She turned down both opportunities in favor of other projects—she would wait for Graziella. Despite the rejection, she was undeterred. So when Deadline published an article announcing the film remake, Garcia-Lee felt that playing Graziella was meant to be. At the audition, the casting room was filled with many of her friends and fellow Broadway darlings, like Eloise Kropp Cats and Jonalyn Saxer Mean Girls. According to the film's choreographer, Justin Peck, Garcia-Lee quickly caught the eye of the creative team.
I could sense that from the first audition. At the same time, she was committed to the Broadway run of Moulin Rouge! She spent much of the winter and early spring of trying to figure out how to do it all. She asked if she could miss some rehearsals and most preview performances including the all-important first preview performance so she could film her scenes in the movie. I'll never forget Steven up on a ladder, then Steven halfway down the ladder, and then Steven on a rolling chair, Steven lying on the floor looking up at [the choreography] this way, Justin tweaking and tweaking.
Rehearsals for the iconic "Dance at the Gym" scene lasted two weeks. Before the work began, Garcia-Lee says, she familiarized herself with Peck's work as much as she could to get a sense of his style. However, I loved the challenge of it. Once rehearsals wrapped, filming for "Dance at the Gym" lasted six days, and according to Garcia-Lee, her feet never hurt so badly in her entire life.
But that didn't stop her from soaking up the magic. Especially on the day she and her co-star Mike Faist Riff shot their duet. We lost ourselves in the art. We finally got to the end of [the take and] Mike and I fell to the floor. Steven ran over to us, dove on the floor with us and smothered us with love. It was magic. But all those celebratory can-can kicks came to a crashing halt in March when the pandemic hit, just as she felt she was "stepping into the height of her career.
Though she thankfully recovered, she was left wondering what the future would hold. Several months later, it was announced that West Side Story 's release was going to be pushed back a year. Garcia-Lee spent her days volunteering at a horse stable in Brooklyn. It was the first time in decades she found the time to get back into the saddle like she did as a kid growing up close to the Bucks County farms.
She found solace and comfort around the horses. Then, with the help of her dad, she drove across the country to L. She wanted to focus on acting and find something new to give her purpose.
But that doesn't mean she let go of dance. As studios resumed in-person classes, Garcia-Lee returned to the dance floor. The learning curve right now is having a lot of grace with myself. When it comes to professional work, Garcia-Lee's been auditioning for film and TV projects while cultivating the next phase of her career. She also dreams of playing Roxie in Chicago on Broadway.
After a yearlong delay, she is physically and mentally ready to celebrate playing Graziella. The timing is exactly right. Photo by Jayme Thornton. Let's face it—dance is HARD, and in order to achieve your goals, you need to be committed to your training.
Not convinced? We talked with dance psychologist Dr. Lucie Clements and two multifaceted dancers, Kristen Harlow a musical theater dancer pursuing a career in NYC and Kentucky and Kallie Takahashi a dancer in her final year at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts , and got the inside scoop on how having hobbies outside of dance can inform your artistry, expand your range and help prevent burnout.
Dance Spirit : Are dancers less committed to dance if they have other passions? Lucie Clements: Definitely not, in fact I would always encourage a dancer to have more than one passion. Having multiple hobbies helps you to maintain balance in your life, brings perspective, and will also bring lots of new skills into your life that will likely transfer into dance. DS : What's the difference between a commitment to dance and an all-consuming obsession with dance?
LC: In psychology we call the distinction between commitment and all-consuming hobbies either harmonious or obsessive passions. A harmonious passion means that dance is in harmony with other activities, is associated with positive emotions, and we know that we would manage if we were injured. Essentially, this is where a person makes an autonomous choice to have dance in their life, and makes time and space for other things, too. An obsessive passion, by contrast, is one where we live and breathe dance, at the cost of other hobbies, possibly even friendships or relationships, and especially our own well-being.
This sort of commitment could lead to what's known as a "controlled internalization"—we are dancing because we feel compelled to since we can't imagine life without it, rather than doing it because we love it. Always remember to check in and ask yourself if dance is in harmony with the rest of who you are.
LC: Having lots of interests builds a broader self-concept, which relates to the way we label ourselves "I am a dancer," "I am a swimmer," "I am a sister" , but also the values we hold most strongly e. Self-concept is really key to our well-being, it gives rise to our evaluations of our self-worth and self-esteem. When a dancer experiences loss in dance, such as injury, a series of 'no's at an audition, or a long time without work, their self-concept could be wiped out if all they label themselves as is 'A dancer.
Someone who has a variety of hobbies can draw on the other parts of who they are to boost their self-esteem and find purpose. DS : Are there any risks associated with pursuing other interests that we should be wary of?
LC: Doing too many activities can lead to burnout. To keep burnout at bay, don't forget to make rest and self-care your hobbies too! Kristen Harlow on the relationship between dance commitment and hobbies: "I believe dance can still be your favorite hobby, as you allow yourself to explore new creative outlets.
That is the beauty of being an artist: We can use our love for art to try new things! During the pandemic, all I wanted to do was spread joy, and because we couldn't be together dancing in NYC, baking became the next best thing for me. Kristen Harlow on the similarities between baking and dancing: "Ever since I started Kristen's Kreations, I have realized probably thousands of different similarities between the two. Dance for me has always been my source of joy and motivation, and baking quickly became the same.
Kallie Takahashi on her own nondance hobbies: "I love to sew and design my own clothes. Sometimes I will just do small alterations on old pieces that I already own, sometimes I'll buy something knowing I want to completely take it apart, or I will even start from scratch by picking out the fabric and dreaming up whatever I can imagine. Kallie Takahashi on the lesson both dance and sewing have taught her: "Patience is everything.
You aren't going to get it right on the first try, but that doesn't mean you won't learn something on the way. Kallie Takahashi on the benefits of being versatile: "Expanding your horizons allows you to be a more well-rounded individual and gives you more outlets to express yourself. And who knows, the industry is so versatile, maybe that other interest will help you in your dance career in the long run—special skills and all!
Kallie Takahashi models the pants she made. Photo courtesy of Kallie Takahashi. Ultimately, finding balance with dance and other hobbies might be challenging to navigate at first, but it is well worth the work in order to let your best qualities shine. With her nearly limitless facility, well-timed dynamics and incredible control, Christian Burse's future as a dancer was guaranteed to be bright.
A student at the renowned Booker T. So, it wasn't all that surprising when Burse announced that, at just 17 years old, she would be joining Complexions Contemporary Ballet as an apprentice for the company's —22 season. Dance Spirit caught up with Burse to hear all about her first season with Complexions ahead of the contemporary ballet company's run at the Joyce Theater in NYC this month.
Christian Burse: I had been attending their summer intensive since I was 12 years old. So I've built a good relationship with the company and gotten familiar with their repertoire.
On the flip side, the company directors have gotten to see me progress and grow as an artist over the years. I didn't know it, but attending their programs all those years really served as my audition for the company, because in August, I got the email saying they would love for me to apprentice this season. I was shocked, and never thought I'd be at the point where I'd be invited to join my dream company, let alone this early in my dance career.
But it really showed me that hard work pays off. I still find it surreal that I get to wake up every day and be in a studio with Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson. Burse: The diversity of the company. I love how we have, for example, both super-tall and super-short dancers—everyone's so different and unique in their own way, and the directors encourage us to all be ourselves and embrace those differences.
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