4 Pros on Their Nondance Off-Season Gigs
Being a performing artist is, in so many ways, a full-time endeavor, especially in a field as physically demanding as dance. But the vast majority of American companies don’t offer 52-week contracts. Dancers often have substantial layoffs throughout the year, including longer stretches during the summer. While staying in shape is a given, what else to do with the offseason is often less defined.
Some use summer breaks as opportunities to try jobs outside of dance. Whether driven by financial necessity or the desire for extra pocket money, dancers can gain experience that can help them grow as artists and people. “It’s really important for all dancers to know or try to find who they are when they’re not dancing,” says Atlanta Ballet’s Georgie Grace Butler, who’s worked as a server for the last two summers. Taking a pause and diving into another industry “allows for a little bit more space for that,” she says. It “helped me get to know myself.”
Feeding Tourists in Juneau
Fellow Atlanta Ballet dancer Carraig New gravitates back to his hometown of Juneau, Alaska, every summer to spend time with family and in nature. A few years ago, Butler began joining him. Last summer, New and Butler, who recently got engaged, worked together at a waterfront restaurant in Juneau that caters to tourists disembarking from cruise ships. “These restaurants get absolutely slammed” during the summer, says Butler, who’d previously worked in fine dining in Atlanta. The volume of foot traffic makes the gig lucrative, especially as staying with New’s parents saves them from paying a second rent.
Last summer’s job busing tables and running food was New’s first experience in a restaurant. “It’s nice to step away and get perspective” from the all-encompassing nature of a career in dance, he says. Butler adds that the mental reset from working different jobs and living amidst breathtaking natural beauty helps them return to Atlanta and the next ballet season as artists with “even more to give.”
Their advice: “Don’t be nervous about trying new things,” says New. “It can be intimidating to go into another field. But the reality is, you’re a lot more set up than you might think.” Draw on your ability to pick things up quickly and adapt to different settings, just as you would when learning choreography or going on tour. “Build who you are outside of the ballet studio,” says Butler. Let yourself ask, “What am I good at? What do I enjoy?”
Pet-Sitting, Producing, and Pitching In
Never one to sit still, Pacific Northwest Ballet soloist Leah Terada always has a few irons in the fire, especially during the summer. When she’s not teaching dance or taking occasional guesting gigs, she might be picking up pet-sitting jobs: Terada, who grew up on a farm just outside Dallas, says she’s taken care not only of dogs and cats but also ducks, and even a goat, getting gigs through word of mouth and the Rover app. Or she might be working the register at a friend’s cafe, Baskette, or preparing to produce and market an event as part of Seattle’s fall Art + Culture week.
“When I’m not dancing, I’m very interested in a lot of other people, and I’m interested in being in a lot of different spaces,” Terada says. “Asking ‘What else can I be inspired by?’ is revitalizing to me.” She also draws energy from taking care of pets, which offers companionship as well as reasons to get outside, and from meeting people, making them a sandwich, asking about their day, and really listening to their replies.
Her advice: “Plan your summer so it makes sense in context with your season,” in terms of both inspiration and rest. She tries to listen to her body; if she’s exhausted, lining up too many dance gigs might mean she doesn’t “get to recover and then build up again” before the next season.
“Different is good,” says Terada. “It’s also just a summer, so go try it, and if it doesn’t work, then that’s okay. You learned something.”
Starting a Baking Business
When Jordan Fry first left home to attend Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s graduate program, she’d decompress in the kitchen. “Baking was always kind of my stress release,” she says. Later, at Ballet West, she became known for bringing in treats, and when colleagues started getting married, they turned to her with cake requests.
What started as favors for friends turned into Ballerina Baker, a business she launched in 2017 and ramped into high gear every summer during Ballet West’s layoffs, which conveniently coincided with wedding season. With each cake, she was laying the groundwork for her next chapter; when she retired from dance in 2021, she turned to baking full-time.
“Looking back, it’s been such a gift,” she says. “It became the most perfect career transition for me.” But even if she hadn’t ended up pursuing this exact second act, she says, the experience gave her an invaluable sense of confidence she could’ve carried into any number of careers.
Her advice: “It’s easy to get caught up in roles and casting,” but “it’s good for dancers to get outside of your bubble,” she says. “Start looking at yourself and recognizing your gifts and your talents, as well as the things that ballet has taught you, and how those might be able to translate into something else.”
“As dancers, we know that our career is not going to last forever,” says Fry. So “shift your mindset to focus on ‘How can I use this time to my benefit?’ ”
