Having visited the drawing board and discussed with friends I developed a topic of inquiry (finally) which I'm, firstly, interested in as I have experience in it but also could learn alot from different peoples points of view, different age ranges and psychological handling of the situation and ,secondly, it could be used in my future as an exercise in how to train the young mind in dealing with the matter in later life. The topic is 'Rejection' and how people in the musical theatre and dance profession cope with it during their careers.
This is the question I poseted on the SIG:
How do musical theatre performers deal with constant rejection? Does the competition for jobs and invariable disappointment have an effect in the long-term? I'm aware it all depends on the individual so I'd like personal views please.
And the replies I've recieved so far:
Gabrielle Fairhead Although I'm not a musical performer, thought be interesting to answer this from a dancer's perspective? To deal with any rejection is tough. For me you have to really know what is out there to be able to deal with rejection. If you don't expect too much it is easier to cope. If you do your best and know you have done your best, then still get rejected then you haven't lost anything. It is an attitude of knowing there is a right place and time for you, and if you are rejected know it was not meant to be... I follow the motto of " if you fall, just try and try again! "
Leon Webster Thanks for commenting Gabrielle. When I say musical performer i'm including dance auditions too. I was primarily a dancer but could act and sing too so thought i'd tie it all in. If you've done your absolute best then you can hold your head high and say maybe you just didnt suit the director's plans however there are times when we're not at our best as nerves get the better of us or you're putting extra pressure on yourself because it's your dream job. How do you deal with it then? Is mental strength an absolute necessity? From experience I believe dancers all start to believe in fate as a way of coping with the constant rejection. It's easier to believe it's not the right job for you rather than the problem being with you.
Emma Price Good question! I too am not a musical performer but as a dancer know exactly what rejection feels like. I guess different people react differently. I know when auditioning in my grad year I auditioned at a wide range of companies and was so desperate for a job, my realistic mindset was I didn't mind tooo much which one. I had my idealistic dreams but they were (as they often are) long shots so I went with the mindset that those jobs were unlikely and therefore just do my best - I can't do anymore. In my opinion I'd rather look back on my career and think 'ah well' not 'what if'.
Yes often we turn to belief in fate to cope but so oftenly proven with others it really is about being in the right place at the right time and when you've done all you can, what's the point in dwelling. Move on and look forwards.
Yes often we turn to belief in fate to cope but so oftenly proven with others it really is about being in the right place at the right time and when you've done all you can, what's the point in dwelling. Move on and look forwards.
Ruth Bowe I think is an interesting question and you could interview so many different types of people. Musical theatre performers of all ages and also people who aren't in musical theatre to compare what they do in rejection situations.
These replies were interesting and opened up more questions:
Having read some lit on the subject it seems that the business isnt for the faint hearted or those low on confidence as it is only likely to make matters worse. There are some interesting blogs from performers who have ways to combat rejection and how to approach it. It also links to audition technique and preperation but I want to concentrate on different personalities and how they cope with day to day rejection. Getting familiar with disappointment comes quickly and performers learn to just move on but if things in other parts of your life aren't going well can we adapt to keep it seperate or will it on some level affect our mind-set?
As of now there have been no replies so if you read this and care to comment please feel free.
From these replies I was able to formulate a survey based around the topic of rejecgtion and am currently analysing and gathering data.
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