Dancers put their bodies and careers on the line everyday to be able to step onto that brightly lit stage as they peer out to a dark audience full of eager people awaiting their performance.
It will not matter whether that dancer is famous, rich, undiscovered or poor.
A dancer will perform, will teach and will continue on with what they love if even in only the smallest ways despite never seeing their name in bright lights. It is the satisfaction and love for the art that keeps the dancer moving.
(Chicago, Hairspray, Fame, and Rent are a few of the musicals that are ironically about gaining fame.)
Danny Nyugen, who you may know by the name of Atomic Goofball, has been featured on So You Think You Can Dance and Step Up 3:D. He didn’t start dancing with the intentions of fame.
“I didn’t purposely try to start dancing, I sort of fell into it. I was on a journey to break out of my shell and seek acceptance from the kids at school,” Nyugen said.
Not all dancers are out to achieve immediate fame. Joe Tudor, a dancer who has obtained his AFA in dance and is now pursuing his four-year degree, shows a greater concern for growth than for spotlight.
“My immediate goal is to grow in this program, absorb everything I can, and continue to recieve my BFA in Dance Performance,” Tudor said. “From there I will try to dive into the performance world, auditioning for companies, show/tours, and with the education I recieved hopefully be able to pass on the art by teaching.”
Teaching seems to be a theme with this young dancers. After having years of experience in battles, classes, and shows, these dancers have wound up still wanting to aide others in their dancing while maintaining their own personal goals.
“I hope to land more gigs on commercials, tv, and of course movies,” Nyugen said. “ I plan on moving out to California to hopefully pursue more gigs. I want to teach more.”
Obtaining fame may be the ultimate goal of many dancers but teaching and passing on their love for the art hasn’t left the charts of dancer’s aspirations.
“I think if anyone goes into this thinking about fame, they’re doing it all for the wrong reasons then because the chances of evening obtaining that is slim and once you do who knows if it’s all worth it,” said Taavon Gamble, an avid performer in musicals who also choreographs and directs. “I’m just doing what I do and whatever happens, happens.”
So what about all of those dancers out there who have no idea how to make it big? There are a lot of talented people out there training just as hard as everyone else if not harder every single day.
“If you are a dancer and you want to shine, you gotta be unique,” Nyugen said. “ What other way to be unique than to be yourself. There is only one you, show the world why that is!”
Yet, no matter how a dancer is involved in dance, keeping a love for the art still remains an important factor.
“Very early in my training I knew that performing was something I loved and wanted to do,” said Gamble. ” It’s very important to me to love what you do for a career.”
So whether you’re hopeful for fame or not, they key is to always remember why you started dancing to begin with and keep your love for it whether or not you become famous.
