I dance freelance for various choreographers. I also teach at two dance studios and instruct figure skaters in off-ice dance and conditioning.
I went to York University for a bachelor of fine arts with a specialty in dance and completed a dance science certificate. In addition to offering studio work, the school is very academic-based, and I took specialized courses on dance kinesiology, prevention of dance injuries, motor learning and control for dancers.
In high school I was in a competitive dance studio. Initially I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I was considering physiotherapy, so I applied to three universities for kinesiology. Dance at York was my fourth choice. Looking at acceptances, I thought, “You know what? I love to dance. It makes me happy, and I don’t want to stop yet.” So I enrolled at York. Also, my degree had a science base so I could go into a physiotherapy program later if I decided to take that route.
At York, we studied history, dance ethnography and education. We could become dance educators, dance administrators, choreographers, dancers or dance scientists. We all came in as dancers, but we all branched off into something we could make a career out of.
It’s a physically demanding profession, but most dancers are multi-faceted, so there is always an ebb and flow to what we’re doing. Dance is more fulfilling than a joe job, but we all need a backup plan to sustain a career, because due to funding issues we’re not always well compensated.
The faculty at York were huge mentors. All of them had worked as dancers and choreographers and had a lot to share about their experiences and the dexterity and integrity it takes to be a dancer. They instilled a proactive attitude and the belief that a career as a dancer was achievable. They prepared us to be individuals.
As in any arts program, you have to deal with criticism. The faculty knew how to give feedback in a way that assisted the dancer. Sometimes they were harder on certain people because they found that’s how they needed to learn. We had small classes where we could really interact with our professors. They could approach the dancers as individuals and understood what our goals were.
York provided a lot of opportunities to perform and choreograph – the York Dance Ensemble is like a mock dance company. We trained in the morning, then had academics and rehearsed in the evening. It really prepared us for a busy life. We worked with choreographers from within and outside the school, so I made a lot of contacts.
We also had a multidisciplinary program where we collaborated with live musicians from the music program to teach us about working with artists in other fields. Often you have to learn how to work with someone you’ve never met before in a really short period of time.
The best experiences I have are working with new people, building up my network and developing a shared trust and understanding so we can create something great, both for us and the audience. I love the creation process in dance. You work with such a broad group of people and are always learning, always inspired and growing as an artist.
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