Acting Without the Drama

July 23, 2008. So, I admit it. I’m a huge fan of So You Think You Can Dance. I get my weekly dose of goosebumps watching those amazing dancers connect to one another as they tell stories with their bodies. I have my favorites, but this year’s final group of dancers is getting down to where I have no idea who I want to win. I don’t want any of them to go. I just want to keep watching them dance.

As I was watching tonight, I was amazed at one routine in particular. It’s not a style I particularly like, but there was a moment in the routine where they did a dead-man’s spin and then flipped from being face-up to being face-down in the middle. I was stunned, as was my wife. We watched it again and again (TiVo is awesome), not believing what we were seeing.

The move itself was a revelation. What really struck me, however, was the abandon that went into that moment. What they did was a moving expression of trust.

I get frightened all the time. I think that’s a good thing. Without the fear, it’s kind of impossible for us to act courageously. If there were no fear, what was done in that dance routine would have no meaning.

But it does have meaning.

Without maybe realizing it, those two dancers (who are two of my favorites on the show) created a moment of magic. They demonstrated that two people who are connected to each other through trust can become so much greater than the sum of their parts.

I watched their solos. They were good.

Together, they were miraculous.

So, along with the challenge that I give you to get out and do at least one thing to be an actor every day, I want to add one more strong suggestion. Find ways to fearlessly trust a fellow actor. Acting is best when it’s a group activity, anyway. Find a partner, work with them, throw yourself into it. Risk.

The payoff can be pretty spectacular.

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