The Space Between Seasons

 

I am 45 years old, and I am often told that I still dance with a level of quality close to what I had in my twenties and thirties. People call it unusual. Some call it a gift.

But I don’t believe it is luck.

 

I believe it is continuity.

 

Throughout my career, I rarely stopped. Even during weeks off, I found ways to perform, to rehearse, to stay connected to my body and to my craft. Without fully realizing it at the time, I was protecting something essential: the continuity between mind and body that defines a dancer.

 

Because one of the greatest challenges in a dancer’s life is not performing—it is restarting.

 

In most professional companies in the US, dancers have long lay-offs—six, seven weeks at a time — and fragmented schedules—short bursts of work followed by frequent breaks. Three weeks of intense activity, then a sudden stop.

 

In those periods, the body loses strength, flexibility, and dynamic responsiveness. After just two weeks, the decline begins. But equally important, the mind begins to drift. Focus softens. The connection to the craft fades.

 

Every return to the studio means going from 0 to 100% at full speed. New choreography, demanding rehearsals, guest coaches, pressure to deliver from the very first day. There is no space to rebuild. No time to listen to the body as it wakes up again.

 

And that is where injuries are born.

 

The body never finds stability. The mind never settles into sustained focus. This constant interruption increases the risk of injury and disorientation.

 

And behind all of this, there is another pressure we rarely speak about: survival.

 

During these breaks, dancers face financial uncertainty. 

​

—

Get Ready to Learn More Soon

​