Presenting Core-ography: "A Global Dance Storytelling Project"

Core-Artist Lauren Fadeley (Photo: Alexander Izaliev)

Happy World Ballet Day! Nearly six months ago, I was taking the train back from teaching in the suburbs of Philadelphia. I had been sending my choreography out to companies to share my work in hopes of being hired for commissions. And while many of them expressed interest in my work, I hadn't realized that most companies have their seasons planned 2-3 years in advance. While listening to the sleepy drone of the train chugging along the tracks, I thought to myself, "How do I continue to fine-tune my craft, while staying true to myself throughout the process and product?" At that moment, I thought of you, my readers of Life of a Freelance Dancer.


For years, you have gotten to share in my career wins and hear about my losses and darker experiences. At times, people have vocalized their discomfort that they felt I had crossed the line in sharing my personal life. But what has kept me writing over the years have been those people who reach out to me and says "Thank you for sharing your story. It helped me through a difficult time and let me know that I wasn't alone in my situation." From all of this, Core-ography was born.

My hope for this project is that our incredible artists will share deeply personal experiences to help viewers worldwide understand that we all share in life's challenges. And in response it will help inspire people to express themselves more freely.

Please enjoy the premiere of our first mini-documentary in my Core-ography web series. Listen to Pennsylvania Ballet Principal & Capezio Athlete Ambassador Lauren Fadeley share her journey in joining New York City Ballet at the young age of 16, quitting the company 2 years later after suffering an injury, attending college, fighting through clinical depression, and finding her way back to her art form. Be sure to watch through the entire interview to see her dance a beautiful choreographic expression of her life-defining experience.

We have already received attention from Pointe magazine and on the Balancing Pointe podcast. I am so excited to see where this project goes. Enjoy and be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates as we tell 11 more incredible artist's stories!

Video Break - My New Choreography Reel

I spend a lot of time working on so many projects that it can sometimes be hard to keep track of where I am going and what I am doing. Well, amongst the craziness of my first few weeks in my new job position, I have still somehow found a way to keep freelancing at the forefront of my attention. One of my favorite things is when I receive new footage of a piece that I have danced in or created. Well, I received footage of Distinct Perceptions, the piece that I choreographed for the National Choreographers Initiative a few weeks ago, and have finally managed to update my choreography reel to start sending out. I am really excited to start pushing my freelance choreography career as much as I have with my freelance dancing. Here is the new reel. I certainly hope you enjoy!

LOFD makes Dance Magazine

If you've seen this month's issue of Dance Magazine, you may have noticed that I was interviewed for an article on health care. I blogged about how I found my own health care after leaving Pacific Northwest Ballet a few years ago and it apparently got noticed by a writer for the publication. Looks like people are reading Life of a Freelance Dancer all over the place. I'm very excited and proud to share this article with all of my readers. Enjoy!

Dance Magazine (January 2014) - Your Body, Your Health Care

Get in "Contact" with your community - 6/25/13

Co-host Bennyroyce Royon getting the crowds attention at our last Contact event

One of the hardest things that I have had to adjust to since beginning my career as a freelance dance artist has been the absence of a regular community in my every day work life. While dancing with Pacific Northwest Ballet, I was constantly surrounded by co-workers and friends. I woke up in the morning and took class, rehearsed, and, much of the time, relaxed outside of work with members of the company. It is not common for freelancers to have much regularity in communication within the vast network of dancers our community holds.

In response to the absence of support, Bennyroyce Royon and myself held our first event for freelance dance artists back in October. Not only was this event a great success in bringing our community together. In reaching out to plan the event, we came to realize that the greater dance community agrees that there is a lack of support network and resources for freelancers. We were overwhelmed by the strong support for this venture.

Christian Serrano & Jacline Henrichs at our last Contact event

With that said, we are very happy to announce that we will be holding our second edition of Contact: A Networking Event for Freelance Dance Artists on June 25th in New York City. We have already received support and donations from Dance Magazine, Sansha, Dance/USA, Lyquid Talent, and a variety of practitioners that specialize in physical and emotional maintenance of dancers' health. It is understood that freelance dancers often have limited means and have to forgo many important aspects of their health and enjoyment just to make ends meet. Beyond creating a platform for dancers to network, our goal is to offer resources to freelance dance artists at little to no cost. In the long-term, we hope to assist dancers in our community who may not otherwise have the financial ability to take care of their bodies, stay in top condition, and enjoy the finer things in life.

If you will be in the New York area on June 25 and are interested in attending, please contact me at contactfreelanceartists@gmail.com with your name and professional experience. We require at least 1 year of professional experience as a freelance dance artist to attend this event. Contact is being held at a lounge, therefore nobody under the age of 21 will be admitted. We hope that all professional freelance dancers will come out and connect with your community!

(Photo credit: Karsten Staiger)