Answers 4 dancers.

WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT FEELING INFERIOR?

I'VE BEEN STUDYING BALLET SINCE I WAS 13. I NEVER HAD THE PERFECT BODY TO BE A BALLET DANCER, AND I'VE ALWAYS HAD AN INFERIORITY COMPLEX ABOUT IT. I EARNED A DEGREE IN MODERN DANCE AND I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT, BUT J NEVER GOT OVER FEELING BAD ABOUT MY BODY. I EARNED A MORE PRACTICAL DEGREE AT THE SAME TIME, WHICH LED TO MY CURRENT JOB AS A PROGRAMMER.

BUT WHAT I REALLY WANT TO DO IS CHOREOGRAPH. I READ TIME AND TIME AGAIN IN DANCE MAGAZINE THAT [SOME] SUCCESSFUL CHOREOGRAPHERS VISUALIZE MOVEMENT IN THEIR HEADS FOR YEARS. SO DO I! SOMETIMES I HAVE TROUBLE WATCHING WHAT'S ONSTAGE BECAUSE I'M VISUALIZING MOVEMENT IN MY HEAD INSTEAD. THE PROBLEM IS THAT WHENEVER I TRY TO START SOME CHOREOGRAPHY, I GET TOTAL MENTAL BLOCK. I'M PARALYZED BY THE FEAR THAT WHATEVER I DO, IT WON'T BE GOOD ENOUGH. HOW CAN I BREAK THROUGH MY BLOCK AND FIND THE COURAGE TO FOLLOW MY DREAM?--ANONYMOUS

I'm blown away by your honesty. You're a classic example of someone who has got the scoop on what's standing in their way but who can't see a way around it.

I've talked with many dancers who've fretted endlessly about not having the perfect body. In time, most of us understand how few of us actually have an ideal one. We work with what we were given, make it look as good as possible, and then dance anyway. The same "go-for-it-anyway" attitude applies to stalled choreographers.

I'd like to remind you about a famous artist by the name of Vincent van Gogh. In his lifetime, he sold very few paintings. The only thing that kept him going was the support he got from his brother. He painted because he knew inside that painting was what he was meant to do. That was his job. Brushstrokes to canvas, over and over and over.

The point is that you must find the courage to do what you're meant to do. Can you find it by avoiding choreography? Nope. Courage doesn't come from sitting on your butt; it comes from doing. Dedicate yourself to the doing. So what if you stumble and fall? You'll use the same courage to pick yourself up and start over.

WILL I EVER GET A LUCKY BREAK?

I AM PART OF A HIP-HOP DANCE GROUP IN TORONTO. A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD SAY THAT WE ARE THE BEST DANCE GROUP OUT RIGHT NOW, BUT NO ONE IS WILLING TO HOOK US UP WITH A BREAK. RECENTLY WE HAVE STARTED TAKING THINGS SERIOUSLY BY REGISTERING OUR DANCE GROUP, AUDITIONING NEW MEMBERS, AND FINDING AN AGENT.

THE PROBLEM WE FACE IS THAT WE HAVE SO MUCH TALENT AND WE CANNOT SEEM TO GET TO THE LEVEL WHERE WE SHOULD BE. WE ARE TIRED OF DOING LITTLE TALENT SHOWS AND COMMUNITY COMPETITIONS. WE WOULD LIKE TO DO VIDEOS, DANCE BACKUP FOR ARTISTS, OR EVEN OPEN SHOWS--JUST ABOUT ANYTHING THAT WILL ALLOW OUR TALENTS TO BE EXPOSED. CAN YOU HELP US?--HIP-HOPPER

You can wish for what you want for the rest of your life, but until you're ready to position yourself where the employers are, it's going to be difficult. Oh sure, you can hope that a celebrity artist will catch one of your shows in Toronto and sign you up, but what are the real odds of that happening?

Hard facts show us that most of the music-video employment happens in Los Angeles, with New York not far behind. That's where the agents are out looking for talent. It's no secret--hundreds of talented dancers are in those cities taking advantage of the opportunity. The savviest not only know the scene, they make sure they participate in it. For example, in L.A. they show up regularly at the Choreographers Carnival (a monthly showcase event) at the Key Club on Sunset Boulevard. For a reasonable ticket price, they get to see the performance, groove on the dance floor, and be seen by the agents and choreographers who are producing the videos. There are other opportunities as well: the American Choreography Awards (which includes four or five production numbers often populated with volunteer dancers), agency showcases, fund-raising benefits, workshops, and classes.

Social events can be very useful for self-marketing. Mixing with industry pros puts you only one step away from meeting them. How difficult would it be to initiate a conversation with a choreographer by simply introducing yourself as a fan of their work? From there, it's only a short distance to mentioning that you hope to audition for them some day. That may be the extent of the conversation, but you will have taken a positive, concrete step toward realizing one of your career goals.

Training is another area loaded with marketing opportunities. In Los Angeles and New York, working dancers make sure they show up for classes taught by working choreographers. Can you think of a better way to grow into someone's particular style or show your ease at breathing life into it? A couple of those a week wouldn't be bad for anyone who's got the "chops," right? C'mon, let's get creative. I'll bet you're sitting there with a thousand ideas up your sleeve.

CONTACT GROVER DALE AT THESE SITES: www.dancemagazine.com www.answers4dancers.com

Tony winner and answers4dancers.com founder Grover Dale draws on his experiences with 16 Broadway shows, 8 films, and more than 100 television specials for this column.