Not all dancers need to or want to go to college to dance. It’s a totally personal decision and should be based upon your progress and goals. There are certainly some questions to consider when deciding which route makes the most sense for you…

1.Am I ready to dance professionally now?

You might need consult with a trusted mentor for some help with this one, or go on auditions for college dance programs AND companies and see what offers you get. It’s always smart to keep your options open.

2. Is there a career track that I can use while I dance?

I studied dance and arts administration and while I never planned to pursue arts admin, I do know dancers who have worked in arts admin positions at the companies they also dance for. Can you study dance and simultaneously study PR or Marketing or something that could translate to an online gig that could support you through your early professional dance years (when you’ll likely not be getting paid).

3. Will I be OK with competing with younger dancers when I’m out of school?

This is hard to predict…I’ve heard from college grads of the challenge of competing with young dancers and I experienced it myself. It can breed insecurity. You go from being the top dog (a college senior) to being the bottom of the totem pole (trainee or 2nd company). It’s a hard transition that you might not be fully prepared for.

4. What kind of environment will I thrive in?

Will you feel better in a city or more remote location? It’s beneficial for your own company auditions post college to be near a city but you can certainly get great training even at a school that’s in a more remote location. You’ll just have to think about where you’ll go for auditions.

5. How much do I want to perform?

Different dance programs have different plans for performance. Some have just 1 or 2 shows and they’re on a smaller scale, while others have bigger productions in bigger theaters. Do you have a preference? What do you need to feel ready for the next step.

6. Do I want a more traditional college experience or a strictly dance experience?

College vs. conservatory is a question that comes up – I enjoyed the college life that felt more traditional socially and I think I benefitted from being surrounded by non-dancers. It was good for my sanity. A conservatory environment really is all dance all the time and if you’ve been training since you were 8, I think there’s a greater chance that you might burn out.

Some advice based on my college experience :

Audition every year. It’s a good way to gauge your progress even if you don’t plan to leave college to pursue an offer.

Go through college with the end in mind. Even though you’re taking some time to enjoy the time you have in college make sure you’ve got your eye on the prize of dancing professionally.

Don’t get sucked into bad body habits. It’s likely the first time you’re on your own with food outside of your parents home full time. Eat enough and fuel your dancing. Disordered eating will only serve to rob you of precious time you could be dedicating to dancing your best.

Careful with the partying. It takes a lot for your body to recover from alcohol consumption and sleep deprivation. As enticing as the party scene can be, try to be moderate with the amount you go out. Your body and your dancing will thank you.

Find mentors, learn as much as you can. You can always learn from the dancers around you and your professors have a wealth of knowledge and experience. Use your time with them to learn as much as you can.

Have fun!!

The post My College Dance Experience appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

Jess Spinner: Why don’t you start with how you got your start in dance?

Robyn Justum: When I was little my parents decided to put me into some very basic ballet fundamentals [class]. They knew, they would joke that I would kick in my crib when I was really little. They figured try it out, and see if I like it at all.

Once I got old enough that I could vocalize and express this is something I would like to do. Then they looked into, ok we want her to have good training whether this is a short lived hobby or something more, they wanted to make sure I was getting good training.

So they started to enroll me in classes in the local ballet school and kept going with it, and as I got older I realized it was something I was really passionate about. And so I followed the ranks of the studio, working my way up through the levels. I made that my focus outside of school.

Jess: Good of your parents to pursue more serious training.

Robyn: Yeah, I really appreciated it. They both have backgrounds in music, so they kind of understood that arts perspective which came in handy for their decision to enroll me.

Jess: You ended up at Butler [University]. How was your Butler experience?

Robyn: I loved it. It was so so grateful I ended up going there. The dance department is phenomenal. I was so fortunate to work with the faculty there. And it was really great because I knew I wanted to go to school. In high school I knew I was not mentally or physically ready to join a company, whether that be through a trainee program.

I definitely knew I wanted to go to school. I love academics. I love learning. So that was really important to me. The thing with Butler that really caught my attention was that I felt like it was designed like a trainee program, and it definitely is.

You certainly get your full academic perspective on things when you’re there. But you’re in the studio pretty much all day. You’re in academic classes, but you’re performing a lot, rehearsing a lot. You get exposed to a variety of teachers’ perspective in regards to ballet technique and developing your artistry.

And so for me I really appreciated that because I felt I came out of the program stronger and more confident with what I was looking for in my career. And for that I will be forever grateful. I made amazing friends, and came out of my shell a lot. Overall, I loved it.

Jess: What’s your approach to fueling yourself for dance?

Robyn: I always make sure I eat breakfast. I’m definitely a grazer. I tend to snack throughout the day. It’s partially out of habit with rehearsals and dance, but I’ve also never been a huge eat a big lunch person or anything. But at the end of the day I make sure I eat a big dinner.

Jess: Do you do any cross training?

Robyn: Yeah. I don’t do as much as I would like, just giving living in the city on a budget being a stereotypical struggling artist, it is hard financially to make that work. I definitely try when I can to take yoga, or strength and conditioning.

Anything like that will stabilize my core, continue to maintain my extension. When I can I try to get into some cross fit classes. I love dance cardio, anything in that realm. It’s definitely big for me. Now that I’ve moved apartments, there’s actually a really great gym close to where I’m living. So I just joined that so I can kinda get back into my gym routine as well.

Jess: Where are you taking classes as you’re preparing for this upcoming audition season?

Robyn: So I do the work-study program at Steps on Broadway, so that’s where I typically take classes at just because I’m there all the time and the work-study program helps out a lot with that.

On occasion, I go down to Broadway Dance Center. Those are kinda my two main ones. I haven’t stepped out too much and checked out other studios, but I know that Peridance and Gibney are wonderful alternatives to Steps and BDC.

Jess: Who are your favorite teachers at Steps?

Robyn: I love Heather Hawk. I take her whenever I can. Her barre always sets me up well for center. I always feel relaxed and never embarrassed. Even when I’m frustrated in her class, I never leave the class in a really negative headspace, which is really really important. So her class is definitely up there for me.

I also love Karin Averty’s classes. She was gone for most of the summer, but she’s back for the fall, which I’m really excited about. Her classes I always feel are setting you up for variations. It’s a more stamina-based class. Her barre is really excellent. It’s long, a little more exhaustive than some of the other teachers at Steps, but in a really great way. Those are definitely my two favorites.

Jess: How do you maintain balance now with all of the craziness of the city?

Robyn: So definitely trying to find ways to take time for myself, that’s productive time not – You know it’s just so easy to get into the habit of you come home at the end of the day and just sit and watch Netflix and that’s all you do. So I try when I can to go and do something whether it’s in the evening or if I had a day off from work.

Even if it’s just wandering around Central Park or going out to movie or meeting friends for happy hour, something that is totally separate from the studio and that reminds me that I do live in New York and that there is so much to explore when you’re here.

When you live in the city it’s so easy to beeline it for what you absolutely have to do and kinda forget there are all these things you can check out when you live here. So definitely trying to take advantage of more of those. And just surrounding myself with more things I love to do outside of dance

For example, I do love to cook and bake. For me that’s very cathartic. Even though it’s kinda in my routine, at the end of the day it’s nice being able to go home and cook dinner. It’s nice, it helps me unwind, it’s kinetic energy I’m using that’s not my full body.

Things like that for sure. And of course keeping in touch with my friends from back home and Butler just trying to maintain those connections is so important, especially in New York is a lonely city at times. Just reaching out to the people that know me best, that I know best, and that are there as a support system.

Jess: What are some of the goals you have in dance right now?

Robyn: Right now, this has been an ongoing goal, pretty much since my last semester at Butler; trying to reestablish my sense of confidence in my dancing. It’s been something I’ve been struggling with for quite a while now. It’s jarring for me to deal with because I’m always been so for the most part, I’ve never let myself get too much into my head.

I’m a thinker, so I overthink things and it’s something I’ve had to work on. Especially of late, I’ve been trying to really trust myself more and embrace what I have to offer, what I can bring to the table because a lot of times it’s really easy to so focused in on all of the flaws in my dancing and my artistry instead of identifying those things and working on them without being so self critical.

It definitely does get in my way a lot of the time, being able to make strides in my dancing. And smaller things, I’m really still working on my turning. Right now I’m waves going up and down with my turning. Some days I’m turning really spot on and feel like I’ve gotten a break through and everything feels great. And then all of a sudden I feel like a top that’s just been toppled over. So I’m just really trying to work on that. Long term, hopefully get a company contract, that’s the big picture goal. Yeah, so really trying to get out of my head and turning.

Jess: What accomplishment in dance are you most proud of up until now?

Robyn: See it’s hard when you are constantly criticizing everything, trying to analyze to think of something more positive. Let’s see, I think this is big picture, probably a little surface level, I think just continuing to pursue a career in dance.

Growing up I was very lucky to have great fantastic training and a really big support system, not only from my family but also my teachers, and that has continued. But at the same time, making the conscious decision to go to college, rather than to jump straight into a company without losing sight of my professional aspirations.

After college it would have been very easy not to have a contract after graduation and just be like ok that’s it. So although its hard at times to remind myself of this, but I’m proud of the fact that I’ve kept going with it and I haven’t lost sight of what I really want to do and keep working towards it.

Jess: That’s awesome. I think it can be one of the hardest things when you finish college and you don’t get that contract right away, you have all of those thoughts: gosh I’m old now and I’ve just spent all of this time working on myself and my dancing and why didn’t it materialize right away. What I am I doing? Should I keep doing this?

I think that you should be really proud to continue doing it and remember that the timing of our lives and careers is just different for everyone. I think more and more there are stories of dancers who are in similar positions and it might take a year or two where the opportunity opens up to you…that’s awesome, good for you.

Robyn: Thank you. It’s definitely a game of exercising patience for sure. That’s definitely something that can be hard at times, but I still think it is worth it to do. And as you said, it’s a very individual process too.

Jess: And sometimes too it’s just also the like I said with opportunity, you never know what companies are looking for when. Sometimes it’s a height thing; sometimes it’s just a matter of open positions and whatnot. You have to wait for all of the stars to align.

What does being a whole dancer mean to you?

Robyn: I think being a whole dancer really means, as we were talking before, finding balance. I think finding the balance between pushing yourself and embracing your dedication and your creative process and your focus without looking back and having that perspective on everything.

It really comes down to finding that balance between loving what you do and not letting that almost obsessive passion take over from the real reason why you are a dancer- it’s the fact that you love it. You really want to make sure you are never losing sight of yourself, never losing sight of what your goals are or getting wrapped up in everything else that’s happening because it’s so easy to see where other people’s professional tracks are going or what is the latest diet fad, anything like that. So really finding ways to stay true to yourself, and doing what is healthy from a mental and emotional standpoint, as well as a physical standpoint.

Jess: Any advice you would give to younger dancers or any other aspiring dancers?

Robyn: I don’t know how qualified I would be to give too much advice. I guess I would say: with younger dancers especially, first and foremost, never give up. If you really want it, continue to go for it. Really take advantage of the resources at your disposal, whether that’s your teachers at your studio, your friends

If you get the chance to work with a guest teacher, take a series of master classes, especially with today’s professional dancers, if they are teaching a master class they might not have the time to sit down with each individual student that is taking the master class series, but if you get the opportunity to talk with them or make a connection with them take advantage of it.

I think it’s very important to network especially today with everything social media oriented. Especially for younger dancers today it’s crucial that they remember it’s about their dancing and what they want out of their careers and to not listen to what everyone else is doing with their own personal track, because again it is very individual

So just because someone else is doing this workout regiment or maintaining this diet or what-have-you doesn’t mean that’s what’s best for you. I think especially when you are so caught up in what you want to do professional and especially as you’re growing up it’s really hard not to get caught up in that because you get such intense peer pressure in and out of the studio. I think just anyway you can to maintain perspective on everything and don’t give up, keep working for it.

Jess: That’s great! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me.

The post Exploring the NYC Dancer Experience with Robyn Jutsum appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

As a 3 year old my mum took me to see a local production of the Nutcracker. I knew someone in the show, she was probably a young teenager at the time, and I remember feeling so cool for knowing someone on stage.

After that I told my mum that she had to cut off my long bangs because ballerinas don’t have bangs and I was going to be a ballerina. I started ballet classes and never stopped…and I didn’t cut bangs back into my hair until I was about 16.

In a way I’m not sure I really consciously “chose” to dance professionally. The closest I came to that was deciding where to go for college. At the end of high school I was applying for colleges, and at this point I had no idea how good I was compared to other dancers in the world. I did a few company auditions that didn’t pan out, and I applied to college dance programs as well as a few universities where I would major in something academic.

At that point I was really hedging my bets against not getting in anywhere for dance, and accepting that I’d reached the end of the line. My parents and I are extremely pragmatic people and we’ve always had an agreement that they would tell me if they thought I’d reached the end of a professional dance career…they would tell me if I wasn’t being realistic and if I needed to seriously consider switching paths.

So as I waited for responses from universities I prepared myself that this may be the moment I stop dancing as a full time activity. I got accepted to Smith, a women’s college on the east coast that was a sort of dream school for me for academics. I started imagining my life there, majoring in Biology, studying genetics, dancing as a hobby.

I thought, “This will be such a hard choice, now, if I get accepted into a dance program.” Then I got my acceptance letter to Butler University’s dance program, and there was not a single doubt in my mind that I was going.

Turning down Smith felt like one of the riskiest things I’d ever done, but there was never a moment I considered turning down the opportunity to keep trying to be a dancer. So I suppose it was that moment that I realized I might actually be good enough to do this professionally, that someone else thought I had a chance, and there was no way I was going to pass that up.

My current focus is finding a job! As a freelancer you’re constantly in and out of work, and in the down time you find projects, you do auditions, you work on other stuff. I’m always networking, trying to meet people and make sure I know about upcoming auditions and projects.

At the moment, though, I’ve just finished a contract a few months ago with New English Ballet Theatre, and now I’m working on a film project with Ballet Theatre of Indiana. I choreographed a piece for them in October of last year, and my friend Stirling Matheson – the Artistic Director asked me if I’d like to collaborate on a film version of it. We finally settled on a date for filming when I would be available and back in Indiana (at the end of August) and we restaged the piece for film. Now we’re working through editing and finalizing.

The timing has actually been really ideal, too, because after a contract ends, particularly one as full-time as NEBT, it can be really difficult to go back to the freelance life of creating your own schedule. I like to be busy and all of a sudden I have a lot of unscheduled time on my hands, so having this project to occupy myself has been great.

I’m driven, like a lot of dancers, by an almost insatiable need for excellence. For better or worse, ballet is relatively essential to my being at this point, and I get real joy out of taking class every day and hopefully discovering new things about my body, about technique, and about artistry. The way I take class changes over time, as does the way I approach rehearsals, auditions, the profession as a whole, and the fact that I’ve been learning dance for 26 years and there are still new things to discover makes me want to stay with it.

I’m inspired by other dancers, I’m inspired by other artists, I’m inspired by anyone doing something important or remarkable in the world. I think we all want to feel like what we’re doing is important and has the power to make an impact, and I do feel like devoting your life to one study or discipline, and pouring your mental and emotional energy into it can create extraordinary moments that transcend. Even if those moments only ever matter to me, it’s at least worth the effort to try.

My path has been nothing like I expected. I thought I would get a full-time job in a company and that would be it, that would be my launching pad to the rest of the world, to traveling, to performing with different companies, always employed. I still hold onto that a little bit: the idea that being offered a full-time contract will mean I “made it”. It has taken me many years to sort of accept that the way my career has turned out is also valid, and actually has a lot of bonuses I wouldn’t have had otherwise.

I suppose for me the major turning point was when I realized I was capable of so much more than I had credited myself with, and that me, as Sarah, as a unique individual, had something of value to offer. I wish I could say that happened independently through a moment of self-reflection, but instead it came through external validation from someone whose opinion I did, and do, value so highly.

In January 2012 I was in Montreal auditioning for the now dissolved neo-classical company La La La Human Steps. I was first introduced to this company in college, and had sort of idolized the dancers and the choreographer, Edouard Lock, ever since. This company, in particular the dance film Amelia, changed my understanding of what dance could be.

So when I got to opportunity to go there I was absolutely terrified, and pretty convinced I had no shot at this. I’d been told in college I was too boring, too safe, and to not try for anything too contemporary because I wouldn’t fit. Unfortunately, I really held on to that bad advice for years, and it made me apologetic about my dancing and my own technical shortcomings.

Then I danced for Edouard Lock on Friday 13^th in a small studio in Montreal with Coldplay on in the background, and I was terrified. After the “audition” (it was only me and one other girl doing a bit of repertoire) Edouard pulled me aside and said he thought I was strong, I was interesting, and he wanted to work with me.

It sticks out in my memory as one of the most surreal and incredible days of my life, and those few words from him completely changed the way I perceived myself as a dancer. Incidentally, the company closed down for financial reasons after the tour they were doing at the time, so I never got the chance to work with Edouard. But we remained friends, and do still have dinner occasionally (which is a strange sentence I never expected myself to say) and his confidence in me has dramatically shaped how I view myself and what I believe I’m capable of as a dancer both in and out of the studio.

The biggest thing I had to get over was having such a clear expectation of what it means to be a “dancer” and what it means to be “successful” in this career. I thought getting a full-time contract was the only way forward, so for years I only saw myself as failing: constantly auditioning, piecing things together until I got that contract and actually “started” my career. Then I slowly realized, “This is it, this is the career, and you need to start enjoying the things that are happening now.” I had to stop seeing every project as a stepping stone or resume builder, and start appreciating them as essential components of my dance and performance career.

I’ve been vegetarian for 13 years, so that informs a massive part of my diet. In the past year I’ve made some big changes to my eating habits, though, that I think have been really beneficial: my husband got really interested in keto and encouraged me to do some research on female athletes and low carb eating.

Now, I’m not at all trying to say I stick to a keto diet, because as it turns out I’m not really disciplined enough to do that! But, I have changed my eating to be relatively low carb (under 150g of carbs per day), low sugar, high fat, moderate protein. For example: for breakfast almost every day I eat 3 scrambled eggs with a pile of ricotta cheese, a small bowl of full fat greek yogurt with ground hemp, flax, and chia seeds and some honey, and a giant mug of English Breakfast tea.

Most people consider it a lot of food for the morning, but for me it’s essential. The fat keeps me full and energized and I don’t have a sugar slump during the morning. Around 2pm I usually have a lunch/snack box I make in the morning with carrot sticks, mixed nuts, and 2 types of cheese sliced up.

Then for dinner my husband and I cook some variety of vegetable-based low carb dinner. We’re still working on what we like and what makes sense, but we eat a lot of salads with beans and cheese and sundried tomatoes, we make low carb “fathead” pizza crusts and load them with toppings, we do stir fries with soy “chick’n”, broccoli and mushrooms.

We’re not perfect about it, and on weekends I do love making pancakes, waffles, and biscuits, full of carbs and sugar, but we try to keep ourselves on track during the week. So far I’ve found my consistent energy levels are better, I don’t feel sick or hungry, and I’m actually eating a bit less because fat fills you up and keeps you sated longer.

I’m a big believer in finding a diet that works for your specific body and routine, and so far, this has been a positive change for me.

To me, healthy dancing means listening to your body. If you’re hungry, eat. If you’re hurting, rest. Dancers aren’t generally very good at this, and sometimes it can be necessary to push through fatigue or pain, but I don’t personally believe to be a dancer is to be in pain, or to suffer.

Dance as a profession is brutal both mentally and physically, and sometimes when I’m feeling so negative about myself or my work I try to take a step back and do something positive for my body, like take a day off, go to yoga, whatever. I don’t always do it, but I try to forgive my body and I’ve been working on doing things (like regular icing and taking hot baths) that give my body a chance to recover.

Currently I don’t do anything specific to cross train, besides the occasional yoga or pilates class, but my evenings and weekends job is relatively physical. My husband I both work at an axe-throwing event center in London where we teach people to throw axes (seriously). After an evening or a whole Saturday there I’m usually pretty tired, so between that and taking class almost every day, I value my rest time at home.

In 2015 I was living in Chicago and working out a lot: personal trainer, gym twice a day. At the time I really loved it. My trainer taught me how to use a ton of the equipment – mostly body weight and resistance apparatus, not the machines – as well as got me into interval sprinting for cardio.

I’d like to get back into it, though not as intensely as I was doing it then. I really enjoyed learning how to create an effective whole body workout that helped strengthen specific muscle groups that I needed for class and performances. And I really liked that my workouts were all focused on strength building, not weight loss.

For mental health I try to take rest days, I try to keep myself busy. Honestly, right now, having the axe throwing job is great because it’s something I enjoy and care about, and it has almost nothing to do with dance. It’s something different that I’m pretty good at, I get to talk to and meet tons of new people all the time and introduce them to something they’ve probably never tried before. It’s really good for me to have time where I’m not just a dancer.

I don’t know that I always succeed at keeping balance, but I try. Mostly I keep a pretty regular schedule, try to check in and make sure I’m not pushing too hard or not being lazy and letting myself off easy. My husband is really integral and does his best to keep me sane and rational : )

When I started the contract with NEBT I was working with them 8 hours a day during the week, and 4 hours on Saturday, plus I was working a 9 hour shift axe-throwing on Sundays. I did this for maybe 4 or 5 weeks, until I came into work one Monday morning, and I didn’t even make it to tendues before I had a little breakdown and had to leave class to lie down.

At that point I emailed my manager at the axe throwing job and explained I needed the time off until the contract was over. They were great and completely understood, so then I was able to have at least 1 day a week off to recover. It made all the difference, but it took a somewhat dramatic incident like that to realize how hard I’d been pushing and how much I needed to take a step back.

In my free time, I love binge-watching Netflix and American late night comedy/news shows. I’ve also gotten super into crossword puzzles recently and have been doing two or three per day. I also have a long list of important books I feel I should read, so right now I’m almost done with Crime and Punishment.

My goal in dance is to perform as long as possible, and to continue to find work as a dancer.

As I’ve thought about my life outside of or after dance, I’ve considered what I can do. I have a passion for choreographing, so being able to do that would be important. I’ve also considered possibly starting my own company. I believe I’ll stay involved in the dance world once I’m done performing, but I really want to do something that can have a positive impact on the dance community. There are many things I think could be better in the dance profession, and I have skills beyond performing that I’d like to utilize, along with my knowledge of the ballet world, to make a change.

There are many people whose advice and guidance I value, particularly my parents. In terms of a mentor in the profession, though, I’d say Derek Reid, one of my professors at Butler University. Derek believed in me in school and encouraged me to push for more, and he’s helped me through some difficult professional hurdles since graduation.

Every dancer, every person, needs to find the path that suits them. I’ve been held back by my own expectations of what I should be doing or how my career should look, and I think the best thing an aspiring dancer can do is open themselves to all possibilities.

In practical terms, as a freelancer I would say you need to be good at networking. You have to learn to make connections and keep your ear to the ground for opportunities. Within reason, go to every audition you can. Don’t limit yourself because you think a company won’t like you or you’re the wrong style. You never know what a director will like.

You’ll receive enough “no’s” in your career, you don’t need to be the one giving them to yourself. Generally, just be open to possibilities and try to enjoy each opportunity as it comes, instead of living in the mindset of “I’ll be successful when X happens.”

Some of the best advice I ever got, for dance or for life, is to accept that at each moment in our lives we can only make the best decision we can with the information we have before us. It helps me to live without much regret. Looking back on my career there are plenty of things that I think could have happened differently to get me possibly closer to where I want to be now. But I feel generally very confident about the fact that I made the best decisions I could along the way.

I try to hang onto the positives, the wins, the contract offers I’ve had, and try not to let rejection affect me too personally. It’s easier to say that than to actually do it, but you have to learn to accept that you won’t be what everyone wants, or even what most people want. Dance is subjective, and most directors make hiring choices more haphazardly than you’d like to believe.

When I get a contract offer or receive a compliment from someone, I try to hold onto those moments and refer back to them when I’m feeling like nothing I’m doing is working. As a dancer you really have to develop a confidence in your own expertise and your own ability to improve. For times when you lose that, try to surround yourself with people who will remind you of the really good times, and the fact that you’ve put in the work, and deserve to be where you are.

I’m most proud of the fact that I’m still dancing. Being a professional dancer is incredibly difficult both physically and emotionally, and the level of rejection most dancers experience is unparalleled in many other professions. There have been so many instances when it would have been easy to stop or change course, but I’ve adapted each step of the way, and I’m proud to still be doing what I want.

Part of that is because my husband and I made the decision to move to Europe. I felt that I had reached the end of what I wanted to do in Chicago, so Will and I decided that if I wanted to keep dancing and performing, we had to try something different. I’ve moved a lot with my family, but a move of this magnitude, as an adult, was so intimidating for me.

Will and I sold a lot of our things, our lovely families are storing a lot of our stuff, and we bought two tickets and flew to Germany in January 2016. I started taking open classes at a local studio in Düsseldorf and tried to network as much as possible. That spring we went to 7 countries in 7 weeks, auditioning in each one along the way.

It was an incredible year, but in all of that, I only got one contract offer: to perform Swan Lake with English National Ballet. It’s easy to look at it now and say it was a fun year with a happy ending, but the reality of my day-to-day was that I wasn’t getting job offers and I had no idea what would happen next. I’m most proud now that I stayed with it and allowed the unexpected to happen.

Dealing with near-constant rejection is the hardest thing about dancing professionally. It’s incredibly difficult to remember that not everyone will like you or your style of dance or how your body is built. It’s difficult to keep putting yourself out there in class and auditions when nothing is coming your way. My only frame of reference, really, is as a freelance dancer, and for me the hardest part is remembering you’re still a “dancer”, even in the off-time.

Performing is the best part. Being a soloist is wonderful and challenging, but there is nothing like the feeling of being in a great corps, part of a team. I had a few moments during Swan Lake at Royal Albert Hall where I almost couldn’t hold back the tears. Dancing in a venue like, only a few feet away from the audience, with a company and dancers of that caliber, was an experience I could have only dreamed of. It’s those rare perfect moments on stage and sometimes in class that make people fall in love with the profession. They make every other moment worth it.

As a freelance dancer, the other thing that dance allows me is an excuse to travel and see the world in a different way. Auditioning can be expensive, but traveling throughout Europe is surprisingly possible on a small budget, and it’s allowed me to meet and stay with people I never would have encountered otherwise.

At this point in my life, being a ‘whole dancer’ means being kind to my body, listening, and trying to find some semblance of acceptance of myself. It’s also trying to look forward to what I could do after my performing years have ended, and how else I can contribute to the dance world. In college I was told that my best dancing years would be over by 25, but I’m getting closer to 30, and in the past few years I’ve grown so much more as a performer and as an actual artist than I did in my first few years in the profession.

There are some things my body could do better when I was a little younger, but I’ve been surprised how much my technique has grown in the last year. Mentally I’ve changed significantly, my approach to the work has changed, and my approach to myself has improved. It’s still a process and something I’m learning to do, but I think forgiving, accepting, and celebrating yourself are key steps toward being “whole”.

The post The Freelance Dancer – Sarah Farnsley appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

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Why don’t we start out with how did you get your start in dance? Tell me a little bit about your journey up until this point!

“So I used to be into gymnastics in middle school, I was never very good at it. So that’s one of the reasons I sort of fell out of love with it so I was looking for a new activity to do so my mom suggested I try taking a ballet class. She did Pilates at the studio near our house and the Pilates teacher also taught dance.

So, that’s how I got my start. I took one class a week, did not know how to do anything, I got kind of a late start there but I increased the classes I was taking and I distinctly remember one day after a recital saying to my parents, ‘you know I think this could be fun to pursue. I’d like to dance professionally.’

My parents luckily have been so supportive my entire life and they said, alright, well I guess we should take the steps to get you there and do what you need to do. I eventually transitioned to a different ballet studio and started training in the ABT curriculum and really upped the intensity with that and after high school I went to Butler University and completed 4 years there as a dance major.

I did the whole audition tour this past semester and I was offered a position with The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company. So, that’s the next step for me coming up here!”

How old were you when you had that recital moment when you decided you wanted to pursue it (dance) more seriously?

“I was probably around 15 years old and then I switched studios when I was 16 and I really upped the intensity around junior year of high school. I was playing catch up for a while. It was kind of a sprint when I switched so I had to hold myself to a high discipline standard so I could get to where I wanted to be.”

I think sometimes realizing later can be better almost because you do have that added pressure to say to yourself, ‘ok I really have to make sure that I do everything I need to do at this point.’

“Yea, definitely. I was able to fully comprehend, here’s the standard I’m held to, here’s what I need to do to work intelligently in class to get me there.

What is your focus on now as you move towards this studio company opportunity which is really exciting. Congratulations!

“Well I’m just in love with classical ballet and I think Sarasota is going to be a great place for that. I’m just excited to immerse myself in the professional lifestyle and it’s a test run. We’ll see…I’m really, really excited. I don’t have one specific focus.

There’s a lot of things going on all at once. I’m transitioning out of the college lifestyle to professional life. Living on my own. I’ll have a roommate which I’m really excited about. Making new friends in a new city, I feel like I’m pinging in every direction a little bit but I’m sure it’ll all come together once I get there.”

Is the roommate going to be another dancer?

“She is. She’s also joining the studio company. We were able to connect via the company manager.”

What inspires you to dance?

“What I love about ballet is the beauty in the movement and how pure that can be but how it can also have so much expressivity behind it. I think it’s really a unique artistic expression because you’re moving so expansively but there’s also that artistry behind it that varies from dancer to dancer.

Watching different dancers add their own flavor to the role is just incredible and keeps it exciting and interesting and that really inspires me to find my flavor and add it to my performance.”

Have there been any major obstacles that you’ve had to overcome in your journey?

“Sprinting to catch up to the people who had been dancing their entire lives. Trying to get myself to that standard after having such a late start to the ballet world. That was a tough one!”

It’s helpful that you had support from your parents and a network and things like that.

“Yea, I was very very lucky with that. They’re my biggest fans and I love them so much for it.”

What is your eating routine like?

“Well, I really follow a whole foods diet. I don’t think you should deprive yourself of anything. It’s important to be well rounded. So, I got into this whole foods diet initially in high school because I was having a lot of skin issues and that really helped to clear up the acne I was having and my sister had really been educating herself about nutrition and a whole foods lifestyle so she was kinda right there with me, saying why don’t you try this or lets cook this together.

It was nice to have that support system there and I started to realize how great I felt when I wasn’t eating processed foods and was cooking for myself, not eating out too much. I really enjoy it and now I get a lot out of trying new recipes. Trying fun desserts that don’t have as much processed sugar in it. Not limiting any one food group but there’s an abundance of options and I just find that really exciting.”

So you’re at San Francisco Ballet for the summer as an RA. Do you have a cafeteria eating situation going on there?

“We do, yea. We eat right across the street. It’s just a typical dining hall with a couple different options and we go in for breakfast and dinner there.”

How do you navigate that?

“I am a vegetarian, so luckily there’s an option that they have every day. There’s also a pretty well stocked salad bar and actually I went to Trader Joe’s to get some snacks to supplement and get my own salad dressing. I’ll just bring some things in with me. If I want to add a scoop of almond butter to my oatmeal in the morning, I’ll add that to add some healthy fats in there.

They generally have a pretty well rounded option every day. You just have to be able to go outside of the boundaries of what they prescribe so if they say, we’ve got this, this and this option for the vegetarian menu today sometimes I’ll say, you know I only want that and pull from a different section to get something else and piece together the meal that sounds best to me.”

Well, I guess you too have some dining hall experience after being at college.

“Yea, you’ve just got to get creative to make it work. Some days are better than others.”

What does being a healthy dancer mean to you?

“I think to be healthy that goes beyond just diet. I think it includes the people you surround yourself with, the environment you’re in, trying to practice positivity and surround myself with positive people.

Positive friends who, maybe we’ll be venting to each other but ultimately we come to a positive conclusion about how the situation can help us grow in some way. We don’t get down on ourselves because dance is a high pressure career and you can’t get in the mind space of negativity. That will take you down in the long run.

So, just surround yourself with things that make you feel good. That’s what it means really.”

Any time that there have been those people that get stuck in the negativity and don’t seem to want to come out of it. I’ve always tried to kind of distance myself from that because as you’ve said, it’s not conducive to getting far in dance.

“Exactly and you don’t have to cut them out completely but to just check yourself when you’re around them and say no, I can’t get in that headspace as well.”

Do you do any cross – training?

“I do. I really really enjoy yoga. I think that is one activity that moves as expansively as dance. Even though you’re not traveling through space you’re really touching the entire area around you and I really like that even though you’re doing it in a different way it feels great.

I also sometimes go to the gym and do the elliptical a couple of times a week to really get my heart rate up. I think it’s important to have that stamina to get through variations or a tough jumping day. It’s important to have that cardio stamina.

Those are my two main ones. I also really enjoy walking. Ideally I like to be in urban areas. I think it’s just great to keep your circulation going throughout the day and get some fresh air, go for a stroll.”

What is your favorite style of yoga?

“I love vinyasa yoga. Specifically I really like heated although I can’t do that everyday because that’s a lot of sweat for me! I like how vinyasa is almost like choreography, you know, you’re going through a sequence, you do it to the right and to the left. It’s really symmetrical and expansive and I really like that for my body. It still feels like a workout but it’s calming at the same time.”

Have you been doing yoga for a long time?

“Probably 4 years now, I was introduced to it freshman year of college. A professor kind of sprinkled it into one of our conditioning classes.”

How do you maintain balance as a dancer?

“Again, surrounding yourself with things that make you happy. I think it’s really important to have a friend group or person outside of dance. Of course, it’s so easy to talk to other dancers.

We have our inside jokes and we understand the terminology but it’s really important to have people who can offer a different perspective on life because dance might be so foreign to them and they’ll say, ‘wait what? That’s crazy. Tell me more about that.’ and it makes you kind of step back and realize you might be way too in your head about something or you might not have realized how much of an opportunity something was.

Having people outside of the dance world can offer a new perspective and make ballet more meaningful in a way because you see things from a different set of eyes.”

I feel like that’s something you get a lot in the college dance experience. At least at Butler because you’re surrounded and immersed in the college scene. It’s not all dancers all the time so it definitely gives you that perspective.

“Especially in college, you’re taking other courses as well so you’re engaging a different side of your brain and thinking about things differently and cultivating your viewpoints on things, where you stand in life. That also translates into the studio.

I’ve grown as a person throughout my college experience and really matured and have come into my own. That helps me on stage when I’m portraying a character, thinking about how to approach choreography or the process in the studio.”

What are your goals in dance? What are you currently working towards or working on?

“My goals right now are pretty broad. I would like a smooth transition into this next phase in life and really contribute to the company and, I’m just going to use your phrasing here, be a “Whole Dancer” and be happy in what I’m doing and feel balanced outside of the studio and fulfilled within it.

I don’t have one specific thing that I’m working on right now…”

With moving to your first company position, it’s important to give yourself that space to just work on the transition and work on doing your best as you get in there. Like you said, it’s an entirely different scenario from where you’ve been.

“Right. Everything is changing now and it’s exciting but it is a little overwhelming so I’m just trying to take it one step at a time.”

Do you have someone who you consider a mentor or anyone who has kind of guided you through your dancing?

“I can’t think of one specific mentor. I was lucky enough to have great relationships with multiple professors at Butler and so they each offer different perspective on things and add different elements to my dancing because they focus on different aspects of it – the artistry vs. the port de bras vs. the footwork. I think that’s made me very well rounded.

Outside of the studio, I think my parents because they’re so supportive and they have a positive outlook and really support my sister and I to achieve our goals. They keep me motivated because they make me happy to pursue what I’m doing even when I’m having down days. We can’t all be on our ‘A’ game every day but when I chat with them they’ll say, ‘remember why you want to do this’ and that kind of lifts me back up again.”

What advice would you give to younger or aspiring professional dancers?

“Be willing to try new things. Not only just steps in the studio because I know it can be scary to try something for the first time but be willing to try new styles. Be willing to accept that correction the teacher gives you that you think isn’t going to help you. Always be willing to give it a try. You can always say, ‘no I didn’t like that’ but you might find something that you really do love and that can push you up to the next level and help to round out your dancing.”

How do you deal with disappointment in dance?

“It can be tricky. There’s a lot of rejection in the dance world and I think talking it out with people outside of the dance world has been most helpful for me because they’re able to say, ‘I get where you’re coming from but there’s more opportunities out there.’

You have to take a step back and say, maybe this isn’t the path that’s meant for me but did I discover something else in the process? Or, is there a different pathway I can take to try and get there or, is there a dance mentor I can talk to who’s been through the same experience. It’s really important to find people who can sympathize with you but who also push you beyond it.”

Yea, you have to stay flexible as you’re going towards your dance goals. What’s the achievement thus far that you’re most proud of?

“Probably cultivating my artistry on stage. That came kind of late for me and you know that’s something artists work on through their entire career but I am very proud of myself for coming out of my shell over the last 4 years especially at Butler. I’ve been pushed to not just smile on stage and do the steps but to really mean it and to find the quirks that I can make my own.

Again, it’s really difficult to do and I’m still working on it for sure, always will be. But I think taking those initial steps, I’m excited to see where I can take it in the future.”

Artistry is a big one. I think that like you said, when we’re younger and it depends on where you’re training and who you’re training with and stuff like that but a lot of times it is just smile and do the steps on stage.

“Right! Like for me in class, it’s so easy to get caught up in the technique of it and say I want to do this right, I want to do 3 turns, I want to get my leg up to here. It’s easy to get in that mindset in class but when you’re on stage you’ve just got to let that part come and then put your mind into performance mode which can be really tricky to do sometimes if you’re worried about the steps or you’re nervous about something.”

What do you think will be the hardest part of being a professional dancer?

“I don’t know, I was going to say the first thing that comes to mind is getting the initial stamina to take class in the morning and then be in rehearsal for many hours. A lot of times probably just standing, you know.

It’s hard to predict, honestly haha. That’s not a very great answer. I think probably building the initial stamina for the change in lifestyle. It’s not like I’ll be taking a ballet class, taking a pointe class, taking a pas class and then calling it a day.

It’s really class and then rehearsal so it’s not as academic feeling but really transitioning into that space of I’ve got to be in performance mode most of the time and be ready to hop on there and fill out the role in the studio not just to concentrate on the steps or the technique of something.”

We’ll have to check in with you in 6 – months and see what has been the hardest part of adjusting to your professional job!

“That’s part of the reason why it’s hard to answer that question because I’m not entirely sure what I’m jumping into right now!”

What does being a “Whole Dancer” mean to you?

“I think a ‘Whole Dancer’ is someone who’s balanced inside and outside of the studio. Who can enjoy themselves when they’re in rehearsals and performances but also can enjoy themselves when they’re outside of the studio and has other interests outside of the studio that they pursue with equal fulfillment so that you are taking in the entire world around you and not just becoming a one sided person.”

That’s such a positive shift that I feel has happened in dance in the last I mean, it was after I was in there because 5 – 10 years ago it was very much like, you should just be thinking all ballet all the time. If you want to succeed in this it has to be 100% all you think about all the time. So, I’m glad that it’s recognized by the majority of dancers that I talk to that that shift has to be made and those outside interests are going to enhance what you do in the studio and on stage.

“Yea, cause you never know when you’re just exploring a city or hanging out with friends you might have some experience that you didn’t expect. You might meet someone and experience emotions that you didn’t expect to feel but it can totally translate onto the stage. It’s all just part of maturing as a person.”

Any final thoughts?

“Diet, lifestyle, approach to work – address all aspects of your life and find things that are fulfilling for you in all of those different areas.”

The post “Whole Dancer” in transition : Julianne Blunt appeared first on The Whole Dancer.