From Corps de Ballet to Corpse-of-the-Day! A dancer looks career transition in the face.
by Joy Held
After twenty-one years in the corps de ballet, Bryan Cunningham's new goal is to become the "corpse-of-the-day"- he'd like a television acting job in other words, for a show like "Law and Order." But how does a dancer with twenty-one years of training and professional work make the transition to another realm? And why would he leave one of the few dance jobs in America with security and benefits? Are there many realistic options for dancers when they "want a change?" What's left for a dancer to give following years and years of the physical demands and emotional
strain that accompanies a serious career? How does a dancer know
when it's time to make the move to something else?
These questions swirl around in a dancer's mind when they make the choice to move on after a life in dance. All along parents and friends question the rationale of career without a foundation or a regular pay check. Society looks at dancers as one dimensional and as people who intentionally hold a narrow view point on the world. But dancers know something else. Of all the arts, dance offers the most variety to its followers. A unique versatility is built into a dancer's education often without them knowing or feeling it. And dancers never stop training. They may stop performing but their minds and bodies are hooked on learning which makes them the infamous "quick study" appreciated by every industry in the world. If it could be boiled down to one concept, dancers learn at an early age that they must take care of themselves. A sense of self-reliance is fostered in dancers that allow them the security of knowing when it's the right time to make a new choice. The freelance nature of touring and teaching trains dancers to make it happen and believe that it will. Because dancers are forever challenging themselves physically and emotionally, their intellectual abilities are strengthened as well. This
helps a dancer jump gracefully
and easily into new worlds full of growth for themselves.
Bryan started dancing at age 7 and went from high school into a professional performing career. His history is like that of most dancers who bounce from company to company and from one guest artist stint to another. On the recommendation of two teachers, he auditioned and won a steady role in Donn Arden's "Jubilee!" in Las Vegas. Calling himself a "Las Vegas Showboy," Bryan performed twelve shows a week, received a regular paycheck and health benefits but very little time off because it was awarded by seniority. "One thing's for sure," comments Bryan, "They take care of their dancers in Vegas." But at age 28 Bryan feels that it's time to move on and try something different in the entertainment world. Why? One simple word: dignity. "I don't want to be asked to retire. I refuse to look bad. And after so many shows over and over, the drive is gone. I recently watched a video of myself in the eighth grade dancing in "Romeo and Juliet." I looked better then than I feel like I look now!" (Writer's note: I've just seen Bryan dance and he's underestimating his stage work. He can turn the purest, cleanest triple pirouette on the smallest stage I've ever seen. His technique isn't suffering.)
A dancer's self-image can undergo a lot of stress in the course of a average career. The constant strain of winning or losing auditions, contracts, and bank balances weakens even the strongest of personalities. Many dancers emerge from a brilliant career feeling beaten down by the dance process itself. At first they imagine they can't do anything but dance and don't have any idea what it takes to be something else. Bryan, on the other hand, sees the new journey in a realistic light.
"I have absolutely no regrets! I know that things happen when they're supposed to. Of course I have fears. Where will my next check come from? Can I pay my bills? Did I make the right decision? My biggest fear is not knowing if I will achieve all the things I want out of life. It doesn't bother me to have to be a normal person because I never have been a normal person. It's always been one dance job after another."
Why now? Age 28 is early to leave dance, especially for a male. "After seeing so many close friends of mine who were older have such a hard time letting go, I decided to come to terms with the inevitable sooner than later. I would also rather leave during my prime than have people feel sorry for me because I don't know when it's time to go. I strongly believe that the older you are the harder the transition is going to be."
Sooner or later all dancers face the decision Bryan is embracing now. A strong support network of friends, co-workers, and his mother keep Bryan centered. His company manager in Las Vegas, Fluff LeCoque put it all into blunt perspective when he asked her about making a move. "I understand, Bryan. No one can dance forever."
Dancers are smart, pragmatic people who learn to make do with whatever they have wherever they land. Above all, dancers are brave. Without bravery, a dancer would never push the proverbial envelope and discover the next level of success. Dancers in transition like Bryan are proof of the depth of soul a dancer develops as they trust their way through the world believing that everything will work out for the best as it should and always has.