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Going inside the role: how acting can deepen your artistry.

Article Excerpt
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A fog-swept stage, a dark forest scene with a lake in the distance. One by one birds alight on the water, rise out of the lake, and transform into beautiful women. With tremulous white tutus fluttering and arms undulating, they bouree onstage, the entire flock of bird-women in pristine formation. What could be more dramatic than Swan Lake?

But wait. Who are these girls, and what do they want? Release from evil Rothbart's spell? Or perfect turnout, 32 fouettes, and a shot at the role of the Swan Queen? Or does it matter?

Yes, it matters--if you want to give the audience an experience it will remember. Some dancers are natural actors and bring dramatic qualities to their work intuitively. Others need to learn acting skills. Dance Magazine asked eight dancers and coaches how they integrate acting into performance.

Intention

"I dance better when I have a reason to do the steps," says Kimberly Cowen of Kansas City Ballet. "You can't just make a face and call it a day. You need to have a purpose."

Another word for purpose is intention. Anita Paciotti, a ballet mistress at San Francisco Ballet, taps the dancers' intention by asking them to invent their own dialogue. "What is your sentence? You need to know what you want and what you are doing. It translates into body language."

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