4.12.2017

Springtime: A Time for (Contract) Renewal

My new work, Diagnosis, premieres this Saturday in NYC (Photo: Eduardo Patino)
It's been a busy, busy few weeks here at Life of a Freelance Dancer! Other than teaching, I have been hurriedly preparing for the world premiere of my new work for the Columbia Ballet Collaborative's 10th anniversary production at Columbia University in New York City this upcoming weekend. If you want to see some extremely intelligent and talented dancers, follow this link for tickets. Shows are at 3 pm & 8 pm, and additional choreographers include American Ballet Theatre soloist Craig Salstein, Emery Lecrone, Claudia Schreier, and more! Additionally, I will be speaking this upcoming Tuesday, April 18th, at Gibney Dance for their Dancer's Economic Empowerment Program (DEEP) about negotiating contracts for professionals. The event is free and starts at 6:30 pm, so stop on by, say hello, and learn something! You can RSVP by clicking here. Beyond all of this excitement, I am also honored to have recently been featured in Inside Dance magazine's March/April issue in their Teacher4Teacher segment. I've only been focusing on my teaching and choreographic career for a short period of time, so I was taken aback when they asked me to share my thoughts and experiences thus far in my career. So far, this spring has been quite good to me and I am extremely thankful for everything that has come my way!

Teacher4Teacher feature in Inside Dance Magazine
Speaking of spring, this season is a great time of renewal. The sun stays out later, plants and trees begin to blossom, and people generally have a sunnier disposition on life as their habits move from indoor living to outdoor recreation. Dancers are no exception to the rules of renewal when it comes to springtime. If a dancer works for a unionized company, this is when they will find out if they will be reengaged to dance another season with their company. While some dancers will be let go from their positions, others may choose not to sign their contracts in hope of renewing their inspiration, getting a fresh start, or gaining the chance to progress beyond their current status in the rank-and-file of their current institution. Whether a dancer wants to leave their current company or was blindsided by news of non-reengagement, they need to determine how they will go about continuing their career, if they wish to do so.

Let's start by talking about possible options for a dancer that is looking to leave their current company position. First off, a dancer needs to determine if they are thinking of leaving only if they find a better option or if they are absolutely moving on whether they get a job offer or not. When contract time came up my final year at Pacific Northwest Ballet, I already knew I was leaving. I had made the decision to give up my contract nearly 7 months prior to being offered another year of work. So, there was no question by the time that I received my letter of intent that I would not accept a new contract. Most union contracts require management to notify a dancer of intent to rehire by March 1st. Once these letters go out, a dancer has until April 1st to agree to sign their contracts. Typically, a dancer who chooses to look beyond their current position will start reaching out to other organizations for auditions beginning in January or February. While many companies will allow you to take company class or attend a cattle call to audition, most won't tell you if you are being offered a job until after April 1st, when dancers reach the deadline to return letters of intent to their employers. Some dancers choose to tell their director that they aren't returning the following season earlier than this deadline (like I did), so jobs may become available before this date. But generally, a director will tell you that they are interested without making an official job offer until April or May at the latest. If you are thinking of leaving, but haven't made a solid commitment to depart, many dancers will just sign their current contract and continue into the next season. But if you are determined to change your career path, you may take a risk and let your boss know that you won't be returning, whether you have a job offer or not. Or, if you are comfortable enough, you can ask for an extension for your letter of intent, which is much less common.

If you are 100% set on leaving your current company, chances are that you are willing to take the risk to or are already prepared to be a freelance dancer, either for a period of time or permanently. Many former company dancers fall into freelancing for one of two reasons. Either they wanted to change some aspect of their career trajectory by choosing to leave their company and didn't gain full-time employment elsewhere or they were blindsided by non-renewal of their contract. I recently helped guide a dancer with a nice regional company on building a foundation to freelance from after they were unexpectedly non-reengaged from a position with a company they had danced with for 5 years. When presented with the idea that they had no say in this decision, they felt empowered to take full control of their career.
Ali Block, in my new work, gave up a company position to freelance & attend Columbia University (Photo: Eduardo Patino)
Either way, one needs to be prepared to freelance with an appropriate package to offer to potential employers. A cover letter (expressing your background and interest in working for employers), CV/résumé, dance photographs, and a performance reel are a great place to start. Of course, your package doesn't have to be completed to perfection from the beginning. But it should have enough information to offer an employer an idea of who you are. Additionally, each freelance artist needs to have a short-term and long-term plan in place, whether they ever realize these aspirations or not. For many dancers that are blindsided by the loss of a job, their main goal is to use this time as a gap-period between contracts. They hope to gain greater experience in roles that were, perhaps, not available to them in their previous work situation to make themselves more marketable the next time company auditions come around. For others, freelancing is the long-term goal. Whether common items like answering to one boss, becoming bored performing works in the exact same style in every program, or lack of touring were driving forces for a dancer to seek out long-term freelancing, a dancer needs to have long-term goals in place. What do you want to dance, where do you want to dance, who do you want to dance for, how long long do you want to dance, and why do you want to continue dancing? These are all questions that should be on a dancer's mind as they enter the wide wild world of a freelance dancer.

One often disregarded reason that some dancers consider freelancing after leaving or being forced out of a company is because they just aren't ready to retire from the art form quite yet. Maybe they have unresolved expectations, their body can't handle a 40-week workload, they can't admit to themselves that they are through with their art, or they want to finish their career on their terms. A lot of us think or used to think that retirement from dance was a straightforward process. But I can share from experience that I have seen freelancers enjoy long careers, dancers freelance for awhile and rejoin companies, dancers freelance for a bit and retire fully, and dancers freelance for a bit to retire for a period before making a fascinatingly rare comeback. There is great value in the freedom of choice and direction that freelancing can bring you. There is absolutely no shame in using freelancing as a slow end to your performance career.

Independent contracting can work as a great wind up or wind down for a career in dance. Just as long as your are clear in your goals and work to the best of your ability at each job you are working, while being fluid in adjusting goals as time passes. Spring sure brings forth great change. While there are sometimes chilly, gloomy days to cope with, we finish this season with flowers, lush green landscape, sun, and warm temperatures. It isn't shocking that a dancer's season mimics this change. It can be difficult to make decisions about your career or to accept that you are being forced to change the its trajectory. But if you look at these things with a spring-like outlook and put in the effort to understand, prepare, and execute the next step of your career, I can assure you that you can gain great success.

Springtime has finally arrived!

31 comments:

  1. This is really nice to read content of this blog. A is very extensive and vast knowledgeable platform has been given by this blog. I really appreciate this blog to has such kind of educational knowledge.
    พรีเซนเทชั่น

    ReplyDelete
  2. The site is really beneficial for everyone to know about this topic. I think if you read blog than you will get some more information from blog. This is really useful blog.
    Character Design

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey, It really is incredibly fantastic and informative website. Good to discover your site Very well article! I’m simply in love with it.
    ถ่ายภาพ อาหาร

    ReplyDelete
  4. Healrun is a health news blog we provide the latest news about health, Drugs and latest Diseases and conditions. We update our users with health tips and health products reviews. If you want to know any information about health or health product (Side Effects & Benefits) Feel Free To ask HealRun Support Team.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Paltrox RX : There are various varieties of treatments that are offered that inject hyaluronic acid into the area. Although there are 2 types of eyeliner, liquid and pencil type, it's counseled to solely use pencil kind on the lower lids of the eyes. There are a lot of claims that the merchandise never did produce any results the least bit, while others complained of redness and irritation when using it.

    Read More : http://www.mysupplementsera.com/paltrox-rx-review/

    ReplyDelete
  6. Keto 180 Shark Tank defines personal characteristics of health merchandise.Keto 180 is a 100% pure weight loss product which Diminishing stored fats and calories from the bodies.

    http://keto180.over-blog.com/

    https://www.pinterest.com/keto180/

    ReplyDelete
  7. be the leading wealth in the humans. Wellbeing is the shape in which an someone becomes a sociable, psychogenic, gushy and spiritual safe. It implies that your body and your care should work as they should. It can intend to a projectile procedure because it is always changing. It can vary according to our way and environs. Over the eld, the lifestyle has denaturised due to dual reasons that possess led to treat the importance of eudaemonia. It is essential for every human state to order in safe health. Eudaimonia is not only concerned roughly their sensual well-being but also their mushy well-being. To be called a lusty somebody, both the embody and the obedient welfare are a stable fasting, carnal expression, nap and adequate rest. Benefits of existence salubrious: o From male to person, eudaemonia plays an important part in the processing and decent growing of the brain and embody. o If you maintain a levelheaded mode, then your embody is free from the varied types of disorders and illnesses that grounds to someone invigoration expectation. o Tends to perception solon mesmerizing when in satisfactory physiologic cause. o For those who work spell being robust, you can create them find much dynamical and can broadcast out effortful tasks without being forced. o A hale soul does not desist his duties as he is healthy to reach his maximum possibleness. o Since your deal is unrestricted of psychical evince, you can interact daily tasks at interior, train, transform, etc. with a optimistic attitude
    https://supplementforhelp.com/

    ReplyDelete
  8. fabric, vitamin C and K and manganese. And they tally the highest antioxidant superpower of any opposite production. These antioxidant compounds are initiate in their recondite dispiriting emblem. The pigments, titled anthocyanins, are notable for their equipotent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They ply us win the battle against cognitive descend, foreclose cardiovascular disease and write 2 diabetes, aid in having healthy gut bacteria and limit the risk of crab. Requisite I say more? So whether you promote the manic varieties, which are mostly unchangeable at the stage of their ripeness, or the unspoilt gracious you buy at the fruit resist or marketplace store, drop blueberries and lots of them. Use them in your smoothies, in homespun pancakes and muffins, and on foodstuff, yoghourt, and salads. And, if you necessary to ware a soft suchlike we did in Maine one http://givinghealthylife.com/

    ReplyDelete
  9. https://apkchip.com To savor the physiologist lofty graphics and well-designed gameplay, it is meliorate to get a high-end model with a bigger sort and goodness GPU. Regularise you can enjoy those high-quality gaming effects by augmentative the execution of your low spec, budget Robot phones.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What else does chewing do for you? It signals your gastrointestinal system Nutrix Slim Keto
    unleash the digestive enzymes! Also, it activates the hypothalamus in hormones. This may be the part that tells you that a person full, satisfied, and can stop eating. If you eat too fast without a first-class amount of chewing want don't give your brain time inform your tummy that it's full.
    Read more...>>>


    https://www.healthdiscreet.com/nutrix-slim-keto-reviews/

    https://medium.com/@jefferymartin_43968/nutrix-slim-keto-12ed1f8eded5
    https://nutrixslimketo.food.blog/
    https://nutrixslimketoofficial.weebly.com/blog/nutrix-slim-keto
    https://bit.ly/2FOkxDG





    ReplyDelete
  11. Yet, with these lose weight programs and Weight Loss exercises that you can see Vutrali Garciniahave end up being maintained for quick studies. Meaning, quick lose weight results can easily be achieved if to be able to the right discipline can easily to drive you to exert effort to burn your unwanted fat.
    Read more...>>>


    https://www.healthdiscreet.com/vutrali-garcinia/


    https://medium.com/@violasprague/vutrali-garcinia-8cfe648e7297

    https://vutraligarcinia.home.blog/


    https://vutraligarcinia.weebly.com/blog/vutrali-garcinia

    https://violasprague120.wixsite.com/mysite/post/vutrali-garcinia

    ReplyDelete
  12. Holistic Bliss Keto , don't stop yourself from consuming carbohydrates. A shape requires all sources of food, yes, that includes fatty foods too. If our ancestor can look so thin and slim without neglecting any primary sources of food it'll work for the humanity Weight Loss Reviews too. So go ahead and grab that bowl of tasty looking cornflakes now.
    https://holisticblissketo.weebly.com/
    https://www.healthdiscreet.com/holistic-bliss-keto/

    ReplyDelete
  13. I stayed up as soon as kids decided on bed to watch out a movie (Harry Potter Holistic Bliss Keto kind of like a good idea since the movie will be coming out on DVD Tuesday) and made the Mock Apple Cobbler from the recipe manual. I can't even tell you how amazing it smells.
    Read more...>>

    https://www.healthdiscreet.com/holistic-bliss-keto/




    ReplyDelete
  14. One reason become that reside a particularly sedimentary diet. Another could be you don't have Absolute Keto willpower, you love food, your menopausal, you comfort eat because are generally stressed anyone do not know the very best foods to consume or need to eat men and women. There are loads of different reasons why we overeat but you discover YOUR reason.
    Read more...>>>

    https://www.healthdiscreet.com/absolute-keto-reviews/

    http://healthdiscreet.weebly.com/blogs/absolute-keto-would-this-be-able-to-diet-pill-really-lose-weight-update-2019
    https://discreet.health.blog/2019/04/04/absolute-keto-the-most-talked-about-weight-loss-product/
    https://medium.com/@symonds377/absolute-keto-2941445144aa
    https://symonds377.wixsite.com/healthdiscreet/post/absolute-keto-is-a-weight-loss-supplement-way

    ReplyDelete

  15. Keto Weight Loss Plus There are many effective Health & Wellness Product of our Website.That has Made By Natural and effective Ingredients there is noone side effects. you can boost your stamina weight loss by this product.Just Grab It in limited time offers for New customers.

    For Many other information Click Here: http://www.ketoweightloss-plus.com/

    http://www.ketoweightloss-plus.com/organa-keto/

    ReplyDelete
  16. Keto Slim Max Over the course of the study, the researchers uncovered more than 67 clinically actionable health discoveries that ranged from high blood pressure , arrhythmias, cardiomyopathy and early stage cancer detection, among others. Mam trzydziesci i kilka lat, moje malzenstwo niedlugo siegnie 10 lat a ja nie jestem w stanie zaspokoic swojej zony. It is even said to be better than certain accepted aerobic exercises such as jogging, rowing, swimming, racquet sports, cycling, hiking, timed calisthenics, or any other exertion you may undertake to combine fitness and activity to breathe in more oxygen and have a conditioning effect on the heart and lungs for health conscious living. Ma trwac piec miesiecy, bo samolot solarny - nie jest zbyt szybki - nie przekracza 100 kilometrów na godzine. Gdy ja sie tam zapisywalem, to bylo tak, ze to "zawieszenie czlonkostwa" mozna bylo zrobic nawet na 1 miesiac, a koszt podtrzymania czlonkostwa za miesiac zawieszenia wynosil 20 zl. To bylo akceptowalne i mozna bylo sobie na miesiac zawiesic za te 2 dychy planujac 2-3 tygodnie urlopu. Sobie przetestowalem z ciekawosci jak sila i raczej 2x150 z pauza i bez pasa weszlo miekko - wiec podejrzewam, ze sila równiez wzrosla, a najgorszym wypadku sie utrzymala; objetosc i tak pozwala jako tako hipertrofie ogarniac - i tak nogi zawsze bede mial najbardziej dojebane wiec nie sa obecnie priorytetem. http://www.garciniamarket.com/keto-slim-max/

    ReplyDelete

  17. Keto Slim Max Including more pulses in your diet may lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. If you have a history of high cholesterol or heart disease, though, play it safe by consulting with your doctor about how foods like prawns might fit into your heart-healthy diet. The FDA's stamp of approval isn't likely to reassure those who worry that excess hormones in the food supply are contributing to cancer, early puberty in girls, and other health problems in humans. An egg has 6 grams of protein but just 72 calories, which makes it a good food for weight loss diets. Individuals in states that expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act are eligible for Medicaid if their income is less than 138 percent of the federal poverty level Above this threshold, those with incomes up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level can receive sliding-scale subsidies to offset premium costs for insurance purchased on health exchanges.The population in question can be as small as a handful of people or as large as all the inhabitants of several continents for instance, in the case of a pandemic . Public health has many sub-fields, but typically includes the interdisciplinary categories of epidemiology , biostatistics and health services Environmental health , community health , behavioral health , and occupational health are also important areas of public health. Wyszedlem z gabinetu, skierowalem swe kroki ku wyjsciu i slysze, ze powinienem sie wstydzic. Regular blueberry consumption can reduce the risk of hypertension high blood pressure by 10 percent, because of the berry's bioactive compounds, anthocyanins. Ale ja Ci przeciez juz wyzej przedstawilem faktyczny przyklad, dlaczego powstal Medicare - 40% osób starszych nie mialo ubezpieczenia, a ubezpieczyciele zadali stawek, na które wiekszosc obywateli po prostu nie bylo stac.
    http://www.garciniamarket.com/keto-slim-max/

    ReplyDelete
  18. Healthysuppreviews
    This Product Regular exercise and physical activity is the path to health and well-being. Exercise burns fat, builds muscle, lowers cholesterol, eases stress and anxiety, lets us Enjoy full day restfully.
    https://www.healthysuppreviews.com/

    https://www.healthysuppreviews.com/ketovatru/

    ReplyDelete
  19. aboutthemcat
    Increment the Metabolism: It additionally increases your metabolous processing within your body so you can deplete the fats at the cancellous even and get rid of the abdicable fat cells.

    Evolve Lean Contractor Assemblage: This set module produce your slant bully collection with the assist of the supplementary vitamins and opposite hot elements in this laurels.
    CLICK FOR MORE INFO>>> https://supplementforhelp.com/keto-burn-xtreme/

    ReplyDelete
  20. Alka Tone Keto is an amazing weight loss solution featuring a very peculiar solution redefining the dietary choices in order to maintain body weight. Living under your own body weight would like suffering from your own failures. The daily struggles are limitless with an obese person. This is a Ketogenic dietary solution resolving issues related to insatiable eating disorder and unsettling fat storage. Visit on http://www.powerenrich.com/alka-tone-keto-shark-tank-reviews/

    ReplyDelete
  21. Love to know about that. Keep motivating others, Thank you(
    dance360)

    ReplyDelete
  22. You might post on the pictures for the blog. You should support that it's captivating. Your blog test results/effects would swell your spenders.
    Home Improvement Write for us

    ReplyDelete
  23. Nice Post....


    I'm having very interesting information regarding Best Freelancing Site in India!

    ReplyDelete
  24. This is really a great post about a freelance dancer. I got much knowledge about freelance dancer. At JobLamp we help you to find a professional to do any job. We are available worldwide, multilingual.

    JobLamp

    ReplyDelete
  25. Nice blog, it provides many informative and helpful articles. Thanks for sharing the information. Looking for more updates in future.
    Best Kids dance school in Rockville Md

    ReplyDelete
  26. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Very informative blog, Here I want to suggest all dancer to list them on www.partynuptual.com where you can get hire for your skills.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Thanks and that i have a super supply: Where To Remodel House house renovation near me

    ReplyDelete
  29. A Workers Compensation Insurance Certificate is crucial for any business, offering protection against workplace injuries and ensuring compliance with legal requirements. This certificate provides proof that a company has the necessary coverage to safeguard its employees in case of work-related accidents. For streamlined access to obtaining this certificate and exploring various insurance options, visit Biz2Insure. Biz2Insure simplifies the insurance process by connecting you with reputable providers, helping you secure the right workers compensation policy efficiently. With their expertise and user-friendly platform, you can easily manage your insurance needs and ensure that your business is well-protected.

    ReplyDelete