One of my friends on Instagram sent me this question, “Hey! Could you do me a favor? One of my students is a dancer who has lost her joy and love for it. She shared today that if she could, she’d ask a professional dancer how she stays motivated and continues to love dance. I thought of you… Do you have any advice I can share with her? Thanks a ton, beautiful soul! You’re an inspiration, always! 💖💖☺️”
I was inspired to share my answer publicly because I know a lot of dancers struggle with burnout.
Dance is such a unique profession because there is a ton of passion wrapped into the artistry and sport. I would assume your student loves dance because it is her passion, a way to express herself, a possible safe space, and something that makes her truly happy. At least that is how I feel about dance! I’ve been dancing since I was three years old. I danced in studios and on teams growing up, in high school, college, and professionally in the NBA. On top of that, I’ve choreographed for a living and now professionally coach an NFL dance team. Whenever I teach or take a dance class, moving my body to the beat of the music and pushing myself to go full out still makes me so unbelievably joyful. There’s seriously nothing like it. That joy I feel from dance will ALWAYS be there. That joy is mine to hold on to and experience. On top of that, dance has always been a constant in my life. No matter what is going on in my personal life, I know I can always rely on dance to be that constant.
I’m not sure what your dancer is going through, but in my personal experience, burnout comes from factors outside of the actual art form. It could be negative people or studios, the pressure of perfectionism or auditions, taking constructive criticism personally, or so much more. Here are a few things I try to remind myself when experiencing lack of motivation or feeling discouraged:
If it’s a negative studio, I check in with myself to make sure I am still okay with being in that type of environment. The team or studio could not be the best fit. I stepped away from dancing in a studio environment from my freshman year of high school to the end of my junior year because I didn’t think it was a good fit for me. During that time I chose to dance on the high school dance team and cheerleading team. I came back to the studio scene to dance on an all star team my senior year because I wanted to prepare myself properly for college dance team auditions.
If it’s the pressure of perfectionism or auditions, I remind myself, “I am worthy because I am.” I am not worthy because someone else says so or because I feel like I didn’t do my personal best at that moment. Part of being a professional dancer is accepting the “no’s” graciously and also learning to give yourself grace. The perspective shift is that every “no” is a chance for personal growth. Rejection is redirection. I didn’t make the Brooklyn Nets or 76ers because I was meant to dance for the Wizards and start a life in DC.
If it’s taking constructive criticism personally, I take this as an opportunity for personal growth. There is ALWAYS something to learn and take away from an experience or feedback. I am still consistently learning this in my new position as a coach. And of course, if it turns out that you are truly burnt out with dance, take a step away from it and return when it makes you happy again.
I loved this question! Thank you for allowing and trusting me to answer.