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.

I think it’s very poor that there are so few speaking roles. It sounds lazy to me - the organisers can focus on 6 pupils who are acting and the rest get shoved off to do some background bollocks.

Movement (including dance) is an essential part of training for straight acting, not just part of musical theatre. Unfortunately if your daughter doesn't like this aspect of it, it is probably the case that theatre isn't for her.

They did a condensed version of The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe. All the children had at least one line.

They did Peter Pan. Again, all the children had at least one line.

They also did another one they wrote themselves. All of the children were involved in some way even if they were just driving the bus that the talking characters got on.

No dancing or singing in any of them.

As I say, it's not the lack of lines (although it's stupid) that is the issue.

OK, so it isn't the lack of lines that is the issue, and it is simply the fact that you don't think dance should be included in a drama class? In that case, I think you, sorry. It's perfectly reasonable and entirely normal for dance to be included. If your dd isn't willing to accept that, then she might need to look for another hobby.

How many do they do a year?

That was supposed to sat yabu.

Yes to movement. She's had to walk like various animals or move like she's in space etc.

I've never read/seen a Midsummer Nights Dream but I'm guessing Shakespear didn't pen a salsa in the middle of it?😆

I saw a family Christmas show that had a little singing. The little dancing in it wasn't proper dancing though. It was kind of exaggerated walking round each other. Beyond that, I'm genuingely struggling to think of one and I go to the theatre a lot.

I will raise it with them. Taking on board what a lot of you have said about dancing being normal in drama classes, I'll also ask them whether we should expect more dance in future. It's come from nowhere this time. It will be such a shame if it will though as she loves it and has gained so much from it.

You may not have seen plays that involved dance but I think you’d struggle to find a decent actor with no dance or movement training. Maybe think of the last time you saw a play with no movement! No fight scenes, no blocking etc.

But op you emphasised these were 'FUN' classes

Dancing is fun!!

Of course Shakespeare didn't pen a salsa to go in the middle of it, but I've seen various versions and it isn't uncommon to include elements of dance at all. It depends on the director, of course. I have seen some very dancey versions of things like the Tempest etc as well.

In any case, learning to dance is about learning to use your body and express emotions through movement. How could that not be relevant to acting?

Maybe I just see boring plays. 🤣

She does do movement in the classes. This is a proper dance.

Anyway, I'm labouring the point. I will email them and ask.

Thanks for your thoughts!

I think every time I’ve been to the Globe there has been some element of dance! Maybe Shakespeare lends itself particularly to a boogie.

I'm not sure there's such a big difference between dance and movement as you seem to think.

Yes, I think it does!

And yes, OP, "proper dance" is perfectly normal.

There were always a handful of kids in dd's drama group who used to complain about dance, generally because they weren't very good at it. The teachers always made it very clear that it was a non-negotiable part of their syllabus.

Not everyone feels that way. Especially as I sometimes wonder to myself if she has mild dyspraxia or whether she is just very, very clumsy.

Agreed!

OP talk to the organisers. If they confirm that dance is indeed likely to be a feature of the group going forward, then your dd can make a decision to either suck it up or quite and find another hobby.

I get that. I suspect I'm dyspraxic and I have two left feet. I get that it's potentially embarrassing for her. Nonetheless, I recognise that movement and dance are an integral part of drama.

Luckily for dd, she doesn't seem to have inherited my clumsiness. She did struggle with singing for a while though...but instead of moaning about it, she took lessons and got good at it!

By proper dance I mean she has to sort of line dance and do a clappy beer hall sort of thing with slapping thighs and jumping about. The sort of thing you'd expect in a musical. A bit different to sliding like a snake. It came from nowhere.

I've seen a few Shakespear plays. Never at The Globe but in different places with different ditectors and none have included dancing. I think some probably had the odd song maybe.

Anyway, thanks again. We'll see what they say and take it from there.

I understand, I really do.

I have one child with dyspraxia who is very clumsy. I have another child who is studying acting at a prestigious university - a four year course in which movement is a required class all four years. There are some hobbies, and indeed professions, that my dyspraxic child would just never be able to be successful in. One of those is theatre/drama/acting, because of the body awareness and control required.

She might have dyspraxia, or be naturally clumsy or just not like it and those things should not mean she's shut out from acting. God almighty, we are supposed to be getting away from those kinds of exclusions aren't we?

Well, I'm not sure really. I'm all for inclusion in the sense of letting anyone have a go, e.g. dance classes that don't kick you out if you're not perfectly coordinated. However, I don't think that should mean that dance is edited out of the curriculum entirely.

As someone with probable dyspraxia, I found a lot of sports activities very challenging, but I don't think the bits I struggled with should be edited out. Sometimes kids have to learn that we all have natural strengths and weaknesses, but with practice, all of us are capable of improving. That is a good lesson to learn!

Absolutely kids have to and will anyway learn that we all have strengths and weaknesses but I don't think it's about letting anyone just 'have a go' with a pat on the head. Someone who, for example, is differently abled might be fantastic at acting and good at all the nuances that involves - they're not going to be dancing and it doesn't matter. Obviously there can be dancing for the ones who want to dance but I don't see why it should be mandatory.

Of course she shouldn't be shut out from acting if she wants to participate, but if her clumsiness/dyspraxia means that she doesn't enjoy this aspect of it then it's not the activity for her.

It's acting. In a play. For kids. There is plenty of scope for whoever is running it to make sure all the kids there have a positive experience and don't go away feeling they are somehow wrong for whatever reason.

If this is an informal class having a quiet word with whoever leads it about how your daughter is feeling would be a good idea. Maybe the role could be adapted in some way or she could do some behind the scenes stuff for this production? Dance hasn’t featured up to now, so it would be a shame if she had to drop out or put up with this level of stress for a ‘fun’ hobby.

I attended some drama classes as a child and I’d have been the same as your child. I even attended a drama class as a teenager even though I didn’t get involved in all activities because I was primarily interested in public speaking. I was the only one in the class who did it for that reason. Even did Lamda public speaking exams the others focussed on acting. I’d hope that fun and inclusion are more important than anything else in the sort of group you’re describing and there can be some flexibility.