How Song and Dance Training Can Boost Your Career
By Wyatt Elling
Musicals are back in fashion in a serious way. After becoming kitschy and unpopular for a long period of time, the breakout success of movies, like Moulin Rouge and Oscar winner Chicago, has made musicals a hot ticket again. If you're an actor or singer trying to break out into the big time, it's a great idea to build up both skill sets.
Take John Travolta for example. He was a struggling young actor, but between Saturday Night Fever and Grease he became one of the biggest stars of his generation. Saturday Night Fever required heavy amounts of dancing, and Grease was a lead singing role. After making his name through song and dance, Travolta went on to become a respected dramatic actor. Christopher Walken was trained as a classical dancer, and transitioned to film work. Michelle Pfeiffer was cast in Grease 2 on the strength of her singing voice. Hugh Jackman was primarily a stage and musical actor before he broke out in an unrelated role in X-Men, and then went back to star in a hit musical on Broadway. Likewise many original cast members from The Producers and RENT! were lifted directly from the stage to star in the film adaptations. The lines that separate movies, music, and musical productions seem to be blurring more and more.
As an actor it's important to have as much flexibility as possible in the roles you apply for. Having song and dance credentials on your resume will open up all kinds of auditions for you. Many dramatic actors are reluctant to expand their skill set in this way, but there isn't anything to worry about. There's no such thing as bad stage or screen time when you're an unknown actor. Even if you're just starting out and trying to get any kind of work possible, like TV commercials or background roles in plays, having basic musical and dance training goes a long way to setting you a part.
There's a common perception that singers and dancers have an intrinsic talent for musical arts, and that regular actors shouldn't try to put themselves in the same boat. The ability to sing and dance is a learnable skill that just about anyone can pick up to a proficient degree. Sure, there are very few Pavarottis or Justin Timberlakes, but you don't have to sell out stadiums to list yourself as a singer. Most actors who appear in movie musicals aren't pop stars, they're just good actors with solid singing voices. Think about Richard Gere and Michael C. Reilly in Chicago. Who would have thought that they could pull off multiple musical numbers? You can bet that they took voice and dance lessons to prep for the movie.
Likewise, if you're an aspiring singer, acting roles can be a major help to your career. Acting in stage musicals or film or television productions where you can sing and dance with actors will greatly boost your image. It's also much easier to get solid, respectable work as an acting singer than as just a singer. The synergy involved will boost both aspects of your career. Would Madonna be as big of a star if she hadn't appeared in a series of popular films? A visible persona can boost any music career. You'll also find that many of the skills and talents you have as a singer will save you lots of time when taking acting lessons. The foundations of good acting, confidence, projection, rhythm, clarity, body language, and emotional resonance are all also skills developed by singers. Jennifer Hudson went from an unknown American Idol contestant to an Oscar-winning actress in only a few years time.
Whether you're a fledgling actor or an aspiring singer, it can be very useful to think about one profession in terms of the other. Both actors are singers are part of the entertainment industry, and both can learn a lot from each others' side of the business while mutually boosting their careers.
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