Jim Keith: Former Top Dance Agent ventures out on his own to make a MOVE in the right direction

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Jim Keith: Former Top Dance Agent ventures out on his own to make a MOVE in the right direction

Written by Shai McLeod

Dance agents. Chances are, you haven’t heard that much about them even though the profession has been around for over 20 years. Just like the biggest names in Hollywood do, dancers have representatives too. They’re commonly referred to as ‘dance agents’ and they help dancers get jobs, auditions and negotiate agreements, of various kinds, on their client’s behalf. A manager for dancers, however, is rare and for dance educators and choreographers, even more so. That’s where former top ‘dance agent’ Jim Keith comes in. His plan is to transform the commercial dance industry by providing his select group of choreographers and dance educators with the personalized attention, guidance and industry insight he believes are crucial to thrive in an ever-evolving entertainment industry.

Everything I am today, I owe to dance. No question about it!

Dance is more popular now than ever. Just turn on the television or go to the movies. More often then not, you will be witness to these incredible athletes strutting their stuff on the big screen, selling you a product in a commercial or dancing next to your favorite singer in a music video. However, those dancers wouldn’t look as good as they do without the chorographers their dancing for or the teachers that trained them, Keith believes. “Dance saved my life”, says Jim Keith, owner and manager at his new dance management company THE MOVEMENT, “It gave me the strength and discipline to never give up on my dreams. Everything I am today, I owe to dance. No question about it!”

But a manager for choreographers and dance educators…is this practical? “Absolutely!” says Keith, “These artists need personalized attention and career guidance. Not to mention the industry connections, which are invaluable when it comes to procuring employment. These days, it’s not necessarily about how ‘good you are’ any more, like how it used to be several years ago. Especially in the commercial dance world where things like budgets, image and relationships take president. Plus, by keeping my talent roster small, I can concentrate more on them individually. Making sure their goals are being addressed and reached. By joining The Movement, they’re given more attention and presented with more opportunities while at the same time, being shaped into stronger brands. Were talking about going way above and beyond what they’re already expected to do as ‘dance makers’ or what style they prefer to teach. This is about really utilizing their skills, ideas and individual gifts as artists. Most professionally working LA & NYC based choreographers have a multitude of other endeavors they are attempting to explore. Examples might include having their own dance shoe, instructional video, Dance Company, clothing line, workshop, magazine or book. Some of them even aspire to be recording artists, actors or have started to become producers themselves and are in the process of creating there own dance related TV shows or movies. Even things like their own technique or method of doing something ‘dance related’, which might be considered unique or beneficial, are being commoditized on. It’s not easy juggling all of that and still expected to create as an artist. Their goals and needs are going above and beyond just creating steps for Broadway shows or music videos. A new paradigm shift has occurred in the entertainment industry and dance is finally being recognized for its influence, inspiration and the ability to make a substantial profit. Plus, choreographers are now becoming household names and some, even TV personalities. This is leading to a lot of my talent being recognized internationally as well. It’s quite common for today’s working choreographer to also be traveling outside of the country to either continue choreographing or to teach. Some of them are even considered celebrities in other countries and you wouldn’t even be aware of it because you live in America. Some of them make more money abroad than they do here! The management of there hectic careers has become essential to their success as artists.”

The classroom is where all the magic begins as far as I’m concerned.

Okay we get that, but dance teachers too? “Yes, and here's why. I was starting to see a kind of cynicism and resignation start to spread across our country in regards to dance education. Tricks and politics are being rewarded over technique. If you are a top 10 finalists on “So You Thin k You Can Dance” or danced in a Justin Timberlake Music Video, you can call yourself a ‘Master Teacher’ and expect to be paid a considerable amount of money to teach a Master Class. Now, don’t get me wrong, these are some AMAZING dancers I am talking about but there is a difference between that and a person that is really invested into the true art of teaching. Someone that has an actual background in it. Someone that really cares about what they are giving back. Someone who will put in the extra time and energy that is necessary and wont just spit out a combo as fast and hard as they can to impress their audience. It’s easy to follow the hype. The Internet and media have made sure of that. Where do you find the true dance educators of this generation? It’s more difficult than one might want to admit. That’s why I decided to add dance educators to my company design as well. The classroom is where all the magic begins as far as I’m concerned. I wanted to make it easier for those that are out there, like myself, that still believe in quality dance education and how important it is, to be able to bring those types of dance teachers directly to there studio. As my former teacher Joe Tremaine would say, ‘Good dance training is good life training’.”

With this new company, Jim Keith is determined to bring back the quality of the movement to our dance studios, while helping the choreographers he believes to reach their full potential and goals. He has already cultivated a roster of some very impressive names including celebrity choreographers Cris Judd and Darrin Henson just to name a few.

Photography by: Marc Cartwright

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jimkeith

Facebook Fan Page: TheDanceAgent

Twitter: @jimkeithdance

Website: www.MovementMGMT.com

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