The Life of a Freelance Dancer

nytimes.com

4 points·wallflower··3 comments

One of my friends from high school is a freelance dancer in SF. I'm amazing by what those girls are capable of. It takes so much determination to keep going.

Most girls can't make a living on dancing itself, so they have to have to find side jobs. Since there's almost no monetary incentive, they do it mainly for the love of the craft.

It's physically demanding because they're often in the studio for the entire day, and they have to be careful to avoid injury. It's emotionally demanding because they have to put themselves in the abstract mindset of choreographers and directors, who they may not agree with.

These girls are fearless. I'd compare it with being a software consultant, but without the pay and flexibility.

That's awesome. I like your point about how they are flexible in mind (dealing with directors/choreographers).

Part of me is jealous of their life - and in a way I get so much more satisfaction out of building an IPhone app for a non-profit (for free, pro-bono) than some paid work.

In general, I think my freelancer friends (some artists) are better off in a changing economy because they're not scared of being fired, quitting their job, or being rejected... because they've been through so many gigs they are immune to those very common fears.

I hope that you get opportunities to see your friends perform. Showing up is important.

Saw that article, found it interesting. A hard living.

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