For this task I decided to propose my questions with one of the dancers in the show and one of the managers to gain two different perspectives on my developing questions. The dancer, Ashley Marinelli is a recent graduate from NYU Tisch School of the Arts and worked as a freelance dancer and choreographer before joining the cast at Celebration Music Theatre. The manager, Eric Hanson, has been working in the entertainment industry for over 10 years as a performer and then a manager as now works as the Sponsorship and Tour Manager at Celebration Music Theatre. I conducted this as an informal chat where I wrote down the answers. Below are the responses I gained:
What qualities do you feel make a good manager?
Eric: Having knowledge of your relevant field and of course the experience behind it. Also organisation is key to being a good manager.
Ashley: Communication is important. Also creativity and thinking outside the box. I like it when management think ahead and of new ways to move the entertainment industry forward, be innovative and try new things. When they are not just about profit but for the integrity of what we do as we have dedicated our lives to our profession. we love what we do.
What skills are important for a manager to posses?
Eric: Good people skills are a must along with good communication. Also in this day and age computer skills are important.
Ashley: Being business savvy i.e. good marketing skills. To have a good understanding of the entertainment industry. also knowing the line between being a friend and a boss. Knowing when to be professional and when to have fun.
What problems can be faced in decision making as a manager?
Eric: Time frame as sometimes you have to make a very quick decision. It can put you under pressure and if the decision negatively affects some one's life i.e. firing someone it can be very hard.
Ashley: Making the wrong decision as you can then have people looking at you thinking I would have done this or that and you can possibly loose their respect. Hopefully the manager sees the bigger picture and acts to what would be best in the long run for the company.
Have you or have you worked with anyone that has made a career transition from performer to manager. If so, what do you feel are the advantages and disadvantages to this transition?
Eric: I made this transition whilst I was performing as I was also managing the cast. The advantage is that you understand the performance side of view. You can talk to performers and know what it takes to do their job. This helps you to make decisions that concern the performance and give the performers good critique. The disadvantage is the desire of still wanting to be onstage. You can also be too hard on the performers as you know how it can be done.
Ashley: I have worked as a choreographer, which was a big transition from dancer. The advantage is that you can see the larger picture and have an understanding of the industry. As I have trained with some top people and been directed myself I can then pass that down. The disadvantage is that you must be confident. Pricing to be capable even if you are very young starting out. You have to know and be confident that you are good at what you do and that way people will believe you are as well.
Do you feel ex-performers makes the best artistic directors and managers? Explain.
Eric: Yes because they have experiences it all before and have been directed themselves from other directors in their performance. They also have an eye for things non-performers do not.
Ashley: It definitely helps as the more you know the more informed you are to make a decision. Half of what we do is performance. The other half is business. If you know nothing about performing you only know half of your job role. However, I also feel some performers do not have the organisation and people skills to be a good manager.
There are a few key skills that emerged after this questioning that are important for a manager to posses:
- Organisation
- Communication
- People skills
- Business knowledge
By discussing my questions with my colleagues it seems that both agree that performers can be excellent managers if they know their field well enough and to progress from a dancer to a manager seems to be achievable. I plan to inquire further into people who have made this transition and how they found it and also the business side of things. Something that also came up from these questions was the issue of age. Ashley mentioned how in being a choreographer she was viewed as very young and had to be confident and reassure herself that she can do it. I am sure age plays a big part in management as well. Eric mentioned experience but just because you are young does not necessarily mean you haven't got a lot of experience, does it?
To conclude, gaining different perspectives on my set of questions was a good insight into what skills a manager needs and reassured me a career transition can be made. It also opened up my mind to ask some further questions. My next step will be to inquire into the following:
- What challenges face young managers?
- How can you gain management experience when you are still performing?
- What ways can you keep your business innovative and fresh?
- What ways can you improve your communication and people skills for business?
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