Answers 4 dancers.

This issue marks the final appearance of Grover Dale's monthly column in DANCE MAGAZINE. Questions and answers will continue to be featured on answers4dancers.com. We wish him well in other ventures.--Editor

GOTTA KEEP MY OPTIONS ALIVE I'M A BIT NERVOUS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF A DANCE CAREER. I'M APPLYING TO COLLEGES AND WONDERING WHICH MAJOR TO CHOOSE TO PREPARE FOR THE BACKUP CAREER THAT I'LL NEED SOMEDAY. BUT NOTHING INTERESTS ME AS MUCH AS DANCE. WHAT SHOULD I DO?--LAURA It's always smart to have a Plan B percolating in the background. Dance careers--especially in media dance--aren't static achievements. They evolve, grow, and retreat often, only to grow in a new direction. That's one of the beauties of working in a profession that plugs into so many different kinds of experience.

What can a dance career lead to? Dancers from the Broadway production of A Chorus Line have set many good examples. Kay Cole went into choreography; Clive Wilson is now an established painter; Kelly Bishop and Priscilla Lopez are formidable actresses; Donna McKechnie produces her own one-woman show; Michel Stuart became a Tony Award-winning producer and costume designer; and others became therapists, teachers, designers, and entrepreneurs.

The world, as they say, is the dancer's oyster, Laura. Plan Bs are great, but trusting what you love, and where it can lead you, should not be overlooked.

AFRAID OF GETTING RIPPED OFF! I AM A STREET JAZZ CHOREOGRAPHER/DANCER TRYING TO GET A REEL OF MY CHOREOGRAPHY TOGETHER TO SEND OUT. IS IT SAFE TO SEND OUT A TAPE OF SOME OF MY COMPLETED WORKS? CAN SOMEONE USE MY IDEAS SINCE THEY HAVE A VIDEO THAT I HANDED TO THEM? IF COPYRIGHTING IS THE ANSWER, HOW DO I COPYRIGHT A CHOREOGRAPHY REEL?--SHANE A., NYC Hundreds, if not thousands, of choreographers and agents send out demo reels to production houses worry free. However, if protection is on your mind, it's your right to seek some.

One way to ease your concern is to secure representation from an agent. The agent (not you) submits your reel, so there's always a paper trail verifying the submission and receipt of your reel in case any questionable behavior surfaces.

Copyrighting choreography is complicated. An attorney who specializes in copyright law says that original choreography is automatically protected by copyright; you should label your tape `Choreography copyright [year and name].' But there's no law that prevents people from imitating a specific movement you use in your work. The scope of copyright covers the sequence of movements in combination, not the specific movement. Protection covers only that particular displayed expression of the work, not the underlying conceptual ideas. The more specific the expression in the work, the more protected it is. Ideas or themes are not protected. Also, if you're using copyrighted music on your demo reel without the composer's permission, technically, you're in breach of the copyright laws. I said it gets complicated, right?

Want more? You can read up on copyright law at www.loc.gov/copyright. In the meantime, you can always drop the fear and focus on the purpose of a demo reel: to be seen and attract someone who thinks enough of your work to hire you.

CONTACT GROVER DALE AT www.answers4dancers.com