a Blogpost by Sam Quinn

Question to Sam... How does balance serve you in your life as a college dance major?

Balance: the main focus of a dancer. Whether literal or figurative, that one simple word can relate to multiple aspects of a dancers life. The life of a college dancer is one that is not always the easiest or most laid back. When applying to colleges my senior year of high school, my peers were constantly saying, “Dude, you’re so lucky you can just dance for your major. That’s so easy! I wish I could.” Oh, little do they know what it truly entails. Academics, dance related academics, rehearsals, shows, injuries, etc. The life of a college dancer is not your typical day at the beach. Lets take a look into my weekly schedule, shall we? Good.

Monday/Wednesday/Friday: Ballet 400 9:00am-10:20am

                                          Modern 400 11am – 12:20pm

                                          Jazz 300 12:30pm – 1:50pm

                                          Careers in Dance 2:00pm – 3:15pm

                                          Various Rehearsals 3:30pm – 8:00pm

Tuesday/Thursday: Academic 1: 8:00am-9:15am

                                          Starbucks break: about 9:30am -10:30am

                                          (depending on how fast I walk)

                                          Dreadful Science Academic: 11:00am – 12:15pm

                                          Facebook, Eat my feelings, and more Facebook: 12:30-3:15pm

                                          Choreography class: 330pm-5:20pm

                                          Collapse in bed: 530pm – forever

                                          Gym if I’m feeling ambitious (this is always a long shot)

This is just a rough sketch of a typical day in a dance major’s life here at the University of Arizona. Again, the key word is balance. Without it we would fall apart, struggle to make it through the rigorous days, or even injure ourselves.  Balancing technique classes and general education academics is quite the task in itself. Dancers are used to juggling multiple things going on in their life and having to find time/energy in their life to fulfill all their duties and complete all their work on time. One-way to survive all of this: Coffee and lots of it. I swear by it. Without balance, we would become overwhelmed and weighed down with pressure and stress.

Yes, everyone thinks that being a dance major is all fun and games but it has been one of the most stressful times of my life. As graduation stands merely just a year ahead of me, the question comes to mind: What are you going to post graduation? How can a dance degree help you? Has my time here at the University been worth it? Balancing all these through running through my head for the past 2 years has been tiring and thought provoking. Do I want to go to Los Angeles or New York City? Sign with a Talent Agency or just cross my fingers as I dive into the brutal world of auditioning? The stressful life of a dancer comes along with harsh realities and having to fend for yourself on the artistic food chain of life. Rejection is, and always will be, a dancers best friend. Again, it’s all about balance.

 

Sitting here writing this entry, I have had a different outlook on my life as a dancer. I have been blessed with amazing opportunities to work with brilliant choreographers from the dance industry. I have made ever-lasting friendships and relationships, as corny as it sounds. I have learned so much about myself living across the country, seeing as I’m originally from Massachusetts, and have learned so much about the real world and success. Was my time spent as a dance major here at the University of Arizona worth? You betcha it was. And it was all thanks to balance.