I'm sure every single one of us has had this conversation at some point while studying at Ohio State. "Oh your a dance major!.. What are you going to use that for once your out of college?" This dreaded question, no matter the phrasing can be a frightening reality check for those of us who still don't have the answer. Being in this unique learning experience that we call OSU Dance is both a major blessing and a leap of faith.
We are blessed simply because we wake up everyday knowing that we get to do exactly what we love. We are surrounded by knowledge, resources, and opportunities. We have peers, teachers, and models to be inspired by and to learn from. We have this freedom in our lives to choose our own path, to make our own decisions and to test all the waters. We are truly fortunate for this period of exploration and discovery.
Of course with exploration and journeys, there is always unknown. Personally, I find the unknown to be one of the most frightening and invigorating things about being a dancer. Yes, we get to live out our passions but in our profession, there are no guarantees. There is no job security, you are constantly being evaluated on a subjective level, you are a competitor no matter what and your body is your utensil. Most of our success is out of our control. You can train for years and still be rejected by company after company. You can dance to your fullest potential, but if you don't look the part. you are out. You may have an illness or injury that happens by chance, but ruins your entire career. There are no absolutes, only hope and persistence. Living day by day, can make this sort of life exciting, but thinking about the finances, the traveling, the auditions and the lack of consistency can be a bit jaunting. I know it's ignorant to think we are the only profession with this type of lifestyle, but it seems we, as dancers, are pushed to the extremes.
For now, in this moment, all I know is that I don't know, and that's going to have to do.
Kelly,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you addressed this issue, because it's something that I think about often as well. How do you find that company that's your perfect match? Is there a match.com for dancers/companies? Because there should be. Also, if I can't get a job dancing, what do I have to fall back on? I could teach classes, but that's never been a great interest to me. I like being the student. That's why I'm endlessly searching for a double major or minor to pair with dance, so I can take care of myself if all else fails. (Not to mention, it will help my parents sleep easier as well.)
What to do? I don't know either girl. I don't have a dang clue.
Comment by Amanda Stricko:
ReplyDelete"See, I'm the exact opposite. I know exactly want I want to do, and have come across tons of people who try to talk me out of it. To be honest, I don't see myself as a professional dancer. I know there are some people in the department who frown upon this, but if I only dance for a few years after graduation I would be happy. My true passion is teaching, and I really believe I will run an awesome dance studio. Again, I know there are some people here (as well as my parents) who are hoping that I will change my mind, but my plan for these next few years is to learn all that I can about dance so that I can share it with kids. I thought I came to this university with a pretty good dance background, but after a year here I found that there was so much that my teachers neglected to tell me. My goal is to create a program that can prepare dancers who are looking to further their career, so that if they do dance in college they can go in better prepared. "