麻豆视频直播

NDEO鈥檚 Guest Blog Series features posts written by our members about their experiences in the fields of dance and dance education. We continue this series with a post by Janaea Rose Lyn, Independent Dance Artist, Author, Educator.听 Guest posts reflect the experiences, opinions, and viewpoints of the author and are printed here with their permission. NDEO does not endorse any business, product, or service mentioned in guest blog posts. If you are interested in learning more about the guest blogger program or submitting an article for consideration, please click here.听听听听

Comprehensive Dance Career Preparation Matters Now More Than Ever

Identifying Need

As human beings who dance, not dancers who are human beings, understanding ourselves as individuals, learning how to create a shape for our life that works best for us, developing self-care routines that are sustainable, and establishing support systems are all equally essential. At this point in your career, I鈥檓 sure you have spent time reflecting on this, but what about your students?

We dance educators are committed to giving our pre-professional students the foundational technical and artistic knowledge to undertake this demanding occupation. However, other necessary information for maintaining this vocation is rarely as complete. It has long been a source of my professional disappointment that career preparation has not been valued equally with core subjects in college or intensive high school programs. Often limited to job seminars, other select content focusing mostly on auditioning, r茅sum茅 writing, headshots, and production is spread across different courses. Identifying long-term aspirations, developing a progressive plan, financing and budgeting a show, or understanding the relationships between and impacts on related areas when making decisions are rarely covered.

Additionally, negative tropes and traps of 鈥淧ick me,鈥� 鈥淭ake any job you get,鈥� and 鈥淧ush through鈥� still haunt our studios and undermine thoughtful consideration. Aspiring dance artists already feel vulnerable in this rigorous field with limited prospects and income, especially under the current administration. This is a deeply challenging existence over a lifetime. Expanding the capacity to value oneself beyond theatrical skill promotes self-confidence, minimizes susceptibility to unwanted pressures, and makes one more adept at both identifying and initiating fitting opportunities.

Addressing the Issue

After a frustrating trial and error period in my post-college professional career, once a higher education instructor, I decided to develop Dance Career Preparation. This required three-credit course was refined with student input over ten years. With a philosophical perspective that centered the dancer first and skills second, the in-depth and layered syllabus combined self-awareness and interpersonal communication with planning, promotion, and production.

Start With Yourself

Beginning with introspection, students engage in a series of exercises designed to illuminate their personality, style, interests, preferences, and possibilities. Next is articulating their grandest vision. Initially intimidating: 鈥淚'll never be able to do that,鈥� I explain this is simply a way of honoring their dreams, and that we all start at the beginning.

A basic example that can apply to any genre:

Move to a major city where I train and perform with dance artists I admire, join a touring company, then return to my community, establish a studio, and bring in guest teachers and choreographers.

This provides the starting point for identifying progressive goals and developing a plan with the training, resources, benchmarks, and time frames necessary for achieving each milestone. Anticipatory fear of failure is transformed into guided direction. Like any journey, they will experience delays, detours, and unexpectedly rewarding side trips, but now they feel empowered to begin.

Paper and People

Learning to write and speak well in different contexts is a business necessity, but this can be challenging for young people who are engaged with a nonverbal art form. Biographies, resumes, cover letters, and statements, along with headshots and action photos, are created to reflect their intention. Following comes mock auditions, networking sessions, and interviews where learners play both roles for practice and to experience being an adjudicator, colleague, and potential employer. I emphasize in life it鈥檚 important to evaluate every situation objectively and remember that sometimes a No makes room for a better Yes. Feedback discussions focus on self-improvement and agency, minimizing comparisons, stressing professional behavior, and encouraging mutual support through community building and arts advocacy.

Five Guidelines

• Guideline 1 - Set An Intention
  • This determines the way forward (you can always change your mind!)
• Guideline 2 - Create, Don鈥檛 Imitate
  • Your individuality is your greatest asset
• Guideline 3 - Take Charge
  • Be proactive and not reactive
• Guideline 4 - Expect The Unexpected
  • Leave space for opportunities
• Guideline 5 - Know What鈥檚 Important to You
  • You can鈥檛 please everyone, so don鈥檛 even try

The Big Picture

The final section focuses on production, beyond technical theater to organization, deadlines, contracts, budgets, and how to prepare for creatively solving issues that will inevitably occur. During concert production, majors become assistant artistic directors to assess concerns and propose solutions.

To illustrate the importance of maintaining self-care alongside technical skills, I share stories of international successes alongside cautionary tales of disastrous consequences from the times I neglected to do so, reminding them that an injured dancer is an unemployed dancer. I also underscore the significance of my mentors and support system in keeping me on track at the times when I wanted to quit.

Decisions are difficult, so whether choosing a college program or weighing professional options, there are three overarching questions I use. I have added sub-questions for clarification:

1. What are your individual and artistic gifts?
   1. What is your personality type and temperament?
   2. What are your creative passions, interests, and strengths?
   3. What are your stylistic preferences?
2. What are your professional ambitions?
   1. What type of work do you want to do?
   2. With which populations?
   3. In what types of settings?
3. What are your personal considerations?
   1. Do you have other responsibilities or issues to factor into decision-making?
   2. What type of daily environment works best for you?
   3. What home structure and routines do you need to function optimally?

Resource

When the arts are under attack, dance is the first to suffer the effects. After the last program I directed was closed post-pandemic, I transformed this course content with personal stories into . This handbook is intended for use by educators in the classroom and as a reference for anyone undertaking new responsibilities in the field. Time is money, and dancers have precious few of both. Having the necessary tools available at any career stage to dance your best life is invaluable.

Janaea Rose Lyn (McAlee) is a dance artist, educator, and author. Her recent book, Choreographing Your Dance Career, was featured in Dance Teacher magazine in 2024 and is used in courses at several schools, including Hunter College. Janaea established associate degree programs in dance at Estrella Mountain Community College, AZ, and in the performing arts at Cecil College, MD. Conference presentations include 鈥淣o Audition Required! Reimagining the Student Dance Company Experience鈥� and 鈥淐ollaborating Across Disciplines: An Integrative Approach to Performing Arts Education.鈥� Journal articles include "Collaborative Dance Making: Philosophy and Practice" and "Choreographer/Composer Collaborations." Janaea has received awards from the Arizona Commission on the Arts and Maryland State Arts Council, and as artistic director of Convergence Dancers & Musicians her work was presented at venues including the Biennale of Contemporary Dance in Poland, Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland, St. Marks Church in NYC, Painted Bride in Philadelphia, PA and Dance Place in Washington D.C. A third-generation Isadora Duncan practitioner, Janaea is Chair of the digital Isadora Duncan Archive. She received her Master of Arts degree in Dance/Choreography from Vermont College of Norwich University while on scholarship at the Mary Anthony Dance Studio. Janaea鈥檚 subsequent mentor was Bessie Sch枚nberg. www.janaearoselyn.com.

-------------------------------------------------------------

麻豆视频直播 NDEO鈥檚 Dance Education Blog听

The 鈥淒ance Education鈥� blog is brought to you by The National Dance Education Organization (NDEO), a thriving non-profit membership organization that supports YOU as a dance educator! NDEO works with and for dance educators of all backgrounds and in every setting and genre. We work for equitable and accessible dance education for all through advocacy, research, and support for the dance educators who are making a difference for their students. As a membership organization, we rely on dance educators like YOU to join us in this important work! When you become a member of NDEO, you align yourself with our vision of dance education for all. We invite you to become a part of our vibrant community that offers support, resources, advocacy, and research you need to make a difference for yourself and make an impact on our field. Now more than ever, we need to come together to celebrate and share the dynamic, affirming, community-building, transformative power of dance. Join the movement - become a member of NDEO today!

Photo Credits: Featured image and dance photo by Linda Keyes; Headshot by Regina Felice

听