Being a dance major is anything but fun and games, students say; weeks are filled with hard work and sacrifice, all going into a career path filled with heartache.
But what is it really like to be one of these students?
Dance major Taylor Augustine’s week consists of classes from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., rehearsal from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with more dancing from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays. Somewhere in there she has to cram in a job and homework.
Augustine is one student who is taking precaution by working on her second major: integrated physiology. She said if her dream of joining a contemporary dance troupe doesn’t come to pass, she’ll have her fallback of being a physical therapist.
“Your body won’t last forever, and plus there is always financial worry,” said 20-year-old Augustine.
It was initially concern from her parents after several injuries that nudged Augustine to look into alternative career paths.
Bryce Alexander, a 20-year-old senior theatre major, said he knows the realities of the performing arts world. After being promoted to the supporting role of Ernst Ludwig in CU’s production of “Cabaret” only two weeks before the show opened, he attested to the hardships.
“When I’m cast in a show, I disappear,” Alexander said. “It takes a toll on your social life.”
But to be successful in entertainment, every performer must devote a majority of their time to their craft, they say.
Recruitment coordinator for the music school, Fred Peterbark, said students can’t predict when their chance is going to come.
“You never know who’s in the audience; you have to do your best every time,” Peterbark said.
Performing arts majors always need to be on their toes and also need be prepared to contend against their fellow classmates for roles. Most college students don’t have to experience the intensity of competition before they step into the real world. But for performers, it’s a part of everyday life.
“You’re competing against people even before the first day of class,” Alexander said. “There’s a tremendous amount of pressure.”
Being in the entertainment industry can be stressful. Peterbark said he encourages students to broaden their options, and come to the realization that music could take a backseat to their main career.
“Music might not be your 9 to 5 [day], it might be your 7 to 10 [day],” Peterbark said.
Peterbark himself is an example of this. During the day he works at CU’s music school, while in his off-time he performs in vocal concerts around the country.
Money, stability, high levels of critiques, rejection, long hours, competition, talent level and failure — after considering the long list of reasons not to pursue this path, the same justification always follows.
“But I love it—it’s my incredible passion,” said Alexander, who said he developed an enthusiasm for theater after being cast in his 4th grade production of “Tom Sawyer.”
The training students receive at CU can give them a false sense of hope, students say. Many haven’t felt rejection in the protective bubble of always getting cast in university shows, but eventually they will have to face the harshness of the “real world.”
Sarah Gilbert, a 22-year-old senior music major, is a singer who said she hopes to one day perform an opera. Gilbert said she is more worried than other students, which is why she is also pursuing a degree in economics.
“You never know if it’ll work, but at this point I feel like I’m young and should go for it now,” Gilbert said. “And if it doesn’t work, I’ll figure out something later, rather than regret not trying.”
But not everyone is fearful. There’s always the glimmer of a future that will fulfill all their wildest dreams.
Alexander said he’s nervous because he knows it’ll be tough, but that doesn’t mean he’s giving up.
“If you think you’re going to fail, then you’re going to fail as soon as you ‘hope’ you’re done,” Alexander said. “I think I will be successful at anything I put my mind to… at least I hope I’m right.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Amanda Moutinho at Amanda.moutinho@colorado.edu.
2 comments
I’m glad to see someone looking into this subject. However, the article seemed to be more about the generic difficulties of performing arts rather than dance majors specifically. You only have ONE dance major’s testimony, and you don’t mention the really hard-hitting implications of a dance degree (eg: 3+ hr classes worth 1 credit, limited rehearsal space in one of the oldest buildings on campus, lack of even the most basic medical/physical therapy that the football team gets…etc) nor do you delve into the truly unique aspects of CU’s program (eg: instructors like Gabe Masson and Rennie Harris, and live music accompaniment by Jesse Mano, and Fara Tolno and his West African drum ensemble).
Good on you, though, for researching the subject of the performing arts. I would wager that most people are oblivious to the hard work that goes into a degree in a performing art. If you ever tackle a story like this in the future, make sure to go further in depth! But that’s what CUI is all about – honing your skills :)
this writer has absolutely no idea how much heartache and trauma dance majors go through. we are an under represented community on this campus even though we’ve done more than our bit to promote diversity, interaction, and civic consciousness. i wish the writer had also interviewed MFA students, the BA’s and the BFA’s, and even dance minors to get a more accurate picture. i understand the limitations and deadlines as i myself have written for CUI before but…this article was simply misleading. and i expected more.
we have such a diverse dance department – an incredible amount of double majors/minors (dance&astronomy, dance & math, dance & journalism, dance & advertising, dance & engineering, dance & premed/pre law), many over qualified grad students/professional dancers over the years, complete amateurs/late dance bloomers who are now majoring in dance, and outstanding professors like Erika Randall who is also a filmmaker and Michelle Ellsworth, a interdisciplinary artist whose works have received rave reviews in NYT. we have regularly sold out concerts at the charlotte irey theatre, do dance outreach around colorado schools, and our graduates have gotten into many prestigious local and national dance companies – dance new amsterdam, frequent flyers, hannah kahn, cleo parker, etc.
please do your research on the dance department if you want to write about them; this article didn’t even mention the student dance concerts that the students themselves organize and put up every year. It’s not a dance article really it’s more of a general one and I for one am offended because I believe that the dance department deserves far more recognition than this.