Hi Everyone, Sophie here!
I’m the new marketing assistant here at Motionhouse, on a placement year from The University of Surrey. As Justine is off on her amazing travels in Australia I’m taking the marketing reins for a whole month!
Being a dance student means it’s extremely interesting for me to talk to the dancers to learn about their experiences in the professional dance world.
I took some time to speak to Moho dancer, Ally, who agreed to talk to me (and you guys as well of course!) about what it’s like to be a professional dancer off contract and all the different jobs you find yourself doing!
Hope you enjoy,
Soph xx
Every so often we (the dancers) have some time off from Motionhouse, free to pursue other ventures and activities. At the moment I am enjoying the rest (allowing the body some necessary recovery time) as soon it will be full steam ahead again in
Ally flying high during a performance of Cascade
the run up to the return of Scattered rehearsals.
When I was first presented with the idea of a break from work I admit it was daunting. I had never freelanced before and had some apprehensions about the whole thing. Where would my income come from? How would I keep fit? These were just some of the questions on my mind.
It wasn’t until I got into the whole thing that these concerns eased. Now having done it all once last year I feel more comfortable with it and in fact it seems laughable that I had been so worried about it all in the first place! Don’t tell me worrying doesn’t do any good, the things I worry about never happen!
Not only have my fears ceased to materialise, it’s been quite the opposite in fact. Opportunities I would not have foreseen have presented themselves that make me really keen to have breaks to enable such development.
Right now I am taking a train to Birmingham to teach at DanceXchange where a relationship has been established enabling me to teach there in my free time. I really enjoy teaching which is a relief as it forms a large part of what I do in these break times. It is even something I hope to continue as a post performance career, so to be gaining so much experience now is invaluable.
Alongside education many other opportunities present themselves when you are prepared to receive them. After all, coincidence favours the prepared and luck favours the hard working!
I’ll be doing some ballroom dancing for a BBC period drama, choreographing for a circus company in Belgium and learning all about DIY and construction over the break. They are exciting and diverse jobs that really interest me and provide valid
Ally in costume for a BBC Period Drama
extensions to my original training. These give me a source of income, one that’s somewhat unexpected but such a blessing because I am being paid to do what I love, a rarity for so many and something for which I am forever grateful. Of course all this takes effort and preparation, a large part of which is usually provided for us when working for Motionhouse. I have become very accustomed to negotiating terms on contracts and booking travel and accommodation which with Motionhouse is all done for us.
I guess the breaks ultimately allow us the chance to develop other styles and interests avoiding the danger of becoming complacent and bored which again could be so devastating for a company. The development we make outside of contracts is brought back to the studio when we re-congregate. It informs each other’s practice, therefore imbuing the next company’s creation with new ideas and styles bringing breadth and freshness to an ongoing body of work.
The lifestyle doesn’t change much. I still feel like I live out of a suitcase most of the time and rarely get to catch up with family and friends but when I do it makes it extra special.
I hope you have all had a bit of a break over the holiday season because I tell you it is very important to have some time away every now and then to reflect and grow and ultimately gain from it all.
Ally
