To complain about dancing in an acting class

[AmIreallyBeverly]

Just that. 12yr old has a weekly drama class for almost 2yrs. She really enjoys it and is confident. It's run by a proper theatre company. We pay.

It is meant to be a fun but some children (parents?) take it very seriously.

They are doing a play. 14 of the 20ish children will be non-speaking "extras". The main characters are always given to the same people which is frustrating but it happens.

The problem is that all the extras do, is a series of dances in the background.

My daughter is quite clumsy and is very self-conscious about how she struggles with dancing at school. She's been in tears over it. Normally I'd tell her to just suck it up but she is getting really upset about this.

FYI they also do dance classes, musical theatre, "serious" acting classes etc.

What is the show they’re doing? If it’s a proper theatre company I imagine they’re trying to teach some theatre skills - and movement and dance are really common and to be honest semi-necessary if you’re at all interested in theatre!

But if she doesn’t enjoy it and is in tears I’d tell her she doesn’t have to do it! You don’t win anything by doing something that makes you really miserable.

Just to add, she was disappointed at not getting a talking part but is ok about that.

It's just the dancing that is upsetting her.

Sounds rubbish if only 6 out of 20 kids actually get an acting role in the drama group play. Absolutely she shouldn’t have to dance if she doesn’t like it.

Try a different group maybe. Helen O’Grady drama group was great for my dd and the shows involved all the kids in speaking roles, unless they specifically asked not to speak.

Doesn’t sound like a good choice of production for the group they’ve got.
Why have they chosen something that only has 6 speaking parts for a drama class that has 20 children in it?? What’s the point of that! There must be other plays they could do that have enough lines for all the kids.
Do the children audition?
Sounds badly run to me. Is there an alternative in your area?
I’d be pissed off too but I doubt they’re going to change what they do.

YANBU. My ds loves drama and is a fab actor - very confident. He is not remotely interested in (or particularly good at) dancing or singing though. The place he goes to separates acting from musical theatre, which is how it should be - they are quite different skills.

My daughter does drama style classes (acting, singing and dancing within one lesson) and started aged 6. We don't take it seriously but some parents do.

Aged 6 they all generally take turns to have more important roles.

But... by age 12 some kids will be better than others, so lead roles should be given to those who are the best. That's fair. That's life and a lesson your daughter needs to learn.

What is not fair is the choice of play. If all 20 kids are paying for a weekly drama lesson, the play should be suitable or adapted for 20 kids, and not just standing and doing some dancing in the background. If it is solely a drama class they need to choose a play with 20 acting parts (some main parts, other smaller parts).

Why have they chosen a play with such few speaking parts? I can’t even think of a mainstream musical with that few speaking parts - the only ones that come to mind are ones designed like that (one/two man shows etc). Which show is it?

It's a play they've written themselves.

I completely agree re being unhappy that only 6 people have proper roles. With such a small class and being a play they've written you would expect them to be able to give the children who want a line, a line.

That's sort of an aside though. She knows she won't always get a part and is ok with that.

She's been going for 2 years and has done shows before but this is the first time dance has been even been mentioned.

I won't be making her go because of how upset she is. I was just wondering if IABU to complain about it.

My DS does a drama group, some parts are bigger than others but everyone gets a speaking part (although this might also involve dancing/singing). A play with only 6 speaking parts seems a poor choice if they have 20 children assuming it's not a musical theatre group or similar.

Theatre schools usually include dance/singing as well as acting. I can't think of an acting school that wouldn't tbh. I wonder if you should look for another drama group and specifically tell them you don't want dance/singing.
My daughter went to drama school and dance and singing was part of every course. She didn't particularly like the dance and hasn't used it since she graduated, but it was compulsory.

I don’t know if I’d complain about the dancing overall but it is odd they’ve written a play for 20 kids and had only 6 speaking. I understand not everyone can have a leading role, but there were no parts for a shopkeeper/bus driver/doctor etc that would allow that person a line? That seems very odd.

So basically I think complaining about the dancing is daft because theatre often will incorporate movement and dance, and a child who is interested in theatre is best off accepting that. But I don’t think it’s unreasonable to complain about a play being specifically written for a kids’ activity that has the majority of the group acting as props to the six who are actually allowed to act.

If they wrote the play themselves then I would absolutely complain because that's ridiculous!

They want the fees from 20 students yet only including 6 of them in the production.

A small amount of dancing should perhaps be expected but that would be alongside some sort of drama based role with some speaking parts.

I'd complain about them not having at least a line each, that's crap! Look for another group,

Dancing and singing are integral to most drama courses/drama classes so I wouldn't complain about that per se. It does seem absurd, though, that they have written a play for a group of 20 that offers so few speaking parts. I would be questioning that tbh, rather than the dance aspect.

How many productions a year?

They do separate musical theatre classes.

To my untrained eye, she's OK. She's confident, learns her lines and doesn't sound like she's reading off an autocue. There are children there who are better.

As I say, this is a "fun" class, not a class designed for "serious actors" although there are some who attend.

It's the only option. It's this class or nothing. Until this point with the dancing she has loved it so I don't want to remove her completely. Every class for the next 4 months will be rehearsing so It's also a lot of money.

Yeah I wouldn't complain about this

The dance element is vital to this kind of thing

And complaining about non speaking parts? You will come across as one of 'those' parents

Is that theres 6 main speaking roles or are 14 of the children not saying anything even as 'chorus' for the whole play?

Tbh I'm surprised a 'fun class' has not involved dance before now!

Dance is often incorporated into drama courses, many drama it theatre arts degree courses include it as a module. So it's not unreasonable for them to include it in productions.
But if your child is unhappy could you or she mention it to the people who run the club? If there are no other parts available perhaps she could do something backstage?

Only 6 people have anything to say at all. Everyone else is silent apparently. I believe her on that.

I don't intend to complain about her not having lines. That's just one of those things. Although it is frustrating that it is always the same people who lead.

I'm trying to think of the last time I saw a play that involved dancing. 🤔

Even if they have a separate musical theatre class, I don't think it's surprising that a normal drama class includes elements of movement and dance. Acting isn't just about the spoken word, and learning to use your body in different ways is essential.

I get that your dd isn't enjoying it, but it isn't at all unreasonable for the theatre class to include it. Ultimately, I guess you'll need to get your dd to decide whether she wants to carry on or not.

I do think it's weird that they would write a play with so few speaking parts though. I probably wouldn't bother complaining, as part of doing these activities is learning to deal with disappointment etc, and accepting the role that you're given graciously, but I do think that it's a bit of a crap choice and they could have done better.

What previous 'plays' have they done?

I've seen quite a lot of plays which include elements of dance - the last one being A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Many more involve elements of movement for which dance would be excellent training.