Hi Jennifer,

Thank you so much for reading! The struggle is real. Jess is amazing at helping parents and dancers through things like this. I encourage you to get in touch with her!

Tatum

Olivia,

LOVE this. I totally relate. Thanks for reading!

Tatum

Hi Magda,

Thanks for reading and for the comment! College really shaped me as a person and a dancer in many ways. I went from training at a studio of around 100 kids in small town Minnesota, to training under many different renowned professors at a big 10 school of over 30,000 students. Living independent from my parents and meeting so many new people opened my eyes to new experiences.

Regarding dance, I initially wanted to pursue ballet, because I loved the specificity and rigidness of it.
I was a perfectionist and was a bit addicted to succeeding. As I got older, I eventually realized that pursuing ballet professionally would not be a viable option for me. This was a hard pill to swallow, but college really helped me find a way through those feelings.

At the U of I, I learned so many new ways of looking at, and experiencing movement within styles I was already familiar with. Every instructor had their own flare. I also learned to view ballet as a transferrable technique and tool for conditioning, vs just a means of training to be perfect. Ballet isn’t necessarily the basis for all other dance techniques, but the muscles and strength you develop inside of it can really help you excel in other forms like contemporary and jazz. I still appreciate ballet SO much and LOVE taking ballet class, but it is more a way of keeping my body in shape and my technique up to par, instead of in pursuit of being a ballerina.

As I was introduced to more styles of contemporary, I developed a deep love for it. The endless movement pathways and the emotional freedom I felt when dancing contemporary was unlike any other feeling I had experienced. I felt like I could explore my own personality and “play” when dancing contemporary, and that made dancing more fun for me. I wouldn’t have developed those feelings had I not danced in college where I did. My favorite contemporary classes to take are highly technical, and most of the choreography I create is on the contemporary ballet side, as I still love ballet and see a lot of value in how it can inform other contemporary movement practices.

Tatum

Hi Megan,

Thank you so much for reading and for your response! I am so glad this post resonated with you and your daughter. In my experience finding a dance job, I did extensive research on the dance scenes in the cities I was interested in. I would Google “dance companies Chicago,” and use Instagram as well to find companies/dancers, so that I could get a glimpse into what the dance scene would look like in terms of body diversity, company rep, and company size. I would read dancer bios and see how their experience compared to mine and watching videos of company rep.

To be honest, a lot of the companies I looked at ~felt~ unapproachable, but this was more due to my doubts around my abilities to get a contract. I ended up moving to Chicago without a contract (I paid my bills through teaching and planned to pursue auditions once I landed) and began to take open contemporary classes in the city to get a feel for the vibes. Eventually, I started taking open company classes and really started to see just how possible getting a contract could be. Not everyone had perfect turnout or feet. Not everyone had super hight extensions, etc. Bodies weren’t as much of a big deal as I initially thought they would be. Don’t get caught up in labeling yourself as too big, not good enough feet, etc., because I have found it doesn’t matter as much as I thought it did (unless you’re shooting for world class companies).

It was much easier for me to forge my path once I got to Chicago, as I was able to dance alongside people that currently had contracts and get a real feel for what being a professional company dancer looked like. I could see what company values were for myself, vs just watching a picture perfect promo video.

Making those initial connections and lightly networking (being a friendly face in classes, not being afraid to talk to people, etc.) is also a huge part of getting jobs (as a freelancer in Chicago). That being said, a company may display to have body diversity, but still not be a welcoming place.

I wish that there was an all-encompassing list of companies that encompass body diversity, but right now, there’s not. Here is what I did to prepare myself:

I would recommend narrowing down locations with thriving dance scenes that your daughter is interested in and taking time to really research what is available. If possible, take time to go to these cities for a couple days and see how it feels to you. Do you like the classes that are offered? Are there teachers/companies you are interested in training with? What does the freelance scene look like (project based companies, projects, etc.)? Is there anyone you know who lives there that you could get in contact with and pick their brain? Are there opportunities to pursue dance in a fulfilling way outside of being in a company setting? This last one is important to consider, because the contemporary dance job market is not the healthiest right now. These are all things I did to be the most informed I could – graduating and starting over in a new city in such a tough career is hard!!

It took me a full year to get on my feet and land a contract. That first year was SO tough – I felt like I was constantly wondering if I was in the right place, if there was a place for me, etc. There was, it just took time, patience and perseverance. Opportunities that are meant for you will not pass you by. Best of luck to your daughter!

Tatum

Hi Megan!

Thank you for your patience in awaiting my reply. Tatum’s story absolutely connects with so many dancers. I’m so happy that your daughter has found more freedom in contemporary!! What a gift.

I actually have a list like what you describe but for ballet. It’s definitely a need to create something similar for contemporary companies. I find to start the search she might focus on geographical areas she’s interested in living, that have a reasonable cost of living, or that she’s drawn to for some reason. Then, search for companies in those places. Once you find some companies reach out to current dancers (via instagram usually works) and ask them about their experiences there.

In the meantime, I’ll start working on a list!
Thank you so much for sharing your daughter’s experience and writing this comment.
All the best,
Jess (The Whole Dancer founder)

I’m just wondering if there’s a list somewhere that collects all the names of dance companies that enjoy body diversity but still strive for high standards in choreography and performance? We’ve found that even trying to find a list of contemporary dance companies around the world is difficult. It’s even harder to try and find the companies that are more relaxed on things like turnout, how arched the feet are, body types etc. How do dancers who are like you and my daughter fine those places somewhat easily instead of trying to sift through endless articles in dance magazines?

I find it all very frustrating when trying to help my daughter find these welcoming spaces. Can’t someone just make a list of contemporary companies (often more welcoming of diverse body types) in the US and Europe and also make a list of any dance company that welcomes body diversity?