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Kana Sato is an authentic founding member of Shen Wei Dance Arts. Sato is from Japan, and attended CalState College for dance. Upon commencement, she was supplied a scholarship to American Dance Competition, the place Shen Wei was a visitor artist. At the tip of the summer time, he invited her and others to hitch an organization he was forming in New York, which turned her dance house for a decade. It’s the story of a profitable dance profession – however she’s shifted paths since then.
“Once I was leaving the corporate,” says Sato, “I transitioned into educating Pilates, however there was one thing lacking. I missed dancing. I missed the efficiency side of it, however my physique was getting older, and I knew that bodily I wouldn’t have the ability to do the identical form of efficiency as I did. I believed possibly I may do appearing. So I signed up for a two-year conservatory with the trainer Terry Knickerbocker, who’s my boss now.”
Sato is now a motion trainer at Knickerbocker’s appearing studio in Brooklyn. Of the conservatory program, she says, ‘It actually modified my life. I rediscovered who I used to be. On the finish of the 2 years, I used to be hooked.”
She continues, “After that, I did some appearing right here and there, however I actually liked witnessing private progress in my friends, and stored going again to (Knickerbocker’s) scene examine lessons for 4 or 5 years. At that time, Terry was constructing his personal college. He knew about my intensive dance background and requested if I needed to show motion. That’s once I began to shadow my mentors and co-teachers Nathan Flower and Julia Crockett, who’re nonetheless residents on the studio.”
Sato blended her dance background with new inventive enter – Williamson approach, a physicality-based appearing method that she now teaches. “Although I took a semester of this system whereas within the conservatory, it by no means actually clicked for me. However as I used to be finding out underneath Nate and Julia, I used to be discovering how deeply efficient it could possibly be for an actor to find themselves by means of motion. Virtually in an reverse approach from how we be taught our our bodies as dancers. As dancers, we prepare ourselves to be our greatest variations onstage, to endure ache and discomfort. We prepare and prepare to be the perfect. Typically the actor coaching, no less than on the primary stage, is to undo the habits that we maintain to guard ourselves. The purpose is to be messy, imperfect, human.”
Dancers and actors are each artists, however we converse totally different languages. “As a dancer, we domesticate this presence onstage, by means of movement or stillness, proudly owning the house. That interprets nicely whether or not on stage or on display screen. What doesn’t translate is a number of the armoring, the habits that assist us ‘maintain it collectively.’”
As dancers, it’s not our bodily coaching that lends itself to appearing. In reality, the rigidity of that coaching typically must be undone to be able to discover the pure physicality of a character. It’s our consciousness of and curiosity in bodily exploration that’s our energy.
“When a dancer has that hyperawareness within the refined particulars, and their instrument is malleable and particular, that may be useful. Dancers who know easy methods to make bodily decisions are immediately watchable. And but, dancers (myself included) are so used to doing one thing with out security or consolation within the physique. They endure such discomfort bodily, and I feel it interprets emotionally and psychologically. However human beings are wired for security and luxury; with out that, we are able to’t be curious. For me, as a dancer, I used to be in denial with the diploma of discomfort I used to be experiencing, whereas pushing by means of it. However as an actor, we have to be conscious that when you find yourself uncomfortable, you aren’t embodied. The somatic, mind-body connection is essential.”
They’re two totally different expertise. Dancers have the flexibility to endure discomfort, all the way in which as much as ranges of ache, and nonetheless dance. But when actors attempt to push by means of discomfort, their efficiency received’t learn as pure. It would possibly come off as stiff, or awkward.
Sato additionally notes that dancers may be very impartial of their craft – most of your coaching is spent focusing by yourself physique and efficiency. In theater fashion dance, dancing with a companion or group is secondary, and even then that interplay is choreographed and constant. Whereas appearing is all about interactions between folks. Scenes require you to collaborate, responding to a companion’s evolving enter. Essentially the most comparable instance in dance is likely to be a structured contact improv.
Sato underlines the sense of neighborhood that appearing and Terry Knickerbocker Studio has introduced her, of a spread that she hadn’t felt in dance firm life. The power to foster that security and closeness (and achieve this rapidly) is just not solely a part of actor tradition, it’s a part of the job. Being thrown onto set with an actor you’ve barely met and doing an emotionally linked scene with is a talent.
Dancers completely carry their very own strengths to appearing; we simply additionally want to concentrate on our habits. For these seeking to make the shift to appearing, or add it to their lengthy listing of expertise, it might take some translation of your current artistry. It’d require rewiring your responses to discomfort, unworking some perfectionism, uprooting the delight that hides in independence, and opening as much as others in a brand new approach.
“My first ardour, nonetheless my ardour, is dance,” says Sato. “And it has fueled me for many years. And – I really feel my life is a lot richer now by means of (appearing) coaching and on this supportive position. I really like educating. I don’t remorse taking this path, not an oz. If anybody is considering transitioning into appearing, or including appearing coaching to their dance coaching, it’s improbable.”
By Holly LaRoche of Dance Informa.
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