Equity: Am I NOT Adequate?

Everyone deserves benefits, right? In the professional dance world, or any means of professional work, we all want benefits and protection, because reality is, we live in a "dog eat, dog world". So how are dancers protected in the industry? With equity! And what exactly is equity?

Disney’s NEWSIES The Musical (Photo courtesy Disney)
http://www.dancestudiolife.com/tag/casting-call/

Equity is a union for stage professionals, including actors, singers, and dancers, that has set regulations to protect such performers. For example, under an equity contract, rehearsals require a certain amount of time for breaks. Another example of protection is the amount of pay for each performer. And a great perk of equity is being guaranteed a chance to be seen by casting directors at auditions. In other words, equity is the bodyguard for stage professionals, who are often underappreciated by the public within the entertainment industry. There are a few ways to get an equity card: one of them is being in a Broadway production, because every Broadway production works under equity contracts. Sounds easy, but again, we live in a "dog eat, dog world", that happens to be very competitive and sometimes cut-throat when it comes to Broadway auditions. So it might not be the "easiest" thing to land a gig on Broadway, but you can also pay monthly fees for an equity card. But what if I cannot afford to pay for a card, and I haven't made my Broadway debut? What's so special about "equity-call" auditions?

In my eyes, equity-call auditions really mean "must have experience and must be better than any random dancer off the street". I feel that just because I have not yet landed a Broadway gig, does not mean I am a "bad" dancer or haven't had professional experience or haven't worked with recognizable dance figures. So, if I go to an equity-call audition, and I am not seen by casting directors because of my status as non-equity, I miss out on the opportunity to perform in that production. I was not adequate enough to audition because of the label "equity" rather than me proving myself through dance and performance skills. It gets pretty frustrating! I mean, you don't want to take away from those who have earned an equity card and have had grander experiences and absolutely deserve to have equity. However, what about those of us trying to get our name on the marquee? Any thoughts about equity auditions?

*mypointetaken*

Bada Boom!

Last weekend, I did not go to church, but perhaps I should have after seeing Simone Sobers Dance's event, "Visions of Grandeur: An Evening of Burlesque". Before seeing the show at Theater 54 at Shetler Studios in New York City, the little bit of burlesque that I knew about was from the 2010 film starring Cher and Christina Aguilera, titled, "Burlesque".  So, I knew there would be sexy attire and removal of clothing (not down to nudity of course), and sensual, yet tasteful dance choreography.

The show started with guest artists, Alisa Fendley and Marissa Maislen, with a very unique burlesque piece. The interaction between the two women had quite humorous moments, with one of them portraying a shy demeanor and the other being persuasively sensual. However, I felt that some of the movement was awkward and had awkward transitions. I felt more confused than excited. There was little removal of clothing, which was fine, but I just didn't know what to expect because of the jagged, abrupt movements. The mood changed with the main artists of the performance known as "Chocolate Decadence", with Titilayo Derricotte as Mocha Snaps, Epiphany Davis as Red Velvet, and Simone Sobers as Cinnabunz.

photo credited to:
http://www.facebook.com/events/180885322045348/

They performed as a trio three times throughout the performance, and overall, there movement seemed too "cutesy" rather than sexy. Not to say they needed to be erotic and over-the-top, but their upbeat, cute movement overbalanced their sensuality. It was still enjoyable to watch. However, I would have loved to have seen better facial expressions and interaction with the audience because of the incredibly intimate setting of the stage to the seats of the audience. I was also expecting more cohesive movement with each other. In other words, a little bit more of rehearsal time would have made the movement even more enjoyable. I was most impressed by guest artist, Kamaria Dailey, who danced to Beyonce Knowles' version of the ever-famous, "Fever". She had great stage presence and interaction with the audience and was effortless with her sensuality and transitions. I thoroughly enjoyed her piece, and she seemed to have been a professional burlesque dancer.

The solos performed by each member of "Chocolate Decadence" varied greatly and were each enjoyable to the eye. The most extreme removal of clothing came from Simone "Cinnabunz" Sobers when her piece ended with her wearing breast tassels. She fooled me for sure, because when she turned around, I honestly thought she was going to be topless! But it was done tastefully and very sexy. There were 3 lucky audience members who were involved with the finale piece and got to sit up close and personal to "Chocolate Decadence". There was even a number that was done with a black light and the girls wore white lingerie and gloves. Overall the performance's individual pieces varied from each other, and it was nice to see the women had technical dance training included with their sensual movement. Burlesque is always going to be sexy, so these women conquered the task of being sexy and giving a good performance.


*mypointetaken*