tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48835494035598376752024-03-27T02:37:38.467-04:00Life of a Freelance DancerLife of a Freelance Dancer is a blog, journal, and tool for those who are interested in freelancing themselves, that want to know the ins and outs of freelance work, or are just curious about the life of a freelance dancer.Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.comBlogger193125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-78979194226980099542017-11-03T00:41:00.001-04:002017-11-03T12:02:54.904-04:00Chapter Closed<div dir="ltr">
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I know all you avid readers have been patiently waiting for me to
return and continue turning out valuable, candid content here on LoFD.
As you all know, I hit a serious snag of writer's block this spring,
which finally culminated in me taking the summer off to focus on the
full transition of my life to New York City and to refresh and reset as a
dance writer. During my intensely busy and stressful summer, it
became clear to me why it was so difficult to write on here. This
chapter of my book had closed and I had transitioned well into
the next series of pages in that <i>life book</i>. Yet, I continued writing in this chapter
as though I was still leading the life of a traveling dancer at the peak
of their performance career. Essentially, I was no longer existing in
the career state that I had lived when I began writing here on LoFD.
And since I wasn't living the performer's freelance lifestyle, I was
pulling from a queue of topics with less and less to share on here. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buffalo Bayou overflowing in Houston during Hurricane Harvey</td></tr>
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As my husband and I began to close the curtain on our time in Philly, I experienced two opposing forces in my life. While I was successful in setting up the work I was seeking in the New York area, my summer super commuting really took a huge toll on me. Many of the hours I spent commuting over the past 2 years went into preparing content for my <a href="http://www.premierdancenetwork.com/pas-de-chat/">Pas de Chát podcast</a> and writing posts to share here. I was nervous that I would be miserably bored when I chose to take the summer off from writing. But commuting so much without the
task of writing blog posts gave me some time to sleep, play video games, and think. I never do life simply, and as history would tell it, my summer finished with a bang that included <a href="https://www.dance.com/the-dance-mix/dancers-respond-to-harvey/">getting stranded in Hurricane Harvey at a choreography gig</a> and making it through our stressful transition
from Philadelphia to New York City. Throughout this time, I kept imagining and re-imagining what my next
chapter in blogging would look like (or if it would still be a part of my life). I have loved writing on here for
the past 5 years. With nearly 200 blog posts, over 330,000 views,
readers in more than 100 countries, and <a href="http://www.dancemagazine.com/breaking-the-fourth-wall-2307007996.html">recognition from Dance Magazine</a>,
I didn't just want to put away my pencil and focus solely on my podcast
and other media outlets. So, I had an idea. With so many other
transitions in my life resolving themselves in some way or another, it
felt wholly appropriate to begin transitioning my writing into a fresh, new
platform that shares valuable information that is current and relevant
to my career experience today. From this tiny seed, my newest writing venture
was borne.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">www.DancingOffstage.wordpress.com</td></tr>
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If you are
reading this today, you should take a moment to head over to my brand
spanking new blog, <a href="https://dancingoffstage.wordpress.com/">Dancing Offstage</a>, that officially launched this week. In this new publication, I will talk about the
post-performance careers of professional dancers.
Have you ever wondered what happens to dancers after they step off the
stage? Are you currently navigating the tricky transition to running
your career as a dance educator, choreographer, administrator, or any
other dance-based career? Are you afraid of how you will tackle your own transition outside of your performance career? By bringing my vast
experience, network of friends that are high-level working professionals, and deep breadth of
knowledge to this innovative platform, I plan to continue candidly
sharing information about the life of artists after they take their
final bows stepping into the second stage of their dance careers. </div>
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I
want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you that has
helped make LoFD such a surprise success! When I first started this
blog, I was barely keeping my head above water as I began navigating
through one of the lowest periods of my life and career. Having this
platform along my side as I navigated to dry land back towards success was the most positive experience of my freelance performance
career. And to have an audience that interacted with me to lift me up
from those lows, to applaud my highs, and to eagerly share my life and career journey has meant the world to me. LoFD has been the most constant
thing in a lifestyle that allows for very little normalcy or regularity.
I don't know how I would've survived without it. </div>
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I'm
not going anywhere far, so please become my new audience over at
Dancing Offstage. I'll continue offering valuable, candid experience
reports and helpful information on many different topics over there.
It's like a neighbor who moved from the house next door to one across the street.
And you are always welcome to come and knock on my door!</div>
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Thank you from the bottom of my heart.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Living Room View at Our New Apartment in Queens</td></tr>
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(Don't forget that you can always view past blogs by <a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/12/catch-up-on-lofd-vol-2-previous-blog.html">clicking here</a> & scroll from here down to view about 10 blogs that are not included on this list) Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-91501617128369710382017-08-02T13:38:00.000-04:002017-08-02T13:42:21.123-04:00Summer Hiatus Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Greetings to all of you, my beloved readers! I hope that you have been enjoying an incredible summer full of hard work, rest, relaxation, and preparation for a fantastic 2017-2018 season. It has been very odd for me to take so much time off from writing these past few months. But it was absolutely necessary for me to take a few things off of my plate to make space for my extremely challenging schedule. July was quite murderous for me with daily commutes stretching as long as 9 hours (thanks to summer traffic heading into NYC), weekly teaching schedules including 12+ classes, <a href="http://www.premierdancenetwork.com/pas-de-chat/">weekly podcasts</a>, and preparations for our move to NYC. I'm aware that I have been running a very fine line between setting up my work life for our move and burning out on my tedious travel schedule. In good news, I feel like I have finally gotten over the hump of summer insanity, so I want to offer you a very brief update before I go back into <i>blog-hiding</i> again for a little bit.<br />
<br />
First and most exciting, my Danya and I have officially given our 60 days notice that we will not be renewing our lease in Philadelphia. After 19 months of <a href="http://www.dancemagazine.com/why-i-became-a-dancing-super-commuter-2392386868.html">super-commuting</a> to see if transitioning my career to New York City would be a good fit, it became so overwhelmingly clear that we are 100% sure that this is the right thing to do. I have spent most of the summer teaching regularly at Steps on Broadway and Broadway Dance Center, but have also spent a lot of time teaching my kids up at Greenwich Ballet Academy in Connecticut and Port Chester, New York. I have also begun developing the 2nd year of what I hope to be a 4-year contemporary dance training syllabus for pre-professional ballet dancers. Beyond this, I have gained employment one evening a week with another school in New Jersey this coming fall. While I still have room for additional choreography, teaching, speaking, consulting, and private lessons, I will have my first set of stable work and income since I began freelancing back in 2011. I bet you can hear the great sigh of relief that I just let out having put this down in writing to share with you.<br />
<br />
The second piece of news I have could be seen as good or bad news, depending on how you view it. Part of the reason I needed to take a break from writing on LoFD was because I had severe writer's block that I had never experienced in the 5 years of continuously developing content for all of you to read here. I couldn't figure out why I didn't want to write, aside from assuming it was a symptom of my overwhelming travel and work schedule. When I finally gave myself permission to take some time away from here, my initial reaction was that I was done with blogging. But as I continued to rest my mind and repair my thought process, I came to realize that I am having such difficulty coming up with new material because I have evolved into a new stage of my career. While I will always have the heart of a freelancer and likely continue to work as a freelance dance educator, choreographer, speaker, and who knows what new additions I will add, I have not had any new experiences as a performing freelance artist in quite some time. Most of what I've written on here in the past two years has involved recollections and memories I had during my tenure traveling the country from company to company. This combined with the fact that blocking online bots from spamming my blog also stopped major search engines from offering my writing to the general public (I went from 250-1000 daily views to 20-50). I couldn't figure out why I should continue writing on here, especially with the tedious process of starting from scratch to regain the former visibility my blog had retained. Having some time to think, I realized that I still love to write and want to continue sharing valuable information and intriguing personal and second-hand experiences of dance artists publicly.<br />
<br />
Taking all of this into consideration, I determined that if I was going to start over building my blog's audience, I was going to do it in a way that is now relevant to the career-style that I am living and breathing. For this reason, I have decided that I am going to stop writing for LoFD, archive all of my valuable posts for readers here and in the form of an E-Book, and launch a new blog this fall about the life of dance educator, coach, choreographer, speaker, and whatever else comes my way. I am hoping to cover all relevant topics for the stage of a dance career that happens once a performing artist takes their final curtain call. I am not quite sure the title of this venture or when it will launch. But it will likely happen soon thereafter my husband and I transition our lives 90 miles north to New York City. So, be sure to stay tuned on here for a major announcement that will likely happen somewhere during the time period of October or November.<br />
<br />
Lastly, I just want to take a moment to thank all of you for being so understanding as I figure out what is happening in my life and how I can continue to provide the best content for my family, friends, colleagues, and readers. I hope you will continue to join me on this fascinating journey that has been my dance career.<br />
<br />
(<a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/12/catch-up-on-lofd-vol-2-previous-blog.html">And, if you want to catch up on any of my former posts, click here for a general archive of content</a>)Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-29787636955339426282017-06-13T18:01:00.001-04:002017-06-26T11:03:03.259-04:00Summer Break<div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1497390331612_2787">
A
month ago, a close friend since my time at the School of American
Ballet suggested the idea that I begin to slow down my work here on <i>Life
of a Freelance Dancer</i>. When the words left his lips, I nodded my head
as I listened. But I was hardly in agreement as my nod may have
suggested. My initial reaction was to internally scoff at the idea. But
the seed had been planted and the timing ironic. Something is wrong with
my blog and it all started about a year ago. Online bots and crawlers
flooded my pages with thousands of views a day, essentially erasing all
data I was using to judge what content was relevant and wanted versus
personal and unhelpful. When this happened, I used a certain line of
code in an attempt to interrupt these false views. It took nearly four
months for my data to normalize. But in the process, I forgot that I had
input that code. Then, a glaring and shocking reminder struck me about a
month ago. Google stopped referring all traffic to<i> Life of a Freelance
Dancer</i> (which is the job of a few of the crawlers that weren't spamming me), bringing
viewership down to numbers I haven't seen since the first months of
posting on here. Timing is everything, and with my friend's suggestion,
an overwhelming summer schedule, and my first bout of crippling writer's
block setting in, I began to struggle with my purpose in continuing to write beyond my vast plethora of 190 posts.</div>
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Fast
forward to this week. As I have mentioned on here before, I try to see a
counselor (as I think everybody, especially in this crazy dance world,
should) a few times a month to help me assess, manage, and live my best
life. This week's solo session seemed pretty run of the mill. I had
rehearsal for my new work with CelloPointe at New York Theatre Ballet
until 2 pm, dashed to the Bolt Bus, and made it home just in time to
stop by the gym before my appointment. I know this sounds abnormal, but
abnormal has become my new normal. I walked into my appointment
prepared to discuss a few things. One being a lack of
motivation, which strongly included writing content on
here. We had discussed slowing down my posting here the week prior and I
was struggling with the idea. As we explored my reluctance to
essentially "put the pen down" for the summer, I was caught extremely
off-guard when I found myself in tears. </div>
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I
have been through a lot since the inception of this blog. I began
writing it depressed, scared, and injured at my first gig as a full-time
freelancer after suffering one of the greatest traumas of my life. I've
shared my story on here, I've documented my growth, I've shown my highs
and lows, and I have expressed the deepest parts of my self and career
for the world to read from the privacy of their own computers. This blog
has changed my life. But more than anything, living the life of a
freelance dancer, this journal has been the the only reliable, constant
in my life since April of 2012 (other than my husband). When I hadn't
been home for more than 7 weeks in 4 years, I had this outlet. When I
felt like I had lost all of my friends to be successful and work enough
to pay my bills, I had this platform to comfort myself and talk my way
through it. When I chose to step off the stage, instead of having a
final performance, I wrote about my experience on here. As I laughed
through tears in this session exclaiming, "I can't believe I'm
crying over a stupid blog," it all became clear that this has become
more than just a computer screen and letters assembled into words into
thoughts into posts. It has been a confidante, a shoulder to lean on, and a
listening ear, even while alone in hotel rooms, eating by myself at airport restaurants, and sitting in other people's homes up to 4,000 miles away from my own home.</div>
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So,
here we are today, as I sit in Lincoln Center across from the
Metropolitan Opera House writing to all of you. I have only felt more
inspired to write on a few other occasions. Honestly, I'm afraid to do
this, but I know I have to. I haven't taken an extended break from <i>Life
of a Freelance Dancer</i> in over 5 years (which sounds insane to me). I
would be lying if I told you I'm not nervous about it. But I am going to
step away from posting on here throughout the rest of the summer to
focus on my choreography, teaching, podcasting, seeking additional work
(including the aforementioned and professional writing opportunities),
and more all in preparation for our October move to New York City. I know I can continue pumping out content on here. But there is nothing more important than feeling
inspired to do so. Additionally, I need to assess, at this point, if I
have gained all that I can from writing on here or if it offers me more
purpose. I love giving to all of you, my faithful readers. But I need
to make sure that this is working for me personally, emotionally, and
career-wise.</div>
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I
hope that you all understand. I will continue to produce <a href="http://www.premierdancenetwork.com/pas-de-chat/">my podcast</a> and
will leave my current teaching schedule for the summer below if you
want to learn from me, hear some of my thoughts, or meet me in person. Please do feel
compelled to leave me a comment on here, via <a href="http://barrykerollis.com/contact-me/">my website contact page</a>, or
on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bkerollis">Facebook</a> if you have anything you'd like to share with me about your experience with <i>Life of a Freelance Dancer</i>. And, who
knows, maybe I will be inspired to write an update or two on here
throughout the summer. I just need to give myself permission not to for
awhile.<br />
<br />
Thank you for your understanding and support. And, more than
anything else, thank you for reading! And to those of you I have
interacted with online or in-person, thank you for telling me that my
work has helped you and for sharing your own personal stories with me.
It has inspired me so very greatly! Enjoy the sunshine and I hope to see
you soon! (And if you want to catch up on previous posts, <a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/12/catch-up-on-lofd-vol-2-previous-blog.html">click here</a> to review the LoFD archives)<br />
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<u><b>MY SUMMER TEACHING SCHEDULE (as of 6/13)</b></u><br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.stepsnyc.com/classes/schedule/">Steps on Broadway</a>:</b><br />
Advance Intermediate Ballet - Monday, Wednesday Friday - 2:30 pm - 6/12 - 7/31 (most dates)<br />
Intermediate Contemporary - Friday - 6 pm - 7/21, 7/28, 8/4<br />
Advance Intermediate Contemporary - Sunday - 3:30 pm - 7/23, 7/30, 8/6<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://broadwaydancecenter.com/schedule">Broadway Dance Center</a>:</b><br />
Advance Beginner Ballet - Friday - 6 pm - All Summer<br />
Basic Ballet - Sunday - 6 pm - All Summer<br />
<br />
<b>Summer Intensive (for pre-professional students):</b><br />
<a href="http://greenwichballetacademy.org/">Greenwich Ballet Academy</a> - 6/27 - 8/18<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.nickersonrossidance.com/choreographic-residencies">Contemporary Ballet - Choreography Residency</a>:</b><br />
Nickerson-Rossi Dance - Knauer Theatre - West Chester, PA - 8/7 - 8/11<br />
<b> </b><br />
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<b>Master Classes:</b><br />
<a href="http://uptowndancecompany.wordpress.com/">Uptown Dance Company & School</a> - Houston, TX (TBA - between 8/20 - 8/30)<br />
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<b>(Please be sure to check open class schedules before attending, as there are a few dates that I will be out of town)</b><br />
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Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-85996968767361953712017-05-22T16:31:00.001-04:002017-05-22T17:37:23.627-04:00Talking to People You Don't Know at Events<div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1495465433842_83624">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhZ-ve5J9upuD8RfZGRlC93BvBZ_R3HVv7GkKdHPqfU-Rc8QIgoJ8BnoTzhDDCDTIprBYTtslL0exdikgWXBj1zlVU36j0dXXY9GhIdR_EpC9Z6wtbTVILyoEHXnHAz52gkYsuSidR9U/s1600/contact+event+pic+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhZ-ve5J9upuD8RfZGRlC93BvBZ_R3HVv7GkKdHPqfU-Rc8QIgoJ8BnoTzhDDCDTIprBYTtslL0exdikgWXBj1zlVU36j0dXXY9GhIdR_EpC9Z6wtbTVILyoEHXnHAz52gkYsuSidR9U/s400/contact+event+pic+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dancers at <i>Contact: A Networking Event for Freelance Dancers</i></td></tr>
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After teaching
at Steps on Broadway this past Sunday, I picked up a coffee and started walking the 30 block trek from the Upper West Side to Broadway Dance Center. Around the
point that I walked past Lincoln Center, a gentleman stopped me to ask
if I was somebody he had taught a decade or so back. In a break from my
typical metropolitan self, I turned to him and stated that he
must have the wrong guy since I was raised in Philly and didn't attend
academic school in the city. I'm not sure how he did it, but he managed
to entice me into a conversation that lasted exactly 20 blocks. While my mind was racing back and forth as to this guys intentions and whether I should bid him adieu, his conversation skills kept me engaged as he strayed (for the most part) away from creepy or utterly odd. While I eventually determined that this sexegenarian's initial reasoning in reaching out to me was physical attraction, he was compelling enough to defer any uncomfortable intentions. This guy had impressive
skills when it came to talking to a complete stranger and, in the wake of this interaction, it struck me
that dancers also need to have similar communicative abilities. Whether in the theatre, at a public venue, or even on the streets, we will often have to engage in conversation with new colleagues, donors, visiting choreographers, and arts lovers
alike. So, in response to this experience, I figured that this week, I would offer some tips and tricks
on how to engage with people you don't know in the event that you find
yourself in a conversation with a new colleague, somebody who could
develop into a supporter of your work, or anybody beyond your typical
passing conversation. </div>
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1.
Don't be afraid to walk up to an individual or group and just say hello. The first
step of engaging with people you don't know is to calmly announce your presence. From there, you can usually find your way into a talking point to become a part of the conversation. Obviously, you don't want to abruptly interrupt or interject before you have been appropriately welcomed. But stepping up to an individual that is standing alone or a small group of people in conversation and
saying, "Excuse me, do you mind if I join you?," is a perfectly acceptable way to join a
conversation or to introduce yourself without feeling too intrusive. </div>
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2.
If the person/people you are greeting is/are already in a conversation when you
enter, be sure to give the participants space to complete what they are talking about. Sometimes they will take that route. At other times, a
new participant can completely alter the direction of the chat, especially if the conversation was deeply personal. Be
sure to leave room for that natural evolution to take place. But don't be unprepared
if you are going to step in to introduce yourself, as the conversation's focus may quickly turn over to you. In the event that the group doesn't ask you to properly introduce yourself (beyond your name), I always suggest that you have a
follow up topic in the event that your entrance turns the spotlight over to you. For instance, if you want to engage with a visiting choreographer after a performance, throwing out an, "I love your work and would love to discuss your
inspiration for the piece," may work well. For a patron that you have yet to meet, it
is always appropriate to ask them if they enjoyed the show. And when
they say yes (which they almost always will), ask them what their
favorite part was. There is no easier way to spur conversation with a
stranger than to relate to the reason that you are both attending an
event. If you are at a philanthropic event, ask how they got involved in the organization. If they are at an art gallery, ask them what type of art they like. If you were in a performance and they attended that performance,
ask them about the show. If you directly relate to the reason that you are both in attendance, that can be an easy launching point to eventually lead into a more
meaningful conversation.</div>
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3.
The best tool to cultivate in becoming a compelling presence
at any event is to have a toolbox of general questions prepared to ask people of all kinds. While the
artists who are part of a production are obviously going to be asked
questions about themselves and their work, all people like to feel interesting enough
to be asked about themselves and their life's work. Once you have engaged somebody in the idea that you are both mutually interested in the reason that you are attending the event, you will need somewhere to go from there. There are a range of topics
you can discuss once you've broken the ice and had an initial connection of interests. Go ahead and ask questions like: "How long have you been coming to
see our shows?" "What do you do for a living?" " Are you originally
from (the city you are in)?" "What else do you do for fun aside from
attending the ballet?" There are a range of simple questions that you
should always have in your back pocket to avoid awkward silences or the subsequent response to that silence, "Excuse me, I told my friend I'd head over to see them."</div>
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4.
This is something that I'm actually quite horrible at because I'm
always afraid that I am going to be perceived as disingenuous. I actually have to
practice being complimentary of other people, as it is easy to discredit simple
things that may not seem exciting or compelling to me, but may be meaningful to others. I think that, as dancers, we often are used to accepting compliments from people outside of our field. But as never-ending critics of our own technique, we tend to be extremely critical in general, which leads to difficulty in offering positive reinforcement to others. If somebody at
an event bought tickets in celebration of their anniversary, be sure to
wish them a hearty congratulations. If somebody thought they wouldn't
enjoy a dance production and was surprised that they found it
compelling, reaffirm their achievement in overcoming an obstacle in them
becoming supporters of your art. Again, all people enjoy feeling
special and accomplished. A little nod or a few kind words can go a long
way in having an enjoyable conversation and potentially growing a
relationship with people you meet at events. </div>
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5.
This may seem unnecessary, but always have an exit strategy for
uncomfortable conversations or for people that are outstaying their
welcome. Unfortunately, especially for female dancers, some patrons only
attend events in hopes of meeting dancers for romantic reasons. Especially, if alcohol is
flowing, there are the rare guests who can become inappropriate towards dancers. Not to validate this activity in any way, but this makes sense since dancers are often seen as untouchable creatures onstage, often wearing form-fitting costumes that leave little to the imagination. It is always a good idea to have a friend with you
or nearby to help you exit a conversation as quickly as possible, if necessary. If
you find yourself alone with a patron that is crossing certain
boundaries, it is alright to tell them that they are being inappropriate
and that you are uncomfortable and leaving. Yes, you don't want to be
oversensitive. But you also want to be respectful to yourself and remain
safe. Know what your line is, whether mild flirting is comfortable or
an arm around your shoulders bothers you. But the second that lines are
crossed, immediately exit without niceties or explanation and be sure to mention to somebody in a management position that a patron crossed a line with you to avoid situations like this in the future for yourself and/or others.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talking to dancers at <i>Contact: A Networking Event for Freelance Dancers</i></td></tr>
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6.
Most importantly, take a breath, grab a glass of wine (if you are of age), relax, and enjoy yourself. Most social interactions with people you
don't know at events are calm, simple, and happen quickly. And we are our most compelling self when we allow our true personality to shine through. If you attend
enough functions, you may find that you are in conversation with the same people
from a previous event. And, if you are lucky, you might even create long
lasting relationships that lead into friendships, romance, or
benefactors who support your work. Life is a party and if you put yourself in
the mix, you are sure to meet a few people that enrich your life in ways well
beyond a simple, passing conversation about the weather. </div>
Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-26927507310637537082017-05-10T20:01:00.001-04:002017-05-10T20:16:40.128-04:00Finding What Makes You Unique & LOFD Writes for Dance Magazine<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1nif1v1eZjGh8vYBjOAlpG0xr-iXyVQS9ML54cf-BmmPoc3-8hES1VkAX1KmVpVrrun-I2YyZ0j0bIi-XKLoC_f6Ma3bU6rC4hKS21mOO9NW-th3NEgcww7ePTxTfwgNY8NaGXNSuk0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-05-04+at+11.12.59+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1nif1v1eZjGh8vYBjOAlpG0xr-iXyVQS9ML54cf-BmmPoc3-8hES1VkAX1KmVpVrrun-I2YyZ0j0bIi-XKLoC_f6Ma3bU6rC4hKS21mOO9NW-th3NEgcww7ePTxTfwgNY8NaGXNSuk0/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-05-04+at+11.12.59+AM.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My story on the all-new Dance Magazine website</td></tr>
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I really can't express how grateful I am to be having a whirlwind year when it comes to opportunities and achievements. To be completely honest, I had wishes and dreams of this stuff happening in my performance career. Little did I think that I would actually find what I was looking for and more in only the first year following the end of my time onstage. Last week, I had both the honor of being featured by Dance Magazine and writing for the same periodical in one fell swoop. It has been on my goal list for a few years now to write an article for this major publication and to have my work in the studio and on the stage highlighted, as well. If you want to check out that article, you can click <a href="http://www.dancemagazine.com/why-i-became-a-dancing-super-commuter-2392386868.html">this link right here</a> to be swept over to Dance Magazine's new website to read my article.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkFecHMkmE2JhUy5A29OYym7tWYpad-BTcOPH_7om6IK2iQEaRO6O6Y012oLan0SUfdhtWiEY7gBLpDpslCMlv1o-tI0ylcyJMxrfs0_pR_89slzw4ovEGaDR73HhcLga41cogbgyhsH0/s1600/IMG_8956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkFecHMkmE2JhUy5A29OYym7tWYpad-BTcOPH_7om6IK2iQEaRO6O6Y012oLan0SUfdhtWiEY7gBLpDpslCMlv1o-tI0ylcyJMxrfs0_pR_89slzw4ovEGaDR73HhcLga41cogbgyhsH0/s400/IMG_8956.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Graduating Class of the dance department at Hunter College</td></tr>
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I'm currently riding the Bolt Bus back from New York City to spend an evening with my husband and a night in my own bed. At the moment, I'm currently riding off the high of sharing my knowledge and experience with the graduating class in <a href="http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/dance">Hunter College's dance department</a>, where we discussed marketing oneself online and in-person, how to prepare materials for auditions, and techniques in cultivating social media for self-promotion. We talked about many things throughout this 2-hour interactive workshop that I curated especially for these students embarking on their first year out on their own. One thing that we addressed that I haven't talked about in great detail anywhere is how to find what makes you unique and how to use that to stand out in a crowd. So, I thought why not discuss that right here, right now.<br />
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This concept kind of drives me nuts, but every one of us is unique. In fact, the only thing that is normal about every human being is that we are all unique. While some dancers have amazingly high leg extensions or perfectly centered pirouettes, others have artistry that really shines through and can move people to tears. But there are other aspects of self that help dancers become visible. Perhaps, its your hair color, your fashion sense, your interests offstage, or your upbringing. There are unique characteristics that we are born with and different personal experiences that we all have had that distinguish each of us from one another. While many of us try to find success through our technique and artistry, it is more common for those who rise to local, regional, national, and international attention to be singled out for their uniqueness rather than their technique. This is due to the fact that many people today have impeccable technique, sky-high extensions, and can turn on a dime. Today, people tend to be drawn to artists who are imperfect, but intriguing, relatable, or any combination of the two.<br />
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How does one find what makes them unique and then use it to their advantage onstage and offstage? This often requires a lot of trial-and-error to accomplish. For me, as a dancer, I had nice facility with very good technique and considerable acting skills. I always felt like my acting skills distinguished me from others since I didn't have incredible facility. But I was never able to gain the national or international attention I had dreamed of attaining in my work as a performing artist with my skill set. Only when I began freelancing and developed this blog had I begun to even tap into a little bit of what makes me unique in this vast, yet small dance world. I didn't realize it at the time, but what was distinctive about me as an artist was the candor and honesty that I am willing to share publicly about my work and our art form. While this has nothing to do with my dancing, it is a distinguishing quality of mine that I seemed to have naturally cultivated. It absolutely has helped me stand out in a crowd. During my performance career, this quality of mine helped me gain employment across the nation as a freelance artist and got me a few nice nods with attention from <a href="http://www.danceinforma.com/2014/09/03/auditioning-video/">Dance Informa</a> and a short <a href="http://www.dancemagazine.com/your-body-your-health-care-2306923840.html">article about health care</a> in Dance Magazine.<br />
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I didn't have to try hard to develop this characteristic in my media and social media work, as this has always been a quality of mine since childhood. I remember sitting with a friend at the <a href="http://kirovacademydc.org/">Kirov Academy of Ballet</a> who asked me to be honest with her about what I thought of her technique. I remember her pursing her lips, letting out a short close-lipped smile, and stating, "That was mildly painful to hear, but I know that you love me and I now know what I need to work on to get where I want to." And the beautiful part of this story is that she got her dream job to dance with <a href="http://www.universalballet.com/eng/index.asp">Universal Ballet</a> in South Korea, where her mother had been raised. So, while I have always had this unique quality, it took freelancing and this blog for me to figure out how to use it to benefit my career.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rose Montgomery-Webb (Photo: Unknown)</td></tr>
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Now, let's talk for a moment about what you are really here for? How can my sharing of this story help you. How can you determine what makes you unique and utilize those qualities to help become your most successful self? The first and most obvious place is to look within yourself. I always say that you should start with your story. Where did you grow up? How did you grow up? I remember having this conversation with one of my students from Alaska Dance Theatre who is currently a trainee at <a href="http://balletmet.org/">Ballet Met</a>. She was raised in Alaska, but adopted from South Korea while she was an infant. While she didn't see these aspects of her life as anything out of the ordinary (and it was beautiful to see that she didn't), in the eyes of others she was having wildly unique experiences before she even had cognizance of it. As she has entered her years of auditioning for companies and finding her way towards becoming a professional, I have always told her to own those two facts and be unafraid to openly share about these things. This has paid off in certain ways, beyond her training opportunities and gaining a scholarship to attend Ballet Met for the summer that led her to this traineeship, she was selected as a guest host for the Premier Dance Network's <a href="http://www.premierdancenetwork.com/introducing-decembers-featured-dancer-rosie-montgomery-webb/"><i>Becoming Ballet</i></a> podcast. If you can look into your life and see and share what unique experiences made you into the person that you are today, you may be on the right track to finding your definitive story. Look at Misty Copeland and how her story has catapulted her into legitimate fame. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James Whiteside (Photo: Unknown)</td></tr>
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There are other unique things about people that are outside of themselves and their experiences. For instance, <a href="https://www.kcballet.org/">Kansas City Ballet</a> dancer <a href="http://pointemagazine.com/inside-pt/studio-to-street-kelsey-ivana-hellebuyck/">Kelsey Hellebuyck</a> has a hell of a knack for fashion. She runs a blog that documents her outfits from day to day, which has had her featured in Pointe Magazine and other media outlets. <a href="http://kathrynmorganonline.com/">Kathryn Morgan</a> had a meteoric-rise at <a href="http://www.nycballet.com/">New York City Ballet</a> then was struck with a debilitating illness that forced her off the stage. While she already had a unique story, she has found even more ways to make herself distinctive by developing a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Tutugirlkem">Youtube channel</a> that offers tips, tricks, and training for young, aspiring dancers. <a href="https://www.pnb.org/artist/margaret-mullin/">Margaret Mullin</a> (Soloist with <a href="http://pnb.org/">Pacific Northwest Ballet</a>) has been working as choreographer and director on a <a href="http://www.danceinforma.com/2016/05/03/celebrating-remarkable-life-ian-horvath/">film documentary</a>, <a href="http://www.jameswhiteside.org/">James Whiteside</a> (<a href="http://abt.org/default.aspx">American Ballet Theatre</a> Principal) rose to celebrity status thanks to his <a href="http://www.jameswhiteside.org/jbdubs-videos/">viral music videos</a> and non-apologetic openness about his lifestyle, and <a href="http://pointemagazine.com/news/the-new-yumiko-abigal-mentzer-designs/">Abigail Mentzer</a> (former <a href="http://paballet.org/">Pennsylvania Ballet</a> Soloist & current dancer in the <a href="http://ustour.thephantomoftheopera.com/">Phantom of the Opera</a> tour) has become well-known for her interest in dancewear and <a href="https://abigailmentzerdesigns.com/">her company</a> that grew from that. Aside from finding what makes themselves unique, these artists have also developed their unique passions outside of the dance studio to garner attention, <i>likes</i>, and an adoring audience.<br />
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I wouldn't have gotten the opportunity I had today at Hunter College and the one above with Dance Magazine if I hadn't figured out what made me unique and ran with it. It can be so frustrating for somebody to tell you that everybody and nobody is unique. And while I fully agree with that statement, we can only blossom fully when we learn how to genuinely be our own unique self. Take some time to tap into and cultivate multiple parts of yourself that you feel are distinguishing. But be sure not to get disillusioned when certain things you have worked towards and hoped for don't actually catch people's attention. Practically nobody figures out the key to success on their first try. Keep putting yourself out there, keep fine-tuning your ideas and story, and (if you are lucky) your uniqueness will help bring you to the forefront of attention onstage, offstage, and in communities around the world.<br />
<br />
<br />Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-73395502343024625422017-04-26T12:37:00.001-04:002017-04-26T12:46:04.501-04:007 Rules for Posting on Social Media for an Audience<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgODSaFEl1YHi9xP5rGFin2PPF5fzGGkx6ybGMHnEbkXDIE41NxuvgFWYD9yBOE0wJQOlDaDq5tbpIYN1VuQjBKHUUAuIfRKNGbvYGR6U2_7AkIKktcVuxyqs-OVfO73snTOqaIkVEpXFs/s1600/IMG_8837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgODSaFEl1YHi9xP5rGFin2PPF5fzGGkx6ybGMHnEbkXDIE41NxuvgFWYD9yBOE0wJQOlDaDq5tbpIYN1VuQjBKHUUAuIfRKNGbvYGR6U2_7AkIKktcVuxyqs-OVfO73snTOqaIkVEpXFs/s400/IMG_8837.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical scene around Jackson Square in New Orleans</td></tr>
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If you follow me on any of my other social media outlets (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/bkerollis">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bkerollis/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Bariscos">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.premierdancenetwork.com/pas-de-chat/">Pas de Chát podcast</a>), you will see and hear that I took an important break from my teaching, choreographic, and media work while vacationing in <i>The Big Easy</i>. While I did post a few work-related items, most of my sharing consisted of personal experiences and artsy items I found while running around the charmed streets of New Orleans with my husband and friend, J-Ro. It wasn’t always this way, but I now feel funny when I use social media mainly for personal use. I’m so attuned to creating content for all of you guys that I feel odd when I revert back to more typical ways that I used social media before I began freelancing in 2011. As I head home (I’m writing this from the airport) and start revving back up into work mode, it has gotten me thinking about what I post and how I share across multiple media platforms. So, instead of keeping this knowledge to myself, I figured I’d share it with all of you. Keep on reading for a comprehensive list of <i>7 Rules for Posting on Social Media for an Audience</i>.<br />
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1. Be sure to offer a variety of emotional content to appeal to a wide audience. Remember that people relate to people, so letting the public have a view into your private experience can be an extremely relatable asset to promoting your dancing, work, business, and ventures. Unfortunately, it is a harsh reality that many people hiding behind the privacy of a computer screen can become very judgmental of a person based off of the information they share on social media. If you only ever post updates about your successes, people may start to think that you have an over-inflated ego. If a majority of your posts are sad or depress, people may start to ignore your content because they don’t want to absorb your negative mood. If you focus your posts on writing disgruntled messages, people may assume that you are dramatic and unstable. Creating a range and variety of publishable content is a job within itself. You can write a legitimately upset or angry post on your social media here or there (see #7), but be sure that you offer a range of life experiences for your audience to relate to. In summing this up, be sure to come up with a game plan pertaining to the regularity of posts, range of content, and how often you plan to post about certain life happenings.<br />
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2. Post daily, but don’t post too frequently. This is one of my ultimate challenges, as I like to share a lot of content. Frequency of publishing engaging material has no perfect formula. It really comes down to seeing what your friends and audience respond to best. If you post too often, followers may feel like you are spamming their feed and unfollow or de-friend you. If you post too infrequently, your public may forget to look for your content or you may fall out of the algorithm that many social media sites rely on to share your relevant content with others. Play around with the amount of posting that your audience seems to respond to and tweak your posts and content from there. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6jUj1nvsmg8oMLwuboDIxKF1IocG5q8GOoueegVn50iM11hX-knvBZg5a4GGNCJX5Q2-m3nNSwaxyzMdq4Nh8qDmrMR2ptPSBJzi-AFIwy_Z2AtWRpXKPg3-0mnEjH_3e_elAZfKkMw/s1600/AMZL3667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6jUj1nvsmg8oMLwuboDIxKF1IocG5q8GOoueegVn50iM11hX-knvBZg5a4GGNCJX5Q2-m3nNSwaxyzMdq4Nh8qDmrMR2ptPSBJzi-AFIwy_Z2AtWRpXKPg3-0mnEjH_3e_elAZfKkMw/s320/AMZL3667.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rehearsal to Performance of my new ballet (Photo: Eduardo Patino)</td></tr>
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3. Try to add a visual to as many of your posts as possible. It is easy to share visual content on platforms like Instagram, where you are required to post images anytime you share . This isn’t a requirement for other outlets like Facebook and Twitter. As human beings, we are much more visual when it comes to exploring content. Think about what first draws you to read articles in magazines or on websites. Images. If you are able to upload visually relevant images along with your content, you will be that much more likely to catch the eye of followers who are scrolling through a handful of other artist's feeds just like yours. <br />
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4. If you are feeling angry, hurt, disappointed, or any range of adjectives that could be described as emotional, have at least one sleep before you write any public posts. When you are emotional, you tend to respond by reacting without reasoning. This is often the last thing you want to do. If you sleep on your reaction for just one night, you will likely wake up more rational than when you went to sleep. From there, you can decide whether you still want to follow through by sharing your original reaction, you can temper your original post into something more censored, or you can choose to scrap the whole thing altogether. <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/23/royal-ballet-choreographer-appears-ridicule-stars/">You don’t want to end up in a situation like the talented choreographer David Dawson found himself in recently.</a> After a London critic wrote a poor review of his work, his stager (who sets his ballets on companies) wrote an emotionally charged comment on the piece sparking great controversy. Mr. Dawson chose to tweet that he would attempt to avoid working in London’s dance scene in response, then almost immediately deleted the post. As he learned, even if you post something for just one minute and delete it, there is such a thing as a screenshot. Trust me on this one!<br />
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5. Stay engaged and interact with your audience as best as you can. It is easier to be responsive to your audience when you are in earlier stages of building your social media following. As your following grows, you may find that you are receiving more comments and requests for personal feedback than you can handle. It is important that you continue to maintain some semblance of interaction with your audience no matter how great their reaction may be. While I average anywhere between 2-10 messages from an array of dancers, readers, and listeners a day, I do my best to respond to each of them (even if a few months later). Don’t let these interactions take over the entirety of your work and free time. But do be sure to respond directly to as many people as you reasonably can. It is important to remember that these friends, followers, and fans are the reason that many of us get to thrive in the work that we do.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYHK-kMxsLAyL31PbzKC1dvLqOmjoIZyc8en3OHi-nmUe3lTZYRKzC8wIYwIFAKWSRldJNZaUY1oSK956uHc5Ux1ZdHr8ItzaiQpIqikm0QUE2r-tRUu34WHupS0WoH_89Dj6jk6SlH0/s1600/IMG_8365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYHK-kMxsLAyL31PbzKC1dvLqOmjoIZyc8en3OHi-nmUe3lTZYRKzC8wIYwIFAKWSRldJNZaUY1oSK956uHc5Ux1ZdHr8ItzaiQpIqikm0QUE2r-tRUu34WHupS0WoH_89Dj6jk6SlH0/s320/IMG_8365.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of @thefatjewish on Instagram</td></tr>
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6. Remember, anything that you post today could eventually be dug up years from now. Yes, most of us go through fun party phases where we might want to share our fun and debauchery. Yes, many of us share diverse and, sometimes, divisive perspectives. Yes, a majority of us have regretted posting something and deleted what we shared the following morning. The one thing that most kids and young adults don’t understand is that social media somehow morphs from a platform to share with friends to a platform for professional associations. Keep in mind that we sometimes share things that feel acceptable and culturally appropriate in the moment, but may reflect poorly upon us when a potential employer looks up your information, when you become the face of an organization/movement, or you react too quickly to a particular situation (see #4).<br />
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7. Make sure you are presenting your most genuine self. This is, perhaps, the most challenging task for anybody using social media to enhance or promote their work. Projecting confidence and sharing exciting experiences should absolutely be a part of your social media behaviors. But people are drawn to experiences that they can relate to more than things that are out of their social reach. If you can make yourself relatable by sharing genuine thoughts, successes, challenges, and experiences whilst throwing some unique and intriguing content out there, you will find that you can easily maintain and grow an audience that is emotionally invested in your life’s work.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2MXuyltoGW1YLMsaj4HHJVPMK2CNj2snrXOQsCyYyOJMsS4Mwh8uxO6NmcX24bx2BMQTL4-A82uqLrgN2xmpRGieGX_FgE7mwBlCeD-w8GXYgmvINDaiVOew12b8aOTomoxFSs2X2RI0/s1600/IMG_8574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2MXuyltoGW1YLMsaj4HHJVPMK2CNj2snrXOQsCyYyOJMsS4Mwh8uxO6NmcX24bx2BMQTL4-A82uqLrgN2xmpRGieGX_FgE7mwBlCeD-w8GXYgmvINDaiVOew12b8aOTomoxFSs2X2RI0/s320/IMG_8574.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheers from NoLA!!!!</td></tr>
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Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-9475230573706073672017-04-12T14:24:00.001-04:002017-04-12T14:41:37.444-04:00Springtime: A Time for (Contract) Renewal<div dir="ltr">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHK_PfTB6c76SqZ2CS4FmtPzZZu0ZD03WAS7RA0mJRUY8CWWOxLKEVwESD-G7sIHMvXKebP4dlEKkmIe7Vdnl1RSssgZx0BeVX4tk9sL_pOaRh6Mo7Mbn0TEDeKhDliootQFww1Ph3Ylk/s1600/17834972_1357411077652712_8694927059418039340_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHK_PfTB6c76SqZ2CS4FmtPzZZu0ZD03WAS7RA0mJRUY8CWWOxLKEVwESD-G7sIHMvXKebP4dlEKkmIe7Vdnl1RSssgZx0BeVX4tk9sL_pOaRh6Mo7Mbn0TEDeKhDliootQFww1Ph3Ylk/s400/17834972_1357411077652712_8694927059418039340_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new work, <i>Diagnosis</i>, premieres this Saturday in NYC (Photo: Eduardo Patino)</td></tr>
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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, <a href="http://www.columbiaballetcollaborative.com/performances.html">follow this link for tickets</a>. Shows are at 3 pm & 8
pm, and additional choreographers include American Ballet Theatre soloist <a href="http://www.abt.org/dancers/detail.asp?Dancer_ID=84">Craig Salstein</a>,
<a href="http://emerylecrone.com/web/">Emery Lecrone</a>, <a href="http://www.claudiaschreier.com/">Claudia Schreier</a>, 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 <a href="https://gibneydance.secure.force.com/ticket/#sections_a0F4400000QFTz5EAH">clicking here</a>. Beyond all of this excitement,
I am also honored to have recently been featured in <a href="http://insidedance.com/">Inside Dance magazine</a>'s March/April issue in their <i>Teacher4Teacher</i> 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!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3u6fi3vW9Biij3cpCjjTsrvGnoj-N1QmadPPGyjFcvlPgSez627l8BEDeHYoxq5jkYqWK8WN0Q-h3UFy3UKCWllMbIoaftak0eqa_s5hxAl4CZNraEWGlSQpFSitp9ULaqzGm16TFHo/s1600/IMG_8436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3u6fi3vW9Biij3cpCjjTsrvGnoj-N1QmadPPGyjFcvlPgSez627l8BEDeHYoxq5jkYqWK8WN0Q-h3UFy3UKCWllMbIoaftak0eqa_s5hxAl4CZNraEWGlSQpFSitp9ULaqzGm16TFHo/s400/IMG_8436.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teacher4Teacher feature in Inside Dance Magazine</td></tr>
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</div>
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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.</div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1492010699349_2662">
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 <a href="http://pnb.org/">Pacific Northwest Ballet</a>, 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. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br />
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.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiN7w916c731OFlI7yKoc7jOuaVpN_lTfJtxRnFu8Az6-jnw8XFC8GCVZ5y0baSuSN1cuFRAQiTNb6YSzvuoKOw_65oOLkP-gXabTYFxtmmfhOo2xEJu2ey6z3X_j4lF_8ybNT1b5P4G8/s1600/17760916_1357410904319396_5036566851245583143_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiN7w916c731OFlI7yKoc7jOuaVpN_lTfJtxRnFu8Az6-jnw8XFC8GCVZ5y0baSuSN1cuFRAQiTNb6YSzvuoKOw_65oOLkP-gXabTYFxtmmfhOo2xEJu2ey6z3X_j4lF_8ybNT1b5P4G8/s400/17760916_1357410904319396_5036566851245583143_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ali Block, in my new work, gave up a company position to freelance & attend Columbia University (Photo: Eduardo Patino)</td></tr>
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</div>
<div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1492010699349_2640">
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.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1492010699349_2639">
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.<br />
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
</div>
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.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkcNcWpg_txr_S9af_xjUsF3N5EtdPDE9h_jIxwGPsAmzhnK14sxm7zL2_DP09p1io7WS7kAGLjmvdMoGv2GJ180u-tj_WX0oiVf5CmpCSuGbOsw8myOqjBcFVlOpfc27zeo7nTjIN1E/s1600/IMG_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkcNcWpg_txr_S9af_xjUsF3N5EtdPDE9h_jIxwGPsAmzhnK14sxm7zL2_DP09p1io7WS7kAGLjmvdMoGv2GJ180u-tj_WX0oiVf5CmpCSuGbOsw8myOqjBcFVlOpfc27zeo7nTjIN1E/s320/IMG_0009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Springtime has finally arrived!</td></tr>
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<br />Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-57016591969297289372017-03-27T23:53:00.002-04:002017-03-28T00:03:42.569-04:00You Can't Please EverybodyI had a very interesting experience last week. Something happened to me that has NEVER happened before. It took me awhile to figure out exactly what was going on and to determine how to digest the situation. A disgruntled student contacted one of my many employers and wrote a scathing three paragraph email attacking my integrity as an instructor and my personality outside the dance studio. I won't go into specific details about the message that was clearly meant to disparage my employer from continuing to work with me. But what I can tell you is that I was completely and utterly blindsided that a student who has only taken my class a very few times would go as far as trying to affect my employment because they disliked my attempt to share my art with them and improve their skills. Luckily, I have amazing friends and peers who have helped support me through this situation. And as a few of them have said, I officially have a HATER, which means that I must have made it! 😂<br />
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The dance world is a place that is brimming with judgment. We judge ourselves every day in the mirror, while teachers and peers are judging us, as well. Now, this judgment doesn't always have a negative connotation. A majority of judgment in a classroom setting comes from your instructors, whose job is to give you combinations, judge your execution, and offer corrections to help put you on the right path towards success. Your peers may judge you in order to determine what you are and aren't doing well to help them along their path, too. Once you leave the studio and step onstage, you are putting yourself on a platform that opens up a whole different world of judgment from the general public. Some of these people are critics, some are couples on dates, and others are ballet aficionados that spend as much free time as possible sitting in the anonymity that the darkness of a theatre provides. A performing artist is setting themselves up to be critiqued constantly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hbWnDHzHavjo7QPXKSVJGWgNcf6ghV9I0Q4PHclkLk6g6_r1ABhHSrn4FI41dbkp_J1r3oR31FqnX5QQ0t3caTGySusQ3fgPyR7y7V7KryVtsAmcN1-aegAlpnGxBUonRdqqqjd8CGE/s1600/IMG_5026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hbWnDHzHavjo7QPXKSVJGWgNcf6ghV9I0Q4PHclkLk6g6_r1ABhHSrn4FI41dbkp_J1r3oR31FqnX5QQ0t3caTGySusQ3fgPyR7y7V7KryVtsAmcN1-aegAlpnGxBUonRdqqqjd8CGE/s320/IMG_5026.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Judging Art</td></tr>
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One difficult reality that dancers must face is that judgement of their work often feels like a personal attack on one's character. A dancer creates their art by physically exhausting themselves and tapping into emotional parts of their life experience to portray certain roles. When a bad review comes out, a dancer may feel that their own being is under attack. This often isn't true, but that doesn't take away the pain of a negative critique.<br />
<br />
There is a great deal of judgment and critique in our careers that is never intended to be malicious. But, then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, somebody comes along who just doesn't like you. Whether it is a critic that never likes how you perform a role compared to other dancers, a colleague that you always rub the wrong way, or somebody who you somehow offend with any and every action you take, there will be some people that you just can't please. This has been the great lesson of my career as of late.<br />
<br />
As an instructor in dance, I have passed beyond the sometimes selfish period of my performance career. When I am in the studio working with my students, class has nothing to do with me and everything to do with getting my students to achieve the impossible. I am heavy in the correction department, try to inspire honest conversation among students, and try to provide valuable feedback to each student in my classes. Where a performance career involves a great deal of focus on oneself, a teaching career is the complete opposite. In fact, I say that the only way I can be successful as a teacher is to help my students become successful. Being a teacher of dance differs from a performance career in the sense that an instructor's sole focus should be to give fully to their students.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsU89KSy84mISa1V9mV47B_VftBpJX9OB9A8Ou_PzwZURSSBJF4sZUHfpYSqLNVO0u_RDQcdeQFIQ7fVH56a9jnSqxuZo1QeFzNEuvm5YcK5MK-H5pk6nC-vKmvTUav5cLwGuLNQjz98c/s1600/IMG_8261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsU89KSy84mISa1V9mV47B_VftBpJX9OB9A8Ou_PzwZURSSBJF4sZUHfpYSqLNVO0u_RDQcdeQFIQ7fVH56a9jnSqxuZo1QeFzNEuvm5YcK5MK-H5pk6nC-vKmvTUav5cLwGuLNQjz98c/s320/IMG_8261.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working w/dancer on my new work for Columbia Ballet Collaborative (Photo: Eduardo Patino)</td></tr>
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At the end of my time teaching a class, I often wait afterwards to talk with students and answer any questions that have gone unanswered in the fast-pace environment of a technique class. During this time, I also often receive feedback from my students. Nearly all of this feedback is positive. It is rare to never that a student comes up to a teacher with a complaint (they usually reserve this type of feedback for management). But it seems that while many students enjoy a class, it isn't uncommon for a student or two to have an opposite experience. If these students choose to express their discontent, having received opposing positive feedback, an instructor may find it difficult to understand where things went wrong and how to resolve it. The same can happen with a performer. Perhaps, after a show, a dancer receives a plethora of gracious comments and positive attention from peers, management, and friends who have watched their performance. But when that review comes out and tears them off of their performance pedestal, it can be painful and confusing to read something written for the public and to assess where things went wrong.<br />
<br />
What I have learned in my most recent experience with my <i>hater</i> is that it is impossible to please everybody. As a friend recently told me, "I am not everyone's cup of tea." As dancers and former dancers, we tend to strive for this ideal that everybody around us will like us as people and artists. I feel that many people, non-dancers included want everybody to like them. But this is just completely impossible. There are so many people on this earth with so many different personalities, lifestyles, expectations, tastes, and more. And to have the expectation that you can please everybody and leave this life with every person you touched feeling positively about their experience with you is one hundred percent impossible. For instance, some students prefer an aggressive teacher that really pushes a dancer outside of their comfort zone. While other students want to attend class to have fun and prefer not to be corrected once. It is impossible to please everybody in the room, in the company, in the theatre, and in the world.<br />
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<br />
Sometimes, it is baffling to comprehend that those who choose to express their opinions have seen the same performance. One person's taste may differ greatly from another. Or one person's education and knowledge of dance may be vastly different from the people sitting next to them. The same goes for an instructor trying to impart their knowledge upon a studio of dancers. Some students may thrive under a challenging teacher, while others may collapse into negativity. Luckily, there is great beauty in having so many people involved in our field. Every teacher and every dancer is not someone's cup of tea. And that is fine. There are a range of options for each person to choose from. As long as we understand this concept, we can move forward from negative feedback much quicker. Yes, you should assess whether you feel that feedback is true and could potentially help you grow and cultivate your craft. But you can't please everybody and you absolutely shouldn't lose grasp of the type of artist you want to be just to please somebody who may never actually be pleased with you. You may just not be their cup of tea! Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-21194695187043680512017-03-11T15:57:00.000-05:002017-03-11T15:57:04.235-05:00Checklist: Do You Have What It Takes?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WTzypMh5zCvPq6HiF_Jp30Yj6psCa3asN8Ys0LlONIcqihhOqjlWQhaFvKNHjn9_XQM_Qe94Hus1NZ77oaPKzp3gYxufiUPj_MaMnIuRsA1JRpV53q8S7zrVDhJUNgn9dNjxwKKOkIk/s1600/15194456_1228020890591732_9047567805125450292_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WTzypMh5zCvPq6HiF_Jp30Yj6psCa3asN8Ys0LlONIcqihhOqjlWQhaFvKNHjn9_XQM_Qe94Hus1NZ77oaPKzp3gYxufiUPj_MaMnIuRsA1JRpV53q8S7zrVDhJUNgn9dNjxwKKOkIk/s320/15194456_1228020890591732_9047567805125450292_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ali Block performing w/Columbia Ballet Collaborative (Photo: Eduardo Patino)</td></tr>
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I was sitting in the hallway of Barnard Hall at Columbia University
last week waiting for my rehearsal to begin. Per usual, one of the
dancers in my new work for the <a href="http://www.columbiaballetcollaborative.com/">Columbia Ballet Collaborative</a>'s 10th
Anniversary production showed up a little early to prepare for
rehearsal. Ali Block, a former dancer with <a href="http://eugeneballet.org/">Eugene Ballet</a> and <a href="http://texasballettheater.org/">Texas Ballet Theater</a>, is now studying at Columbia while enjoying a freelance
career in New York City. As she was preparing for rehearsal, we struck
up a conversation about her transition from full-time company work to
school and freelance life. I was taken aback (and maybe blushed a
little) when Ali mentioned that she had been considering freelancing for
awhile, but didn't think she could do it until she found my blog
here. It has been really heart-warming over the past year as more and
more dancers and non-dancers alike have told me that my work here on <i>
Life of a Freelance Dancer</i> has inspired them to push themselves inside
and outside of their own careers. I've always written on here to help
dancers, artists, and independent contractors walk the tricky path that
is a freelance career. But I never really considered that I might be
helping people make the decision to launch their freelance career until
Ms. Block used those exact words.<br />
<br />
In typical <i>LOFD</i> fashion, I'm
letting this moment inspire the content I'm creating to share with you.
And I figured why not head back to the root of this media platform,
helping freelancers freelance. So, inspired by the word that I inspired
this lovely dancer to cross that line and embark on a career in
freelance work, I would like to offer you a checklist of items to ask
yourself if it is time for you to jump into the freelance pool to drive
your own career and success. <br />
<br />
<i><b>Have I completed enough of my
training to offer my best product possible? Am I anxious to start
dancing professionally when I could really benefit from more time
refining my technique and skills? </b></i><br />
<br />
If you have already danced
professionally or have auditioned for companies and received interest
without solid offers, you may be ready to take the plunge. If you are still in the pre-professional period of your training, don't mistake your
intense drive to have a professional career as a reason to embark on seeking employment as an independent contractor too early in the game. Many dancers are willing to forgo pertinent training
in the formative late teens and early 20's because they feel like they
should already be working. Try to be realistic about your training and
skill level and don't be afraid to train an extra year or two. You can
make up for time in your career, but you can't always make up for lost
training. In fact, I gave up a corps contract with <a href="http://coloradoballet.org/">Colorado Ballet</a> at 18
years old to train for a year at the <a href="http://sab.org/">School of American Ballet</a>. The
next year I was offered a position with <a href="http://houstonballet.org/">Houston Ballet</a>, which was a nice step up. I would say it was definitely worth the wait and additional education.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Do I have the motivation to make sure that I
am taking class and cross-training regularly or do I need the push of
an employer/potential casting to keep me coming to class to stay in
shape?</b></i><br />
<br />
Not every dancer is able to stay self-motivated to stay in
shape. Just like taking an educational online/correspondence course,
some people don't perform well without direct, in-person oversight to stay on track. If you
find that you easily fall off track without outside motivation or if
your response to feeling down is to avoid the activities necessary to
perform at your highest level, you may want to reconsider freelancing or
work on ways to improve your self-reliance. The best freelancers are the most self-motivated, driven people you will meet.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Am I outgoing or extremely sensitive when being thrust into new environments?</b></i><br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2n4_WSFcaUs1_XwoevkKMovI9ZuS_HwwQ4kV9Yn12zuJygjMslIVGnZRccfQpZWyWz2CLfpN06bKAlllGoy34SXLOd6Yn_NCNdWArQmoK4BAI4UcpdCiiEnDuzJhkynBCUuTFwEExrk/s1600/10304645_10152343782485067_2905878629126061329_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2n4_WSFcaUs1_XwoevkKMovI9ZuS_HwwQ4kV9Yn12zuJygjMslIVGnZRccfQpZWyWz2CLfpN06bKAlllGoy34SXLOd6Yn_NCNdWArQmoK4BAI4UcpdCiiEnDuzJhkynBCUuTFwEExrk/s320/10304645_10152343782485067_2905878629126061329_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucia Rogers & me performing <i>Romeo & Juliet</i> at Fort Wayne Ballet (Photo: Jeffrey Crane)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As
a freelancer, you are constantly meeting new people and developing fresh
relationships throughout gigs and networking that leads to work. While a shy dancer may take
their time to develop relationships once they feel comfortable within a
group, a freelancer doesn't always have this luxury. A freelance artist
needs to be adept at adapting quickly in the studio, as well as
within the culture of the group with whom they are working. For instance, when I was brought in to dance with Fort Wayne Ballet, I had less than two weeks to prepare the role of Romeo. Due to the short period of time to prepare this full-length classic, Juliet and I were already kissing in rehearsal by the second day. If you have issues
getting comfortable with your colleagues quickly, you may have challenges adapting to the constant environmental and
social changes that are a major part of a freelance career.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Does self-promotion come easily to me and/or am I willing to work to build that?</i></b><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2hajCXguiVlZL_tLVBVA-GRo3K1vNUprY4OcnFGuwqIA0ffuxtO3MdHR1KSpmCYgUuftxJsm3R45hkVZLDp6oAAO34qjyO4N74OwZZJ2uq0WaZ7NLRLr_pVs1bs7Lin6tRw1D8Lm8co/s1600/IMG_7406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2hajCXguiVlZL_tLVBVA-GRo3K1vNUprY4OcnFGuwqIA0ffuxtO3MdHR1KSpmCYgUuftxJsm3R45hkVZLDp6oAAO34qjyO4N74OwZZJ2uq0WaZ7NLRLr_pVs1bs7Lin6tRw1D8Lm8co/s320/IMG_7406.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A popular Instagram post creating choreography at my gym</td></tr>
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There
are few dancers that are naturally good at promoting themselves for
employment. Most of us were taught to speak with our bodies and technique, not our mouths or keyboards. Can you find effective ways to market yourself and the
quality of performer you are without appearing that you are an
egotistical maniac of a dancer? Do you love or hate social media? Even
if you don't enjoy it, you need to be willing to put daily effort into
(at least) Facebook and Instagram to keep your face and product on the
minds of those in your career field.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Can you stand up for yourself in the studio? What about when it comes to contract negotiations and pay?</b></i><br />
<br />
Are
you a compulsive pushover? Most people don't like pushing too hard when it comes to accepting terms of work. We all want to be working, so we will all be pushovers at a certain point. What I am talking about is speaking up when you are not comfortable with the compromise (or lack thereof) given. It is important that you know how to stand your ground in contract
negotiations or how to approach an employer when certain work places
issues arise. It is never comfortable speaking up to protect yourself or telling an
employer that you aren't comfortable with certain items. As a
freelancer, you are responsible for your physical, emotional, and
financial health. If you don't think you can handle this type of
pressure, you may need to seek work with a company that offers a union
contract or an advocate for its dancers.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Are you ready to wear more hats than the word "dancer" implies?</b></i><br />
<br />
One
of the biggest shocks I had after entering my freelance career was the
multitude of duties I had to take on in order to become successful in my
field. While dancing for a company, all I had to worry about was showing up for
class, rehearsing repertoire, and taking care of my body. The last few years I
danced with Pacific Northwest Ballet, I added university classes to achieve my Associates of the Arts degree and union delegate duties as a liaison between company dancers and management.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivOXR8DsvE8KKASFgw5E3IcKOf05u6tdhBzKUVBh2bVP6l-U98Vzs4t42EgJl861ThQWhgbPvFsNF9IbtbJmX7hY3bS1LOL0ys0mBZni958y9wEAUrRYQ0Rs1F0OsOexldWTulnWee4TM/s1600/IMG_7531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivOXR8DsvE8KKASFgw5E3IcKOf05u6tdhBzKUVBh2bVP6l-U98Vzs4t42EgJl861ThQWhgbPvFsNF9IbtbJmX7hY3bS1LOL0ys0mBZni958y9wEAUrRYQ0Rs1F0OsOexldWTulnWee4TM/s320/IMG_7531.JPG" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing the role of Businessman </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Luckily, these activities outside of my role as a dancer began to prepare me for the life of a freelancer. Once I
began working as an independent contractor, my focus had no choice but to spread over a vast amount tasks that are necessary to build and maintain this style of career. Now, instead of having the luxury to completely focus on fine-tuning my technique and preparing for performances, I found myself maintaining this
blog and taking on work in my own marketing, research, managing, negotiating, cross-training,
physical maintenance, teaching, promotion, and more. A few years into my travels, there was a point when I really missed the luxury of company life that allows dancers to focus solely on their work in the studio and
on the stage. While this was quite an adjustment, I am very grateful for
the vast education and experience I have received from having to wear so many hats. <br />
<br />
<i><b>Are you truly passionate about dance or is it just something that you've always done? </b></i><br />
<br />
One
thing that really strikes me about freelance work is
how revealing the stresses of this career-style are to an artist.
Dancers are greatly unique, but especially so in the sense that almost all of us started our path
to professional as children. Some of us asked our parents to take dance classes. Others
were put into ballet by our parents who thought we needed to burn energy. And there are certainly some dancers who were
forced into the studio by overbearing dance parents hoping to live out their unrealized dreams through their children. Due to the range of reasons dancers begin training, many are only dancing because they were good at it and have never known anything
else. Like other artists who have been honing their craft since early
childhood, a handful of professionals find that they really aren't passionate
when the going gets tough. I can almost assure you that there will be intense challenges at some point in your freelance career. If you know nothing but an easy path, you may not realize that you don't have the passion
to push through intense difficulties. I have experienced firings,
injuries, famines, transitions, losses, more injuries, burnt bridges, burn out,
and much more. But I am still here and I can't imagine doing anything
else. How about you?Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-9562374054307654122017-02-27T12:38:00.001-05:002017-03-13T10:41:42.480-04:00The Ultimate SacrificeThroughout the wildly political 2016 calendar year, social media became
all sorts of heated platforms. Long gone were the days of respectful
conversation and friendly debate. This new age of irresistible public
posting with resistant, closed-mindedness permeated my feed as I tried
to stifle the stress of possibly losing my rights and watching the
positive progress of 8 years disappear with the ding of voting machine
buttons. Nonetheless, I did everything in my power to avoid arguments on
social media while staying a part of important conversations. And this
is how I continue to treat social media while the remnants of this
election cycle still have people on an argumentative edge. Now this
is where this post swings from political to dance. The other day I was
sifting through my feed to find a former professional dancer I was
acquainted with through <a href="http://pnb.org/">Pacific Northwest Ballet</a>'s school (who is now
retired) reposting the article <a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2017/02/protecting-your-mental-health.html">I shared in my most recent blog post</a>
about dance potentially causing psychological harm. Now a mother, her
sharing of this article was accompanied by a statement that her
daughter would never be a part of the art form to which she once gave
her full self. I felt the need to turn this public thought into a caring conversation, and luckily she responded with the same sentiment.
And from that respectful chat this post was borne.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75Iyy0Stz4WeGa7AsXNw40wVPUi4xUaIsJ9P0y3Goaj_9hOPNBq1kWHS96zkbmLMfpSnD1l6315xqHuRNBl5XJsT3UEnALj1RM7bBknfjfGjYZ5bUOS_Mm8sMoLRYe8erj_R7YwlYgak/s1600/IMG_0111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75Iyy0Stz4WeGa7AsXNw40wVPUi4xUaIsJ9P0y3Goaj_9hOPNBq1kWHS96zkbmLMfpSnD1l6315xqHuRNBl5XJsT3UEnALj1RM7bBknfjfGjYZ5bUOS_Mm8sMoLRYe8erj_R7YwlYgak/s400/IMG_0111.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A local Philly sculpture - "Freedom" by Zenos Frudakis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There is
just something about being a former professional dancer. I can speak to
this from both perspectives, as I am out of my performance career, but
still maintain dance as every aspect of my career and self. While there
are short-lived, wildly euphoric highs involved in the life of
performing artists such as dancers, there are also desperately painful
lows. These lows are often accompanied with physical pain that can drive
a dancer into the ground before they fully blossom. Most professional
dancers don't stop dancing because they have consciously tied up all
ends of their performing careers and feel like they have accomplished
what they set out to do. More often, they retire due to complication from
injuries, disappointment in casting and organizational progression, and beyond. This array of painful endings has more dancers leaving our career feeling bitter
than sweet (not even bittersweet). So, why even try to be a part of this
career?<br />
<br />
What it comes down to is
that a career in dance is the ultimate sacrifice. It is the sacrifice of
one's body, mind, will, and lifestyle. A dancer may come off as selfish
in their full-out ambition to have a stage career. But the truth is
that a dance career can't be selfish, as it is submitting oneself over
fully to the art form. Perhaps, the art should instead be deemed
selfish. And all of the stepping stones to get a dancer to the point of
performance in a professional setting prove that they are willing to
submit themselves, even if they aren't aware of it. <br />
<br />
One of my
biggest challenges as an educator in dance involves getting through to
parents, children, pre-professional students, and open class students
that I am not coming into the studio with any intention but to prepare
them for a lifestyle in dance. Whether that means you are striving to
have a career or you only intend to take open classes for health, fun,
and fitness, I will enter the classroom to impart my knowledge and share
our art form to better you along whatever path you wish to take.
Initially, I have found this is often met with resistance and confusion.
A few examples of this include an open class student telling me they come to class to have fun and I make them think too much. Or a young
student taking my contemporary class once and her mother pulling her from subsequent classes because of my approach to instruction, only to return 3
months later because the other student's parents who gave me a chance
had so much positive to say about my teaching methods. The struggle as
an educator is real. And it is especially difficult in our field because
young dancers don't understand that there are many challenges a dancer
must face in order to know whether they can be one of the few who can
sacrifice certain aspects of their lives to be a dancer. A life in dance
is a life of sacrifice. And these sacrifices aren't common or
comfortable. <br />
<br />
There are many points in a dancer's education that
can be considered stepping stones towards testing out the waters of a
career. Your first recital. The first time you feel the pain of pointe.
That point when you realize more of your friends have quit dance than
remained. The first time your teacher is unusually critical of your dancing. The days you have too much homework, but you still refuse to
miss class. The time when you choose to move away from your family
before you are even your own legal guardian. The first time you get that
rejection at an audition. The first time your company doesn't cast you
in a ballet. The first time you suffer a career-threatening injury. The
first time somebody mentions your weight. The first time your friend is
unkind to you because they are jealous of your casting. The first time
you don't want to wake up to take class because you are so exhausted. The first time you consider
your life without dance. Most dancers don't get past point three in this
paragraph. But those who do are commonly accepting each subsequent sacrifice as a
necessary step towards living out their dreams to become one of us rare
human super-humans called a professional dancer.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvkvbsV7DXRSQ3-sWKIUH67oG9R8iY94odWn_ycn4b7ZYGM6TZvdsL0kCFgdb34Bde2YkeNssblvjBQiGQI6u54RSXnFWeWUZ0OGHuIqsvwu6TXNeLinCI3haB2_TzhixbwuWlHsEZdY/s1600/IMG_8229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvkvbsV7DXRSQ3-sWKIUH67oG9R8iY94odWn_ycn4b7ZYGM6TZvdsL0kCFgdb34Bde2YkeNssblvjBQiGQI6u54RSXnFWeWUZ0OGHuIqsvwu6TXNeLinCI3haB2_TzhixbwuWlHsEZdY/s400/IMG_8229.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nicholas Rio, Ali Block, & dancers of Columbia Ballet Collaborative sacrificing their Sunday night to dance my new work</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While a dance
artist can perform seemingly supernatural feats with their bodies, they
are also doing the same with their minds. I remember the first time I
had a stone bruise on the heel of my foot around the age of 14. I was
quite convinced that I wouldn't be able to dance for a week, let alone walk. But I
learned that day that, while I felt the pain, I could ignore it enough
to continue. Eventually, I forgot about it. This evolved into
handling being so sore day after day and still attending class and rehearsing
for 8 hours without realizing that most people would completely shut
down under the same circumstances. But then there is also the ability of
a dancer to stifle emotional trauma and still perform at a high level.
For all of the effort put in by most dancers day in and day out, they
may still find themselves in the 2nd cast of a ballet. Or, perhaps, they
were learning a new role for weeks and the director chooses not to put
them onstage for the production. Even under these circumstances, dancers
keep trucking on and perform their job to the best of their abilities.
But what about all of the hard work they put in? What about the extra
time they spent at home after their 8 hour dance day watching footage of
the role and marking the steps in their living room? Don't they deserve
a chance for all of their effort? Perhaps, they even put in more effort
than the person who got to perform that role. <br />
<br />
With all of these
different ideas colliding into one, what most dancers are forced to
reconcile, but rarely see, is that dance never owed them anything. Just
because you walk into a studio and work every ounce of your being off
doesn't mean you deserve to step on a stage and enjoy the bliss of
performance. And most people don't ever recognize that, even after their
career is over. Dance is always a gift and rarely a straightforward
response to all of the effort you put into it. Due to the lack of open
dialogue about this harsh reality of the life of a dancer, there is an
epidemic of bitter, jaded dancers expressing how dance victimizes its
participants and leaves them broken with little to show for it. This is
often an inner dialogue of their perceived failure of expectation. An
expectation that dance promises no one. This reality isn't talked about
enough during the training stages of a dance career.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUxv0tJ1jrMLGvvCbUu6_DXynaPIApUDoNI5YQc97ZDGBfn8AY_nMSoFIr2UU-hApKrZn80NHU55UL47kH_NYv-sZBUddiZM_getq5C-dr0qOD8m_bauolXn6mBbeXrjdew1ozyNJ3qo/s1600/IMG_0120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUxv0tJ1jrMLGvvCbUu6_DXynaPIApUDoNI5YQc97ZDGBfn8AY_nMSoFIr2UU-hApKrZn80NHU55UL47kH_NYv-sZBUddiZM_getq5C-dr0qOD8m_bauolXn6mBbeXrjdew1ozyNJ3qo/s320/IMG_0120.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shira Lanyi & Allen Abrams in my work, <i>Distinct Perceptions</i> (Photo: Dave Friedman)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When this
naivety is broken for a dancer, which is often caused by a case of
physical or emotional injury, dance often turns from a personal passion
into a personal vendetta. How can a dancer submit themselves to an art,
then claim hatred for something that is so ingrained as a part of them?
It could be the fact that they had expectations and weren't aware of
what they were signing up for when they fell in love with dance while
still aged in the single digits of life. But the way I see it is this.
When you fall in love with somebody, you open up a more vulnerable part
of yourself to this person. And if things don't work out, you often feel
anger towards that person, if not hatred. So many people will say the
worst things about their ex-lovers, even if they were married for years
and years. My assumption here is that the brokenhearted must create
negative feelings towards their ex-lover, otherwise they may find
themselves still in love with them, even if they aren't a good fit
today. For example, if they don't hate them for this, they may remember that they
were the most generous of people. Or if they don't speak negatively of
that, they may realize that nobody ever made them feel more empowered to
reach for their dreams. In this vein, ending a career in dance that
wasn't fully realized to one's expectations may lead a person to project
negativity and bitterness towards dance to help them detach from
something that they used to love more than most anything else. I've seen this
happen among more retired dancers than you can imagine.<br />
<br />
This is a
lot of information to take in here. But what it comes down to is that
we all fell in love with dance for a reason. Whether it was fascination with the
super-human aspect of it, getting out of the house during your parent's
dirty divorce, the only place you felt you fit in, or some other
situation, dance doesn't owe you anything. It can offer you some
otherworldly experiences. It can introduce you to the most diverse cast
of friends. It can keep you fit, disciplined, and eager to enjoy a
lifetime of progress and growth. But it doesn't owe you that Odette/Odile. It
doesn't owe you a body that can withstand the wear-and-tear of
near-contortionism. It doesn't owe you that meteoric rise to Principal.
It doesn't owe you that final curtain call with audience members yelling
bravo and tossing roses at your feet.<br />
<br />
Many people look up to dance
artists because they feel that they are ethereal creatures. Dancers
look at their careers the same way. Infinite progress is the ethereal
creature they seek to capture. But at a certain point, nearly all of us
will hit our peak, as infinite is unattainable. And instead of looking up at the next tallest
mountain with bitterness and disdain for its unattainable height, we
should instead look down from the impressive heights we have climbed and
enjoy the breathtaking view that lay before us.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdeB6GTnMpvywxc7EtxvvJradVwRRMVdM9_dHvsxeDSjeuilWOM0Y_CUTA6CvCUCIprjP416S_2jgp5n6pQ9IyIw0FeJje1ePMaiW0UykA8GfHsmdRC6RDrTHowLrTIRRDhJ8isHBfAPQ/s1600/IMG_0126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdeB6GTnMpvywxc7EtxvvJradVwRRMVdM9_dHvsxeDSjeuilWOM0Y_CUTA6CvCUCIprjP416S_2jgp5n6pQ9IyIw0FeJje1ePMaiW0UykA8GfHsmdRC6RDrTHowLrTIRRDhJ8isHBfAPQ/s320/IMG_0126.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking over Lake Eklutna in Anchorage, AK</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-17798526347979158812017-02-16T17:58:00.000-05:002017-02-16T18:16:23.741-05:00Protecting Your Mental Health<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsuI04ao-EiNSnobV4uNfxPz5Amw8oSZUCpLuET1U76BafnFJXNpov1wRzhrSSAdaxNfV-BZZXtdtBqqmPIMP1oEOOoUToIhVGZ-U_Vpp0Gyf9tkKWXaQDWkmL4iDhlKNNAxv_7Jjr5nA/s1600/IMG_7802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsuI04ao-EiNSnobV4uNfxPz5Amw8oSZUCpLuET1U76BafnFJXNpov1wRzhrSSAdaxNfV-BZZXtdtBqqmPIMP1oEOOoUToIhVGZ-U_Vpp0Gyf9tkKWXaQDWkmL4iDhlKNNAxv_7Jjr5nA/s320/IMG_7802.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't Lose Your Mind!!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Dance is an extremely difficult career field. From competition to
personal aesthetic and emotional perfectionism, dancers encounter more
stressors than nearly any other career that doesn't involve risking
one's life or saving/protecting others. Dance Magazine's Jennifer Stahl
recently <a href="http://dancemagazine.com/news/can-dance-training-cause-psychological-harm/">wrote an article</a> about a <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0305735616689298">Portuguese study</a> that suggests that
dance training may actually cause psychological harm in the form
of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and unwarranted stress under
certain circumstances. I think that the study noted in the article could
probably use more study (and I've <a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2014/02/emotional-training-in-ballet.html">talked about emotional health in training</a> on here before), but I do feel that certain methods of training can
instill certain traits that could disrupt a dancers mental state. At
the same time, in order to become a true artist, dancers often have to
dig deeper and more personally into their psyche and physicality than most others in any
other field. Perhaps, this also causes those consequences. Nonetheless,
freelance artists often find themselves under greater stress and
anxiety than company artists because of how closely tied together their
art, livelihood, and careers are to their ability to find and sustain
regular work. For this reason, I have developed a short list of valuable ways that I think can help protect dancer's mental
health to ensure that they can handle the great amount of stress and anxiety that comes
with a dance career.<br />
<br />
<b>1. Plan a Day Off in Advance</b> - Many
freelance artists will keep on taking work until it dries up. Often, this is
out of fear that work will soon cease to appear. In reality, while not getting a day off may
temporarily cushion your bank account with a little extra cash, you could possibly be bringing yourself that much closer to burn out. If this happens, you may find that you can't even bring yourself to continue working, which defeats the purpose. If you want to sustain a long-term career in dance, teaching, and more, one day off each week is
probably more valuable than a short-lived career.<br />
<br />
<b>2. Find Ways
to Take <i>"</i>Me-Time<i>"</i></b> - With all of my media work added on top of
teaching and choreography, life can easily turn into never-ending periods of working for
everybody except myself. Due to the fact that people are constantly reaching out to me for work, advice, and more, it is necessary for me to find a little bit of time
every few days to do something completely for myself (without any guilt for
work that has been left aside during that time). Some of my favorite
guiltless "me-time"<i> </i>activities include sitting at a cozy coffee shop
(preferably one with couches) and sipping a latte with a fresh baked
soft cookie, taking a bath with candles and <a href="https://www.pandora.com/music/danceelectronic/chill-out">Pandora's "Chill Out" station</a> playing, going for skyscraper walks around whatever city I'm in,
and watching aimless videos on YouTube. When I take some time for
myself, I don't feel as stressed or anxious about giving so much time to
others and find I'm actually more generous with helping people out
because I've already taken care of my own needs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BCqM_l7VDu1j5migLSSVgRWOJt2wMGjZvp47X03tQILed_ncYcNykAeYTzC5FTGe9RN4Vx_jaydoCOtnnugnD7WLRYH1iSZJEB8rqeLlnq8C_UW4ctveBjgWUemIQYkYWgvMZi43R10/s1600/IMG_0220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BCqM_l7VDu1j5migLSSVgRWOJt2wMGjZvp47X03tQILed_ncYcNykAeYTzC5FTGe9RN4Vx_jaydoCOtnnugnD7WLRYH1iSZJEB8rqeLlnq8C_UW4ctveBjgWUemIQYkYWgvMZi43R10/s320/IMG_0220.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An image from one of my skyscraper walks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>3. Develop Friendships
with Non-Dancers That Don't Mind Discussing Dance</b> - This one is pretty
straightforward. It can become way too easy to only hang out with
friends in your dance bubble. Most dancers go through phases where they start seeking friends
who have nothing to do with the dance world. For many of those friends, one thing that is shocking
for them is the amount of
attention, thought, and dedication that goes into a dancer's evolution from student to
performance career and beyond. Most don't realize how completely
consuming this can be and are confused how dance is always on the tip of a dancer's tongue. I've had friends who were quite turned off by the regularity that conversations on dance become regular topics of discussion. Though, I am lucky to have cultivated a handful of very special friends who don't mind, if not enjoy, sitting around, learning about, and discussing our fascinating world. These friends are definitely keepers, especially for the benefit of having an outside
opinion to balance out stressful experiences and internal politics with a perspective different than your colleagues. It is extremely valuable to develop friendships with non-dancers who don't
mind, or even enjoy, talking shop. This can offer valid insights and a healthy perspective for looking at certain work-related
stressors.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBKWXC1RI9vdhH6CXTX0eJmYe8lCDBmWaGawAAcyN9zkInRTed5bRTZb8r56R4N0W0YJDzYOpoABAeULi-Xoq-mn4a93apdHjMvASqKW0LheOc06ZwyKECzBVOGntVLhVvCP4tod2Qwc/s1600/IMG_0104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBKWXC1RI9vdhH6CXTX0eJmYe8lCDBmWaGawAAcyN9zkInRTed5bRTZb8r56R4N0W0YJDzYOpoABAeULi-Xoq-mn4a93apdHjMvASqKW0LheOc06ZwyKECzBVOGntVLhVvCP4tod2Qwc/s320/IMG_0104.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Non-Dance Friends are Important</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
4. <b>Avoid <i>All-or-Nothing</i> Situations</b> - For
dancers, it tends to be all-or-nothing. For instance, if a dancer is
trying to lose or maintain weight, they may completely avoid eating
anything that they enjoy. Or if a dancer is told that they aren't
improving fast enough, they may stop doing outside activities that bring
great joy to their lives and enhance their human experience. Approaching situations in this way can lead a
dancer to go overboard when they finally reintroduce certain things
into their lives or, even, push a dancer into burn out or self-harm if they never
indulge themselves. We only get one life to live. And while a dancer
does need to make sacrifices to enjoy a dance career, they don't have to
give up all things that make them happy in order to be the best dancer possible. A
healthy dancer is a person who is balanced and knows how to use
moderation to find that balance.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uavltPXfADuygsHkHh6-3_2REq4TronkmZgexTxTgJzMY1FIcCkWix7WMQyGQw9t7eIZoY3kHoX-tXD4AiJjaXy7pnhPWIbxmhvTYUyhYxsVoUdfBNhf7wCeYdKCpccAlEScKCgjMZ0/s1600/IMG_5200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uavltPXfADuygsHkHh6-3_2REq4TronkmZgexTxTgJzMY1FIcCkWix7WMQyGQw9t7eIZoY3kHoX-tXD4AiJjaXy7pnhPWIbxmhvTYUyhYxsVoUdfBNhf7wCeYdKCpccAlEScKCgjMZ0/s320/IMG_5200.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I always treat myself to a chocolate croissant when I've had a bad bus ride from Philly to NYC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
5. <b>See a Counselor</b> - If all
else fails and you find yourself in an impossible-to-get-out-of rut, do
seek outside assistance from a mental health professional. After
spending 4 lonely years on the road as a self-touring guest artist, I
developed such severe anxiety that I could no longer handle simple
stresses in life. I also wasn't aware how burnt out I had become. After a mild panic attack in Lincoln Center before
watching a <a href="http://nycballet.com/">New York City Ballet</a> performance, I realized I needed to talk
to somebody about getting my anxiety back under control. I am so proud
to be an advocate for people, especially dancers, to find ways to take
the best care of their mental health. Many dancers leave home as teens
and handle stress that few people experience in their career (let alone at such young, impressionable ages). There is no shame in
seeking counseling to help improve your mental health. If you are wondering how to find a therapist, <a href="https://www.moneyunder30.com/affordable-therapy">read this recent article</a>, that explains how to find somebody that works for you and how to afford therapy if you don't have coverage. Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-31415611930995140092017-02-03T15:51:00.001-05:002017-02-03T16:00:01.692-05:00Knowing When to Say "No"As dancers, we are always taught to be <i>YES</i> people. Do you want to do the combination again? <i>YES!</i> Do you want to try that lift again? <i>YES!</i> Do you want this job? <i>YES!</i> It is ingrained in a dancer's mind at a very young age that you should nearly always say <i>YES</i> during your dance career. For, if we say no, we may actually remember that the human body has certain limitations and we may miss out on career-boosting opportunities. At the same time, it is also considered poor etiquette to say <i>NO</i> to an instructor, choreographer, or director. But there will be a time in every dancer's career, especially as a freelance artist, when they are suddenly struck with an instance where they may need to say <i>NO</i>. When is it appropriate or, perhaps, even necessary for a dancer to break the expectation for them to remain submissive and say <i>NO?</i><br />
<br />
1. Since this blog is about freelancing, let's start with an example for any dancer that works as an independent contractor. It can be very exciting to have an employer reach out to you for an opportunity to dance with their organization. Though, there are a few reasons that you should say <i>NO </i>to a potential job for reasons beyond timing and logistics.<br />
<br />
If a director want you to travel for a period of time to work with them, but doesn't want to provide travel, housing, or sufficient weekly pay to cover your bills, this is absolutely a time that you should say <i>NO</i>. Take it from me. My last major performance gig didn't provide housing, which led to me living like a homeless person going from couch to couch at pure strangers homes for 5 weeks. I ended up severely injured and traumatized for months after (imagine random crying fits out of nowhere). Beyond that, if you are away from your normal connections and you aren't being paid enough to cover your monthly expenses, it will be nearly impossible for you to recover your lost income in time to meet your bills. Be sure to know what you are committing to before signing that contract.<br />
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2. As you mature as a dancer, you get a better idea of what works for your body and what doesn't. Also, you may end up dealing with some nagging injuries that prevent you from performing certain steps. For me, when my lower back started to reject certain partnering choreography, I would have to step up and tell a choreographer that I couldn't perform certain lifts from a <i>flat-back</i> position. While this wasn't always met with the happiest response, I was able to continue dancing without injuring myself for quite some time. It is important that a dancer is completely sure that specific movements are <i>off the table</i> before claiming that they can't perform those maneuvers. Also, be sure to understand that saying <i>NO</i> to certain movements may end up reflecting upon you in certain ways and you may find yourself limited in casting.<br />
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If you are a freelancer, this is one of the most important things, as you don't want to injure yourself to impress an employer that is only hiring you for one production and may never use you again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZY4Wcg3nvRziA0Mx8dR0apBlsxgNVuJ30EAuZYjBdEXaf9LBevK93iA-5SaZqCg4oki1OpN0GEe__-iFDz8U1FoKMz30suQxwy1GLCo9bdXB0bux-7klcf-yn44fq76j_e7bM5eYnzE/s1600/SiewertNot_a_Cry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZY4Wcg3nvRziA0Mx8dR0apBlsxgNVuJ30EAuZYjBdEXaf9LBevK93iA-5SaZqCg4oki1OpN0GEe__-iFDz8U1FoKMz30suQxwy1GLCo9bdXB0bux-7klcf-yn44fq76j_e7bM5eYnzE/s1600/SiewertNot_a_Cry.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At a certain point, this lift was off the table for me - "Not a Cry" by Amy Seiwert (Photo: Alexander Izaliev)</td></tr>
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3. During my time working for the <a href="http://musicalartists.org/">American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA)</a>, I learned that there has been research conducted that shows dancers are much more likely to become injured during the 4th consecutive hour of rehearsal. Beyond that, there is an increased likelihood of injury in rehearsals that extend beyond one hour. When I worked for <a href="http://pnb.org/">Pacific Northwest Ballet</a>, we had a 5-minute break every hour of rehearsal and no dancer was allowed to work beyond 3 hours without a 1-hour break before starting back up again. I understand there is sometimes a need to break one of these rehearsal rules, as stopping a choreographer mid-thought could be detrimental to their process or holding an emergency rehearsal on a performance day may only be available during that 4th hour. But, generally, a dancer should do their best to avoid saying <i>YES</i> to rehearsing for endless periods of time without appropriate breaks. Your body is your instrument and, if your employer isn't going to take that into consideration, it is your job to protect it.<br />
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4. While it may be great experience for a dancer to take on additional non-dancing work for a company (social media, marketing, admin, etc.), a dancer shouldn't be required to perform work outside of their job description. Working as additional stage crew to load-in, load-out, or perform duties of a stagehand should not be an expectation of a dancer, as well. Heavy lifting and moving could put dancers at risk. If an employer has these expectations of dancers, this should be expressed to them before they are given the choice to say<i> YES</i> to accepting a contract.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Networking at an event (Photo: Patrick Mackin)</td></tr>
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5. One expectation of many dancers is to attend general public and fundraising events for an organization. While this is not always mandatory, it is good for dancers to attend these events. It helps the company promote its' mission, it lets donors and potential sponsors feel like they are a part of the organization, and it humanizes our often untouchable-feeling art form. While these events are often lots of fun, there are times when an attendee has too much to drink or is attending with less than favorable intentions. Just because a major donor or a potential sponsor is looking to give money to the organization does not mean that they can treat a dancer inappropriately. If you are uncomfortable with the direction a conversation is going, absolutely do say <i>NO</i> to any advances that are clearly inappropriate. And, if worse comes to worse, excuse yourself to use the restroom, refill your drink, or grab a friend to help pull you out of the situation.<br />
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6. I have a major rule that I never pay to work for an employer. If there are any items that an employer asks for you to pay for, you should say <i>NO</i> to that job. This includes paying for unpaid tickets that you were expected to sell (I don't think this should ever be a dancer's expected responsibility), shoes for performances (especially if you are required to dye them), travel, hotels, costuming, housing, etc.<br />
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7. The rehearsal studio is an extremely unique workplace. There are many things that if put in any other work environment could easily be considered crude, inappropriate, or sexual harassment. This is a difficult item, as dancing requires touching each other's bodies in otherwise inappropriate places for partnering or to tell the story. If you are a young, hopeful dancer who is shy, prude, or extremely religious, then you may want to consider looking into a different career option.<br />
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Now, there is a time when certain types of touch are inappropriate in the studio. If your partner or a choreographer are touching in places that are unwelcome for you or don't make sense to express the storyline, do express that it feels uncomfortable immediately. Usually, if everybody is working appropriately, this should resolve the issue. If certain types of touching continue beyond rehearsing the actual part, it is necessary for you to say <i>NO</i> or to reach out to the company's Human Resources department to address the issue. If there is no Human Resources department, you need to reach out to the ballet master or director.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In an office environment, this would be sexual harassment - Romeo & Juliet w/Fort Wayne Ballet (Photo: Jeffrey Crane)</td></tr>
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<br />Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-56723231511698575792017-01-21T13:04:00.001-05:002017-01-21T13:04:47.363-05:00Ballet Techniques Uncovered I know that this is generally a blog about freelance work as a dancer, but every once in awhile I like to include some content that I feel is extremely valuable to my readers. And this post falls right in the realm of content that is fully appropriate (and helpful) for all of you who come here for valuable information on dance.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Students at the Vaganova Ballet Academy</td></tr>
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Over the past few weeks, I have been working my ballet-toned rear-end off to create this immense resource for anybody that is curious about the art form of ballet. On my podcast, <a href="http://www.premierdancenetwork.com/pas-de-chat/">Pas de Chát: Talking Dance</a>, on the <a href="http://www.premierdancenetwork.com/">Premier Dance Network</a>, I researched and interviewed experts on 7 international training methodologies in ballet technique to provide accessible information explaining the background and execution of these methods. Our contributors include the Artistic Director of <a href="http://nytb.org/">New York Theatre Ballet</a>, Principal of <a href="https://balletwest.org/academy">Ballet West Academy</a>, Faculty at the <a href="http://sab.org/">School of American Ballet</a>, <a href="http://abt.org/education/jkoschool/">American Ballet Theatre's JKO School</a>, and <a href="https://www.houstonballet.org/about/academy1/">Houston Ballet Academy</a>, and more! Additionally, I have crossover-collaborated with Pirouettes from the Past host, Dr. Melissa Klapper, as a part of this episode series. On Dr. Klapper's channel, she talks about the history behind a few of the techniques mentioned.<br />
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So, if you are interested in learning about Vaganova, Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), Cecchetti, French (Paris Opera Ballet), Balanchine, Bournonville, or Cuban training methods, please feel free to click the links below and give these episodes a listen! Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="http://www.premierdancenetwork.com/ballet-techniques-uncovered-part-1/">Ballet Techniques Uncovered (Part 1)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.premierdancenetwork.com/ballet-techniques-uncovered-part-2/">Ballet Techniques Uncovered (Part 2)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.premierdancenetwork.com/pirouettes-from-the-past-chapter-10-ballet-techniques/">History of "Ballet Techniques" - Pirouettes from the Past</a><br />
Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-44802141425068779442017-01-12T21:07:00.000-05:002017-01-12T21:09:40.514-05:00Reframing Your Thinking<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overexposed and ringing in the new year with great friends</td></tr>
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Whew! This new year has been a complete and utter whirlwind. I have had mostly major ups and a few minor downs (that include a business I will no longer support - Megabus - avoid this company at ALL costs). But I honestly can’t complain about anything at this point, other than the fact that I need a few more hours in my bed every night. Since the new year, I have taught master classes in both Ballet and Contemporary techniques for the pre-professional class at <a href="http://www.paballet.org/school">the School of Pennsylvania Ballet</a>. There was even a sprinkling of company members who joined me for class. Additionally, I will be teaching Contemporary classes for the <a href="https://tisch.nyu.edu/dance/second-avenue-dance-company">Second Avenue Dance Company</a> in February. This is a performing group at <a href="https://tisch.nyu.edu/dance">New York University’s Tisch school</a> comprised of graduating BFA and MFA students. With even more news to share, I have been selected to choreograph for Columbia University’s performing group, <a href="http://www.columbiaballetcollaborative.com/">Columbia Ballet Collaborative</a>, for their 10th anniversary performances in April. All of this coupled with my 7-week Advanced Beginner Ballet series at <a href="http://broadwaydancecenter.com/">Broadway Dance Center</a> (Fridays at 6 pm through February), choreographing student solos for <a href="http://yagp.org/">Youth America Grand Prix</a>, and teaching elsewhere has me feeling extremely grateful to be sought out in my art form.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-professional division students at the School of Pennsylvania Ballet (Photo: Alexander Izaliev)</td></tr>
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It’s funny, though, because while I am so lucky to have all of this interest in my work, there is a certain degree of anxiety that comes along with it. The concept behind this may require a bit of explanation. Just this weekend, I got news about 5 positive choreographic and teaching offers. While it seems that I should only be feeling excitement here, there is a certain type of stress that comes with positive news. I noticed today that I was experiencing a bit of my former anxiety that I used to get when I was traveling a bunch during my performance career. I would find myself attempting to focus on the work in front of my face, while feeling distracted by setting up what was next (one of the hazards of working as a freelancer). The impossibility of only focusing on the task at hand would make me feel overwhelmed and I now recognize that it contributed to <a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2014/09/how-to-survive-burn-out.html">my burn out that I have discussed in this blog already</a>. As a freelance artist, your work stops when the jobs stop. In the process of working to set up continuity within my career, I never took a moment to recognize that I was actually having my career. Instead, I constantly felt like I was working on reaching a certain level of success in my career and didn’t realize that I was actually living it until it was over. There was very little <i>in the moment</i> for me because I was only living in the future. And while that aspect of my career ended over 2 years ago, I only recognized this today.<br />
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So, just a little background. With all of this wonderful news that I’ve gotten in the last week, I had two horrible experiences with Megabus. If you don’t read this regularly, I commute from Philadelphia to New York City multiple times a week to teach at <a href="http://stepsnyc.com/">Steps on Broadway</a>, Broadway Dance Center, and <a href="http://greenwichballetacademy.org/">Greenwich Ballet Academy</a>. Early on Friday morning, in freezing cold temperatures, our bus never showed up. And, shortly after, on Tuesday night, there were a series of fiascos that prevented our bus from arriving in Philadelphia until 4 am in the morning. I had to teach for the School of Pennsylvania Ballet at 9:30 am that same morning. I was put off by this organization both times and they refused to acknowledge their issues or compensate me for their poor practices/lack of service. This stress, coupled with exhaustion and the flood of positive news somehow threw me back into the throws of anxiety that I experienced previously. I found myself negatively fixated on my exhaustion and the challenges of having limited time in any one place. And I found that I was again telling myself that things will get better when I actually make it into a certain realm of success. Then, this afternoon, out of nowhere, I had a realization. I realized I needed to reframe my thinking because I want to take in all of the amazing experiences that I am having and be as in the moment as I possibly can.<br />
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We are very lucky as human beings that we have intellect and the ability to analyze things that are happening in our lives. I firmly believe that one of the best analytical qualities that we share is the ability to reframe life experiences in order to make a dialogue fit in better with our story. Sometimes, this works to our benefit. While, at other times, it can be very detrimental and lead a person to spiral into dark, dark places. But if we can take control of how we frame our life and career experiences in our minds, we can benefit greatly from this. Of course, this is as long as we are being honest with ourselves about where we are and how things are going.<br />
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In my current situation, it was almost a bit too natural for me to look at recent happenings and tell myself that things are difficult because I haven’t yet succeeded in reaching my end career goals. Mind you, this is ridiculous to consider at the age of 33. Additionally, I was digesting more stress from the challenges of dealing with the negligent Megabus company and the added exhaustion those issues brought on. I found myself walking to the gym before I jumped on the Bolt Bus to teach at Steps on Broadway tonight telling myself that everything will be glorious when I actually make it big someday. And then right then and there, almost as if I had been hit by a bus, I realized that I wasn’t looking at the situation from any rational perspective. I needed to reframe my thinking.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That moment at 3:34 am, when your Megabus driver gets off the bus to ask a homeless person for directions :-/</td></tr>
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At that very moment, I reversed the natural stream of thoughts that roll through my head and chose to look at things differently. I told myself, “No. I am not in any bad situation, at all. And while there are always new dreams and achievements that I want to attain, I am actually living my dream right now. I’m not putting in the work to get to my dream. I’m putting in the work that one does while they live it and that is why I am successful. Yes, my success can get greater. Yes, I have greater goals in mind. But I am not putting in all of this work to get somewhere. I am there and, as long as I keep positively moving forward, it can only get better from here.”<br />
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So, now as I sit here on the Bolt Bus (goodbye Megabus 😂 have I made my point?) heading to Steps to teach, I realize that I should be proud of my success. And that my success sometimes puts me in situations that require me to travel a lot, to lose sleep, and to spend time away from my loved ones. This isn’t a greatly negative thing. It is an aspect of becoming successful. And if I can’t come to grips with that in this stage of my career, I may find myself in the same type of burn out situation that I was in at the end of my performance career. And, I don’t want to go through that again. <br />
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If you can use my exploration of the idea of reframing thinking to have a more positive outlook on your own life and career goals, I feel that you can benefit from this, as well. Dancers are naturally overachieving spirits. We are always looking to reach the next level of success in many areas of our lives. Whether it is casting, rank promotion, technique, health, or anything else, we tend to be extremely critical of ourselves. When you start to feel out of sorts, if you can reframe your thinking you may recognize that you have already achieved what you are seeking and that you just haven’t taken note that it is happening or already has happened.Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-546822261586423292016-12-29T21:59:00.000-05:002016-12-30T10:43:56.917-05:00My 2016 Highlights - Year in ReviewIt has been a really interesting year for many of us here on this grand planet! Over the past few weeks, I have seen a variety of status updates wishing, hoping, and dreaming for 2016 to end as quickly as possible. Yes, there were a handful of challenging events that have taken place; from the presidential election to celebrity deaths and terrorist attacks galore. While many of these events have happened in quick succession of one another, in reality, many of them were completely unrelated to each other. I feel that people are overwhelmed by the quantity of these events and feel that passing into a new year will bring a fresh, clean slate to start anew. Although there were certainly challenges this year, there were many great things that happened for many people, including myself. And, in the spirit of the upcoming new year, I'd like to share with you my highlights and year in review. Happy new year to you all! I can't wait to see where 2017 takes us!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danya & My Wedding Day (Photo: Emily Yamamoto)</td></tr>
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<b><u>Reclaiming my Life and Sanity</u>:</b><br />
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It may sound funny, but ever since I started writing here on <a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/12/catch-up-on-lofd-vol-2-previous-blog.html">Life of a Freelance Dancer</a> and saw my freelance work explode (in all of the best ways), I felt like most things that were happening in my life were out of control. My work was flying me all over the country and I was barely home for any length of time. It started to take its toll on me and, at times, I felt like I was losing all sense of self. This year that all changed. I was proactive in making major changes in my life and career that allowed me to stay home more and regain a sense of balance that had been missing in my life for nearly 5 years. I think I slept in my own bed at least half of 2016, which is a record for me at this point. Beyond that, I got to see my husband a bunch, connect with friends on a regular basis, and see my family more than I have seen them since I moved away from home in 2001. While ambition and success are important, sometimes you just need to hit the brakes and remind yourself of who you are, how you got where you are, and breathe a bit before you figure out where you are going next.<br />
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<b><u>Seeing the Aurora Borealis</u>:</b><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYjp8_AuNlnKccZUQqTRik_IWkbm4X6B9dQu7SI_Sx3UVQ-c364rQpPiFIOx4QcnHdC2lIyfyXlj5m8MN2FzDbpMYIep-RPsnw3LjqLUTfsdLn2VpaZMZrvRws2PgDGB5igVSrNz9B1U/s1600/IMG_3642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYjp8_AuNlnKccZUQqTRik_IWkbm4X6B9dQu7SI_Sx3UVQ-c364rQpPiFIOx4QcnHdC2lIyfyXlj5m8MN2FzDbpMYIep-RPsnw3LjqLUTfsdLn2VpaZMZrvRws2PgDGB5igVSrNz9B1U/s320/IMG_3642.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aurora Borealis swirling above Fox, Alaska (near Fairbanks)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I knew that it was going to be a great year from the start. I finished my 2nd <a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2015/06/what-have-i-been-up-to-ak-bk.html">AK-BK Contemporary Ballet Workshop program</a> in Anchorage, Alaska around January 3rd at the beginning of the year. Immediately following my program, my Danya and our friend JRo flew up towards the Arctic Circle to spend 3 days on the side of a mountain and wait for the 4 hours of daylight to pass for us to view the Aurora Borealis. While we were lucky enough to see the magical Northern Lights the first two nights, we were gifted one of the most extravagant light shows ever on our last night up north. <b><br /></b><br />
<br />
<b><u>Being Featured in Dance Magazine</u>:</b><br />
<br />
It was a complete and total honor to be <a href="http://dancemagazine.com/news/breaking-the-fourth-wall/">featured in the print issue of Dance Magazine</a> this past February. I was featured alongside New York City Ballet Principal <a href="http://meganfairchild.com/">Megan Fairchild</a> in a piece that discussed our social media work and how we artists are finding unique ways to break the fourth wall with audiences. Thanks to this feature, I was asked to host my podcast and was later <a href="http://dancemagazine.com/views/guide-latest-ballet-podcasts/">featured in April by Dance Magazine on their social media</a>.<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b></b><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<b><u>Getting Married</u>: </b><br />
<br />
I've always been kind of a weirdo when it comes to following any cultural expectation, especially when it comes to babies, dogs, and weddings. It took about a year and a half of gay marriage being legalized for me to finally agree to wed my love of 11 years. We celebrated our wonderful wedding day at a historic theatre a few miles from where I was raised and were surrounded by family and friends from all over the country. And by the time the wedding day came, I finally <i>got it</i>! I understood why the day was so special!<b> </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/robin.smeddy/videos/vb.516200717/10153514403890718/?type=3&theater">Click Here to Watch the Solo I Choreographed and Danced Telling the Story of Danya and Me Getting Together</a></b></div>
<br />
<b><u>Being Hired to Teach at Steps on Broadway & Broadway Dance Center</u>:</b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9co1xRBByqJQqmQInQuda54ZIp21VAGYkFEBcwAbDPYPB3OrA8Ewr0__4XsBIUx8uY3OLwyrLEXaulExgyxwL4EKvrKGqbKTZMWj2QSr-KlZzuWTzaz7OtXA3ko3rOKNs3GTd_lUMXt8/s1600/IMG_4898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9co1xRBByqJQqmQInQuda54ZIp21VAGYkFEBcwAbDPYPB3OrA8Ewr0__4XsBIUx8uY3OLwyrLEXaulExgyxwL4EKvrKGqbKTZMWj2QSr-KlZzuWTzaz7OtXA3ko3rOKNs3GTd_lUMXt8/s320/IMG_4898.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The screen at the front desk - Steps on Broadway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first time I went to New York City on my own was at the ripe young age of 15 to take class at <a href="http://broadwaydancecenter.com/">Broadway Dance Center</a>. Eventually, under the mentorship of <a href="http://www.bobrizzo.com/">Bob Rizzo</a>, at the age of 16 I started taking classes on a more regular basis at <a href="http://stepsnyc.com/">Steps on Broadway</a>. I remember thinking what a supreme accomplishment it would be to have the opportunity to teach at these famous institutions. Beginning in January, it took 6 months of ambitious effort for them to give me a chance. But in both June and July, I realized my childhood dream of getting to teach at these schools. Now, I am on my way towards hopefully earning permanent classes and am glad to put in my time as a regular guest faculty member.<br />
<br />
<b><u>My <i>Pas de Chát: Talking Dance</i> Podcast on the Premier Dance Network</u>:</b><br />
<br />
As I stated above, after being featured in February's Dance Magazine, I was contacted by the CEO of the <a href="http://premierdancenetwork.com/">Premier Dance Network</a> to produce and host a podcast on the largest dance podcasting network in the world. In April, I began recording <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pas-de-chat-talking-dance/id1103498953?mt=2"><i>Pas de Chát: Talking Dance</i></a>. Getting the chance to share my voice on such a major platform has brought me an array of new opportunities. From guest interviews on the <i><a href="http://thisshowissogay.com/node/861">This Show is So Gay</a> </i>and <a href="http://www.thebarretender.tv/podcasts/2016/barry-kerollis-dancer-blogger-host-podcast-pas-de-chat"><i>Barretender</i></a> podcasts, to teaching, speaking for the <a href="http://www.actorsfund.org/services-and-programs/dancers-resource">Dancers Resource|Actors Fund</a> about <a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/11/event-alert-managing-freelance-life.html"><i>Managing the Freelance Life</i></a>, and more things that I can't yet discuss, I have been so grateful to have a growing number of avenues to share my art. I have never particularly wanted to be famous. But I have always wanted to be respected in my field and to feel like my knowledge and work is important and respected. Getting this nod and platform has definitely been a great push in the right direction to achieve my goals. <br />
<br />
<b><u>Getting to Sleep in My Own Bed Often</u>:</b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlGsshj-X7v_KQ4lUbyOPRF4o6XAN_ngDAAVQ8LtlcxWwVYlQStXeknSL8qAxieHe2gsbKCMoA6kB06U-QFHZGzuwkgjHg-q_ah3odt7v1CqmRfIUastbF2QpmR-VjEE1IW_J6mrG-7Q/s1600/10362628_10152597395440067_9148054811103638923_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlGsshj-X7v_KQ4lUbyOPRF4o6XAN_ngDAAVQ8LtlcxWwVYlQStXeknSL8qAxieHe2gsbKCMoA6kB06U-QFHZGzuwkgjHg-q_ah3odt7v1CqmRfIUastbF2QpmR-VjEE1IW_J6mrG-7Q/s200/10362628_10152597395440067_9148054811103638923_n.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmmmmmm....My Bed!!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This goes along with the first highlight of my year. One important aspect in reclaiming my own sanity was to sleep in my own bed more regularly. The idea of this doesn't just represent resting in my own comfort, but it also means that I got to see my husband more often and to have time to show him that he is just as important to me as my career. It doesn't matter how many times I have had to ride the Megabus or Bolt Bus back from my 2-4 weekly trips to New York City to teach, network, and more. Just getting to sleep in my own bed, cuddled up beside my Danya has been a major highlight of my year.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Taking Nancy Bielski's Class on the Regular</u>:</b><br />
<br />
One of my biggest challenges since I stopped having the option to take company class regularly was finding a ballet class that inspired me to show up every day. While I haven't necessarily been able to make it up to New York City every day this year, I have been sure to drop into <a href="https://www.stepsnyc.com/faculty/bio/Nancy-Bielski/">Nancy Bielski</a>'s class at Steps on Broadway 1-5 times a week. A major part of my burn out was feeling like I had to go to ballet class every day, even if I felt uninspired. Well, Nancy definitely inspires me to show up, work hard, and not take myself so seriously that I cut myself down all the time. Beyond that, what is more inspiring than plie-ing and tendu-ing beside the likes of dancers like Alessandra Ferri, Misty Copeland, Diana Vishneva, professional ballet dancers, Broadway dancers, and beyond. <b> </b><br />
<br />
<b><u>Honeymoon</u>:</b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56qFJz4IL4TutbGmhMNu_FVMuF1uUg2WnzR6k3Fh7DRBI1mSnxtXEjxwrpAvXZs2WN4p2EcprVaxX_YQYVPCCQ59xQhFbJo_ROqrT9Xg4d8sOGazZ9KyYfRbzy6dSTZ793CTTmegy3GQ/s1600/IMG_6324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56qFJz4IL4TutbGmhMNu_FVMuF1uUg2WnzR6k3Fh7DRBI1mSnxtXEjxwrpAvXZs2WN4p2EcprVaxX_YQYVPCCQ59xQhFbJo_ROqrT9Xg4d8sOGazZ9KyYfRbzy6dSTZ793CTTmegy3GQ/s320/IMG_6324.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View on the train from Machu Picchu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While I have gotten to travel a ton since I began my freelance career a handful of years ago, all of my work has been domestic. I'm still struggling to figure out how to find teaching, choreographic, and speaking work outside of the United States. Due to the quantity of my work and the stress of <i>feast or famine</i> periods, Danya and I haven't gotten to travel internationally since I left <a href="http://pnb.org/">Pacific Northwest Ballet</a> in 2011. Well, that all changed this year. Thanks to the generosity of our friends and family at our wedding, <a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/10/get-out-of-your-comfort-zone-honeymoon.html">we were able to travel to Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay</a> for the most awe-inspiring 3-week honeymoon this past September. Beyond the amazingness of seeing the clouds slowly swirl out of the ancient Incan citadel of Machu Picchu, we visited culturally rich Lima and Cuzco, grafitti-laden Santiago and Valparaiso, and the artsy glamour of Buenos Aires. I feel it is so important to travel the world and experience other cultures. It teaches us that there are so many ways that people can live on this earth. And while different, each of these ways of living is just as valid as my own.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Retirement</u>: </b><br />
<b> </b><br />
I think a great way to end this post and ring in the new year is to discuss <a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-r-word-retirement.html">my coming to terms with the end of my performance career</a>. While I hadn't really performed publicly that much since my injury with Oakland Ballet in May of 2014, I still didn't consider myself retired for quite some time. After giving myself the time to reclaim my life and sanity, I finally found the strength to announce that I have concluded the majority of my performance career. While this was difficult to vocalize publicly, it was, perhaps, the most important moment of my year. It allowed me to give my mind and body a break, while also allowing me to fully focus on the next stages of my career. Since I posted about this back in August, I have had more opportunities to teach and speak. As I head forward into 2017, I look forward to taking greater advantage of this and building my choreographic portfolio immensely.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUSZjnd4NN8_lnK2hu8oxrxmmLp1BnoJ7g77viXGsCEXPM63hSfK3CIvi6D0DpgVuH2I2f6HCr8NyO-iDu2Hy9DyGBh62Ieup2sjnQmLEIS8rUI99akJVXmhKaS_yHgHOOiuXGESJizM/s1600/IMG_2540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUSZjnd4NN8_lnK2hu8oxrxmmLp1BnoJ7g77viXGsCEXPM63hSfK3CIvi6D0DpgVuH2I2f6HCr8NyO-iDu2Hy9DyGBh62Ieup2sjnQmLEIS8rUI99akJVXmhKaS_yHgHOOiuXGESJizM/s320/IMG_2540.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closing the Chapter to 2016 (Photo: JRo)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-18325665776579506492016-12-18T14:38:00.002-05:002016-12-18T14:42:18.203-05:00Catch Up on LOFD (Vol. 3) - Previous Blog Posts<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgvGle00YYvPworESHN5uawqWowSKm7UCO9wXznuQh15At7BBimzrfAPJxnz0p3FRxKlc1mEaDX0El9ez5G2J7gH80EZxSLdJgOgj65-F9zOEnRynXwktzO4HN-bmzwzl885TZq3fiuzo/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgvGle00YYvPworESHN5uawqWowSKm7UCO9wXznuQh15At7BBimzrfAPJxnz0p3FRxKlc1mEaDX0El9ez5G2J7gH80EZxSLdJgOgj65-F9zOEnRynXwktzO4HN-bmzwzl885TZq3fiuzo/s400/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My instep in <a href="http://stepsnyc.com/">Steps on Broadway</a> - I'll be teaching Contemporary classes 12/19-12/22 </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i> </i><br />
<i>Life of a Freelance Dancer</i> has become so much more than a blog. With over 175 posts, 200,000 views, and readers in more than 70 countries, we have become a great influencer in the world of dance and independent contracting work. It has become a major part of my life and career, a tool for dancers around the world, and has influenced a great many artists as they embark on their professional careers as freelance artists. I've always been a fan of Blogger and enjoy keeping my blog in a simple, old-school format. But one issue that this poses is that there is no easy way to look back into the archive of blogs that I have curated. So, every few dozen posts, I do my best to list every blog that I have ever written for easy access for all of my readers. So, welcome to your semi-regular <i>list post</i>. When you look below, you will find every post I have ever written. And if you want to dig deeper into our archives, you can click on the first and second volumes of <i>Catch Up on LOFD</i>. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!!!!!!<br />
<br />
---------- <br />
<br />
See Blogs 1-123 here - <a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2015/04/catch-up-on-lofd-previous-posts-list.html">Catch Up on LOFD (Vol. 1) - Previous Blog Posts</a><br />
<br />
148. See Blogs 124-147 here - <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/01/catch-up-on-lofd-vol-2-previous-blog.html">Catch Up on LOFD (Vol. 2) - Previous Blog Posts</a><br />
<br />
149. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/01/new-york-called.html">New York Called</a><br />
<br />
150. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/01/money-talks-determining-your-value.html">Money Talks - Determining Your Value</a><br />
<br />
151. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/02/how-to-write-freelancers-resume-or-cv.html">How to Write a Freelancer's Resume or CV</a><br />
<br />
152. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/02/lofd-receives-significant-mention-in.html">LOFD receives significant mention in Dance Magazine</a><br />
<br />
153. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/02/good-bad-ways-to-deal-with-freelancing.html">Good & Bad Ways to Deal with Freelancing Anxiety</a><br />
<br />
154. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/03/how-to-come-back-after-injury.html">How to Come Back After an Injury</a><br />
<br />
155. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/03/freelancing-from-womans-perspective.html">Freelancing from a Woman's Perspective</a><br />
<br />
156. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/04/im-modern-day-gypsy.html">I'm a Modern Day Gypsy</a><br />
<br />
157. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/04/pas-de-chat-talking-dance-launches-on.html">"Pas de Chat: Talking Dance" launches on Itunes</a><br />
<br />
158. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/04/over-promoting-on-social-media.html">Over-Promoting on Social Media</a><br />
<br />
159. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-freelance-instructor-ballet-master.html">The Freelance Instructor & Ballet Master - Matthew Powell</a><br />
<br />
160. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/05/developing-your-networking-skills.html">Developing Your Networking Skills</a><br />
<br />
161. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/05/life-of-dance-podcast-host.html">Life of a Dance Podcast Host</a><br />
<br />
162. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/06/adapting-to-differing-company-practices.html">Adapting to Differing Company Practices</a><br />
<br />
163. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/06/determining-rates-for-teaching.html">Determining Rates for Teaching</a><br />
<br />
164. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-freelance-choreographers-outside_7.html">The Freelance Choreographer - Outside Perspectives</a><br />
<br />
165. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/07/respectful-ways-to-respond-to-issues.html">Respectful Ways to Respond to Issues</a><br />
<br />
166. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-art-of-putting-yourself-out-there.html">The Art of Putting Yourself Out There</a><br />
<br />
167. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-candid-perspective.html">A Candid Perspective - Curate This</a><br />
<br />
168. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-r-word-retirement.html">The "R" Word - Retirement</a><br />
<br />
169. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/09/sharing-lofd-on-popular-podcasts.html">Sharing LOFD on Popular Podcasts</a><br />
<br />
170. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/09/how-to-reach-out-to-somebody-you-dont.html">How to Reach Out to Somebody You Don't Know</a><br />
<br />
171. <a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/10/get-out-of-your-comfort-zone-honeymoon.html">Get Out of Your Comfort Zone - Honeymoon Edition</a><br />
<br />
172. <a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/10/acting-professionally-in-rehearsal.html">Acting Professionally in a Rehearsal Studio</a><br />
<br />
173. <a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/10/halloween-edition-11-scary-thoughts.html">Halloween Edition - 11 Scary Thoughts Dancers Have</a><br />
<br />
174. <a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/11/healing-divides-through-arts.html">Healing Divides through the Arts</a><br />
<br />
175. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/11/event-alert-managing-freelance-life.html">*EVENT ALERT* - Managing the Freelance Life - Monday, Dec. 5th</a><br />
<br />
176. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/11/who-to-thank-how-to-do-it.html">Who to Thank & How to Do It</a><br />
<br />
177. <a class="OYKEW4D-e-i" href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/12/accepting-payment-at-end-of-gig.html">Accepting Payment at the End of a Gig</a>Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-42556480210030849602016-12-08T12:42:00.001-05:002016-12-08T12:48:18.545-05:00Accepting Payment at the End of a Gig<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWH_Qjeo9HDyamDL5SnoSceUU6eMGu1O4uxBbAEQgG-jqaCQBdTpoi0oQBoPdZ9TM9GGx2fdD7us2tsfH0gF08wq06oMcGDblKkTKLM2qeFNOpguuTywIdpZsajnOLHJCMpy9dUpvaLWM/s1600/CVDA+Nut+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWH_Qjeo9HDyamDL5SnoSceUU6eMGu1O4uxBbAEQgG-jqaCQBdTpoi0oQBoPdZ9TM9GGx2fdD7us2tsfH0gF08wq06oMcGDblKkTKLM2qeFNOpguuTywIdpZsajnOLHJCMpy9dUpvaLWM/s400/CVDA+Nut+2016.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Performing with the cast of CVDA's <i>The Nutcracker</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
I recently performed in yet another production of every non-dancer's
favorite holiday production of <i>The Nutcracker</i>. The shows went well, I
wore white tights onstage for the first time this season, and I made a
pretty penny all while playing the role of <i>King of the Cranes</i>, or the actual title of the role,
<i>Sugar Plum Fairy Cavalier</i>. When all was said and done, I'm glad that I
participated yet again in this seasonal tradition. One of my favorite
memories from this year's production was watching one of my former
students from Alaska, whom I still mentor, perform in one of his first
professional guesting gigs. He performed the role of <i>Snow King</i> and did a
stellar job at jumping in, learning the choreography quickly, and
delivering solid performances. During the final intermission of his 3
show run, as I took the stage to warm up and prepare my presentation of
the <i>Sugar Plum Fairy</i>, I noticed my student sitting on the side of the
stage, fully-costumed with sweat dripping down his brow. I took a moment
to determine why he was still sitting around in costume during the
intermission when I quickly noted that his hands were holding a handful
of Amtrak tickets that needed to be reimbursed for his travel to
rehearsals and the theatre. Considering I have been mentoring this kid
for some years, I kindly walked over, suggested he get changed, and hang
around to watch the 2nd act of the production. What I hadn't contemplated
until that moment is that there is actually an art to receiving payment
that nearly every freelancer will experience at some point as a gig
comes to an end.<br />
<br />
There are a handful of different payment
arrangements that can be made in order to make sure that a freelancer is
compensated appropriately and within a respectful time frame. I've
spoken about some of these <a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2015/01/how-much-should-i-get-paid.html">in previous blogs</a>, so I am not going to go
into way too much detail here. If a dancer is spending a handful of
weeks dancing for an employer, they often receive weekly paychecks or
direct deposit into their bank account. But for many freelancers,
especially during times like the holiday Nutcracker season, directors
often save payment until the end of the last performance of a series.
While I have sometimes received a nice little thank you note with
payment at the top of my last show, it is much more common to be handed a
check after you've received your applause, taken off your makeup, and
changed into street clothes. This makes sense, especially if this is
your first time working for a company or school. The organization
likely wants to be sure you fulfill all of your contractual obligations
before handing over your handsome fee. Sometimes, this transaction is
taken care of quickly and goes over without thought or attention. Other
times, you may be ready to head home, to your hotel, or to the airport,
and wondering when you are going to be compensated for you artistic
services. <br />
<br />
For my student, he found himself in an awkward
predicament. He wasn't performing or bowing in the second act, plus he
had a local friend ready to drive him to the train back into the city.
Since the train wasn't until later, I suggested he wait around and watch
the rest of the show. I offered this advice for one reason. The
director of a show, who usually issues payment, is likely overwhelmed
with the process of making sure that the performance is running on
track. From dancers to crew to wardrobe, audience, and beyond, there are
many aspects of a show that a director must take care of in order to keep things running smoothly. To stop the
director in their tracks asking for payment could be a huge distraction
and may even make your intentions and desire to work come off greedy. You
don't want it to look like you are only focused on the paycheck. You are
a part of a production and there is a certain amount of excitement,
emotion, and cultural etiquette that can quickly be cut off or broken by
asking for payment. This may be especially true if you head out before
the show is over. You want to be supportive of the show and your cast,
especially if you are performing for a school and being brought in as a
role model.<br />
<br />
Now, if you absolutely have a time crunch where you need to
get out of the theatre to catch transport, be sure to discuss this with
the director prior to the beginning of the show. This is quite
understandable, but should be addressed in advance. Usually, the
director will make sure that they or an advocate are available to pay
you on your way out. Or they often will just give you payment at the top of the show.<br />
<br />
So,
what do you do if the show has finished and you still haven't been
paid? Sometimes, the overwhelming chaos at the end of a production can
make a director forgetful, as the crew loads out, the wardrobe collects
costumes to be cleaned and stored, and the dancers congratulate one
another and change into street clothes. It is possible that intentions can
get lost. In this situation, it is perfectly appropriate to seek out the
director and request payment. This can be a bit awkward since nobody
likes to talk money. But I find that writing a simple thank you card and handing it to them after the series can
be an easy pathway to remind them that they owe you something. Think along the lines of a reminder that some type of exchange
should be happening. Beyond this, it is good etiquette and relationship
building to do this. If you didn't think ahead and get a thank you card, be sure to say goodbye and offer a verbal thank you. And if you
still aren't handed your hard-earned salary, do ask when you should
expect to receive a check. This is a customary way of saying, "I need to be
paid", without demanding it. Usually, by this point, you will be
collecting your salary. If not, then that is an entirely different conversation and blog post.<br />
<br />
It is a rare occasion when payment isn't
received at the end of a show, unless another arrangement has been
agreed upon. As I always say, make sure you get an idea of when you
should receive payment in writing (or at least in an email). It is never appropriate for an
employer to pay you whenever they feel like it. You should know when to
expect payment in order to keep track of whether you've been compensated
or not. In fact, New York City recently passed the <i><a href="http://gothamist.com/2016/10/27/freelance_protection_nyc.php">Freelance Isn't Free Act</a> </i>(have they been <a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2012/08/freelancer-doesnt-mean-free.html">reading my blog</a> 😉), which
requires any freelance artist that makes more than $800 with an
organization to have a written contract and receive payment in full within 30
days. This seems like a fair guideline to hold all organizations to,
whether you live in New York City or not. <br />
<br />
As I've stated many
times in this blog, money can be one of the most awkward and
uncomfortable things to discuss. But it is important that you get paid
within an appropriate time frame. If you don't know when to expect being
paid, don't wait around hoping it will happen. Be proactive and start a
conversation. Just make sure that you don't start that conversation too
late or in the middle of a hectic performance.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcySlP23Eq43IVh2KHhglaxO3zLsPlG2MIHffJ1Hhmc-GRUmPCyYwOtIDtObBK2eng9h28-pV5g85Cw1hWZ0BwXyU3fEvW2LFgpaMZiZedUPOW9gQ-d6uHkZY11AD05K493RTTbOYVpA/s1600/Pas+de+chat+Holiday+episode.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcySlP23Eq43IVh2KHhglaxO3zLsPlG2MIHffJ1Hhmc-GRUmPCyYwOtIDtObBK2eng9h28-pV5g85Cw1hWZ0BwXyU3fEvW2LFgpaMZiZedUPOW9gQ-d6uHkZY11AD05K493RTTbOYVpA/s400/Pas+de+chat+Holiday+episode.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Be sure to check out my Holiday Shopping Ideas for Dancers on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/38-holiday-shopping-ideas/id1103498953?i=1000378519753&mt=2">Pas de Chát: Talking Dance on iTunes</a> - Me & my niece playing around before Nutcracker</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-88640355190790418852016-11-24T13:16:00.002-05:002016-11-24T13:22:23.652-05:00Who to Thank & How to Do ItThere are many rituals and etiquette that exist in our
beautiful dance world. Some of them are more universal across companies,
like saying "merde" or "toi toi" to cast mates to wish them well before
a show or making sure you don't step over a fellow dancer's legs to stave off bad
luck. Other practices can be more specific to a company and their
culture, like performing a pinky circle with the cast prior to curtain
or giving a speech to performers right before the show starts. There are
a variety of practices and superstitions that take place from
production to production, including ways to say thank you. Considering
the holiday season is upon us and Thanksgiving launches us straight into
Nutcracker season, I thought I should share the people you want to
thank and how to thank them appropriately.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Dance Partner</b></u>:<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Zevi4d2ELvtjy7mBRKZeALnE2FY2C_naH9butc25AxhnwwpcG-xk-1GY8XXffs4d1X2BrQeNDLBx6Mkrh0IVZuT3wnCUs-QmcFS0pReEnS5ZJqtJTLuxrV8dhcwacotGqs32EPYJ7dg/s1600/IMG_3650-1024x964.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Zevi4d2ELvtjy7mBRKZeALnE2FY2C_naH9butc25AxhnwwpcG-xk-1GY8XXffs4d1X2BrQeNDLBx6Mkrh0IVZuT3wnCUs-QmcFS0pReEnS5ZJqtJTLuxrV8dhcwacotGqs32EPYJ7dg/s320/IMG_3650-1024x964.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">R&J w/Fort Wayne Ballet (Photo: Jeffrey Crane)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If all goes well throughout the rehearsal process, you and your partner
may become quite close. Whether things work out that way or not, it is
appropriate to offer thanks to your partner in some way. Most commonly,
dancers say thank you in the shape of a <i>merde</i> gift before the first show
of the role you dance together. If you are doing 10 shows in a
production, you can leave a card and a small gift to show your
appreciation in your partner's dressing room spot. I've always enjoyed
looking for gifts that make sense for the role we were dancing. For
instance, when I danced Romeo in <i>Romeo and Juliet</i>, I gave my partner a rose, a
card, and some Hershey kisses to represent the love we created onstage.
If you interact with your partner a lot, definitely at least offer a
card. If you have short fleeting moments onstage together, it isn't
necessary to go out of your way to get them something. A simple spoken
thank you at the end of the performance should suffice.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Coach</b></u>:<br />
<br />
If you are performing a role that requires great depth and are
assigned a single coach to help pull out the best qualities in your
performance, it may be appropriate to get a thank you for their
investment in your career. Like I said above, if you are having a normal
rehearsal interaction with a ballet master, then a simple thank you
will do. But if this coach has gone out of their way to bring out the
best performance you can give, be sure to write them a note and consider
buying them flowers, candy, or something meaningful related to the role
that you are performing.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Choreographer/Stager</b></u>:<br />
<br />
If a
choreographer creates a new work on you or a stager comes in to set a
ballet and does a stellar job of preparing the dancers, it is completely
appropriate to purchase a gift to show your appreciation. Back when I
danced at <a href="http://pnb.org/">Pacific Northwest Ballet</a>, we would designate somebody or a
dancer would claim responsibility to come up with an appropriate gift
for the occasion. Whether it was flowers or an inside joke between
everyone in the cast, this one responsible dancer would determine the
cost of the item/s to be bought and collect cash from each dancer who
wants to contribute. Once the purchase was made, there would always be a
card on hand for those that contributed to sign their name and,
perhaps, write a short note. <br />
<br />
<u><b>Boss</b></u>:<br />
<br />
It is extremely rare
for a dancer to go out of their way to express thanks to their boss
outside of a verbal display of appreciation. Buying a gift for
somebody that holds a lot of power can make it difficult to tell if it is truly to express thanks or is instead a way to seek favor and
positive attention from the big guy or gal who is making decisions about
your career. If you really want to let your boss know you appreciated
getting a role or enjoyed an opportunity to try something new, schedule a
meeting or wait for your evaluation.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Cast mates</b></u>:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Sometimes,
you and your cast mates really click in a work. And, sometimes, people
go out of their way to do something kind for the whole cast. This is
rare, can become expensive, and can take a lot of time to prepare during your precious
downtime. The best and most common way that I have seen dancers do
something to show appreciation for their fellow dancers is to go home
and bake something tasty. Cookies, cake, or candy are the perfect way to
say thank you to a large group of people, as they are relatively
inexpensive, can be produced en masse, and are also a good pick me up
during difficult show weeks.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJZdoiqCds9E1jLDzPi4UJ2VSmOvUUHWRf6S9AD71_YCvD08S2UgaFEsB0S9hXnWucas26tC3iwstgn1woi6-79Xg1aGfEiqHFcVCImVclCLJhX7Rric2LLQUtKM1qpTO_38da55tsE8/s1600/IMG_0122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJZdoiqCds9E1jLDzPi4UJ2VSmOvUUHWRf6S9AD71_YCvD08S2UgaFEsB0S9hXnWucas26tC3iwstgn1woi6-79Xg1aGfEiqHFcVCImVclCLJhX7Rric2LLQUtKM1qpTO_38da55tsE8/s400/IMG_0122.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Cast at the National Choreographers Initiative (Photo: Dave Friedman)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<u><b>Host</b></u>:<br />
<br />
If you are freelancing
and find yourself living with a host, it is considered gracious to
leave a little thank you on the counter when you head home (or offer in
person if that floats your boat). If you are only staying with a host
for a few days, a simple thank you card will do. But if you have spent a
significant amount of time living in your host's home, it is
appropriate to get something more for them. My favorite go-to is a
bottle of wine or Prosecco if they drink alcohol. If they don't,
something thoughtful with a card leaves a nice impression and can help
build long lasting friendships. And, even better, if you are a freelance artist, you can write off up to $25 of the cost on your taxes, as this is a business expense.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Anybody That Went Out of Their
Way for You</b></u>:<br />
<br />
It isn't necessary for you to thank each and every person
that does something for you. Maybe your dresser was extra helpful or the
conductor paid extra attention to your request to slow down the tempo
for your solo. Since these people are just doing their job (and are
stellar at it, too) a simple verbal thank you is more than enough to
express your appreciation for those that have helped you perform at your
best. Now, if somebody went way out of their way to assist you in
getting on the stage, like if a physical therapist gave you extra
attention in an emergency or somebody from wardrobe saved your life
helping with quick changes, it could be a beautiful gesture to write
them a short thank you in the form of a card. Here, it really is the
thought that counts. And this is just good, basic relationship
building skills at their best. <br />
<br />
<u><b>Yourself</b></u>:<br />
<br />
Don't forget that
it is also really great to thank yourself. Give yourself a day off at
the end of a production that doesn't involve going to a party, drinking
alcohol, or anything else that could be too draining. Buy yourself that
cupcake you wouldn't allow yourself to have because you had to wear a
white unitard. Or, even better, treat yourself to a good deep-tissue
sports massage or for a few dips at your favorite Russian baths. It is easy to think
about being thankful to those around you. But you were just as much a
part of creating magic onstage as everyone around you.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-eCCCwZYNDCx_c0-OnC0Gdlnzuta4v4jLxKgIRxNG-yAHe7VA17HSGe5-qqnkU2PbVsvw5ILcTcr2Csb8c12n2VpJEI81P9VOLCvpyeH2TvtPJ9JXjy7sGz9daRvg9bhLvCjymgPEPmk/s1600/12932931_10153893258385067_719230324358906967_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-eCCCwZYNDCx_c0-OnC0Gdlnzuta4v4jLxKgIRxNG-yAHe7VA17HSGe5-qqnkU2PbVsvw5ILcTcr2Csb8c12n2VpJEI81P9VOLCvpyeH2TvtPJ9JXjy7sGz9daRvg9bhLvCjymgPEPmk/s320/12932931_10153893258385067_719230324358906967_n.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I will
actually be releasing a podcast on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pas-de-chat-talking-dance/id1103498953?mt=2">Pas de Chát: Talking Dance</a> tomorrow
about <i>Cultivating Thankfulness</i>. So, if you are looking to find ways to
be more thankful in your life, be sure to tune into that starting
Friday! Happy Thanksgiving!Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-69281289648749279032016-11-17T11:21:00.001-05:002016-11-17T11:26:33.496-05:00*EVENT ALERT* - Managing the Freelance Life - Monday, Dec. 5th - 5-7 PM at Gibney Dance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
A few years ago, I produced a New York City-based event called <a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2013/08/contact-2nd-edition-in-case-you-missed.html"><i>Contact: A Networking Event for Freelance Dancers</i></a>. While I haven't produced this event in the past few years, finding new ways to bring the freelance dance community together continues to be an important aspect of my work. Back in September, I was called into <a href="http://www.actorsfund.org/services-and-programs/dancers-resource">The Dancers' Resource</a> and <a href="http://www.careertransition.org/">Career Transitions for Dancers</a> to talk about events that may benefit those dancers, choreographers, and teachers who already work as freelancers or need more information about how to freelance. I am very excited to say that these great organizations asked me to speak at their first event catered to the freelance community on Monday, December 5th from 5-7 pm at Gibney Dance (280 Broadway). So, if you are looking for information to begin working as a freelance artist, need some tips for success, or are looking for a chance to meet other freelancers, feel free to join us for this free event, <i>Managing the Freelance Life</i> <i>- Strategies for Success</i>. Please share this with all of the freelancers you know (dancers, dance educators, choreographers). If you plan on attending, please be sure to RSVP by <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-directions-for-dancers-tickets-28738800526">clicking here</a>. I hope to see you there and be sure to come up to me at the event and let me know that you heard about here on <i>Life of a Freelance Dancer</i>! Cheers!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdGhjtU3RQSEVcIKjbelucsCPl1JPrxA0QW_HPKhthZqWB1YEuxFPbEWSCwZtx_683qcanQt4VfpvZugAYRrh_Wfd7M9eeMevREV7tMwHKc5LdFzndl-cdnhs7tOsNu2VQLyTb21qTX8M/s1600/NewDirectionsCTFD+12-3-16-page-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdGhjtU3RQSEVcIKjbelucsCPl1JPrxA0QW_HPKhthZqWB1YEuxFPbEWSCwZtx_683qcanQt4VfpvZugAYRrh_Wfd7M9eeMevREV7tMwHKc5LdFzndl-cdnhs7tOsNu2VQLyTb21qTX8M/s640/NewDirectionsCTFD+12-3-16-page-001.jpg" width="494" /></a></div>
Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-37195348608194638232016-11-14T11:03:00.002-05:002016-11-14T11:08:21.861-05:00Healing Divides through the Arts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://az616578.vo.msecnd.net/files/2016/06/30/636028531987859768-345476809_Sad%20America.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://az616578.vo.msecnd.net/files/2016/06/30/636028531987859768-345476809_Sad%20America.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
<br />
"Dear Barry. Don't sit down and consider what you want to write. Open up
your iPad, take a deep breath, and create a post about exactly what you
want to talk about in the moment."<br />
<br />
----------<br />
<br />
I'm glad I'm giving myself
permission to write freely, openly, and without prompt. I've been
spending a great deal of time since Tuesday feeling the pull of generalized and social
media telling me how to feel. When I angrily turn off
the television or slam my computer shut, I sit in my own mind and begin
doing the same. "Barry! It's time to move on. You need to find some way to focus and
accept what has happened." It feels nice that by writing this I can
remind myself through my work that it is alright to choose my own path
through any experience. <br />
<br />
Not all, but a great majority of us United States
artists experienced a devastating loss early Wednesday morning
when Donald Trump was named President-Elect of our great country. Aside
from the explosive release of the most stressful, negative campaign on
record, people of all minorities sunk deeply into their seats imagining
how their rights, safety, and livelihood would be affected by this news.
I wasn't sleeping at home that night, instead on my friend's couch on
the 19th floor of an apartment overlooking a frighteningly silent New York City. I felt
alone and dazed until I finally fell asleep. But not before only one
tear dropped down my cheek onto my pillow.<br />
<br />
I woke up the next
morning equally dazed. I couldn't turn on my regular morning talk show, The Today Show. I couldn't watch anything where I had to see people
happy or faking their disposition for a television audience. I almost
couldn't bring myself to pack my clothes and get changed to stop and
take class at <a href="http://stepsnyc.com/">Steps on Broadway</a> before I headed back to Philadelphia.
But I somehow found myself standing at the front of the studio, barre in
hand and taking the deepest breath as I began moving my body to the
sullen melody our pianist played expressing himself in the best way he knew. Like the moments before a drug kicks
in, you are already committed to the ride. Just you don't know exactly
how profound or regret-filled this experience may get. <br />
<br />
With such
intense emotions clearly at the throats of this room of 40 or so
dancers, we all began to do the one thing we knew. We began to look into
ourselves. We began to look at ourselves. And we began to work on the
only thing that was truly in our control. Ourselves. And slowly, but
surely, teary eyes and broken hearts turned into smiles, hard work, and
determination. At this point, I knew everything was going to get better.<br />
<br />
We
dancers are the lucky ones. We truly are. On even the darkest days, we
have something to turn to, something to distract us, something to
improve our very being. And even better than the fact that art heals, it
makes us more compassionate people. People who understand the way the
world works a little better, who can look at someone unlike us and see
that they deserve no more than we do, and who aren't afraid to express
the best and worst parts of being human. When tragedy strikes, we share
our voices silently and express physical grief to heal others. When seething differences become apparent, we
explore how to look at this person with compassion and understanding. <br />
<br />
There
is so much that art offers during trying times. And I fear that we may
need art more than ever over the next few years as our leader's
core-values seem to be heading in the direction of reinstating old,
regressive, and potentially hateful ideals within our progressive nation. So, as we continue on this
journey of life in and out of the dance world, I urge anybody who reads
this to go out and work on improving yourself first. Then, once you feel
that the time is right, find ways to use your art to help society cope,
understand, and move forward with the challenges that our great nation
will face as it tries to find a middle ground among a divided nation. Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-60740030899029739882016-10-29T18:56:00.001-04:002016-10-29T18:56:28.149-04:00Halloween Edition - 11 Scary Thoughts Dancers HaveIt's been a while since I've done a list post. And it's Halloween weekend, so I thought I'd have a little fun with this one. If you are looking for high-brow, in-depth quality content, stay tuned for my next post or look at my previous posts via <a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/01/catch-up-on-lofd-vol-2-previous-blog.html">this link</a>. For now, please enjoy these 11 SCARY thoughts that different types of dancers have. <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="293" src="//giphy.com/embed/KjWc5ScRPFLsQ" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/crazy-addicted-hocus-KjWc5ScRPFLsQ">via GIPHY</a><br />
<br />
<b>The Freelance Dancer</b> - "Well, this is a really nice gig, but I don't have anything else lined up after this. Could this be the end of my career?"<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="275" src="//giphy.com/embed/3oEjHG1F6oSXYmgRJC" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/game-of-thrones-hbo-now-it-ends-3oEjHG1F6oSXYmgRJC">via GIPHY</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Street Dancer</b> - "What if this subway car slams on the breaks while I'm doing my big finale?"<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="265" src="//giphy.com/embed/chVhIBMoYuqOI" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/raul-julia-chVhIBMoYuqOI">via GIPHY</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Company Dancer</b> - "If I show up to class in costume, will the director think that I'm not serious about my dance career and take it out on me in casting?"<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//giphy.com/embed/Eg3L3eF1aF464" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/american-ballet-theatre-Eg3L3eF1aF464">via GIPHY</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Open Class Dancer </b>-"What am I going to make for dinner after this class?"<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="847" src="//giphy.com/embed/S0Bw42pYAwYxi" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/S0Bw42pYAwYxi">via GIPHY</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Broadway Dancer</b> - "If I have to do this show one more time, will I lose my mind!"<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="235" src="//giphy.com/embed/Xo3g3AY64pDzO" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/ugh-not-this-again-shit-Xo3g3AY64pDzO">via GIPHY</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Break Dancer</b> - "Does spinning on my head increase my risk of balding?"<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="321" src="//giphy.com/embed/OouKlLdVETyFy" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/concert-OouKlLdVETyFy">via GIPHY</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Pre-Professional Dancer</b> - "This is my second year at this finishing program. If I don't get a job by the end of this year, does that mean I need to quit and go to college?"<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="211" src="//giphy.com/embed/4p4FaFkmulsU8" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/college-workaholics-adam-demamp-4p4FaFkmulsU8">via GIPHY</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Ballroom Dancer</b> - "Why is she talking to that other guy over there? Is she plotting to switch partners?"<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="269" src="//giphy.com/embed/l3vR8D0mvYGAhXNRK" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/thexfactorau-dancing-adam-lambert-l3vR8D0mvYGAhXNRK">via GIPHY</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Recreational Dancer</b> - "What will ever come of my true aspirations to have a dance career if I'm not cast as Clara in <i>The Nutcracker </i>this year?"<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//giphy.com/embed/oJPVTTFxxAOzK" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/oJPVTTFxxAOzK">via GIPHY</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Club Dancer</b> - "If I go out there and dance, everybody is clearly going to only be watching and judging me, right?" <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//giphy.com/embed/26AHPTk07pNYC0WuQ" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/vinyl-26AHPTk07pNYC0WuQ">via GIPHY</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Stay-at-Home Dancer</b> - "What if my Husband is secretly filming me sing and dance to my 90's playlist while I am vacuuming the floor to post it on the internet?"<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//giphy.com/embed/7ct25sSbzPBvO" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/vacuum-mrs-7ct25sSbzPBvO">via GIPHY</a>Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-65962438361048987422016-10-17T23:33:00.001-04:002016-10-18T10:29:13.780-04:00Acting Professionally in a Rehearsal Studio<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://67.media.tumblr.com/41d4ec41b6e525bb2815f355b82c9c46/tumblr_nkg65hQEks1s2wcilo3_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://67.media.tumblr.com/41d4ec41b6e525bb2815f355b82c9c46/tumblr_nkg65hQEks1s2wcilo3_500.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Royal Ballet in rehearsal (Photo: Unknown)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Rehearsal etiquette is one of the many unspoken areas of our silent art
form. There is no particular way that each and every rehearsal studio is
run. But at the same time, there are general no-no's (and yes-yes')
that are taught within the culture of a company as they create,
fine-tune, and prepare a work for the stage.<br />
<br />
Back a handful of
years ago I was working with a pickup company that employed enough
dancers to fill a small rehearsal room. In
other words, our athletic group of 8 had to get along considering our company's size. A few of us were more seasoned than the others. But one
dancer was enjoying the raw, empowering, and often shocking experience
of their first job as a professional. Previously, I talked about my
experience at my first full-time job with <a href="http://www.houstonballet.org/">Houston Ballet</a>
and how I stepped on dancer's toes without even realizing it. After
watching this type of situation from the other side, as a senior dancer, I was taught a
lesson in kindness, patience, and humility.<br />
<br />
Dancing for a big
company is very different than dancing for a small ensemble. In a bigger
company, dancers often feel more comfortable being up front (if not,
sometimes, mean) when trying to streamline a young dancer into their
place in the unique culture of a professional company. If any
interaction becomes tense, dancers can retreat into their clique for
comfort or hide behind other dancers who are more willing to stand their
ground. But in a small company, there is nowhere to hide, very little
hierarchy, and everybody has to interact frequently with one another in the studio.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.smuinballet.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/SmuinXmas220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.smuinballet.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/SmuinXmas220.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smuin Ballet in rehearsal (Photo: Chris Hardy)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Back to the occasion of watching
this new dancer enter a rehearsal studio without the assimilation that
the rest of us dancers had. It was a generally difficult situation to
endure. The leadership wasn't very good at running a rehearsal studio
and they let the dancers have a bit too much control over what happened. This new dancer became a stressor for other
dancers as they were acting in ways that went way beyond the etiquette
of most professional environments. Things like actively telling other
dancers how to fix their dancing, counting over the choreographer, and
regularly interrupting the process to crack jokes became the norm. And
while the other dancers with more experience didn't approve of this
behavior, the director and ballet mistress chose to allow it to
continue.<br />
<br />
Now, it is perfectly healthy to run a studio where
dancers feel that they are a valuable part of the process, where the
environment is light and friendly, and where a dancer feels that they
can speak up when they feel that something isn't working properly. But
this dancer started to become a distraction and affected the ability of
others to work to the best of their abilities. Due to the size of the
company, where another more experienced dancer may have talked to their
freshly minted colleague, this dancer was left continually breaking
"rehearsal-code" for the extent of the gig. This was most likely due to
the fact that, in such a small group, everybody knew that a small amount
of tension between two dancers would be felt by all. <br />
<br />
In this
company, many of the dancers looked up to me and respected my work. And
for that reason, it was suggested by some that I speak to this dancer to
give them an idea of professional rehearsal etiquette. But, as I stated
before, I felt it would cause too much tension and that it was actually
the responsibility of those in the front of the studio to hone this
character in. Looking back, I'm glad I maintained this position. But
this is the advice that I would offer that dancer today if I were the
person at the front of the studio. <br />
<br />
First things first, the way
you act in a rehearsal studio as a student is completely different than
when you are a professional. Most students who become professionals have
reached the top of the hierarchy of a school. Essentially, if the
school had a ranking, these dancers are the Principals of the school. In
a professional company, a top-level student most often enters at the
lowest rank and seniority. In most professional rehearsal setting, Principals have more leeway
and freedom in their choices, actions, and vocal interaction than
others. Not to say that a new professional can't have a voice or input.
But it is the job of an apprentice or first year dancer to sit back and absorb what is
happening around them. They don't have equal cultural standing to those
higher ranked or more senior dancers. Just like in medieval times, the
apprentice to the blacksmith didn't walk in on day one and start working
with the iron. It may have taken a long time before the mentor allowed
the apprentice to even touch any equipment, let alone lead the creation
of a work of art.<br />
<br />
My next bit of advice is to keep an open mind
about your idea of what a rehearsal should look like. School rehearsals
are often much slower paced with more time to retain choreography,
fine-tune, and engage in conversation. Many professional environments
are much faster-paced and don't open up the room to ask questions or
discuss particular material until all of the material is already out.
This is to help streamline the process and may even be an effective
money-saver. In school, most of the students are paying to dance. In a
professional environment, time is money. The longer dancers are in
rehearsal, the more they get paid and the more time spent paying for
rehearsal space (esp. in freelance or project based gigs that don't have
a home studio). There are reasons for professional rehearsal culture
that go beyond personalities and people getting along.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/disp/7c051c8992273.560c69c17d033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/disp/7c051c8992273.560c69c17d033.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joffrey Ballet in rehearsal (Photo: Lenny Gilmore)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The final
idea I'd like to share about rehearsal etiquette is a grey area that is
fluid from company to company, but generally recognized in some way or
another. I'd like to bring up seniority and respect for dancers with
more experience. One of the big issues with this fresh, new dancer was
that they felt their presence in the studio was absolutely equal in contribution to the
more experienced dancers around them. I'd love to say that this is the
perfect ideal, but it was actually one of the most challenging aspects
of working with this person. The difficulty laid in looking at them as a person
versus their job and position as a dancer. As a person, we all enjoyed this dancer very
much and wanted to give them a chance to find their place. But as a dancer, many of us felt disrespected by this person's
actions. For instance, a young dancer should never think it is
acceptable to offer unwarranted corrections to a more senior dancer.
Additionally, taking over a rehearsal space and telling dancers how to
count or how your exploration of the process is <i>more correct</i> can be horribly
disrespectful and doesn't acknowledge a dancer's wisdom gained from time
put in. Whether a young dancer is more naturally talented than a
senior dancer doesn't play into the fact that dancers with seniority have
spent years fine-tuning their technique, movement, and rehearsal
practice. The value in hiring more senior dancers is that they have existed in
a professional dance studio much longer than younger dancers. They are brought back to dance for an organization because they have a very keen sense of how
to work effectively and professionally in a variety of work
environments. Even a dancer with immense talent can not innately
understand this. And for this reason, it is extremely important that
they take a step back and absorb the culture that experienced dancers
project. Because in the end, these senior dancers are not projecting
their own idea of the culture. They are projecting the culture that came
before them and taught them that culture and so on. You are essentially
being taught the cultural history of the company by learning from those
who came before you, absorbing it, and then will hopefully pass it on
when you aren't the young or new one any more.<br />
<br />
As you can see, I
shied away from sharing too many specific items about how to act in a
studio. This is mostly because each and every studio functions differently and
most effectively per the needs of an organization. I don't want any dancer to ever feel
completely stifled by trying to fit in to the culture of a dance
company's rehearsal process. But if you approach a professional
rehearsal studio with respect for those around you and respect for what came before, it will be much easier to acclimate to dancing for a company. And,
if you are lucky enough, perhaps, you will have the staying power to
become one of those dancers that helps the next generation learn a
company's culture from your fine example. Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-67208139902793337882016-10-05T14:24:00.001-04:002016-10-05T14:32:02.103-04:00Get Out of Your Comfort Zone - Honeymoon Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqff16VgNiVjlnx8dWu_MtBSg5XZ5eV5vMtJMDuQyUWd0SolXi7JaJYkkIw-qCo4QB7cJa1jUCKEDyWnyttXA_QvzLnzdf50LUESI0vSxfhiWK4h9Mv9IHhDfWT_hyqPUdIr3OfxNRHqQ/s1600/IMG_6193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqff16VgNiVjlnx8dWu_MtBSg5XZ5eV5vMtJMDuQyUWd0SolXi7JaJYkkIw-qCo4QB7cJa1jUCKEDyWnyttXA_QvzLnzdf50LUESI0vSxfhiWK4h9Mv9IHhDfWT_hyqPUdIr3OfxNRHqQ/s400/IMG_6193.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my images from our trip to Machu Picchu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hola mi amigos! I'm BACK!!!! I hope that you haven't missed me too much. At the moment, I'm flying high on a travel-bender sitting in the aeropuerto in Lima, Peru.
This isn't the first or second time I've been here in the past few
weeks. But it is definitely the longest period with my current layover
time queueing at 6 hours (only 2 more to go). Over the past 3 weeks, I
have bartered at ramshackle markets in horribly broken Spanish with
excessively wooing Peruvian ladies in Lima. I've experienced the short
and light-headed breathlessness of Soroche (or altitude sickness) that
walking only a few wildly tight, steeply climbing streets of
historically scenic Cusco, Peru can quickly bring on. Shortly after my
time in Peru, I was again fumbling through my Spanish to order enough
pisco sours to loosen up and dance among the locals at a club in
Santiago, Chile. Whether struggling through a conversation to purchase a
bus ticket to Valparaiso, Chile, navigating the Subte (subway) in
Buenos Aires, Argentina, or finding our way to the historical center of
Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, my husband and I spent our amazing 3
week South American honeymoon utterly and uncomfortably out of our
comfort zones. But it was all worth it to make it to the centerpiece of
our journey, and to one of the new 7 Natural Wonders of the World, Machu
Picchu! I know you've missed me (or at least my posts ;-) ) over these past weeks, but I hope you
forgive me for my silence during our travels. And, even better.
There's a lesson here for all!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYBKS-IlYOn9XzuwjjAXxe4-5MedYBUTm6TG0-i2Wb5CtVYc0dx_emLaKblFXPFMPZPgOcixnW3fJUmKTGE8EHL8AZM9L7sywseWLSeQxcg0KgdMppNMXmzoO298lZ5W4LDgUgA4DVOE/s1600/IMG_5866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYBKS-IlYOn9XzuwjjAXxe4-5MedYBUTm6TG0-i2Wb5CtVYc0dx_emLaKblFXPFMPZPgOcixnW3fJUmKTGE8EHL8AZM9L7sywseWLSeQxcg0KgdMppNMXmzoO298lZ5W4LDgUgA4DVOE/s320/IMG_5866.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exploring the historic Plaza de Armas of Cusco, Peru </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These past few weeks of travel
have been full of fun, excitement, discomfort, frustration, unexpected
joy, utter submission, and much love. A flooding array of emotions and
challenges can accompany what sounds like a fun, daring adventure. But
with good intentions come hard lessons. Here, food poisoning from eating
at a questionable airport restaurant, exchanging money on a random
street that all the travel blogs wrote to go to in order to save big bucks on exchange rates (too
bad they stopped writing those blogs two years ago when these cambios, or cash houses,
became obsolete and...maybe...even illegal), or walking a few miles into
a sketchy neighborhood without any phone service or knowledge of
transportation out of there. But at the same time, watching an ancient
Inca site breathing through heavenly clouds, haggling a silkenly soft
alpaca sweater to the equivalent of $10 USD, seeing the most incredible
display of street art carved into the cutest city on earth, and standing
by your new spouse's side to share these experiences was well worth the
moments that thrust us anywhere but close to comfortable.<br />
<br />
I
wanted to talk a bit about what I've been up to, and at the same time
create some relevant content for you guys. In my thought process while
prepping to write this piece, it clicked for me that it was time to talk
about getting out of our comfort zones. There are many ways to get out
of your comfort zone. For instance, I am an expert traveler. But only
when it comes to domestic travel within the United States. I haven't
been out of the country in 6 years as I've focused on building certain
aspects of my career. For me, I could have stayed comfortable and had my
honeymoon in the US. But that idea, while easy and relaxing, would have
been completely within my husband and my comfort zone. We threw around
the possibility of traveling somewhere international, but in a more
developed country with lavish, comfortable accommodations. This option would have
been slightly out of our comfort zone, but still offer us some ease of
mind and relaxation to celebrate our union. But if any of you have
gotten to know me over the years while reading <i>Life of a Freelance Dancer</i>, you know that
neither of those experiences are close to my style (nor my husbands).<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_LNOHSgtHuhLVq-KSTJIeDkPLtwCyECycWeduD7zLSui7mSOQDnurcraMIM5ijP98ovDOeawFeoJGYXmuxAZelV6i_WdRmzwL0s3adHHYzKTVwpWheg7VwGDSBdpYOQOVwTz50oFoec/s1600/IMG_6654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_LNOHSgtHuhLVq-KSTJIeDkPLtwCyECycWeduD7zLSui7mSOQDnurcraMIM5ijP98ovDOeawFeoJGYXmuxAZelV6i_WdRmzwL0s3adHHYzKTVwpWheg7VwGDSBdpYOQOVwTz50oFoec/s320/IMG_6654.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying art in the Parque Esulturas in Santiago, Chile</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
When
Danya and I looked into honeymoon options, we were most excited by
traveling to places where there was a strong language barrier, where in
some places you can't even brush your teeth with the water, where people
asked to pose in pictures with me because they had never seen somebody
with green eyes before, and where there is the possibility that we may
find ourselves in potentially dangerous situations (nothing too crazy, right).
Why, you may ask, would a newlywed couple want to thrust themselves this
far out of their comfort zones on such an occasion as their honeymoon?
Because we thrive on experiences that force us to grow, force us to
question the way that we live our lives, and force us to open our minds
to the possibility of greater understanding (in many areas of of life) than we have today. I feel
this is a relevant lesson in life, society on a global scale, and even dance. <br />
<br />
I remember back when I first fell in love with ballet. I
didn't know much about what I was doing, aside from the knowledge that
there was this amazing school where kids were selected to dance in the
mornings and afternoons (the <a href="http://sab.org/">School of American Ballet</a>) and got to focus
on dance like I had been focusing on math and science. I also knew that I
was a little behind, but felt I might be able to catch up if I did
enough research and worked my ass off. I pulled open the January 2000
issue of Dance Magazine and decided to ask if I could audition for the
summer intensives I had found with either the biggest ads or in the biggest cities
(because, ya know, the bigger the city or the bigger the ad, the better the company?). I
was lucky to have a supportive family and an even more supportive
teacher and school director to help me follow my uncultivated dream. I
jumped into the deep-end fast, and nobody stopped to second guess my
ambition. And I guess a lot hasn't changed since then.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnJnPgaZOmKENK3cclURuqDbqSvRJflRBPb37BdLfw5B_OyumwWf2JyKlHvbCl28G7LT7KyVdXSucsfB8Bxg4CZCULyNLoRYN_aIh04CY8NbPmrwrFOEp0QWMIrsG6Ajkequ0dk2kfrc/s1600/IMG_6321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnJnPgaZOmKENK3cclURuqDbqSvRJflRBPb37BdLfw5B_OyumwWf2JyKlHvbCl28G7LT7KyVdXSucsfB8Bxg4CZCULyNLoRYN_aIh04CY8NbPmrwrFOEp0QWMIrsG6Ajkequ0dk2kfrc/s320/IMG_6321.JPG" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the centerpiece of our honeymoon, Machu Picchu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After all
of my summer intensive auditions that year, even as a male, I had only
been accepted to a small handful of the programs I applied for
(practically none with scholarship). One that gave me a minor
scholarship and really stood out to me was <a href="http://www.houstonballet.org/about/academy1/">Houston Ballet Academy</a>. I had also
received a full-ride to the now defunded <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Governor%27s_School_for_the_Arts">Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts</a>,
where my mom was an alumni in their vocal department. Obviously, after
her experience there, I was given a gentle, but clear push to go where
the money was because I was almost guaranteed a lot of attention
(especially being a male dancer) and my mom knew I would have a positive
experience there. <br />
<br />
But in typical Barry fashion, I had my eyes
set on jumping into a pool of water with no definitive bottom. At the
time, I just did it. But I can explain this decision more clearly now. I
innately knew that there were two ways to grow as a person; in small, safe
building steps or in one fell swoop with great potential for success or
failure. I made the choice to put a lot of money on one number, instead
of buying a handful of inexpensive scratch tickets from the lottery. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZeJeNk-TvDLTkdVuZDpfLuy6yDmbtIP6hi6b4fAhj36uTijxaCtlu1jLyvm2UAiCvkCOrrjxrHFVKY3LvSNDMRm_THls-xk02ap71k2FCPdVBLUlWNlnwiD8VJfLAIQNqNoOI5QlaBOg/s1600/IMG_7061.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZeJeNk-TvDLTkdVuZDpfLuy6yDmbtIP6hi6b4fAhj36uTijxaCtlu1jLyvm2UAiCvkCOrrjxrHFVKY3LvSNDMRm_THls-xk02ap71k2FCPdVBLUlWNlnwiD8VJfLAIQNqNoOI5QlaBOg/s320/IMG_7061.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dancing thru a tour of Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Looking
back, I feel I did this for a good reason. If I went to the Governor's
School, I would be exposed to something slightly comfortable and
something slightly unknown. I would slowly begin developing a new taste for
different styles of training. From there, I could slowly build to the
next step. Going to Houston Ballet Academy for the summer, I had no idea
what I was getting myself into. Nobody I knew had attended the program
previously, but I had heard positive things about it through
the grapevine during auditions and from the company's very limited
internet presence (remember, it was the early days of the internet).
Something told me that I needed to be in an environment that I didn't
understand, that tested my belief system, and that showed me a new way
of looking at the world, only here it was the ballet world. I truly
believe that this first risk I took in my career, before it was even a
career, changed the trajectory of my life and was a major turning point
in getting where I have been, where I am, and where I am going.<br />
<br />
There is so much to learn from putting oneself out there in multiple
different aspects of their lives, especially as an artist. It is the job
of an artist to offer unexplored perspectives to audiences for acceptance,
discomfort, and expansion of their own values and life experiences. If one doesn't
want to push themselves outside of their own comfort zone, it is our
responsibility to share our experiences and challenge them to grow. In
life, we are often presented with three different options. Ones that allow zero growth,
little growth, and great growth. Those choices that often offer the
greatest growth can be the most painful, challenging, and uncomfortable experiences. Like a caterpillar
bursting out of its cocoon as a butterfly or like a mother giving birth
to a child, these experiences are likely very frightening and often
painful. But the rewards from stepping into the unknown, discomfort and pain in growth, and expansion of mind, self, and being
can reap benefits, rewards, and joy that couldn't be understood or experienced in one's life
otherwise.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaMdu3byfr0wnx-HPaP2D8U9D_qh7SU_UHo-dIfyZJ4PC5INiSqWW6D01IcZONjcmwcE0iLWX647ASM5BMFxapPEWgKH4DTqdxaF3VocyaeMwmMPSlRrkiV5q-r34d8xSH9lDOcumWFk/s1600/IMG_6069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaMdu3byfr0wnx-HPaP2D8U9D_qh7SU_UHo-dIfyZJ4PC5INiSqWW6D01IcZONjcmwcE0iLWX647ASM5BMFxapPEWgKH4DTqdxaF3VocyaeMwmMPSlRrkiV5q-r34d8xSH9lDOcumWFk/s400/IMG_6069.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking in standing atop the amazingness that is Cusco, Peru</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-37259369452055778092016-09-12T14:40:00.002-04:002016-09-12T14:57:38.584-04:00How to Reach Out to Somebody You Don't Know<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://argentina-travel-blog.sayhueque.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Buenos-Aires-Tango-Guide-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://argentina-travel-blog.sayhueque.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Buenos-Aires-Tango-Guide-1.jpg" height="246" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will this be me during my honeymoon in Buenos Aires? (Photo: <a href="http://argentina-travel-blog.sayhueque.com/tag/buenos-aires-safety/">Say Hueque</a> blog)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I can't believe that this is even about to happen. But I am heading to
South America on my honeymoon and I am taking my first major break from
all of my teaching, choreography, and media work for the first time in 4
years. So, while I'm sauntering around the arid coast of the Pacific in
Lima, Peru, absorbing the breathtaking summit above the Incan ruins of
Machu Picchu, watching the sunset over the Andes from my 17th floor
apartment in Santiago, and breathing in the <i>Paris of the South</i> culture
of Buenos Aires, I will be taking a much needed (and hopefully
well-deserved) 3 weeks off from blogging. I hope you don't fret too
much, but if you are really hankering for some fresh new content, I have
pre-recorded 3 quick concept podcasts, the Flashcast, to release every
Friday that I'm away on my <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pas-de-chat-talking-dance/id1103498953?mt=2">Pas de Chát: Talking Dance podcast</a>. You can also catch up on the plethora of old <i>Life of a Freelance Dancer </i>posts by clicking on <a href="http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.com/2016/01/catch-up-on-lofd-vol-2-previous-blog.html">this link here</a>. (And if you want to feel like a part of the celebration for our honeymoon, you can see my choreography/poem I performed for my husband at our wedding, you can watch the video <a href="https://www.facebook.com/robin.smeddy/videos/10153514403890718/">via this link here</a>)<br />
<br />
Now,
moving on to what you are all here for... some fresh content! I'm
inspired to share information with you today from a recent experience I
had. Now, I must forewarn you all. While I am ecstatic to share myself
as a public persona that is both approachable and candid, at any point
anybody I know/meet or any experience I have may become a topic of conversation
within my media work. I don't do this for a laugh or to shame anybody. I take my work in sharing information and learning through each other's experiences very seriously.
But I think that we can all learn strong lessons from one anothers
missteps, failures, and successes. So, with that disclaimer out there,
let's move forward with this post's topic.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1YfTld9Lj-61QB0HHcfofmPRBMHCczLgdzd-3zeAIgE7BnMSMD7zhBSfGB5u4wr5D7Y1kw-igWqaFmdzdAxs7cIftBDssTpU4WxfzWMGaMwV0yGXzw6Z9to2cRWwr-1cPTQZywqlx7U/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1YfTld9Lj-61QB0HHcfofmPRBMHCczLgdzd-3zeAIgE7BnMSMD7zhBSfGB5u4wr5D7Y1kw-igWqaFmdzdAxs7cIftBDssTpU4WxfzWMGaMwV0yGXzw6Z9to2cRWwr-1cPTQZywqlx7U/s320/IMG_0004.JPG" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Performing in "The Nutcracker" (Photo: Glenn Mata)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I recently
received a Facebook message from a contact that shared mutual friends
with me, but with whom I had no previous connection. I didn't know this
person, but they had talked to a friend of mine who suggested she get in
touch with me about freelancing. I have felt quite honored that people
feel comfortable/trust me enough to contact me on the regular seeking
advice on how best to go about freelancing (among many other requests
that range from questions about careers to promotion). But this occasion was one of
the first times that a message turned me a bit off. And, while my
immediate reaction was to ignore this message and move on with my busy
life, I chose to give it a day or two to settle before I made the decision to let the message sink deep into my inbox or to respond. I
did this because I have actually committed this <i>Internet Age</i> misstep
before and I wanted there to be value in my response without coming off
as arrogant or offended.<br />
<br />
What happened was this freelance artist
sent me a private message stating that they knew somebody I knew. Then
without providing much additional information, requested I put them in
touch with my contacts to give them freelance work. What threw me off
here was the appearance of expectation that I would just offer up
opportunities to any person that reaches out to me and requests them.
When I first read this message, I thought to myself, " Who does this
person think they are? And who do they think that I am?" But once my
initial reactions began to fade, I recognized that this
amateur (and sometimes professional) error was one I had committed
before and was more revealing of this dancer's experience and
understanding of how the dance world functions than anything else. <br />
<br />
Let's
get one thing straight. There is no magical, easy way that a dancer
gets work; whether they are seeking company or freelance positions. I don't
have dozens of people asking me on the regular to find artists for them.
In fact, my freelance career has been full of quick bursts of fantastic
feasts and sometimes long, desperately desperate famine periods. The
success that I have obtained in both my dancing and
choreographic/teaching career have been the result of insurmountably
relentless hard work, trial-and-error, and unassuming vulnerability.
Looking at this dancer's daring ask, I recognized she had tapped into
her vulnerability by reaching out to a stranger who had figured out
their own path to success in her field of interest. But, perhaps, her
error lay in zeal. Instead of taking some time to develop a carefully
curated approach, she asked to ride on the coat tails of my perceived success. Yet,
even if I had work to offer, I already knew that she was unlikely to be
in a place to best represent me as an example of my taste and
consideration for excellence. It is important to remember that any referral almost equally reflects back on the person who suggested a dancer for work.<br />
<br />
Before I even perused this dancer's
Facebook account, I was already questioning whether she was working at a
high enough level to perform some of the work that she had requested. Let
me preface this with a disclaimer that I still don't know the true
quality of this dancer, therefore I can't judge them. And if I did, I
would not share that information publicly. But alarm bells rang the
moment I finished reading the Facebook message I received because the
request was missing important pieces of information, had one glaring
statement, and read overall as an assumption that I already wanted to
help. The missing information was a clear error, as there was no professional
background or history given by this dancer whatsoever. No statement of past experience, no
images or reel to validate quality, and no resumé or CV to inform me that
"I am a highly-qualified candidate for work." The glaring statement that
jumped out to me let me know that they were mostly looking to perform
starring roles in works, but would be willing to step into lesser roles if they weren't available.
And the final deal-sealer was the request I already spoke about to be
put in contact with "my people" (which, unfortunately don't really exist).
By the time I reluctantly sauntered over to her profile to perform a
quality assurance search on photos, I already knew that if I could have
helped that I would probably have passed up.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgS4LDdINpMDZK8RDir6BqOtU1dgla_sions4_ArwBTEUZHTNVz8KHCbbTjdrAH3xs-tn1XX0iUDIL4dPtk8XAeEnSSJgV71pgH727HDWmpvtOWTKJMdmFW95kXnOZYlmlcfhGUB4MkjE/s1600/IMG_5082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgS4LDdINpMDZK8RDir6BqOtU1dgla_sions4_ArwBTEUZHTNVz8KHCbbTjdrAH3xs-tn1XX0iUDIL4dPtk8XAeEnSSJgV71pgH727HDWmpvtOWTKJMdmFW95kXnOZYlmlcfhGUB4MkjE/s400/IMG_5082.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and "My People" (Photo: Danya)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Why am I sharing this
story? I honestly fear that it may come off as mean-spirited, but that is
not my true intention. And I can best prove this point by telling you
about the time that I did this. When I was a kid at the young age of 19,
I was hired by Roy Kaiser to dance with <a href="http://paballet.org/pennsylvania-ballet-ii">Pennsylvania Ballet 2</a> (PB2),
the studio company to the main company. After accepting this position,
but not having signed a contract, I received a better offer in the form
of a company position as an Apprentice with <a href="http://houstonballet.org/">Houston Ballet</a>. I called up
PB2 and gave them the bad news that I would not be signing the contract
heading to me in the mail. A year later, they were gracious enough to
let me audition for the company again. Though this time, my efforts
didn't end with a job offer. After joining <a href="http://pnb.org/">Pacific Northwest Ballet</a> and
feeling like I needed a place where I could progress faster, I reached
out to <a href="http://paballet.org/">PA Ballet</a> again. Though, this time I was given some bad advice
and made the poor choice to follow it. My young, overly ambitious Corps de Ballet
self said something along the lines of this. "Dear Roy, I am contacting
you to express my interest in joining Pennsylvania Ballet as a Soloist.
My technique has grown tremendously over the past few years at PNB.
Additionally, having come from the suburbs of Philadelphia, I feel that I
could be a great box office draw and help bring in a wider range of
audience members from the suburbs." There was more to it, but that is
the gist of my note. There it is, perhaps, my most embarrassing
correspondence ever!<br />
<br />
So, I hope you can see how all of this
relates. What I did there was I tried to show confidence and get the
recipient on board with what I felt I had to offer. But it instead
showed a lack of grace, humility, and general understanding about the
way that things work in our field. This was the same mistake that this
hopeful freelancer made when reaching out to me. By reaching out to me
in the way she did, I already didn't trust her as a person and wrote her
off as unqualified or having an over-inflated sense of worth as a dancer. This was
almost to the point where I considered ignoring the message.<br />
<br />
Now,
let's move forward with this. What can we learn from these stories? In
the event that you want to reach out to somebody to ask them for work
(whether dancing, teaching, choreographing, or beyond - both in and out of the
dance world), I always suggest that you introduce yourself quickly on a
personal level and more in depth on a professional level. Don't wait for
the recipient to request information to back up your requests for work
or networking (like a website, CV/résumé, photos, reel, etc.). Do be sure to
clearly express what you hope to get out of the contact while keeping
your word count to a minimum. Be wary of making assumptions that this
person already wants to help you. I always say the best way to go about
this is to ask for assistance in reaching your intention or for information about how to go about
getting what you are looking for, instead of going straight for the
punch and asking for work. Sometimes, this is unavoidable, but try to be
direct without being demanding. Beyond this (and this doesn't apply for
me because I do suggest the public reach me <a href="http://barrykerollis.com/contact-me/">via my website contact page</a> for anything from work to personal questions or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bkerollis">via Facebook message</a> for personal questions), if at all possible, try and contact people via a
professional email address. Most people prefer to keep Facebook
personal. Requesting work or help with getting work is not a personal request
and can really turn somebody off if they don't know who you are.<br />
<br />
It
can be challenging to determine the best, most streamlined way to find
success and live out your dreams. One of the hardest pieces of this
puzzle is helping to tie people into your network without coming off
like you are only using that person for your own professional gain. Be
sure that you are always prepared to share a sufficient amount of
information and you will come off as somebody who knows the way our
world works because you have functioned within it. We live in a tricky web
where some things work for some people and don't work for others. But
please feel free to use this information as a guideline to help expand
your network and to hopefully get that work you are seeking!<br />
<br />
<br />Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4883549403559837675.post-53771833617992604822016-09-06T11:44:00.000-04:002016-09-06T11:45:24.797-04:00Sharing LOFD on Popular Podcasts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is getting closer and closer to my glorious honeymoon to South America and it is definitely starting to feel like crunch time. Exactly one week from now, my Danya and I will be on a JetBlue flight to Lima, Peru to spend 3 weeks south of the equator. I've got a great post prepared for you guys that I will be posting next week, but I've also been spending a great deal of time pre-recording podcasts for <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pas-de-chat-talking-dance/id1103498953?mt=2">Pas de Chát: Talking Dance</a> to make sure that there is still fresh content coming out for all of my lovely readers and listeners while we are gone. So, don't fret. I've got some really helpful content coming to you here in only a few days.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I have been busy, busy, busy mixing with a handful of people and organizations that have recently reached out to me for interviews and more. Soon, I will be featured on an app that is coming out that will offer you the opportunity to video chat with me for advice, information, or just to talk to me about dance. Beyond this, I have been in conversation with the <a href="http://dancenetwork.tv/">Dance Network</a> about possible collaborations. There are a few other things coming up that I can't yet talk about, but I promise you will know as soon as I can talk about these things.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Last week, I also had the wonderful opportunity to chat with Ken Scheck when he interviewed me on his so popular, so fun, SO GAY podcast. We talked on <a href="http://thisshowissogay.com/home">THIS SHOW IS SO GAY</a> about everything from masculinity in ballet to my recent marriage. There was also an extended conversation about this blog right here and my recent post on retirement. I was so honored to be a part of this podcast. So, I suggest you go ahead and <a href="http://thisshowissogay.com/node/862">give this interview a listen</a> while you eagerly await next week's post. It's gonna be an interesting one! Barry Kerollishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541277950393648893noreply@blogger.com0