There are a few qualities about me that everyone in my theatre world knows. They know that I am an actress who can sing, not a singer who can act. They know that I am a character actress, and do well with comedy. But one of the most distinct features of my performing abilities is that - I cannot dance. Not a turn, not a tap, not a slide. I'm completely uncoordinated, and directors have come to accept that about me. And I've come to accept that acting is all I excel it, and I'm quite happy that I at least have that.
But I was not always this way, imagine that! Once upon a time I really was a ballarina... or so I thought. I would say up until third grade I had two goals in life. Number one was to grow up and become a butterfly. If that didn't work out, I had my sights set on ballet. Don't believe me? Heres proof.
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Ah, look at that form! So you may be asking, "What happend? You looked like a natural!". Wrong. Very wrong. I can't remember the reason why I quit taking those ballet, jazz and tap lessons. It could have been one of two reasons. 1 - I got bored, as most children do when they end up trying out a niche thats not really their thing. 2 - I could have been a really horriffic dancer. Both are very likely answers - I'm sticking with the second. However, heres living proof that I got a little bit of moves in me!
And inevitably, here is when dancing became a joke.
There it is, the Mackenzi you know and love. Dancing like a fool.... in a cat mask. I should have known when my favorite part of dance class was free dance to 'I'm a Barbie Girl'. Some things never change.
At least now I've come to accept my place in the world. Who KNOWS what would have happened if I would have convinced myself that I STILL wanted to be a ballerina. Thank goodness I let the ballet go. Dreams of becoming a butterfly however... That one still needs some work.
hi, Mackenzi. This is Ty, from over at Always Off Book. I wanted to thank you for leaving a comment on my blog. (I replied to it over there.)
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to let you know I read this post, and I relate to a lot of it. I cannot dance either. Choreographers in the few musicals in which I have appeared have given up on me pretty quickly, and put me in the back of the chorus. I would still be working on step one when they were teaching the cast step 20 or something.
I also relate to the fact that you are an actress that sings, as opposed to a singer that acts. I can act and sing, but I am mostly an actor. However, when I am in a musical I would much rather work with someone who is an actor that sings as opposed to the other way around. Nothing is worse than seeing someone sing great, and than watch a musical come to a screeching halt as soon as that same person has to actually deliver lines.
I plan to keep checking out your new blog, and hope you will continue to check out mine. I try to update once a week or so when I am not in a show. When I am in a show, I update just about every day.