Mande Dagenais - Starting Your Career as a Dancer

Copyright 2012 by Mande Dagenais

All rights reserved. Copyright under Berne Copyright Convention, Universal Copyright Convention, and Pan American Copyright Convention. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Allworth Press, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

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Published by Allworth Press,
an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Allworth Press is a registered trademark of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

www.allworth.com

Cover design by Mary Belibasakis

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

ISBN: 978-1-58115-906-6

Printed in the United States of America

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid.

The diet and exercise information in this book is not medical advice. Its intention is merely informational and educational. You should not undertake any diet/exercise regimen recommended in this book before consulting your personal physician. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be responsible or liable for any loss or damage allegedly arising as a consequence of your use or application of any information or suggestions contained in this book.

FOR MY SWEETHEART, MY HUSBAND, ALEX MARCHANT, WITHOUT WHOM THIS
BOOK WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE.

AND, IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY PARENTS: MY MOTHER, EMILY DAGENAIS,
A CONSTANT SOURCE OF INSPIRATION, AND MY FATHER, ELZEAR DAGENAIS,
WHO TAUGHT ME ABOUT FINE DETAIL AND PERFECTION.

Break a Leg
An idiom used in showbiz to wish someone luck before a performance.
You would say break a leg before going on stage,
but you would never say good luck.

In the beginning of my career as a show producer, I did what was expected of me. I tried to hire the best team available to execute my creative concept. I gathered what I thought was necessary to meet my needs. I hired a director, a choreographer, a set designer, a costume designer, lighting and sound designers, and someone to coordinate it all.

Then luckily for me, I met Mande Dagenais, who in fact, did it all, and took my shows to an even higher level. Now, lucky for you, she has written this incredible guide for dancers and all performers alike. In her book, Mande teaches what it really takes to be in the business. If you have ever aspired to dance, or to perform, or if you would simply like to know what Show Business is really all about, then this is the book for you. Mande covers it all: how to get in the business, where you can workfrom Broadway to L.A. and everywhere in between, and what to expect when you get there!

Mandes talent is unique; she possesses a vast knowledge of show business and is an inspiration to all who have the opportunity to work with her. Her experience from both sides of the curtain, as a performer and as a producer, makes her an invaluable source of information to any aspiring artist. After reading her book, you will understand why I wish to all other producers a Mande Dagenais.

Lou Pacioccocreator of La Cage Aux Folles and An Evening at La Cage,
celebrity impersonation revues performed worldwide.

First Id like to thank my husband, Alex Marchant. Without his constant love and never-ending support, none of this would be possible, from the first word to the last word and the many rewrites in between. He is my calm force and he keeps me sane through all the insanityor at least tries to. And a huge thank you to my sister Lauraine Friskey for her endless hours and months of reading, advising, suggesting, and editing my early manuscript. To my niece Jody Tierney, for reading and rereading every single word I wrote, and for putting up with me through it all. And to Lou Paciocco for never tiring of my one more question, my one more addition, and my one more proofread!

A very special thank you to Tad Crawford for being the wonderful advocate for the arts that he is, and for believing in my book, agreeing to take it on board, and giving it a home with Allworth Press and Skyhorse Publishing. Thanks also to Delia Casa, editorial assistant, for her guidance and assistance throughout the publishing process, and to the rest of the editorial staff at Skyhorse Publishing for all their hard work and attention to detail. Thank you to all of you for making this possible.

A great big thank you to my family: my mother and father, Emily and Elzear Dagenais; my sisters, Beverly Cascanette, Joanne Sinclair, Lauraine Friskey, and Gail Dagenais; my brothers, Gary Dagenais and Ralph Dagenais; and my sisters-and brothers-in-law for their loving support always. From dance recitals as a kid to driving me to my first audition, and the many opening nights as a professional, they were always there for me! Thanks to all my friends and family who graciously read my first attempts at writing, made invaluable suggestions, and cheered me on every step of the way. Without those early enthusiasts, this might still be just conversation.

A very heartfelt thank you to my Aunt Cletis, I have never forgotten that it was she who suggested that Mom send me to dance class. For that, I am forever appreciative.

I believe that people come into our lives for specific reasons, and as fate would have, it I was sent to the Gauvreau School of Performing Arts. With a grateful heart I thank Gerry Gauvreau and his mother, Mrs. G. (as we lovingly referred to her), for their invaluable lessons both on the business of dance and on life!

To my mother- and father-in-law, Mum and Dad Marchant, a very warm thank you for their very early suggestions and words of encouragement that gave me the confidence to keep writing, and for always being available for yet another read-through. To Jay and Marilyn Jiggins, Diana Platts, John Ciotta, and Michael Gruber for the many checkpoints along the way and to Jane Bernard for her subliminal guidance through her book Write-On: The Art of Re-Writing. To Larry and Debbie Brown for think tanks and writing escapes, and for all of their encouragement, and to Diana Weber for always being there no matter what, and cheering me on throughout my journey.

And to Arlene Uslander, my original editor, a very special thank you for her detailed work, for all of her fine-tuning and her teachings through her work; and for holding my hand and walking me through my first process and beyond. To Rusty Fisher for his clever contributionsthe many subtitles and wonderful seguesfor making the book flow and giving it a sense of timing, and very important, for introducing me to Arlene. Special thanks to Dan Fickett, artiste extraordinaire, for all of his creative genius and for assisting me with my first publishing endeavor.

And last, but certainly not least, my assistant choreographers, the women who danced by my side, often through the wee hours of the night! For their round-the-clock devotion and stamina, I am forever grateful to Tracy (Kerr) Bianchi, Jemma (Sawyer) Mckeown, Helen (Chadwick) Timpano, and Tracy (Luce) Beetham. To Sandie Backus, Samantha (Wyles) Maxwell, Courtney (Newell) Sternick, Stacey Enyart, Alice Billman, and Angeliki (Piliouras) Pantelaras, warm and special thanks for their assistance and support on various ship and corporate projects. And to the many talented cast members who found their way into my rehearsal studio and made it through opening nightsome, opening night after opening night. Thank you for sharing your talent. You are the gems that I have collected along the way.