Starting too late?

<p>I am currently a junior in high school, but didn't really discover that MT was what I wanted to do until the summer between 10th-11th grade. I've been in choir from elementary school, and an audition only choir group through high school, along district choir. I started voice lessons over this last summer, and my voice instructer said my voice "has great muscial theatre qualities." </p>

<p>As for theatre, this is going to sound quite pathetic: starred in the 6th grade and middle school plays, nothing freshman/sophomore year, doing theatre all year this year. Also, my school has a very well known theatre program, ART (Addison Repritory Theatre) that has 100% placement into theatre programs (not MT). </p>

<p>And dance is pretty dismal: seven years of gymnastics, and I was told in a school PE class with a local dance instructor (modern) that I was better than any of her students in presence. This year I have an oppertunity to take either ballet or modern dance- which would be better?</p>

<p>Academics aren't a problem, I have a 3.95 (4.00 scale), and am salutatorian- no SATs yet, AP US History, will be adding AP English, Calc, World History and a French class at Middlebury College. (I attend Middlebury High School)</p>

<p>Any suggestions?</p>

<p>Hi there,</p>

<p>My D, currently a sophomore at the University of Michigan in MT, did not totally decide on MT until her junior year in high school as well. Your performance experience is not at all "pathetic" and MT college acceptance is not all about performance experience. It sounds as if you are thoughtfully making decisions that will help you prepare for auditions a year from now and that's just as it should be. If you can only focus on one dance discipline, ballet is the better choice as it is at the root of the other dance disciplines most commonly called for in MT and will be a big part of your audition for those schools that include dance in their auditions. You are not going to become a professional dancer in a year's time, but you will learn the vocabulary and structure of a dance class (the exercises that make up a standard ballet barre - those you do while standing next to and/or holding on to the barre - and the exercises done later in the class in the center of the floor) which should give you much more confidence in auditions. Keep up the voice lessons, making sure that your teacher is providing you with strong, legit training (not just belting). Your academics sound strong and that is a plus at several top programs where grades are an issue, e.g., UM and NYU.</p>

<p>You might also consider attending a strong MT summer program between your junior and senior year (the perfect time to do this!) and my preference would be one that focuses on skill building and audition prep, as opposed to focusing more on an end of program performance. Check out the programs at CMU, Northwestern and UM for starters. I'm sure others here have their own favorite programs.</p>

<p>Bottom line - I don't think that you are too late at all. Hope this helps!</p>

<p>It's late at night and I just read your post so can't stay long now. You already got good advice above from Theatermom. I just want to say that you are the first fellow Vermonter I have come across on this forum! I know about the program you are in. I know a girl who did it (from Mt. Abe) who is now at Yale, and others from your area. Perhaps you can contact me sometime. I do not know who you started voice with. By any chance is it up in Burlington with B.R.? That is who we traveled to for voice lessons the past five years. You have the Middlebury Players in your area too. If you are in ART, then you are getting drama at school and if you add involvement in the productions and continue with private voice, add at least ballet, and maybe a summer intensive next summer, you can be on track to pursue this. Congrat on the excellent academic record as well. My D has come out of a small VT high school and got into several BFA programs and just started the one at NYU/Tisch. I know several VT kids starting BFA programs in MT this fall, including her roommate. It can be done. Some have done more than you, some not that much more. A close friend of my D's from our high school started Emerson's program and her show credits are just from high school, though she does take voice (not that much longer than you will be though) and took more dance than you, and did some summer intensives but not really all that much more than you are talking about. She also was salutatorian. I think you can do this too. Just keep to your plan and piece together your training and get involved in the schools shows and/or Middlebury Players or Lyric Theater and look into a summer program for next year if you can. </p>

<p>Perhaps we can talk some time. Welcome to the forum and I hope you do pursue this if that is what you want. At least your HS is connected to a theater program. My D only wishes she had that here. So, I think you do have that opportunity! </p>

<p>Until another time,
Susan</p>

<p>Also a girl my D has taken voice with was from your town but went to Exeter but just started Middlebury College and is going to be in Company. Perhaps you know her too. (JD) And I am thinking that another girl she took voice with is from your program/school and is just starting Skidmore (MM). I don't live in your area, however.</p>

<p>Vtpoetchic....
Here's another vote for Ballet over Modern. Ballet. Ballet. Ballet. </p>

<p>Good luck to you!</p>

<p>My son who is a senior started late with dance (in High School) and got serious about it more recently (past couple of years). This year he is taking about 11 hours a week of dance, and about 7 of those hours are ballet. He has become very focused on ballet just in time for those college MT auditions! The neat thing is, he has been offered 2 roles in the Nutcracker in December. I guess this is our dance year rather than a theatre year!</p>

<p>Thanks for the advice, it is truly helpful. Now, does anyone know anyone who has done a MT major with another major or minor? Is this a plausible idea?</p>

<p>dont worry...thats when i started...but i think as long as you have the drive to get better (i.e. ive never taken dance before last year...now im in 7 classes a week)...and you work at it...im sure you will do fine...</p>

<p>chris</p>

<p>Based on your questions plus some in a PM, I am thinking that you might need to ask some broader questions such as if you should pursue a BA or a BFA. There is also the option of a liberal arts school with a heavy amount of musical theater activity going on. There are BA programs with theater majors too. A BFA program is quite encompassing and a commitment. However, in SOME programs, such as the one at NYU/Tisch, you take liberal arts and could do a minor. You could double major but that would be difficult with a BFA, but possible. But the BFA there with a minor in another subject is something many have done. Please look into BA options as well. Sorting through which sort of degree that fits your needs/interests best is something you might need to do at this point. A BA degree MIGHT fit you in that it lets you study a more broad range of subjects and is easier for a double major. With a BFA program, a large chunk of your studies is set out for you in the program. You have to KNOW you want to do this. It is a professional training type of degree. If you go the BFA route, you might want to seek out the schools that have academics as part of the curriculum because some schools have a very small percentage of liberal arts courses but some have more. As I said, NYU is one place that has more than some others. Penn State is another. UMich does too. If you care about the challenge of the academics, you also might choose some BFA programs over others. For example, NYU and UMich are selective schools academically without the BFA and so you might prefer that kind of academic environment given the kind of student you appear to be plus your interest in other studies. But do look into the BA in theater option because the little I have read about you, it seems you might want an element of flexibility and a BA program is suitable for that need, whereas often someone going for a BFA in MT, is not questioning it as much because they feel like they KNOW without a doubt this is what kind of program and degree and field they wish to pursue. They can't imagine going for something else, though might imagine a minor in a secondary interest area. But a BFA program that allows you to explore other subjects might work for you so do look into which programs offer more in that respect. That varies from BFA program to BFA program. </p>

<p>Just something to think about.
Susan</p>

<p>Vtpoetchic--you've already gotten some great advice. I just want to stress a couple of points--you are not too late, summer programs like the CMU one might be very helpful and ballet.</p>

<p>Do your own research about schools; this forum is a great place to begin, and there's lots of good advice but don't stop here. Remember, everyone of us is giving you our (we hope) educated opinions. Thus, you need to do your own research. For example, as Soozievt points out, there's a wide range of what is required in the way of academics. But just because two schools both require the same number of liberal arts classes, one school might require 2 science, 2 english, 2 soc. science, etc., whereas another might say take whatever you want. My D ended up in a BA program. Again, echoing Soozie, there is a lot more flexibility in her choices. Again, you need to ask questions. So, while at her program, she is only required to take two years of voice, the reality is that the MT majors take 3-4 years. In other words, not only is it a good idea to look in the catalogs, but speaking to students who are in the programs can give you a lot of info that isn't in the catalogs.</p>