<p>I'm a prospective MT major. (senior in high school, getting my AA before I go to university, and yes, I am aware I will probably do four more years after that.) Singing and acting are not a problem for me, I'm rather good at them, taking voice lessons, planning on getting a monologue coach for auditions, etc. The only problem is dance! I haven't taken a dance class since I quit tap at age six. I'm too old for beginning classes in my area, there's a few jazz dance classes but I know at some studios they require beginning ballet for jazz, and I'm not certain that my parents can afford private dance lessons at this point on top of voice, my trips to nationals, my summer camp, and gas to get me to these things. I could, however, take it out of my "college fund" since I consider it a worthwhile investment. Anyway, I'm kind of stressing out about it and I was wondering if you guys have any sage advice?</p>
<p>No way are you too old! My D didn’t have a huge amount of dance experience until late in high school. Like you, she also took classes when she was young, but after that had a hard time fitting them in. She finally started taking classes at our local CC in the summers- as many as she could fit it- I think the summer after her sophomore year. She took them again the next summer, and also did dance team at her high school. She was not a great dancer at the time she auditioned for MT programs, but definitely knew all of the terminology, and could follow directions. She had great success with auditions, so obviously, something worked. </p>
<p>Since you are planning to get your AA first, find out if you can take dance while you are there. That gives you 2 years to work on the basics which should be enough. Start with ballet, as it is the basis for all else. Try to fit in some jazz and maybe a tap class if possible. If you can take these classes thru your cc, it would save you a ton of money and should give you the basis you need. </p>
<p>Since you are planning to get your AA, have you thought about looking at BA MT programs instead of BFA’s? You might be able to transfer by doing this, without having to start over. While my D did end up in a BFA program, she found some BA programs in which she would have been very happy. She actually started in a BFA program, then left the school due to a poor fit, and came home to go to our CC for 3 semesters. When she auditioned again, she could have gone to a local BA program as a junior (and been very happy), but decided on another BFA program where she had to go in as a sophomore. If money is an issue, you should really consider some of the great BA programs that are out there!</p>
<p>olwlybird, I think your “too old” concerns circle around the beginner’s classes you see – six year olds in pink tutus, right? Have you checked to see if there are adult beginner classes (maybe at your CC!!), where you would be with other beginners your age? Check local Y, rec center, etc – it’s not just baby ballerinas out there.</p>
<p>A lot of community colleges and recreational programs feature dance programs and clubs where if you put in the time and focus, you can learn. My friend’s son decided he wanted to dance and he is now a magnificent dancer after taking such courses. He is not in any perfomance based major, but just wanted to learn to be a good dancer and learn different styles of dancing.</p>
<p>MT might not be the direction to go if you cannot get the specific dance training that is needed in some programs. But different MT programs vary widely in their dance requirements. My son was determined to learn to dance and to get a MT degree when he had zero formal dance training. Though he did succeed, it is not something I would suggest to anyone. He somehow got into a dance intense program, and only succeeded with a lot of help and discretion on part of the dance department and because he had the extra time and credits to spare to do this. He was asked many times to change his major to Theater, and it was a miracle that he got his degree when he did with that major. Even so, he is not the dancer that those who had had good dance experience and/or the natural talent, but he does know how to dance very well. In the whole picture, it was not important that he get that MT degree, but that he did learn to dance was, and he could have done that with a THeater major as well and relieved a lot of stress for a lot of people.</p>
<p>Plenty of people with weak dance backgrounds get in. During my daughter’s year the worst dancer she had ever seen - to the point where she actually felt sorry for her at the audition - was accepted into a very well-respected program. Very few are great at everything.</p>
<p>Don’t use your age as an excuse!! A lot of places offer MT Dance classes now, and they are almost always for teens and up. See if you can pay in advance for a series and get a discount that way, or maybe a studio needs a receptionist or cleaning help. Your parents needn’t be expected to pay for it all either because you are old enough to be working full time in the summer and during breaks and at least part time while school is in session.
You CAN do this- good luck to you!</p>
<p>Perhaps you have a friend who is an advanced dancer who might consider tutoring you privately for a small fee or to barter with you for something you are good at. The basics are the basics and once you get a foundation down, you can probably find a class for teens that you will be able to keep up with.</p>
<p>I completely understand where you’re coming from. I’m a junior in high school and I just went back to dance classes (ballet) this year. It’s been hard and it can be really difficult when you don’t understand something and you see the 8/9 year old girls who can do it, no problem, but just remember that this is leading in the direction of pursuing your passion and don’t take yourself too seriously in class. As for the money, I know a girl at my studio who helps with costumes and cleans the studios in exchange for free dance classes and I was given a scholarship for dance from my city. Check for opportunities like this (you will probably find them in the smaller studios more so than the studios with hundreds or thousands of kids). It may be hard work but it’s definitely worth it in the end and I know I’ve improved a lot. I really don’t think I would be prepared for my auditions if I hadn’t taken the classes (I was not a dancer before) so I’m glad I did.</p>