Shout out to my friends Mckeely, Alex, and Nicole for housing me while I wait for my summer sublet to free up. You are all dolls and I would probably be living out of my car in the Starbucks parking lot, if not for you.
I'd also like to take some time to discuss what the words "dance job" mean to me, in the field I am pursuing (modern dance).
Upon graduating, and getting that infamous "so, what's next?" question from countless relatives and acquaintances, I've decided to educate you on what a dance job is. Frankly, even my immediate family, although I love them, does not understand what it means, and I realized this when my dad insisted that it would be best for me to move home until I "got a full-time job."
Dance Job:
They come in many forms, shapes, and sizes.
The goal is something permanent or a long term contract, that pays weekly, and for performances and travel expenses. This would ideally be with a dance company.
The reality is that this takes time, dedication, patience, hard work, a good audition, talent, and luck. It often takes a couple years out there before something great happens. And guess what? You usually don't have an agent or a manager to help you. Just you.
In the meantime there are gigs of all sorts to help you on your way.
One time performance opportunities
Unpaid work (but performance experience to add to a resume)
Paid performance only, work.
Week long, month long, one-time
Commercials, Musicals, Documentaries, Cruise Ships
etc.
BASICALLY a whole lot of jumping around, temporary, up-in-the-air things.
There is rarely such thing as a "full-time dance job." And things are pretty uncertain.
Just because it didn't happen for you this audition, does not mean devastation or the end of the world.
Dancers are BEASTS!
I hope that clears up a few things.
I've been pondering this all a lot lately post-graduation, and all I can think of is what a weird lifestyle it is, and no wonder people can't understand it. But then again, dancers are weird.
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