A Q&A with…
Chris Manoe, I.N.C Artists
Interview by ALICE TCHERNOOKOVA
Dancers & Singers Inc. founder Chris Manoe talks about being a born leader, moving with the times, and the state of the commercial dance industry: what’s good, what’s bad, and where it’s headed
Alice: Tell us about yourself and your journey to date – how did you become a talent agent?
Chris Manoe: I guess I was always destined to do it. I always felt like I was meant to be a leader. You have to be very definite about your decisions in life. If you decide that you are someone who wants to work for other people and keep a low profile, clock in and out of work, that’s entirely fine too. I'm just not that person: I always knew I was going to forge my path in my own way and create something of my own. And that’s what I did.
I got involved in performing arts from a very young age and continued all throughout my childhood and teenage years - on TV, in theatre, in dance competitions... It’s always been a big part of my life. But there's always a question when you get to 16 as to whether it’s a hobby or something more serious.
Whenever I was standing in a group of dancers and listened to what they were talking about, I thought ‘This is not my tribe, I'm not meant to be in this’. Musical theater didn’t feel like the right fit either. I remember looking around on stage when we were doing the bows and the encore at the end of a show, and my peers just looked elated. It was filling up their senses, it was making them feel everything they should have felt at the time – and there I was, thinking about what time I could catch my train back.
One day, after an audition for a West End show, I went and sat in Leicester Square for three hours. I always say that this was a pivotal moment in my life: I sat down as a performer, and got up on the other side of the industry. After three hours, I had decided that I would no longer perform.
How easy was it to move from one side to the other?
There was obviously a bit of a transition period. Singing was always my first love, and it was very easy to be a session singer at the time – so I did that for a while, and in the meantime, I was working on putting my company together. That's how Dancers and Singers Inc. were born, around 2001. From then on, things started to fall into place, which quickly showed me that this was what I was meant to be doing. I'm a big believer in that: if it wasn't meant to work, it wouldn't have.
For the most part, there's been a lot of successes and a lot of very exciting, life-changing moments through this company. Being an agent is both massively fulfilling and incredibly hard work. It requires a lot of investment: in money, in time, in emotion.... But I feel I was able to control it, and I visualised and manifested things which then materialised. Of course, you make mistakes and learn as you go along, but I wouldn't change any of it – it’s what made me who I am today.
What did you find in the agenting world that you didn’t as a performer?
I've always been a celebrator of talent. When I was a performer, I didn't feel jealous or envious of people because I always thought that being surrounded by talented people could only lift you up. I actually love seeing people become ‘more than’ and reach their full potential, or get better at something they've worked hard on. I might sound very American here, but in short – I like to see people win! A lot of my friends are very talented – more talented than I am or ever was, and I love being in their company and seeing them do their thing.
What do you think makes a good talent agent?
You have to be quite selfless and have the willingness to push as much as you can for somebody else to succeed. Sadly, I don't think that’s always the case for all agents.
Sometimes, people may have shifted to the other side of the industry because they didn’t have a choice, or because their career was over. That can bring a bit of envy towards younger dancers, which can build into resentment. But you’ve got to be able to make peace with that and say – that was my time, this is their time, now let’s move forward. You shouldn’t let your ego come into play when your performers are doing well, as that’s what you should want for them. You also have to be a team person. We're all gifted, and we've all got something unique to contribute. As an agent, being able to identify that is an essential skill.
What do you think is the best way to handle the pressure and stress of being a professional/ aspiring professional performer?
On the other side of fear is growth. When you push yourself to do something that feels absolutely terrifying, you never know what you may achieve at the end of it.
We’ve all heard some horror stories of how dancers are sometimes treated on jobs. Why do you think that is, and how can we change it?
I've got several theories on this. One, in particular, is learnt and reproduced behaviour. It may have been the way a certain choreographer works, and once you take the mantle from them, you run rehearsals and shows in exactly the same way. It’s a sort of pattern that keeps repeating itself, but it’s very antiquated and it needs a shake-up. You can't expect to get the best out of people if they work in a fearful environment. I understand there are instances where people are not being professional, but screaming and shouting at them is not the way to handle it. It can also be down to imposter syndrome, where people may have been given an opportunity, but once they’re there, they don’t know what they’re doing, so they cover it up with bravado. It’s based on insecurity: they’re panicking, and they’re passing that on to their dancers. On a positive note, I do think that things are changing. People are more emboldened to speak up for themselves and know that this type of behaviour is totally unacceptable. I don’t think dancers are always aware of who they can go to if something inappropriate happens or if they’ve been spoken to badly. But the more people do it, the more it encourages others to follow suit. When we enter a room in the performance world, we all have a job to do, and we're all equally important. We are all cogs in the wheel, but no one cog is bigger than another. We can’t let our egos lead us to think that we are better than anyone else – ultimately, we're humans, and we're all the same.
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We often hear comparisons between the ‘old’ versus the ‘new’ generation of dancers – what was better then, what’s better now… What’s your take on it?
I've seen several waves and generations of dancers throughout the years. Some good things happened in the past, of course, but I think it's best not to look back and focus on what we're working with now instead. I would say there's actually a lot more guts, determination and drive among this generation of dancers – a sense that they understand what they want better.
In the past, there wasn't anywhere to go and get answers from, because we didn't have social media. We weren't aware of dancers in the city next to us – let alone from around the world! Now, we know who everybody is, and I think that awareness is good. It can sometimes be damaging, but it can also work as a boost to make you work that bit harder and push yourself. As long as it’s taken in a positive way, it can be a positive thing. There’s also a lot more commercial dancers now than there used to be, which means there’s more competition.
I personally celebrate the younger generation because they’re the future. They're the ones who are going to be bringing the industry up, and if we don't nurture them, they won't know how to do the job when we're too old to do it. I always invest a lot of time in up-and-coming talent, because they're the ones who are going to run the industry one day.
What legacy and footprint on the industry do you want to leave behind?
I'm not someone who looks back – I would rather look to the future. I'm excited about the fact that even after all these years, the agency is still growing and evolving. It’s important not to stay stuck and move with the times. Gaining a reputation for being dated would be one of my worst feelings. I’m in my 40s, so I'm not a youngster, but I’m forward-thinking.
I want to keep moving forward and continue to respond to what current culture, and current dance culture, are. I'm a constant researcher and I never want dance to stay still. When I'm doing research, I always look for new styles from around the world and the people pioneering those. So, I guess what I would like to remembered for is that I’ve always looked ahead and moved forward.
Any final word or message for the dance community?
I believe no one should ever tell you ‘no’. You can make that decision for yourself, but don't let anybody else say that to you. Because there is always a way: if it's your dream, your ambition, if it's what gives you fire in the belly, then you have to pursue it. In auditions, many dancers give the power to those who sit on the panel. If they don't get that job, suddenly they're made to feel that they might as well give up on their career. You shouldn’t give up just because somebody else has told you to, and conversely - no one should coerce or advise anybody that something isn’t right for them.
It’s about retaining one’s power: the people sitting on the panel do not own your career. You do. You're the one who has invested in it and put all the time and effort in – the blood, sweat and tears. Never hand over that power to somebody else: you're the one who owns it.