Dancing
in Guam
That's
right Guam!
Another fun and
fulfilling dance opportunity is "Fantastique" being performed at the
SandCastle Entertainment Center in Guam. Many dancers aren't aware that Guam
is using the talents of American dancers and have been for quite some time.
To
give you insight into this terrific dance job, I want to tell you about a very
special choreographer, Jerry Jackson. He is often called the "Renaissance
Man" because he has the ability to produce, write, direct, choreograph,
design costumes and compose music. How's that for versatility!
After acquiring
a Masters Degree in Art at UCLA, Jerry worked as a regular dancer on the Danny
Kaye Show where he met and assisted Hermes Pan. He later became an assistant
choreographer to a dancer many of us have heard of, Mr. Fred Astaire. Jerry
choreographed "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" on Broadway and he
created, directed and choreographed the Folies Bergere in Las Vegas, from 1975
to the present day.
Don: Jerry, tell me a
little about Guam and the SandCastle Theatre?
Jerry: Sandcastle is a 50 million-dollar theatre. This is not a hotel or a casino
or anything like that, dancers should know they'll be performing in a
state-of-the-art theatre. Although "Fantastique" is a french word,
the show is very much a Las Vegas type revue. They really like the American
dancer in Guam and I think that's part of the reason for the success.
Don: Tell me about the work schedule and the show.
Jerry: It's two shows a night, six nights a week and the show runs about an hour
and twenty minutes long. The show is very fast paced. The start of the show is
basically "Old Paris" and "New Paris" and there's a Can
Can number. There is a Latin section, with the tango and samba and also a Rio
section with a salsa style dance. I've incorporated a Broadway number and the
dancers will perform a fun fifty's number around a 1957 Chevy. The dancers
will get to perform a variety of styles and dances.
Don: How large is the cast?
Jerry: Thirty dancers.
Don: Does Guam have a height minimum or a problem with hiring older dancers?
Jerry: No, there is no problem with age as long as the dancer looks good and takes
care of themselves. But I have to say that height is starting to become an
issue. I need females to be about 5'6". For the men it's 5'10".
Don: What else do you need from a dancer wanting to work in Guam?
Jerry: I need energy and stamina. I love great attitudes and I also like new
dancers. Dancers right out of school that may not have a lot of credits but
have a lot of enthusiasm. I enjoy channeling that energy and helping to
develop a terrific performer.
Don: Where do you audition?
Jerry: We hold auditions in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. I will also take
submissions. You can send a picture and resume and a videotape. Videos are
very helpful and we've hired from them in the past.
Entertainment Director Scott Rogers had this information to share:
Contracts
All dancers will receive a contract and the initial term is for nine months.
All dancers will receive a round trip airline ticket, but if you violate your
contract and head home early, you will have to pay your own fare back to the
states.
Arriving in Guam
When you arrive, you will be met at the airport and taken to you hotel, where
you will stay for one week at no cost to you. The Sandcastle will put you up
for one week and give you a free two-week car rental. I think that's a nice
gesture to get you acclimated to the island. After the one-week period they
will assist you in finding an apartment. You will receive $600 a month for
housing. Remember that this is $600 a month above your regular salary.
Rehearsals will start right away and you will be paid $50 a day. Regular show
salary is in the $500 dollar a week range but there is a lot of room for
advancement. There are dance captains, understudies and swing dancers, so the
possibility of making extra money is up to you. Again the reward goes to the
versatile dancer.
Lifestyle
I was happy to discover that Guam is not as remote as you might think. The
cost of living is comparable to Hawaii. A little more expensive than what we
might be used to but not as shocking as Japan. While Guam is a dense tropical
island and has the humidity to go with it, you are not going to miss any of
the luxuries of the good old USA. First run movies are playing at the cinema.
They have a Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Café and many nightclubs.
Of course, the beaches are beautiful and there's a lot to do out on the ocean.
Guam is a US Territory and it's much easier to work in Guam than Mexico or
Japan. First, the language barrier isn't a problem. The national language is
English and Chamorro. The dollar is the national currency, so don't worry
about the exchange rate and you can even dial the United States, just by
dialing, 1-area code and the number.
Consider a working vacation in Guam!
You can send a picture, resume and your dance video to:
Sandcastle Entertainment Complex
1199 Pale San Vitores Rd.
Tuman, Guam 96911
Email: entmgr@baldyga.com
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