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What kind of level in dance/musical theatre or such did your child reach before you started taking them for auditions or look for an agent or such.

Thanks

Ds had no experience other than a small local stage school when he had his first audition at the age of 9. It wasn't until he got a part in the sound of music tour that he had dance classes and that was when he decided that this is what he wants to do.

Thanks Dogcop, DD wants to go to SY at either year 6 or seven but she has not taken any dance exams, she has been doing ballet for fun and we are moving to somewhere that does exams in September and she does musical theatre dance at local dance school.

She wants to start trying for smaller end shows but I wasnt sure if kids had a lot of experience already for these but then I know you need experience to get into SY.

I work backstage and had one boy tell me he had three agents so I was a bit worried!

Flo has been going to classes since she could stand up - nothing over-ambitious, just local dance classes and Theatre Train for fun. Then she wanted something to stretch her more and started singing lessons and LAMDA classes aged 8. She has also been along to holiday and summer schools, because she asked to.

She also started to ask if she could go along to auditions and find an agent about 18 months ago too. It took a year or so of auditioning and getting broader performing experience to build up her CV and get accepted by an agent. She is just turned 10 now, still goes to local dance classes and loves her Saturday Theatre Train. She is progressing through LAMDA grades in Acting, Musical Theatre and Speaking Verse and Prose and has added ABRSM singing too. She thrives on it and would do much much more if I'd let her and if there were 30 hours in a day.

Then there's Pandora. Pandy goes to dance classes with varying degrees of interest - she is on a high right now but was determined to give up just before Easter. She has no interest in classes and determinedly sat out of sessions at Stage Coach's Early Stages. Things like LAMDA just don't float her boat and, although she can carry a tune, she doesn't want to sing like Flo. Yet she has asked for a Star Now page and, by going along to auditions with Flo, been cast in quite a few things which have then led to opportunities of her very own. She was signed by the same agent as Flo.

So, if my two are a representative sample, there's just no right amount of training or correct grade to have reached. From my experience, I'd advise you to let your DC take the lead, listen to what they say they want, see what you can do to make it happen and it will either work out or you'll learn from it.

At work, I describe my role as CEO as creating the space for others to succeed in. I take a similar approach with the kids

Sorry to ramble on - hope this helps.

Deb x

Overtherooftops wrote: I work backstage and had one boy tell me he had three agents so I was a bit worried!

I wouldn't take that as any indication of success to be honest! A high profile agent will almost certainly insist on sole representation.

It does depend on what your child wants to do, as Deb says. There will be children who will have some professional "success" (i.e. jobs) just because they happen to have a look or quirk that is in demand at the time - this may have very little to do with skill levels. Obviously success in musicals will need skills in dance/singing/acting in different degrees depending on the show, but a child could be very skilled in all three areas and still not be cast, because - as we all know - it doesn't just depend on how good you are and the decisions are often subjective and depend on lots of outside factors over which you have no control.

If your child is keen to try, then look out for open calls and see how she gets on. If you think getting an agent is the right next step, then apply to a few and see what response you get.

Thanks all,

Pg he told me he had three agents as one agent just wasnt enough to handle his talent!! He was only about my dds age

I dont think she is experienced enough to attempt agents yet, but definately going to look at open calls and local theatre.

At work, I describe my role as CEO as creating the space for others to succeed in. I take a similar approach with the kids ..."like"

Overtherooftops wrote:Thanks all,

Pg he told me he had three agents as one agent just wasnt enough to handle his talent!! He was only about my dds age

I dont think she is experienced enough to attempt agents yet, but definately going to look at open calls and local theatre.

OMG That sounds so precocious and it won't have come from the child, almost certainly a parent.

Dd does not have an agent, we considered it but she has no interest in film & TV work only theatre and most things within our area are open calls although she has got some stuff through Stagecoach.

She auditioned for panto for 2 years and didn't get in but got in last year as the production company held auditions at her dance school. She recently auditioned for a musical in Sotckport hoping for chorus and got offered a lead. There were a lot of dancers at the audition but they were on the lookout for stong singers for that one. There were loads of kids with agents there but this was an open call. I have chaperoned for a few things like the South Pacific tour and a couple of the kids did have agents via their stage schools but others went through opens.

I totally agree with pg that 3 agents (to handle the talent) sounds like they don't have a decent agent to be honest as most do insist on sole rep. In our area having an agent and being the right age pretty much guaranteed you to be an extra on waterloo road before they moved but as I say dd isn't interested in that.

I agree sometimes it just comes down to look/size. Dd was a chicken and granny in Georges Marvellous Medicine becasue she was the right age, had experience of being on stage and wasn't too tall. Mostof the other girls who met the casting brief in other things were over the height limit. A student of mine was worried about going for auditions becasue he didn't do ballet, I was able to tell his mum that the work he was doing in class was based on Grade 2 modern and to put that down as his level for local panto. He has just got down to the last 4 for Oliver and was recalled for a gang member, however he does have a quirky look, he stands out in terms of character and confidence.

Even within the same show/panto there will be different levels of ability expected. for example in panto they won;t expect such a high standard of technique form the 8 year olds as the 14 year olds but they will look for stage presence, poise and a host of other things. if your child has two left feet, can't sing in tune and has no confidence to speak out loud on their own then you are probably not doing the right thing in putting them through auditions. If they can hold their own and more importantly ENJOY what they they are doing then go for it and ignore all the waiting room talk/boasting.