Nancye Hayes Goes Hip Hop

Image: The cast of Half Time.

At the age of 78, stage legend Nancye Hayes is not shy of learning new dance steps. The dancer/singer extraordinaire is learning the art of hip hop, as the lead in the Australian premiere of the Half Time, at Sydney’s Hayes Theatre, named in her honour. David Spicer reports.

Nancye Hayes proves that you can teach an older hoofer a new trick. At the early stages of learning the role of kindergarten teacher Dorothy in the musical Half Time, she has commenced classes in hip hop.

“I am starting to enjoy it. I love the beat. The swagger of it. I think it is really great,” she told Stage Whispers.

Six members of the cast are doing classes. They video their efforts and look back at their performance to see if they are getting it right.

“It requires sharp movement and a curved posture. The cleanness and hitting of it is very much like (Bob) Fosse dancing. Not the steps, but what is required of the definition.”

Half Time is based on the true story of ten ordinary seniors who audition to dance at halftime for a major basketball team. Only after making the cut do they learn they will not be dancing tap, salsa, or swing – instead, a style that is entirely new to them.

“Hip hop is challenging. You go in one direction, then very suddenly the other. Not like you are following in one direction with other dancing. The hips are out, then you are isolating with ribs. I also have ‘Tutting’.  My character Dorothy has a lot of these extraordinary hand and arm movement.

“She confiscates the music off one of kids, listens on her headphones and thinks I like this beat. She is a very quiet, unassuming person but when she listens to the music, she becomes Dotty and loves the music.”

Image: Nancye Hayes on the balcony of the Hayes Theatre with Stage Whispers 25th Anniversary edition.

Half Time began life in 2008 when a documentary film-maker and Tony Award winning producer Dori Berinstein filmed the auditions for the New Jersey Nets first ever over 60’s dance team. She released the doco Gotta Dance before realising the story had a life on the stage.

Nancye Hayes, who has been performing professionally for 60 years, says she is relishing the opportunity for a dance role which she admits is rare for a performer of her vintage.

“It throws up a challenge and gives older performers a chance to strut their stuff.

“Fortunately, I have never been a romantic lead. I can grow old in character roles. I have even played above my age - many times. Now I am acting my age. I love that by-line, a new musical about not acting your age.”

In the cast with Nancye are two performers she shared the stage with in Chicago in 1981 - Dolores Dunbar and Joy Miller.

There are also younger members of the cast of 15, who teach the dance veterans their steps.

“When I say to the young people, we did that in 1960 you see their eyes roll. Gawd, she’s been around for a while.”

Even the pandemic has not slowed down Nancye Hayes. Her most recent gig was last year with the State Theatre of South Australia in the comedy Ripcord.

A seven-week stint turned into an eleven-week stint when an outbreak of COVID-19 forced the theatre to postpone their season.

The Hayes Theatre in Sydney’s King Cross has been amongst the last venues to re-open, as its capacity is only 111. Their first production of Young Frankenstein - which opened in February - has been playing to 75% capacity.

As well as being an opening night fixture (gig permitting) Nancye has made regular appearances on the stage of the Hayes Theatre in cabaret, fundraisers, and Neglected Musical performances, but has only been in one full production before, in the 2014 season of Beyond Desire.

Image: Nancye Hayes and Chloe Dallimore in Beyond Desire at the Hayes Theatre. Photographer: Oliver Toth.

Living in Kings Cross she loves being able to walk to the theatre, and jokes that they named the company after her so she could hold a spare set of keys.

“It is wonderful to get back there. It is such an exciting venue. Even when I go, I am amazed at the stage concepts.  I look at a set and think how did they do that in such a tiny little space?”

To find out how a football field is squeezed onto a little stage and enjoy the latest production at the Hayes Theatre book for Half Time at www.hayestheatre.com.au.

Nineteen 98 Productions in association with Hayes Theatre Co presents

Half Time

Book by Chad Beguelin and Bob Martin. Music by Matthew Sklar. Lyrics by Nell Benjamin. Additional Music by Marvin Hamlisch. Based on the motion picture Gotta Dance, directed, written and produced by Dori Bernstein.

Directed by Helen Dallimore

Choreographed by Madison Lee

Hayes Theatre Co from 1 April to 2 May 2021

More Reading - Musicals in 2021 and Beyond