In pursuit of your passion, you will face obstacles and undesired last-minute changes. I did, as you’ll see below. Might as well count on snafus and start getting excited and curious about how the Universe is going to miraculously pull you through, around, over, or under them. When something doesn’t work out as planned, assume the next option will be even better. When one door closes, anticipate another more spectacular door opening. It will.
Enjoy this excerpt from
by Kristi Lynn Davis
I returned to Detroit elated with my exceptional experience in the Big Apple. Plus, I was going to Switzerland to do a show! Life can change in the blink of an eye, however, and almost as quickly as I’d gotten the job, it was snatched away. “I’m sorry, but the show had to be cancelled due to work-visa problems,” phoned the producer a couple weeks later. Although it was disappointing to drop my dreams of dancing among snow-capped mountains, chalets, cheese fondue, and Swiss chocolate, my immediate audition success had given me something far more valuable: the confidence to give it a go as a professional dancer. “Change of plans. I’m moving to New York, pronto,” I informed Jenny, who was ecstatic.
“Come in August and we can do this month-long modern dance workshop with Jennifer Muller’s company, The Works,” she said, enthusiastically. Not only had I never heard of Jennifer Muller, renowned Artistic Director of Jennifer Muller/The Works and former principal dancer with the José Limón Company, but I was only vaguely familiar with modern dance from the select performances I’d seen while in college. They blew my mind. The movements were bizarre, often ugly, and told a story or made some sort of social commentary. I often found myself thinking, “What on earth was that all about?” It wasn’t the smiley, easily palatable entertainment I was used to. It seemed to be more of an art form and an acquired taste like Stilton cheese, which to some people really stinks. I found modern dance intriguing and refreshing.
Modern dance brought with it new names to learn: Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, Alwin Nikolais, Murray Louis—famous modern choreographers. In spite of my lack of modern dance training, I was game to learn. Maybe the workshop was just the jumpstart I needed.
This time I vowed to arrive in New York more prepared, with headshots being my number one priority. My best friend from high school, an actress herself, turned me on to a photographer in Detroit to do the deed. I felt silly having my picture taken. Who did I think I was? “Big smile! Lotsa teeth! And tilt your head a little to the left. Eyes open wider. They look a bit sleepy. That’s it!” the man coached. “Now let’s try a few non-smiling ones. This would be a good time to change clothes if you brought another outfit.” I jumped off the bar stool and made my way to the small dressing room. Presumably, the photographer was trying to get a few photos suitable for more serious actress roles. I had never thought of myself as a serious actress. Anything but. In my high school musical theatre experience, I had always been cast as the funny, dumb, pretty sidekick.
I took off my lime green silk blouse and replaced it with my pale pink sweater, wondering how to make a non-smiling face that wouldn’t resemble a prison mug shot or my embarrassingly ugly driver’s license. “Am I supposed to make love to the camera? I can’t do that!” I practiced facial expressions in the mirror: Serious. Pensive. Intense. Intriguing. Flirtatious. “Oh, God. I look ridiculous!” Finally giving up, I returned to the studio surrendering my photo-fate to the expertise of the photographer.
The great thing about photo shoots is the oft-used strategy of taking a gazillion photos, so you are bound to get one that’s usable. Despite my discomfort in front of the lens, I discovered a radiant smiling shot and, miracle of miracles, even a decent non-smiling one (see photos above). “Hey, I look pretty good,” I admitted with a slight flip of the hair and a taller stance. Then, per my actress friend’s instructions, I mailed off my two favorite photos to ABC Printing in Missouri for duplication.
When those boxes arrived with five-hundred, 8”x10”, black and white glossy photos of my face, I was star struck. I almost felt famous just because I existed, multiplied, in print. Still, that was a lot of pictures. Would I ever really use them all? I imagined them littering some garbage dump, seagulls leaving their droppings on my beaming smile and visions of fame. Future rubbish or not, it was thrilling to see my dreams begin to take shape. I had headshots!
Next issue: housing. An aspiring female singer who I knew from college also wanted to try New York City and agreed to be my roommate. My plans appeared to be falling into place perfectly. Until, that is, they fell out of place. The woman got cold feet and backed out at the last minute. I panicked. I couldn’t afford to live alone, and Jenny already had a roommate. Would I be forced to abandon the plan and stay in Michigan? And do what? I had no plan B.
In the end, Jenny came through for me, once again. “Good news! I ran into Ashley at dance class. She and her family are going on an African safari, and you can stay in their apartment for the month of August.” Not only was Ashley a college dance friend of ours from Impact Jazz Dance Company, but she was also a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, the high-class sorority envied for its beautiful, rich girls. I could only imagine how stylish her home might be. Hopefully, this apartment-sitting job would buy me enough time to find a roommate and a more permanent place to live. All signals now “GO,” my parents and I loaded up their minivan with my meager belongings and headed east for New York City.
There will always be bumps in the road. You may lose a job. You may lose a roommate. But nothing and no one need stop you from living that glittery, sequined life you’ve always dreamed of. Trust that snags and hiccups are really there to help you accomplish your goals in a more fab way than you had ever imagined. Life is on your side. Thanks for reading. Grab your dance bag and meet me back here next week for a most bizarre audition.
Smile on, you sexy thang!
Kristi
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