up. And the more versatile your make up skills can get, the more glamour and drama you can add to your stage presence. So if you are heading a troupe for a performance, whether or not they know makeup , but you definitely should. This makes you a more well-equipped leader (or well-armed, may I say so)

  2. Music/Video Editing: I can’t begin to explain the importance of this one. I edit approximately five music pieces a day and know how much of a handicap it can be if one does not know music editing. And trust me, editing is the simplest thing to do. One does not need to have complex software and have any technical skill to do music editing. There are two parts to music editing softwares one should have .

    1. Audio/Video Editing Software: I use Windows Movie Maker for normal music editing like clipping and merging music samples. I have a netbook and it can get really stuck if you are trying to use multiple softwares. For more advanced editing like changing tempo or noise removal I use Audacity. Both are freely available and can be installed in your computer.

    2. Audio/Video Converter: A lot of times, especially using Movie Maker there are a few audio/video formats which are not compatible with your software. It is always handy to have a audio/video converter in that case. The most common compatibility issue I have come across is the .mov video format which is the default format in every camera. Windows Movie Maker cannot be compatible with .mov. I have this software called Any Video Converter. I accidentally found this software on the internet one day when I was struggling to publish a dance workshop video. This is the best software I have on my computer because it converts Anything into Anything (and trust me, I am not exaggerating). This is a lean, mean, hassle free software which converts all types of video and audio formats. I am so thankful for the creators of this software for not only making such a cool software but also being kind enough to keep it freeware. You can download it from the following link. http://download.cnet.com/Any-Video-Converter/3000-2194_4-10661456.html

    3. Youtube Downloader: Something to download video from youtube incase you heard good stuff there. I don’t really have a software that I use but have this cool website called http://www.keepvid.com where you just copy paste links of youtube and can get your desired format. I generally use .flv to download simply because it is the fastest. Incase I need to use some piece of music, then I just take this .flv video to my favorite Any Video Converter and convert it into audio.

    4. iTunes: This is simply because I am a huge Apple fan and I have realised the importance of having a Macbook to do any kind of creative work on the computer. Itunes has a very vast collection of different genres of songs you can hear and then buy the ones you like the most. But if you don’t own a Macbook, you can try the different websites like raaga.com for Indian Music or last.fm etc. to hear music.

  3. Costume Design: Costumes can make or break your performance. There can be nothing more disastrous than a bad outfit for a performance. And in today’s competitive world of dance where every dance company is coming up with such innovative ideas, one has to keep up in terms of fashion and costume design. The knowledge of fabric, costume ideas, comfort in costumes etc. all are important. What I do. Keep checking out photos on http://www.pinterest.com and http://www.highheelconfidential.com. Also I buy a lot of second hand magazines (Indian and International). I am especially fond of this magazine called LFW (London Fashion Week) magazines from Shivajinagar, Bangalore for Rs.20 each. Also please find a tailor who can cater to your needs. I have found a couple, but it requires tremendous amount of patience to explain what you want and you might not get the desired output. I am one step away from buying a sewing machine due to the sheer helplessness at times. But if you do find a good tailor, stick with him/her and tell him you’ll get him good business.

  4. Communication Skills: You can’t be a good teacher if you can’t explain. You cannot impress audience if you cannot speak the right things. Learn terminology of body parts. Get skilled in understanding right left directions and learn to invert them. For example, when I am normally teaching I always askall to take out their right hand and I take out my left hand (mirror images are much more useful than lateral inversions). Also, as a choreographer/budding-dancer-wanting-to-start-a-dance-company one has to be able to talk well to corporates/event management companies . This is the same thing like most company interviews, they might see your skill but they will definitely check your communication skills. But again, we always have exceptions. I know of a lot of people who don’t have the best communication skills but are brilliant dancers. My only take is that those dancers can get even better and gain more PR if they have communication skills.

Keep all these points in mind, but remember, do not forget to practice your dancing , because your dancing needs to be top notch for everything else to fall into place.


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