Acting in Company Class

My dance school has a theater dance company which I am a member of. The choreographer that we are working with right now is staging a number for us from Sweet Charity. The number starts out with a scene, which leads into the song, and into the huge dance break. Out of the 11 of the girls that are in company, only three or four of us are comfortable acting. We're all dancers, so we're all comfortable moving our bodies. But today when we were all given lines it was really interesting to observe the insecurities of the girls who aren't comfortable acting. Even though they speak every single day of their lives, when given somebody else's words to say they freeze up and become personality-less.

Now let me just say this. I'm not trying to be judgemental and I'm not critisizing them at all because I understand that acting can be a scary thing if you're new to it.

The choreographer, Stephen Reed was having a conversation with one girl after class and I was sort of listening in on their conversation. She doesn't like acting because she thinks she's bad, but she only thinks she's bad because she never tries, and she never tries because she doesn't like it. She's caught up in a terrible cycle.

I was talking with my sister about it when I got home tonight. You would never think this girl would be insecure about herself. But now that I really think about it, it makes complete sence. She always has to be good and perfect. Even when she's dancing. If she messes up, she appologizes and tries again. If she messes up a second time, she just gives up. She's affraid of not being the best and of looking less than perfect. It's kind of sad for her. Will she ever improve if she can't allow herself to mess up?