The reason why I have chosen this as my line of inquiry is because this is an area that makes me frustrated and I want to look at other ways a performer can stay in work and feel happy and passionate about there profession. After leaving Italia Conti I went straight into my first amazing contract onboard the Oriana for 10 months however when I got back I felt miserable and generally lost. At college they teach you how to audition, how to perform but do they teach you how to cope with the reality of being unemployed? My answer is not really. When I was at college I was kept in a blissful bubble however valuable information could have taken me into the real world. Rejection, lack of finance and disappointment of not gaining employment has caused a lot of performers in the industry to give up their dream. I do find it funny when people ask me “so what do you do as a career” and I answer “I am a dancer” and they always look at me in admiration which is lovely but do they appreciate how hard our line of work is? Properly not, but then why should they? My favourite line is “are you on TV yet?” it makes me laugh (a little nervy) every time.
The passion I have when I am performing allows me to cope with the distress of looking for work but I do wish there was something we were able to fall back on. When I am in work I am constantly thinking about what my next job is going to be, will it pay the rent, how long will I be unemployed? It is an unstructured way of living; you are always not knowing what and where you will be. Don’t get me wrong it is stimulating and exciting, but I hate not having money and to have money you have to be working. I believe dancers are among the most passionate and dedicated of artists and we rarely take our work for granted.
So I have decided to research and find ways to enjoy getting work, and finding new hobbies!
Work for yourself- Start your own business- it’s the best thing I ever done!
Sell something, make something, do something!
Travel the world!
Exercise- You need to be fit to dance!
Teaching- Teaching is such good money and you are inspiring others!
Do a course- Maybe a BAPP course would be handy for your profession Do some social networking
Promotional work
Find an agent- seeking out representation
Go to the theatre- get inspired and motivated
“If dancing were any easier it would be called football”
“Quitters never win and winners never quit”
Hi Stacey,
ReplyDeleteI found your line of inquiry so interesting and it is definately something I can relate to. Handing out leaflets really isn't the ideal job but so many talented people have to resort to it. To me it seems such a waste of their talent which could entertain and inspire others. I think the 'unemployed' world is always a shock when you get there but as you say there are always things you can do. I have chosen to do teaching to fill in my time rather than promotional work and there always seems to be space for new dance teachers. Setting up a business is a valid point and something I will definately be looking in to in the future. Your inquiry has definately made me consider the value of work in a dancers life and the harsh reality of unemployment
Hi Stacey! I am really passionate about this line of inquiry too and can definately relate to it. Currently not dancing I am doing promotional work (2 more weeks to go!) demonstrating toys(monkey onmy shoulder and flying UFO) in the week and a hair removal system at the weekends. I feel stupid and always have the need to respond to the people that look at me like I am crazy with "I'm actually a professional dancer". I have this urge to justify why I am doing this awful work. They just dont understand. I must say after coming off a world cruise on cunard it quickly brings you back down to earth! I hate this line of work but like you the love of dance keeps me going through these tough times. I agree that we were never taught how to cope with unemployment or what other avenues to take between contracts. I do feel that at the moment my talents are being wasted but it is hard to find any other job that I can just pick up and leave when another contract comes up. Even as a teacher they really want you there all the time. But I am a motivated person. I am the only one in my year who is still dancing. I think if you have the passion you will not let unemployment knock you down. During these times I go to the gym, attend lots of auditions, do promotional work and stay in contact with my agents and friends in the business which works for me. I think the reason people give up is when months go by and still nothing has come up. Then it is hard to find the will to keep going with it!
ReplyDeleteThankyou for your comments, i thought i would get some response on this topic (he he)x
ReplyDeleteDelighted that you have started to think about your line of inquiry. Your passion for the topic shines through and having that curiosity is refreshing. It's important to think of a line of inquiry that is of personal interest as it will sustain you through the programme. Look forward to reading more on your blog
ReplyDeleteYes - good range and now looking at an area that makes sense to investigate now - might be good to think about the range of possibilities and think about who might be able to tell you about some of these areas - do you have any burning questions that relate to the areas. Like traveling the world - what do you want to know about traveling? is this within performance or outside of it? Mark Illes is now in Malaysia - you could check out his blog.
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent line of inquiry. In an ideal world it would be great to get to the point where you have your own business to come back to...but one that runs itself while you are away! Dream!
ReplyDeleteI think the key is being a good employee to whoever you do end up working for between contracts. I was lucky to go straight into a central London restaurant (Sophie's Steakhouse) when I first graduated. They have been fantastic at letting me leave and then come back at the end of contracts. It's great money and many of the people who work there are in a similar position...and believe it or not, it has actually ended up being some very good networking!
Of course, as Laura said, you do want to justify that this is not your only job. However, contracts do come and go and as long as you can stay positive that you are doing what is right for you at the time, why worry what other people think of you at that moment in time?