Finding the Perfect Side Hustle

Finding the Perfect Side Hustle

by | Feb 12, 2024 | Lifestyle

Dancers are no stranger to multitasking. From a young age, there is a constant balancing act between dancing and everything else; whether that be academics, work and/or family life. Those balancing skills are especially useful when it comes time to find a second job outside of dancing/performing, most widely known as a “side hustle.”

There are an array of options including but not limited to teaching dance, fitness, front desk work, arts admin, restaurant, retail, and more. Below are a few things to consider when looking for what might be considered the best fit for your side hustle.

Certifications

Some jobs will require specific certifications such as teaching pilates or being a personal trainer. Other positions you might already be qualified for without any additional schooling.

 

Looking Long Term

Interested in becoming a physical therapist? A PT aide position might allow you the chance to shadow a PT and see what the day to day life looks like. Want to open up your own dance studio? A part time job in arts administration might help you to develop a business skillset. Don’t stress too much about the future though. Sometimes a job has its place in the moment and is not connected to any long term goals.

Benefits

As a dancer, expenses can build up quickly. Between taking class, cross training, food, and PT it can add up. Perhaps working at the front desk of a gym is a good fit as it would allow you free access to use the facilities. Or maybe you are very committed to taking dance classes on a daily basis and want to work at the front desk of a studio. Buying local foods might be of value and therefore working at your local health food store gives you a discount on your weekly grocery bill. Take a look at where your expenses are coming from and then determine if you are able to gain employment through an establishment you already frequent.

Flexibility

It is important to work in an environment where there is an understanding that sometimes dance might take priority. A performance or audition could happen somewhat last minute and you need to call out of work. Working in an environment where there is some wiggle room in the schedule or you can easy find coverage for a shift makes a big difference.

Connection (or lack there of) to Dance

It is often an important question to consider whether or not you would like your side job(s) to be either related or unrelated to dance. For example, teaching dance or working for a dance non profit you will still be in the “dance world.” Working at a restaurant or a gym you will be removed from that world. Some dancers enjoy keeping their side jobs separate from dance to broaden perspectives while others are interested in staying close to dance and serving the community in ways beyond performing.

Some side hustles come and go while others might become a permanent part of your routine. You might even discover a new passion outside of dance. Aside from the role of supplemental income, side jobs also have the potential to expand our experiences beyond the studio and stage.

 

Fueling Well on a Budget

Fueling Well on a Budget

by | Feb 12, 2024 | Lifestyle

 

#1 Ingredient Prep:

I have never been the biggest fan of a full meal prep but having some ingredients already made can make a world of difference, especially on busy days. At the beginning of the week I like to prepare a 1-2 carbs (rice, quinoa, pasta, potatoes). 1-2 proteins (fish, chicken, or turkey), some roasted veggies, raw veggies for dipping, some cut up fruit, and a sweet treat. This variety easily allows me to assemble salads, grain bowls, snacks etc without feeling limited to one specific meal. Many ingredients can be used in a variety of ways.

 

#2 Dried and frozen fruit:

While fresh fruit is delicious and my personal favorite, frozen and dried fruits are perfect to layer in for a more economical option. Dried fruit is great to add on top of an oatmeal or yogurt bowl as well as making a trail mix medley. Likewise, frozen fruit can be used to make smoothies. A favorite of mine is adding frozen wild blueberries in my morning smoothie.

 

#3 Focus on plant based staples

Some of the cheapest foods also provide a whole host of nutrients. Pantry staples like lentils, black beans, rice, quinoa, oats, nuts, and seeds are fairly inexpensive and can be used as a base for many meals. For example, black beans and rice can be used for a burrito bowl (add some fun toppings like cheese, avocado, salsa), or rice and lentils can be paired with cucumber, tomato, and some dips. You can always add an additional protein source like ground turkey to a burrito bowl or grilled chicken to the rice and lentils to meet your protein needs!

 

#4 Be selective about grocery shopping:

As someone living in NYC Trader Joes and Whole Foods tend to be the best priced stores. The fruit stands also have some great produce. I try to be somewhat selective about where I buy each of my ingredients. For example, I will buy pantry staples like rice, beans, nuts, crackers, nut butters, and jams at Trader Joes because of the low prices. Certain fruits like papaya, melon, and mangos I often buy at the fruit stands because they are the cheapest. With a little bit of awareness, selectivity can help you save and continue to enjoy all your favorite items.

 

#5 Make your AM drinks at home:

I love meeting a friend for a coffee or sometimes working from a coffee shop but on a daily basis I typically make my own coffee or matcha at home. I bought a french press coffee maker for under $30 which is perfect for making hot coffee or cold brew. Matcha lattes can easily be made with some matcha powder, a baking whisk, and bowl! Making your morning beverage at home can save you large chunk of change while still enjoying your favorite morning drink.

 

 

 

 

Concern to Curious

Concern to Curious

by | Feb 9, 2024 | Lifestyle

I often remark that my type A nature is coursing through my veins. I grew up in a highly stressful academic environment and dance provided an outlet to escape the chaos. Throughout my younger years dance was something I did for fun. It was full of joy and healthy challenges I was eager to conquer. Moving to music was when I felt the most alive, when I felt a connection to something much larger than myself.

As things shifted in high school, my type A tendencies poured their way into my dancing. I became more concerned with not only how I looked physically but also how “good” my dancing was. Years later I am often questioning what I defined as good. I wanted to be “correct” and do things “right.” I was far more caught up in the product than the process. It became less about the experience of dance and more so about dancing for some end result tied to a sense of self worth and perfection. As I made my way through the latter part of high school and into college, this perfectionism mixed with a whole host of injuries and disordered eating seemed to exacerbate these ideals. I was continuously tied to everything that was wrong with my body, wrong with my dancing, and wrong with the career choices I had chosen to make thus far.

My first year upon graduating college I joined a trainee program. It was a welcoming and supportive environment and yet I entered this program in the same perfectionist mind-state. Then something shifted around year two of being “on my own,” no longer associated with an institution or program. I was taking open classes in NYC and I felt like the tiniest of fish in a huge pond. (Side note: many days I still feel like this, though the pond feels ever so slightly more manageable).

After a conversation with a coach, I started to get really curious about dance, a word I had never associated with my dancing before. Instead of going into the room looking to be the best dancer, or the thinnest, or the most flexible (all things I had at one point been so very consumed by), I started to explore how I could reconnect to the joy of movement. This shift in my mindset provided a much needed change in my dancing. When I had approached class striving to be the best, it actually stunted my potential for growth. I was boxed into these feelings of how I needed to perform a certain way.

Shifting my mindset brought me back to all the beautiful reasons why I choose dance in the first place. Why I fought through countless injuries and disordered eating to pursue something that I loved. When I approach my dancing now, I am in a continuous process of asking myself; how can I be generous with my movement? Where does the generosity in movement originate? How can I cultivate a dance practice that is rooted in moving for reasons that are abundant and joyful? This shift in approach to dance is not perfect. There are still plenty of days when I take class and find myself resorting back to my old thought patterns and ways of relating to movement. Other days though I feel much lighter and free in the studio, open and available to what is possible.