When I was in college, people asked me ALL THE TIME what I was going to do with my dance degree. Sometimes they were truly curious and supportive of my major choice, but more often than not their question came off as patronizing.

Well, the short answer to that question was work as a professional dancer (which I did!). But the long answer is that even if my career as a ballerina hadn’t panned out, dance training gave me SO MANY transferable skills that have served me in virtually any career path I have gone down.

From Dancer to Educator to Administrator to School Director and now Entrepreneur, I owe much of my success to the skills I learned in the dance classroom. I may not use my knowledge of past repertoire or how to count Stravinsky in my every day life these days…but the skills I developed that allowed me to flourish in these areas have given me success in the business realm.

Chances are you will find yourself in a career outside of performing one of these days. Whether it’s still in the dance realm or not, here are three lessons dance taught me that I use every day as I grow my business:

Hindsight is 20/20, and we don’t have the luxury of knowing what the future will bring when making decisions about our dance career. Fortunately, we have the next best thing - professional dancers who have gone before us and are generous in sharing their wisdom and experience! I am so grateful to these five women for taking the time to give us a little insight into what they wish they knew before starting their dance career in the hopes that it will make your path a little smoother. Enjoy!

You’ve probably heard that being detail-oriented is an essential skill for high level dancers. But what exactly does that mean and how can you cultivate attention to detail in your dancing?

Simply put, a detail-oriented dancer pays close attention to all of the little things. Every step is meticulously planned out - there are no “throw away” moments. This type of dancer understands that just as there are no small roles in a performance, there are no small steps in choreography - they are all equally important in their own way.

For some dancers, this type of precision comes naturally. But even if attention to detail isn’t an innate quality, it is one you can develop. Here’s some insight into how detail-oriented dancers approach the learning process and how you can incorporate it into your own dancing.

Five simple actions you can take this week to move your dance career forward in 2022. They’re not big or overwhelming - just a few small steps to keep you moving forward, whatever the coming year has in store.

As ballet dancers, our feet allow us to do so many amazing things. We take for granted the fact that we are literally balancing our entire body weight on the tips of our toes. Like, what?! Incredible!

After all your feet do for you, they deserve some pampering. I know you’re busy - that’s why I’ve gathered my favorite ways to show your feet some love in 30 minutes (or less!). Schedule time to show your tootsies a little extra love this week with these five tips.

I was dancing in the ensemble of my first Broadway show when I heard the phrase. “Everyone is replaceable.” It struck me like the bolt of projected lightning on the upstage scrim. I’m not special.

Decades later, I realize this is a lie.

At the time, though, I mentally chewed on this piece of information as I finished my pin curls and headed to the wig room. It’s true. If I broke my leg, they could just hire someone else, teach them the show, and nobody would know the difference. What a defeating thought. But, I told myself, it’s still true.

Now, I have a very different opinion on the idea that everyone is replaceable. My opinion is rooted in fact, it’s backed up by my master’s degree in business, and it definitely wasn’t uttered by a jealous, hungry, rage-filled aging chorine.

Here’s what I believe to be the truth: Yes, everyone can be replaced in their position. But everyone is not replaceable.

As soon as you realize those $80 pointe shoes are only going to last a few months (or weeks depending on your training schedule), you’re bound to start asking: “Can I make my pointe shoes last longer?”

To a certain extent, yes!

Here are three tips to help you squeeze just a little more life out of each pair:

Between all the Nutcracker rehearsals and holiday parties, who has time to shop for gifts?

No worries…I’ve got you covered! I’ve rounded up nine of my favorite gifts perfect for the dancer in your life!

The decision to attend college for dance is incredibly individualized, and not necessarily right for every dancer. For dancers training pre-professionally, it’s common to forgo college and head straight to a professional career. Some dancers decide to pursue a degree in a completely different field while dancing professionally. But for many, a college dance degree can serve as an essential stepping stone on the way to your career goals.

When people think of a college dance degree, they’re most likely picturing a performance track (that’s all I knew about when I was in high school!). But did you know there are multiple concentrations you can focus on, depending on your career goals? Today, we’re going to break down four of the most common!

I think any dancer who has retired from the stage can resonate with the feeling of loss that comes with leaving behind your former life, and with that your community. For any dancer currently going through this, here are three resources I highly recommend to help ease the transition:

There are some etiquette tips we learn early on: Arrive to class on time. No chewing gum. Wear proper dress code. Today, I’m going to share with you 5 dance class etiquette rules that you might not know about yet.