Expanding horizons; Jamie Lee Cantillon dances her way into a movie role.

Byline: Richard Duckett

In a way, it was back to Earth for Jamie Lee Cantillon when she decided to leave the Sesame Street national/international touring shows in May.

The Worcester dancer had been such characters as the Pink Martian, Prairie Dawn, Zoe and Blanche, as well as sometimes turning out as Elmo while a cast member of the "Sesame Street Live Out of this World" and the "Sesame Street Live Elmo's Coloring Book" tours. Sesame Street took Cantillon, 23, across the country and to Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Trinidad and Tobago from 2005 to this spring.

However, "I'm done with traveling. It's nice to be home for a little while," Cantillon said back in Worcester a few days ago. If she does dance, it will be "around home, around Boston. It's better than traveling all over the place." Still, "It was a great experience while I did it," she added.

So the road has led her home to the Greendale section of the city and a job teaching at the Greendale Dance Academy, where she was a dance student for many years.

But no sooner had she settled back when another out-of-this-world adventure pointed in a new direction.

A few weeks ago a friend noticed that there was a casting call for extras to show up in New Haven, Conn., where some scenes for a movie were being shot. The film has the working title of "The Genre Project," but will be better known to most as "Indiana Jones 4."

"Three of us went down," Cantillon said. "We showed up on a whim." They were not the only ones to come on down. "Thousands of people showed up."

Cantillon brought along head shots

as well as her resume. Two days later she got a call saying she had been cast as an extra. Unfortunately, her two friends did not make the cut.

"Indiana Jones 4" is apparently quite a security-minded project when it comes to its plot and other filmmaking details, and Cantillon and others have signed contracts putting a limit on what they can reveal. "It was really cool just being there," she said. But while she may be a face in a crowd, Cantillon has been rewarded with some extra benefits.

In all, Cantillon was on the set for five days, and her stint has made her eligible to join the Screen Actors Guild. Many actors strive for years to become a SAG member since under union agreements, many movies and television shows can only be cast with SAG actors.

"To get that for one film in five days is just crazy," Cantillon said. She was also recently cast as an extra in a movie titled "College Road Trip."

"I was never interested in it before, but it is kind of intriguing," she said of appearing before the camera.

Asked if she's ever taken any acting lessons, Cantillon readily acknowledged, "none."

Still, "With dance you have to show emotion to get your point across," she noted. And taking lessons might well be in her future - on days when she isn't teaching dance. "I would like to get a speaking part," she said.

She has had a lifelong interest in dance, and has been associated with the Greendale Dance Academy for 14 years. She took part in regional dance competitions, appeared in the Performing Arts School of Worcester production of "The Nutcracker" in 2000, danced at the MLS Soccer Championship Half-Time Show in 2002, and has also performed at the Walt Disney World Magic Music Days.

"Dance has always been a huge part of my life," she said. But by the same token, "having a career as a dancer is really hard, especially if you don't sing." Cantillon doesn't, candidly saying that she cannot carry a tune.

After graduating from St. Peter-Marian Central Catholic High School she had been working in day care. Then "Sesame Street Live" came to town - to the DCU Center in 2004.

Based on the PBS children's series, the "Sesame Street Live" touring company has had as many as five separate shows crisscrossing the country and traveling around the world. When "Sesame Street Live" came to the DCU Center in October 2004, the version visiting was "Elmo's Coloring Book." While here, Sesame Street Live held auditions for hopefuls wanting to don one of the colorful costumes and strut their stuff on stage. Cantillon showed up. People auditioning had to quickly learn and then perform a ballet combination, a jazz combination and specially choreographed turns.

Cantillon obviously made a great impression since she was subsequently cast in the "Sesame Street Live Out of this World" tour. Like the rest of the cast, she mimed and danced to musical numbers such as "We Are All Earthlings," "We're a Family" and "Disco Duck" underneath the costume she was wearing as one of the show's characters.

They got a warm welcome from audiences wherever they went, but the adoration really heated up when the Sesame Street shows went abroad.

"In this country they're happy to see us. But once you go out of the country the place is jam packed. They're singing all the songs to you. They absolutely love it."

Asked about his daughter's expeditions, Jim Cantillon said, "I think it's great. She's worked hard for everything. She continues to work hard at it."

Looking down the road, Jamie Lee Cantillon would like to have her own dance school. Meanwhile, she reflected on some lessons that life has already taught her.

"The major thing I wish I did was paid better attention in school. Growing up I never thought I would find much use for things that I was learning in school. I was going to be a dancer, why do I need to take a foreign language? Well, yes, I am a dancer, but I spent three months in Spanish-speaking countries doing shows in Spanish. Knowing Spanish would have helped me out a lot," she said.

"Basically, pay attention in school because no matter what you want to be, you may think you don't need to learn what you are being taught, but take it from me, that's what I thought."

She's learned. As a teacher, Cantillon wants her students to take heed of what she does, as well as what she says.

"My main goal besides being the best dancer and actor I can be is not to be a good role model for younger kids, but be a great one," she said with emphasis.

"Everything I do in my everyday life I ask myself, `What would those kids back at the studio think?'"

Maybe some are thinking, "Can you get Harrison Ford's autograph?"

ART: PHOTO

CUTLINE: "Dance has always been a huge part of my life," says Jamie Lee Cantillon, but adds "having a career as a dancer is really hard, especially if you don't sing."