Gwen
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QUESTION!! Please tell me!I know I have asked something similar before, but I am curious.
If someone were to go into a tour of cats, do they absolutely need to have ballet, or is it possible to get in if they are just highly flexible?
What would the minimal amount of time be in ballet for one of the lesser parts? And also, how old are people who perform in cats-youngest to olderst age?
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Rumpleteazer4760
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I would say at least a year or two of ballet is a must, since the steps are really basic and you'd have to know them to be able to do the show. I'm sure it's possible to get in if you're flexible, but you're not as likely to get in.
I think the youngest person ever to perform in the show was 16 years old. I'm not sure about the oldest.
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Pounce
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I got this snippet for an old casting call for the males.
Seeking immediate replacements for the following role:
Pouncival – male under 5'10"; must have excellent ballet skills and be able to do turns in second.
Seeking future replacements and cast members for the 06-07 season for the following roles:
Munkustrap - Male, 5'11" and up, must sing to a legit G and move very well
Rum Tum Tugger - Male, Rock and Roll (ala Mick Jagger or Elvis) Must move well
Mistoffelees - Male, Excellent Dancer proficient in Ballet and Jazz. Must have turns in Second.
Macavity/Plato – Male; excellent dancer; tumbling a plus; tall and commanding
Skimbleshanks – Male; must sing well and have strong dance skills
Mungojerrie – Male; young; strong singer and dancer; tumbling skills a plus
Contact Dave Clemmons at Troika
So while ballet skills are not always required, the actor must be a skilled dancer. I'd guess everyone of the dancing cast has had a fair amount of ballet training.
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Bill_Calhoun
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A dance qualifictaion is pretty much a must, sorry! I know how it feels; I have had 11 years of ballet and then had an operation which left me wheelchair-bound; I aint gonna be up there anytime soon either!
And as for the age range... Well, bottom end of 17 (Luke Baxter, original Carbucketty, was 17 when he was in Cats). And as for uper age limit... well, think of Sir John Mills! When he played Gus in the video version, he was 90!
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Pounce
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| Bill_Calhoun wrote: | | And as for uper age limit... well, think of Sir John Mills! When he played Gus in the video version, he was 90! |
Yeah, but that was a special case.  For the show, he'd have to be able to do Growltiger. No real dance moves but must be able to sing Opera if doing the Broadway version. I've never heard "The Ballad of Billy McCaw".
I think Old Deut is not physically demanding so I'd imagine that so long as he can sing the part, any age will do.
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Bill_Calhoun
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| Pounce wrote: | | Bill_Calhoun wrote: | | And as for uper age limit... well, think of Sir John Mills! When he played Gus in the video version, he was 90! |
Yeah, but that was a special case. For the show, he'd have to be able to do Growltiger. No real dance moves but must be able to sing Opera if doing the Broadway version. I've never heard "The Ballad of Billy McCaw".
I think Old Deut is not physically demanding so I'd imagine that so long as he can sing the part, any age will do. |
I was using an extreme example ^__^
I reckon an upper of... 45? 50 at the most?
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Gwen
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Yeah...bad for me.
I wanted to take ballet when I was 12, but we couldn't afford it. I still want to take it...and now I'm scared that I'm getting too old!
I've always wanted to try out for CATS, but without ballet...I'm sunk.
I just can't afford it. 
(Wow. Am I wallowing in self pity or what?)  
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Bill_Calhoun
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| Gwen wrote: | Yeah...bad for me.
I wanted to take ballet when I was 12, but we couldn't afford it. I still want to take it...and now I'm scared that I'm getting too old!
I've always wanted to try out for CATS, but without ballet...I'm sunk.
I just can't afford it.
(Wow. Am I wallowing in self pity or what?) |
How old are you?
I did a lot of ballet, but then the operation stopped me being able to carry on.
But in September, when I will be 19, I am starting from scratch. SO ya know, youre never too old!
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Rumpleteazer4760
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If you have any amount of coordination whatsoever, there's a good chance you'll be able to catch on to something. You never know until you try, I say. ^_^
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*asterix*
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Karl Warden, who went on to perform Macavity in the Troika Tour, didn't start dancing at all until he was about 17 or 18. He was a swimmer and competitive diver, so he certainly had training for stamina and an impressive amount of muscle tone, but he wasn't a dancer. One day he looked at it, decided he could do it, started training and a few years later he was performing professionally in CATS. So, y'know, it can be done. You need a lot of dedication and hard work, but such is the requirement to fulfill most dreams.
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Gwen
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I'm 16.
I'm getting a job next year, but by then I'll be 17.
I know I took soccer for two years as an attempt to
build up stamina...(hehe, the only thing that got me through it was the thought of "If they can do a 13 minute dance routine, I can do this!!" and playing the songs in my head. Hehe...)
But the main thing is that I'm a girl. Isn't it easier for males?
But still, I'd like to take ballet.
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*asterix*
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| Gwen wrote: | | Isn't it easier for males? |
I can't image how. There is still a social stigma attached to the male dancer which in some places may unfortunately limit them from taking part, regardless of innate physical skill.
Otherwise you're young, you're still pliable, you can do whatever you want physically if you set your mind to it and acceot the sacrifices of your time to to practice and stretch. If anything, girls have the advantage in that, when working towards the splits, the worst they can do is hamstring themselves.
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Belle
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It is easier to men because there's about 10 women in the industry for every man. There's less competition for parts, but saying that it's not EASY for men. To get cast, they still have to be capable, and the best, but a talented, personable, trained guy is almost certainly going to get work, the same skills in a girl are no guarantee of a part.
Professional dance must be one of, if not THE, toughest profession to be in, physically and mentally - the bashing your ego takes constantly is so hard to deal with. But nevertheless I do think people should follow their dreams - only do so realistically. Don't just turn up at an audition, you gotta put the work in and get yourself so you CAN achieve your dream. It needs to be your work first, then wait for a lucky break.
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Gwen
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Oh, it's definitely going to be a lot of work.
My goal is to start as soon as possible, looking at it realistically.
I'm not worried about my ego being bashed, because I've taken a lot of criticism before. And it it's just plain -well, bashing, I've had that also. Of course, this is different, so I will learn what I can from it.
And definitely not a walk in audition! If I'm not prepared decently, it won't get me anywhere!
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