Come & join me in general chat all you patents of performers - be it dancers, actors, singers or musicians

[Picturesinthefirelight]

There are quite a few if us onhere though I know done if you from NAPM & Balletcoforum too

Here we can have a general chit chat about what our children are up to so we don't clog up the threads on specific topics

So Sparkly, Katy, Cory & loads more. Come chat!

[saintlyjimjams]

Oh don't go pictures - have a break then come back xx

[Annaliesey]

Hi everyone, hope you don't mind me joining in :)

my dd (9) just did panto (company dancer) and really wants to do more hence why I'm reading forums and trying to pick up some tips and advice :)

She's also doing a production with english youth ballet in March and hugely excited about that.

She loves everything dance and performance and just can't get enough and I've got to the point where I'm trying to be careful with how she is spending her time considering school work, dance exams and bits and pieces that come up.

It's been a very useful thread so far (2 coffees while I read it all!) so thanks for advice and tips so far :)

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Welcome Annaliesy.

Where is she doing EYB?

[Annaliesey]

Norwich :)

[KatyMac]

Hiya

We're outside of Norwich & my DD is quite a bit older(15) - if you want to PM me I can share what I know........

[Annaliesey]

Thanks for welcome Pictures and Katym :)

[teacherwith2kids]

Quick question on panto, because I know that there are several people whose children have done / are doing panto.

DD is in the final throes of a panto run at our local professional theatre. 3 x weekly rehearsals since Oct half term, run from end Nov until next weekend, you know the sort of thing - 35 performances or so per troupe, run of 70 odd performance overall.

A friend expressed amazement that she - and the other 9 members of her troupe and 10 in the other troupe - is not paid a penny for any of this, given that it is a professional production with an otherwise fully-paid cast. (Well, she might get a £20 book token after the last night, if her experience 2 years ago is anything to go by). I had presumed that this was absolutely par for the course - but then wondered whether it is indeed 'the way things are done everywhere'?

Can anyone enlighten me?

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Yes unfortunately that is usual. Dd didn't get a penny or even a gift for a similar panto run. They know that for every child in the chorus there are at least 3 others waiting to take their place.

Some companies do pay the children a small amount however.

[teacherwith2kids]

Doesn't bother me, tbh, either way - it's a lot of work for us and for her, but then she's training for a performing art - dance - and this is a way of being in a higher profile / quality production than is normally accessible. But my friend's reaction mnade me wonder whether we were, in fact, being taken for a ride!

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Well yes, you are being taken for a rude- but companies know people are willing to do it.

[Annaliesey]

I don't know if it's the norm but there wasn't a penny or a gift for my dd at the end of her panto run. They even had to pay £2 for a programme if they wanted it signed by main cast :)

[saintlyjimjams]

I think it depends - I think a lot of panto is unpaid these days. Ds2's first professional performance a few year ago (for a West End tour stop) was unpaid, but everything since then has been paid. He's earned quite a bit this year - it's gone into a bank account although he gave a bit towards a laptop. One job he's paid a lot more per hour than I've ever been paid(!) which he finds quite amusing. I'm in the wrong line.

I think his first unpaid experience was very helpful in getting his subsequent roles.

Glad to see you here pictures :)

Was going to check in to see how everyone's panto experiences had gone & plans for 2014. Ds2 has been asked to do another stint in the West End tour (this will definitely be the last week), which he's delighted about. Voiceover stuff is ongoing. He's signed up to do a Matthew Bourne Lord of the Flies workshop, which surprised me as he's not really a dancer. He doesn't know whether he'll audition for the local tour stop or not (depends on how the workshop goes - whether it's way out of his league or not) but should be an interesting few hours. Don't think he'll be telling anyone at school He's also auditioning for YMT:UK - next month I think, need to check - I don't think he holds out much hope, (and bloody hell it's ££££'s), but he's interested to see the audition process for future years.

[Metebelis3]

Dd2's panto ended yesterday. It seemed to go very well. IME the junior chorus aren't paid. It's festival term where we live, so that's going on. DD1 is also auditioning for YMT:UK (same location as JimJam's DS) - for the experience. And to check things out for DD2 who is too young this year. The many exams before Xmas all went well - one went astoundingly well - so that's good. There's a show at our big theatre (big being of curse a relative term) in the summer - both DDs want a proper part, DD1 has a genuine chance, Dd2 is way too wee I think. Sadly. She has some consolation though for being heavily featured in the local press for the panto - a professional photographer did a series of candid backstage shots for a feature, they were almost all of the adult cast but there were two or three photos of DD2 in costume which were amazingly good. So that was nice for her.

[saintlyjimjams]

Sounds good meteballs. I wonder if they're in the same session? We're on at lunchtime. (was it lunchtime? middle of the day I think anyway - I need to sit down with my diary and sort the next few months out).

[saintlyjimjams]

We always have tears the last night. The first time it happened I was a bit stumped, but the cast were there & were lovely to him. He was very flat after the first run of his current show (partly because he thought that was it - he didn't know he had additional runs coming up, but also he was shattered- I took him out for tea & cake the next day & he had an unheard of afternoon sleep). He also was upset after round 2, but mainly I think because he loved his chaperone, once he worked out he could stay in touch he cheered up. I'm hoping he'll be better after this third run as a) it's a bonus - not something he expected to happen b) we have tickets to see the show the day after he finishes his shows. I originally wasn't going to let him so it's a big treat.

I find having other things lined up helps. So the day after his last tour (when he thought that was it), he was asked to audition for a big voiceover job - so he immediately had a script to learn. He got that so that took his mind off the other thing finishing. And then he got something else unexpected. So he's getting the idea of there being other things & other nice people to meet.

It must be hard finishing a run - the companies always seem close knit & it's always an intense time. I do find that ds2 is learning to bounce back though. But I guess it's just learning through experience.

[saintlyjimjams]

It's actually me that's in touch with the chaperone btw - but he can message her on the family Skype - she's an actress & he likes to message her before auditions for advice. She's lovely, did a West End stint when she was ds2's age & is a great mini mentor for him. She's also told him he has to learn to be patient & given him lots of advice on dealing with waiting to hear about auditions & thinking about back ups for acting. She says a lot of the same stuff as me, but she has actual experience & he listens to her.

[saintlyjimjams]

Production companies usually don't let the kids contact the (adult) cast or crew outside the production. Ds2 isn't allowed to follow any on twitter or facebook for example (he recently opened a twitter account for school, he doesn't have facebook yet). Sometimes his contracts specify that, but it's become a general family rule anyway (and he tends to assume all production companies have the same rules anyway & is so paranoid about breaking a rule he doesn't even try). I do find it quite a sensible rule. He did ask whether he'd ever be allowed to follow them and I said when he was 16 (might need to think that through at the time - but that's years away anyway at the moment)

Good idea to keep in contact with other kids though. DS2 recently spent a couple of days filming with 2 other boys and by the end of the second day they were good buddies. I keep in contact with the mums and by extension the boys, it's good for them to see what their mates are doing as well. As they get older as you say they can add each other on facebook etc & chat that way. I think it's probably particularly helpful for boys in the performing arts - ds2 already sometimes gets called gay at school for acting (I can't imagine he'll tell anyone he's going to a Matthew Bourne workshop ) and it's good for him to know other boys he likes doing the same things.

He keeps getting more goes at the tour because they keep adding tour dates at places that he can do the show. It really will be the last time this time though as the tour has nearly finished.

[saintlyjimjams]

I think it is sensible to keep distance between adult performers and children - it needs quite a strong boundary line I think these days with instant access via facebook etc. Just ensures there are no problems.

If he prefers female company he'll probably be fine. ds2 treats girls like an alien species so having boys around that do the same thing has been quite important to him. I'm hoping at some stage he'll start to realise girls can make good friends as well!

[HSMMaCM]

DD cried buckets after her last Panto. She is gutted that they are not allowed to keep in touch with the adults. I had something lined up for the next day to take her mind off it. It must be even worse after a longer run.

[saintlyjimjams]

I found the first few times ds2 was sobbing immediately afterwards, flat for a few days then bounced back. Last time he was much better, tears had dried by the time he got home and he was dancing around the kitchen before bedtime. I'm hoping that as this next run is an unexpected extra he will be fine and that he will see it as a bonus iykwim....

But I recommend other auditions etc to take their mind off it! They begin to realise it doesn't have to be a one off.

Hope all goes well - if it's the Lion King he's off to see, we're going to see that in March (but blardy hell at ticket prices!!!).