My 2016 Highlights - Year in Review

It 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!

Danya & My Wedding Day (Photo: Emily Yamamoto)

Reclaiming my Life and Sanity:

It may sound funny, but ever since I started writing here on Life of a Freelance Dancer 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.

Seeing the Aurora Borealis:

Aurora Borealis swirling above Fox, Alaska (near Fairbanks)

I knew that it was going to be a great year from the start. I finished my 2nd AK-BK Contemporary Ballet Workshop program 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.


Being Featured in Dance Magazine:

It was a complete and total honor to be featured in the print issue of Dance Magazine this past February. I was featured alongside New York City Ballet Principal Megan Fairchild 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 featured in April by Dance Magazine on their social media.

Getting Married: 

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 got it! I understood why the day was so special!

Click Here to Watch the Solo I Choreographed and Danced Telling the Story of Danya and Me Getting Together

Being Hired to Teach at Steps on Broadway & Broadway Dance Center:

The screen at the front desk - Steps on Broadway

The first time I went to New York City on my own was at the ripe young age of 15 to take class at Broadway Dance Center. Eventually, under the mentorship of Bob Rizzo, at the age of 16 I started taking classes on a more regular basis at Steps on Broadway. 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.

My Pas de Chát: Talking Dance Podcast on the Premier Dance Network:

As I stated above, after being featured in February's Dance Magazine, I was contacted by the CEO of the Premier Dance Network to produce and host a podcast on the largest dance podcasting network in the world. In April, I began recording Pas de Chát: Talking Dance. 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 This Show is So Gay and Barretender podcasts, to teaching, speaking for the Dancers Resource|Actors Fund about Managing the Freelance Life, 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.

Getting to Sleep in My Own Bed Often:

Mmmmmmm....My Bed!!!!

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.

Taking Nancy Bielski's Class on the Regular:

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 Nancy Bielski'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. 

Honeymoon:

View on the train from Machu Picchu

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 feast or famine periods, Danya and I haven't gotten to travel internationally since I left Pacific Northwest Ballet in 2011. Well, that all changed this year. Thanks to the generosity of our friends and family at our wedding, we were able to travel to Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay 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.

Retirement:
 
I think a great way to end this post and ring in the new year is to discuss my coming to terms with the end of my performance career. 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.

Closing the Chapter to 2016 (Photo: JRo)

Developing Your Networking Skills

I've been taking a lot of trips on Greyhound the past month. Getting up way before my usual waking hour to sit among a group of strangers ready to flood New York City the moment we get off this inexpensive commuter bus. Maybe some of my seat mates are going on vacation or maybe a few actually commute regularly to work, but I doubt any of my fellow northeast corridor travelers share the same intention that my visits hold.

Nancy Bielski working with a student at Steps on Broadway (Photo: Dancemedia.com)

I made the decision to exchange subletting in New York and paying two rents for the less expensive, more exhaustive option of commuting into the city bi-weekly (or more often). Other than feeding my soul and technique in my favorite ballet guru Nancy Bielski's class at Steps On Broadway, it is to keep myself present in people's memories and to make new connections with my community. The power of networking is a great skill and resource, especially in our dance world. This was quite evident, if you remember, from our last post when Matthew Powell received the support of his mentor to work on Flesh & Bone, the Royal New Zealand Ballet, and the Slovak National Ballet. For this reason, I need to remain present to fulfill my ultimate goal of finding an institution (or a few) to call my career-home and to bring my choreographic and teaching career forward into their next phase.

In this day and age, one can easily apply to a million jobs and never receive a response. My husband-to-be (May 29 😊) experienced this modern day dilemma before he gave up on living the corporate life and chose to start his own business. While the dance world is a little bit different, many positions in our career field (outside of dancing) require one to submit their information electronically in the most impersonal and out of touch way. Most put in a great deal of time and effort to create a carefully curated representation of what they have to offer an organization, but there is often no guarantee that your information will even be looked at. While this can save these organizations a great deal of time and energy, it can leave the job seeker feeling at a loss when they don't get a response for their efforts. And, beyond this, a majority of higher profile positions often go to someone who already has some type of connection to the organization or their name is suggested by a reputable person who works for them.

The above reasons are why it is important in this dance world to be an ultimate networker. I don't know how I became savvy at this skill. Perhaps, it was innate. But, even at a young age, I would try to learn the name of every peer in the dormitories at summer programs I attended and ask them to share their email and phone number in a small journal at the end of our time together. Honestly, I just wanted to make friends. I didn't realize that I was actually cultivating this valuable skill of connecting with people.

Performing Mercutio w/friend James Moore in Romeo et Juliette at PNB (Photo: Angela Sterling)

Have you ever asked yourself why you don't have a vast network of professionals that you are connected with to offer support and help you navigate our tricky dance world? Are you too shy to talk to people you don't know? Let me offer you some tips to help open up and grow your network. It's funny, actually, when you first meet me I tend to come off as a bit shy. It's a complete facade that I have little control over. I'm a horribly anxious person and I get awkward about getting into conversations with people, even though I enjoy it immensely. I like to talk (a lot), and I know that every person I come across doesn't necessarily want to chat. So, at first, I tend to awkwardly sit back and wait for the other person to initiate.

There are multiple times throughout my days where I am surrounded by people that could become a part of my professional network or my circle of friends. For instance, when taking class with Nancy at Steps, there is an ever-changing array of professionals in class from Misty Copeland to Irina Dvorovenko, Katie Morgan, and beyond. Additionally, there are amazing instructors, former professionals, and non-dance professionals tendu-ing and pirouette-ing by my side. One doesn't usually want to strike up (nor is it really appropriate) a conversation during barre. But there is a bit more freedom for a short chat during the breaks and banter that take place in center. In reality, though, it is best to catch up or initiate a conversation well after you have exited the classroom. If you do try to meet connections through open classes, be respectful that a majority of the attendees are really just trying to focus and prepare for their day.

Beyond this time in open class when I am surrounded by people just like me, there are a few other times to network and make your community larger. If you aren't sure how to surround yourself with those in your field, go to a performance, attend a fundraising event, seek out educational arts programs in your community, or look online. 

Dancers networking freelance networking event

While networking in person at events allows simpler access to meet up, shyness is often a challenging factor for many. If you are going to an event and don't know how to initiate a conversation, bring a friend that is a little more outgoing (but who is aware of your intentions and not going to own all conversations). But be sure to avoid the pitfall that I often fall into, where I only end up talking to the person I came with. Grab a glass of wine (but not too many) if you need to loosen up a bit. Don't interject yourself into somebody's conversation, but don't be afraid to walk up to somebody who looks a little lonely and say "Hi. How are you today?" They may be feeling the same way you do. Once the ice is broken, be sure to ask the person more about themselves and their interests before you talk about yourself and your work. Be sure to bring your business cards in the event that you want to connect beyond your first meet or if a good conversation ends abruptly.

While I don't get to do this often enough, I find it easiest to connect with people at educational events and programs. When attending a pre-show lecture or an informational arts workshop, you know you are surrounded by people who are like-minded and seeking information. Whether they are seeking knowledge on something specific or looking for interaction with their peers, they are generally going to be on the same page as you. And as an added bonus, you will already have a topic in common to hit off a conversation. My only advice here would be to wait until the lecture or meeting is over until you attempt to begin chatting anybody up.

If you need online suggestions, check out Dance.com, BalletAlert, or look for community groups on Facebook. Dance.com is a brand new networking resource along the lines of Facebook, but for dancers. I'm not completely clear who they are catering to yet (professionals, organizations, or Maddie Ziegler wannabes), but you may find what you are looking for here. BalletAlert is an interactive forum of dance nerds. Whether looking for links to reviews of recent performances, discussing your favorite dancers, or digging into the history of ballet, this is a favorite of many. Just beware of falling into the pit of snark and negativity that sometimes runs rampant among certain posters. Lastly, if you are a Facebook junkie like me, use your search bar tool to seek groups catering to art in your city, organizations you love, or topics that interest you. As always, the internet provides a million and one resources if you know how and where to look.

The power of networking is more and more important as we grow more detached from in-person interactions. The Age of the Internet has given us access to most anything we seek. But, surprisingly, it has made it harder for us to actually access people. As I continue seeking ways to continue exploring my choreography and passing on my craft in New York City and beyond, I know that it is less likely to happen based off of cold-emailing and online submissions. My reality is that my network of friends and professionals that I have created and maintain will continue to help guide me on my path of sharing my art worldwide as a dance professional.

(Don't forget to check out my new podcast on the Premier Dance Network & iTunes!!!!)