I always loved music. I took voice lessons my whole youth, I sang in choirs, I played the flute and piano, I composed music in my spare time. And yes, I also danced.
At the beginning of high school, a well-meaning dance teacher told me that if I wanted to be excellent at anything, I would need to choose. Music or dance. "Jane of all trades, master of none," she said.
So, I chose dance.
And I gave up music.
For years.
Only later, after I felt I had "failed" at ballet (i.e. had a great career, but didn't become a principal with ABT), did I rediscover singing and music. And that discovery led me to an extremely awesome decade of doing musical theatre professionally (and yes, still dancing).
Still, though, to me I felt that I had still failed because I hadn't mastered one chosen trade. I was a good dancer, a good singer, a good actress, and I thought, because of what that dance educator said, I couldn't be great at any of them.
Because of that ONE thing that dance educator told me, I still don't quite feel comfortable telling people that I have more than one interest.
Cut to: 2022 when my company, Danscend, has had dozens of requests from musical theatre organizations to do workshops, provide resources, and create materials for musical theatre performers. The problem? The company provides resources for DANCERS. Not musical theatre performers.
We have worked with musical theatre schools one at a time, but as far as spreading the word to everyone that we are Janes of more than one trade? Little Michelle's negative thought pattern created by her well-meaning dance teacher returned. "
The company is called Danscend, Michelle. It's for dancers. You can't do more than one thing well, Michelle. People will stop liking/understanding/trusting you."
But, as I've learned from taking Danscend's self-talk course, I interrupted that system 1 thought process and really spent some time thinking deeply about it.
Is it really terrible not to specialize in one thing?
The answer that eventually came was not about me. It wasn't about little Michelle or grown-up Michelle. And it wasn't even about Danscend.
It was:
Musical theatre performers deserve to be healthy and happy, too.
Because this is what I wish I had when I was a musical theatre performer. That young Michelle who felt the need to hide her multiple interests? The Michelle who would say she "kinda can sing" when she knew deep down that she had studied opera for a decade? That girl? She needed to do a little self-reflection. She needed to do a few worksheets on positive self-talk. Oh, and she's got a message for everyone.
YOU CAN BE GOOD AT MORE THAN ONE THING.
YOU CAN HAVE A COMPLEX IDENTITY.
THAT DOES NOT MAKE YOU A FAILURE.
This lady is not a failure…even though she sometimes thinks she is.
So, guess what? Danscend is becoming a Jane of more than one trade. We're in the baby stages of understanding what this means for our company and how we are going to move forward.
But, in the meanwhile, we officially have completed our first musical theatre-specific resource - a packet of 10 musical theatre competition and performance preparation worksheets. Because, well, 'tis the season.
Now, this is NOT what this blog is about, but if you know a musical theatre department or educator that would like to join the Danscend family, please send them our way (danscend.com or email us at danscend@gmail.com). You can also check out our first musical theatre worksheet packet.
But, here’s the big point. It might not be the best business decision to diversify. In fact, according to most people I’ve talked to, it isn’t. But, I don’t really care too much. Because it’s the right thing to do.
You know what else is the right thing to do?
Please, PRETTY PLEASE, encourage the multifaceted interests of the people in your community. And of yourself.
We are all many, many things in addition to the one thing we happen to do for a living. Let us all learn how to celebrate the many sides of ourselves!
Love,
Michelle Loucadoux