I guess you could say it fits with any career. But the need to be constantly at the top of your game is especially necessary in the show biz world. Whether you’re an actor, singer, dancer, hand model or all of the above, you always want to make sure you’re doing everything you can to set yourself apart from the other people of your “type”. The best way to do that is through continuing education.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that you must enroll yourself in the nearest university to get a doctorate in performing. But it’s important as performers, that we are constantly bettering ourselves in our craft. Just take an honest look at yourself and
decide which talents you think need to be strengthened.
Ideally, of course, we’d all be in classes in every aspect of performing. But the reality is that they get expensive. Not everyone can be in a monologue workshop, vocal coaching and intermediate tap at the same time. Most of us have to have the income from our survival jobs to pay for them. Not to mention, all the other expenses from daily life.
For example, as a musical theater performer, I chose to use my money to get regular vocal coachings. Also in the past year, I’ve been fortunate to have been offered a spot in a dance scholarship program. I’m sure like a lot of people I’ll sometimes think, “Ugh, I don’t want to go to another class/coaching”, but I always feel better after it and know, deep down, it’s helping to improve as an overall performer. That should be the ultimate goal, right? Improving our abilities at what we love so that it becomes the career we want it to be and show people that it isn’t the hobby they think is.
Just look at what you really want to improve and then do the research to find what you need. Ask your fellow performers who they go to and how much it costs. It won’t be hard to find the people you need at the price you can afford. Plus, you can set goals. Start with what you want to work on most and then get to the others later, when you have the time and/or money.
We should always be working at something. If we still have the passion to be performers then, there should be no question about wanting to better ourselves. And
then when the day comes that we finally get to take our bows on the Great White Way, we’ll look back and say, “This is why I did all of that work. And it was worth it!”
