We were lucky to catch up with Madelaine Burnett recently and have shared our conversation below.
Madelaine, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
Even though I practice the same pieces and same roles countless times to refine them, if I begin to feel that my approach is stagnant, the audience will feel it too. My creativity and approach to my work must be reinvigorated and freshened every day. I am my own worst critic and toughest teacher, so watching footage of myself rehearsing and performing technical work inspires me to refine my technique further and gives me the information I need to accomplish that.
I approach character driven pieces more emotionally. Throughout the process of rehearsal, I become one with my part by journaling, researching, and exploring their movement. In my current role in Alison Cook Beatty Dance’s “In Spite of, Because of… The Wallpaper”, for example, I play the subject character as she descends into madness. I study my character by reading and rereading the literary work “The Yellow Wallpaper”, which inspired Alison Cook-Beatty’s choreography for the dance. The compelling and truthful portrayal of a narrative role requires deep curiosity into a character’s backstory. In pieces of this genre, I reimagine my character’s motivation and their internal dialogue every day that I approach their journey. New ideas and new sensations come every day and the deeper I dig into my character, the more artistic choices I have to chose from. I strive for a different experience every time I perform.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a professional dancer and I perform for a number of modern dance companies and entertainment companies. I have also self produced shows. My artistic mission is focused on dancing for purpose and for betterment of the world we live it. Many works I have performed have connected to charity causes, for example my solo performance in “BC to NYC – A Dance Journey”, which raises funds for cancer research, and my soloist role in Alison Cook Beatty Dance’s piece, “Murmuration”, which was presented by Dancers Responding to AIDS (DRA)’s annual Hudson Valley Dance Festival. Other works have had the focus of educating and spreading awareness of globally relevant topics and educating communities. This summer I will be doing a tour to the Bahamas of “Project BrOKen”, a piece focused on mental health awareness, with dance company iDance Ministry. With all of this said, lighthearted pieces certainly have their place as well. Bringing joy and uniting audiences with their communities and with their own humanity is also a critical responsibility of the artist too, I believe.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three P’s! Passion is the first one, because a deep love and hunger for the craft is essential. I work myself to the bone every day because I love what I do. I live for every moment of rehearsal, creative process and performance. It’s not all glamorous, in fact most of the time it’s sweat and blisters as opposed to glitter and stage lights. But this career is about the WORK. I don’t think passion is something one can learn, it’s something that is deep within you. As my teachers at the Ailey School would say in regards to the competitiveness of this field, “in the end, it comes down to who wants it most.”
Perseverance is the next crucial “P”. This career is extremely competitive. There are not nearly enough jobs for the amount of aspiring dancers, so landing a company position is an enormous feat. For those who do land long term contracts, then comes the constant stress of casting. “Who will the director choose to choreograph on? Who will get the lead role?” I am grateful to have been offered a number of contracts early on, but that came from relentless work. You can never settle for “good enough”. You always need to work towards the unattainable “perfection”. I see that as the most difficult part of the job, but also the most motivating and aspiring aspect.
All of this said, I would not be where I am now without a “P”ositive outlook on all of the challenges and rewards this profession encompasses. Most projects and roles are extremely difficult, but I feel overwhelming joy and gratitude for what I do. As well as uplifting me and those around me, my positivity has benefited me professionally in landing me jobs. Be someone others would want to work with!
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I deeply believe in dancing for a purpose, whether this be a charity or a globally critical topic. My next point of focus is to use my dancing for environmental awareness. I would love to collaborate with a professional in environmental work or a head of a climate change charity. Melding dance and environmental study could educate audiences towards ways we can make a difference as a community.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @maddsthebads
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddie.burnett2?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuZnBoh-7MA&t=6s
Image Credits
SDFMedia; “In Spite of, Because of… The Yellow Wallpaper” by Alison Cook Beatty Dance, photography by Russell Haydn; “Murmuration” by Alison Cook Beatty Dance, photography by Paul Goode
