A bit like the dancers who took part in the interviews that ended up becoming what we now know as the musical A Chorus Line, Julian got brutally honest the other night and told his dad and me that he was afraid he might burn out if he didn’t take a short break from only doing dance and take on something different. Seem that with his focus on school–imposed by parents who saw grades falling and grounded him–and on improving at dance, he feels all he spends his time on is dance and school. An accurate assessment of his time most recently. He has really had no social life over the last few months. So, the school musical, A Chorus Line, whose content speaks to him, comes as a very welcome break in his normal routine. It offers him something really fun and different to do and a chance to make new friends. Thus, it feeds his soul and gives him what he needs emotionally and socially.
Ah…our dancing boys are complex beings. How can a parent argue with a teary-eyed 15-year-old who wants so many things so badly, who yearns for acceptance and happiness and success? Isn’t this what we all want?
So, you guessed it, he will keep the role in A Chorus Line, drop out of the piece of choreography he auditioned for and agreed to be in at TDC, and face the consequences of these actions. He did manage to get the director of the musical to allow him to be away for YAGP the last weekend of February, which is the weekend just before tech rehearsals and the first performance when all the kids are supposed to be on call. This freed Julian up to have two extra weeks to rehearse for YAGP and to audition for another choreographer coming in to TDC. He doesn’t know if he’ll get into her piece, but it does mean he has a chance, since he already knows her rehearsal dates (this time they were offered beforehand) and is sure they don’t conflict with anything.
He realizes, however, that there is a possibility that he may be sitting in the audience come the Spring Concert and watching the other TDC members perform. (Most of the choreographers will come in between the beginning of February and end of March; the musical ends mid March.) He said he may end up regretting his decision at that moment (or before), but this is what he wants to do now. Okay…
He’ll write a letter of apology to the choreographer he’s bailing on…We figure that’s good protocol. Hopefully she’ll get that he’s just a kid–confused and all.
Anyway, I feel a bit relieved. He still has a ton of stuff coming up, but he seems much happier. That’s something. Sullen, depressed, angry teenage boys are not much fun to be around. (He even de-friended me on Facebook briefly!)
Onward to buy nude jazz shoes for the musical and white ballet shoes for his YAGP pax. I also have to figure out how to die white ones blue for his Bluebird variation costume… How is it that the boys just dance and the mom’s end up handling all the details? Thank goodness other people are getting the costumes themselves together.
Talented kids always have to make tough decisions. Letting him make his own decision is the best thing you could have done for him I think because these tough decisions will never end. Think of how many Hollywood actors turn down a role only to watch someone else step in and turn the film to gold! How he feels is as legitimate as the practical pros & cons. I don’t think he’ll regret his decision even if later he considers it a setback along his ultimate path – what life or career doesn’t have those?