Is Frances a bad dancer? Or is it Greta?
In the film, Frances Ha, Greta Gerwig plays the titular character who happens to be an apprentice dancer in a professional dance company and later, a choreographer. The movie is sprinkled with a number of scenes which show her dancing on and off stage. But Greta/Frances comes off (at least to my unfamiliar eye) as being rather clumsy and awkward. She does not possess the svelte body of a dancer either.
So, my question is, is Frances not really a good dancer? Was she purposely made to look comical? Or is it Greta Gerwig who is simply not a good dancer?
A story that follows a New York woman (who doesn't really have an apartment), apprentices for a dance company (though she's not really a dancer), and throws herself headlong into her dreams, even as their possible reality dwindles.
I'm unsure how official this summary is. But if Frances is not really a dancer, how does she get a paying position (even as an apprentice) in a professional dance troupe? Also, as the audience, are we supposed to understand that Frances is not a good dancer based on her movements or is there any dialogue to reinforce this attribute?
Best Answer
There are several intentional reasons why Frances is not shown to be a good dancer outside of simply not bothering to cast a good dancer in the role. I divide these into in-universe reasons and storytelling reasons.
In-Universe:
- At 27, Frances is at least six years into a failed career as a dancer. She is teaching at a junior level instead of doing the intense practice necessary for being a top-of-the-line dancer. Maybe she was more skillful when she managed to join the company, but since then her skills have slipped while others outpaced her.
- When Frances does become a full-fledged choreographer, she does not work with ballet, the medium most associated with exceptional grace, svelteness, etc. Modern and jazz dancers work with a broader palette of motion, including some awkward movements, and have less stringent requirements for body types.
- During many of the moments that Frances' dances, she's inebriated or dancing purely for her own sake. Her form is understandably loose.
Storytelling:
- The film is funnier and more moving if the audience knows that Frances' dreams are doomed far before she does.
- Many of the dancing moments are character-building. Frances isn't perfect, controlled and svelte. She's overenthusiastic and awkward. Showing her as a perfect dancer wouldn't move the film forward.
Pictures about "Is Frances a bad dancer? Or is it Greta?"
Frances Ha (2013) - Official Trailer : Noah Baumbach, Greta Gerwig and Adam Driver
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