<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/18/arts/dance/18dancer.html?ref=arts%5B/url%5D">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/18/arts/dance/18dancer.html?ref=arts</a></p>
<p>What a great read! It's the story of a 21-y/o freelance ballerina eking out a living in Manhattan. If you read it, I suggest also clicking on the multi-media slide show, which consists of several snippets of an interview and pictures from Taylor's exceptionally busy life.</p>
<p>She's already got her BA (Marymount Manhattan in communications) and master's (Pace - publishing). Interesting that she chose not to major in dance. She's been making a living at it (albeit a small one) for 5 years. This kid has a great heart - I hope she finds some measure of career stability. Though she seems perfectly happy, even thriving. Maybe artists really don't need the same kind of security non-artists do.</p>
<p>I do sometimes wonder what dance majors envision for their futures. Students in top BFA programs know that their skills will make them competitive as professionals. Students who major in dance at less well-known programs, without a pre-professional curriculum, might go on to successful careers (and I hope they do). Their lives will probably be much like Taylor's.</p>
<p>Thanks for posting Frazzled1. I enjoyed reading it. I didn’t know people made a living doing piece work in dance.</p>
<p>Thanks for the article. It’s an eye opener for many kids in BFA programmes who perhaps weren’t aware that this will be their reality. There are so few contract spots in the coveted big name companies which come available every year, that this will be the way most dancers will be making their living. Ms Gordon is perhaps the norm, rather than the exception in this case, albeit a passionate and dedicated and persistent example of a true performer.</p>
<p>This young woman is fortunate to have been able to get two degrees while dancing: many aren’t able to do that, either for financial reasons, or because it is just too hard taking so many classes while simultaneously taking class, auditioning, rehearsing and performing.</p>
<p>Our daughter tried the professional life when she would have been a senior in high school. She left school, got her GED, and danced with a small company (in one of their fundraisers,she also had to do ballet with a huge bear suit; that was the price to pay for the company to be able to hire good choreographers, rent a venue, etc.).</p>
<p>Most dancers in our city live the way this article describes, dancing in 3 or 4 small companies and occasionally doing their own work (both ballet and modern).</p>
<p>Anyway, our daughter decided to stop dancing for awhile after that year, and explore some other areas of herself, other interests, hang out with friends, and get her bearings. I’m actually glad she did this at 18. She may go back to dance, but it will be on different terms and for different reasons.</p>
<p>This article can be inspiring, but it is also sort of cautionary.</p>