Expert: Peter Messaline - 10/20/2007

Question
Hi I wonder if you can help me. My name's Paige Shiels and i absoloulty love to perform!.. I recently went to New York for my birthday and we went to see hair spray the musical on Broadway! As much as i enjoyed it i couldn't help wishing i was the one on stage! I'm 14 and i know i am still a bit too young to be professional but i really want to fulfil my dream off doing musicals on stage. I have been to many stage schools and clubs but don't feel like im getting any help. Please do you have any advice? I Would appreciate it if you could write back soon. Thank you.

Answer
If you want to be a triple threat performer, you have to have some strengths in singing and dancing as well as acting.
You should ber building your skills with any sort of singing and dancing, even if they don't seem to be what the musical stage needs, until you can get teaching in styles closer to the real thing. There are colleges and university courses, but to get into them you will need at least the basic knowledge, and preferably experience in amateur and semi-professional shows.
But right now try to get some classes and build up the muscles and the reflexes of a seasoned performer. If you try to jump straight into performance, even as an amateur, you stand a real chance of wrecking your joints or your voice by stressing them before they're ready. Oh, yes, one professional singer couldn't sing for a year early in her career after taking classes with someone who pushed her too hard.

Take care, and enjoy the next five years!!