Home | Business News | Browse by Publication | D | Dance Magazine

Solo savvy: your guide to costuming, choreographing, and casting soloists.

Article Excerpt
[ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]

For serious dance students, large group dances eventually become second nature. They start to crave standout attention--a solo. Each year more and more students want the stage to themselves, but teachers must decide which dancers are solo-worthy and which aren't. Then comes selecting the music and costuming, choreographing the routine, scheduling rehearsals, and mending the broken hearts of those who didn't get solos. This is extra work for teachers, but their decisions can shape future dance careers. Read on for advice on dealing with the oft-dreaded question: "Can I have a solo now?"

SOLO READY?

It's important that all of the dancers in your studio feel a solo is a privilege.

The decision to approach the teacher for a solo should come from the dancer, not from the dancer's mom or dad. Of course parents want their children onstage alone--better photo opportunities! But the student needs to want to perform a solo and have the confidence to command the stage by him or herself.

While age helps determine whether the dancer is ready...