A SAFE PLACE TO DO DANGEROUS THINGS

For the film Susperia, Dakota Johnson had to learn German expressionist dance

It is an incredibly hard dance to master

It involves succumbing to gravity

A bit like being in a trance

Whilst also being full of sharp, expressive movements

In one instant it is delicate

The next it is aggressive

The combination makes it really daunting to learn

Particularly for an actor who hadn’t danced for years

But Dakota Johnson had a director she trusted

They had worked together before

And developed a great understanding

They created an atmosphere that helped her thrive

She describes their set as

A safe place to do dangerous things

This strikes me as the ideal description of an agency

An atmosphere of reassurance and support


That encourages bravery and risk taking

A safe place to do dangerous things

This should be the mantra

But I suspect more agencies feel like the opposite

Dangerous places doing safe things

The idolatry of the ECD

The fear of failure

The ‘they’ll never buy that’ nag

All lead to playing it safe

Often whilst feeling in danger

But one thing is true

You don’t master German expressionist dance if you’re scared

You need a safe place to do dangerous things