REALITY CHECK

Apr 30, 2018 in Uncategorized

It’s time for a reality check: ZEIT ONLINE talked to me about my finances for their column Kontoauszug (German for bank statement). If you were wondering what made me choose this career … it was very obviously not for financial reasons.

Building a career as a freelancer takes guts and a lot of persistence. But to anticipate a common question from people outside the dance world: yes, this IS my real job. It is not an easy one, and I’d argue that more often than not it isn’t properly understood or valued. Not even within our own community. A dancer’s salary is ridiculously low. And there’s not a lot of room to negotiate. The budget is what it is. You can’t “dance harder” and make more money if you’re at the top of the game already.

And yet I’m super lucky that I have the possibility to work within a field that I love, that I’m surrounded by people that inspire me, and that I have the chance to travel and constantly discover new ways of living, working, being. I’d love to be able to spend more money on good food, beautiful clothes or exciting travels. No question about it. But I would make the same choice again if I’d need to.

Anyway, head over to ZEIT ONLINE for the hard facts (German only)  →