Character Analysis
Danse is a bit of an enigma. I don't think that you see enough of her as
a character to be able to form a definite and unwavering character analysis,
however her actions and behaviour do give rise to several different suppositions.
Firstly, of course, is her loyalty to Haven House. In The Music Awards she
refers to everything in it as 'our' and is personally involved in not only
organising the concert but in enlisting the help of Jem and the Holograms.
Her disappointment in them turning her down is also very personal. This
leads me to suspect that Haven House is something bigger in Danse's life
than just a worthy cause. The indication from the series (Homeland Heartland)
is that Danse has no parents growing up. Her father she believes is dead,
her mother 'went missing'. Therefore it's logical to suggest that maybe she
was an unhappy foster child who never accepted her mother's disappearance
and who perhaps was a runaway herself at some point. Haven House was the
thing that got her life back together and now she wants to repay the favour.
The show also indicates that Danse still lives at Haven House, since she
always seems to be there and to be associated closely with the children there,
more than a simple volunteer worker might. This devotion suggests strongly
to me that her loyalty to Haven House is based entirely on her own childhood
experiences.
As a character herself Danse appears to be everything Jem should be, if
she only had the same integrity. There is nothing deceitful or unkind in
Danse's manner. Dancing is the most important activity in her life - highlighted
by her distress and bad temper over her injury in Danse Time - but her friendships
are equally important to her. She is sweet natured and is very fond of the
Holograms - her diligence in fighting back to health in Danse Time is testament
to that. Danse comes across as a girl with a big heart and the kind of person
that easily attracts people to her. She is not judgemental and is deeply sensitive,
especially regarding her family (as seen in Homeland Heartland when she is
upset at the apparent indifference of her relatives). She does not like conflict
and always tries to do her best whatever the circumstances (even continuing
to dance after having a large pumpkin fall on her in Trick or Techrat).
Danse's origins are somewhat unusual, since her mother Nadia was a dancer
with the Zagreb Ballet and her father a Yugoslav (now Croatian) doctor. Danse
appears to have been born in America and there is no indication of her either
speaking Yugoslavian/Croatian - she does not even speak with an accent - though
it would be more than logical if she was bilingual. Her surname is Czech,
suggesting that her family has a more mixed Eastern European origin. Even
her name's spelling, 'D-A-N-S-E' is unusual, since this is the french word
for 'Dance' but as far as I can tell Danse has no links with any French heritage.
Having said that, though, her first name is Giselle, and I suppose it's not
beyond the bounds of possibility that somewhere in her cosmopolitan heritage
is a dash of french also :D
Friendships/Roles
Danse's roles are varying, and what exactly her role with the Holograms
themselves is is never made clear. She is generally a stage dancer, though
on occasion (One Jem Too Many) you get the idea she is choreographing the
movement of the group onstage. She is friendly with the group without having
more affection for one member than the others. She seems to have a fair amount
of admiration for Jem (silly girl!) for in the Music Awards she is thrilled
at the idea of them playing her benefit.
Danse has three male associates on the show, quite a lot considering she
gets less airplay than the Misfits! The first of these is Cisco, a blind guy
she meets when in Hospital in Danse Time. In my opinion this is her most genuine
attachment, since the other two - Robin Goodfellow and Stefan in Homeland
Heartland - appear to be more contrived or fantastical than geniune. Her
affection and admiration for Cisco's courage suggests to me that of the three
she likes him best.
Danse is also good with children, and, aside from the Haven House gang,
she also is teaching the Starlight Girls to dance at the start of KJEM. There
is no suggestion of any real opinion on her part of the Misfits, and she never
meets the Stingers.