Are we human or are we dancers?
Before I get fully started again with Module 2 of the BAPP course, I've had something on my mind for a little while which I wish to blog about. It affects my experience of the course quite strongly and I'd love to hear if anyone else can relate.
In my current job one of our roles is to host visiting bands and I've discovered that (no matter how poor the rendition) the song 'Human' by The Killers always brings a lump to my throat. Every time I hear it I can't help but consider the question in the main line of the chorus- are we human or are we dancers? With my current schedule including 50+ hours of work not including extra rehearsals and time spent choreographing, while also living in my place of work it can be extremely difficult to have my own life outside of work. I generally feel that I'm only a dancer as a result, struggling to keep up with my human side. I'd like to think through some reasons that many of us feel this way, and query how we might be able to find balance between the two.
Quite often I think it is expected of performers to eat, sleep and breathe their art form with only career focused life goals in mind. This can lead to feeling excluded if you're not an entirely career driven person, however it isn't that simple in the theatre world. Since most people take up performing arts as a hobby we are expected to enjoy it just as much as a full time job, so many forget that we still need down time and a social life outside of work. In a regular 9-5 it can be difficult to switch off at the end of the day however when you start your day at 10am and end it at 1am most days whilst also living on-site it is next to impossible. I'm sure job satisfaction rates for performers must be high or we wouldn't put ourselves through the long hours, however even when you're enjoying your job it ultimately is still a job.
Returning to think of how career focused goals are expected to be the main focus for many performers, it can be very confusing having goals that are more focused on your private life eg. being happy, learning, getting married or starting a family. As someone who is excited for all of those things, sometimes more so than career goals, I often consider whether I'm not destined for dance since it doesn't come first every single time. Then again, I'd always rather put myself and my happiness first and if that means I'm not a serious dancer in some people's eyes then so be it. I would love to pursue both my dancing career and my own life goals at the same time however that can be difficult in such a demanding career. I'm striving to find a balance between the two and I will keep updating this blog if I make any progress!
I'm sure this blog seems a bit like a rant but it is definitely something I want to look into more seriously, not just in relation to my own experiences but also as an industry wide issue that I'm certain affects many performers. Work life balance is becoming more prioritised in many fields, so hopefully soon performing arts will follow suit. Feel free to comment if you can relate on any of the things I've mentioned, or if you have any advice!
Hi Rebecca, At the 'meet the tutors' call recently, I found it really inspiring to hear about the jobs/roles that they have all had and how their practice has taken many forms. There is not a single 'dancer' job, but lots of permutations. I think it's really healthy to think about how you can keep a balance. You don't want burnout or to fall out of love with your creative art. Keep open to other ways of enjoying it and maybe push on a few new doors, it seems the industry is very broad and it doesn't have to be human or dancer, but can be both.
ReplyDeleteHi Rebecca, This question comes to me a lot as well. I also wrote a blog post on it way before starting this course. I've come to the conclusion that I don't necessarily need to define myself as one or the other, as Sally has mentioned above. I think finding a healthy balance and interlinking the two worlds can benefit them both and that is really dependant on the day. Some days I want to dedicate myself more to dance, and on another day I need to focus on other important life things as you mentioned, and it doesn't mean that we can't be happy, learn new things and gain those things from both sides of our life. As you mentioned being a dancer requires a lot more input than a lot of other careers but when we've experienced more as a human we can use those things to build ourselves as a dancer, like bringing more real life experiences and emotions into a character. I think we start with the idea that if we put everything in our career then we will be more successful and looked upon as more dedicated, but to what extent does that put strain on our mental health and compromise on other important aspects of our lives. Check out my blog "human or dancer?" to see what things came to my mind :)
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