Most of you know that I went to College for Dance. What some might now know is that my experience there was very difficult. The performing arts in general are very competitive, and that is no different in school. The Dance Majors at my school worked incredibly hard, we were required to audition for repertory company every semester so that students and faculty could use you to create choreography and you got experience being in rehearsal and performing. Each student would be in 3 pieces that met for 2 hours a week for practice each, on top of the requirements of being a full time student. I auditioned every semester, for four years, I was cast as an understudy six times, I made the full company once somewhere in Sophomore year.
The apprentice was required to be at every rehearsal as well as know every dancer’s part in each piece. I auditioned for other things too, theatre, other dance related gigs, and did not make them. By the time my last audition came around in my last semester of my Senior year, I decided not to go. I figured at this point in my college career that I had tried my best and it just was not going to work out. I started thinking about other jobs that I could do, personal trainer, group exercise instructor, go into campus recreation, or sell insurance if I had to (Can you imagine me selling insurance??).
Cut to graduation, I moved to Wisconsin and began beginner pole at Aerial Dance because I had always wanted to do pole but didn’t have a facility near me. I was so happy to still be dancing outside of school even if I wasn’t making a living at my passion. I tell you all this story because as you know, after three short years in Wisconsin I became an instructor, then a manager, and then a part owner at Aerial Dance. Do not give up on yourself or your passion, even when you think it’s not working.