Freelancing in the Desert – Being A Dance Artist in 2023

In collaboration with Maxine Flasher-Duzgunes, we conducted research and interviews to put together this piece discussing the realities of working in the dance field at the precarious time of reconstructing post-COVID.

Here is an excerpt with a link to the full article on Dance Art Journal:

“It’s been three years since the dance world went on indefinite hiatus during the Covid-19 Pandemic, a time of fear and uncertainty but also of innovation and resilience. Returning to studios and theatres with various precautions, we tried to get back to normal and pick up where we left off. Some fortunate performers had jobs to return to and others received support being newly welcomed into the field, but there were many artists unable to regain the momentum that was lost in the great pause. These artists were emerging before and are still trying to emerge, but some might wonder if their break will ever come again and if they’ll be able to forge the careers they were looking for.

To get a better understanding of the current state of dance, we created a survey that was completed by 15 dancers, choreographers, and teaching artists between the ages of 25 and 44 working across the US, UK, EU, and Australia. Over half of the artists polled claimed they were not satisfied with their career progression. We also interviewed Tony Award winning producer and dance consultant, Fran Kirmser, whose course Making Dance Your Business helps dancers transition to professional life post-covid and understand the nuances of working in the arts in a capitalist playing field. From these sources, we’ve identified various obstacles facing artists of today and want to start a conversation that may help us better understand our new reality and perhaps find some solutions (or at the very least some hope).”