Hello wonderful dancing people,

Welcome to the professional world! If you’ve gotten this far, you’ve already worked hard, and shown passion and determination as an artist. Congratulations!

You are the next artistic generation. We need you!

A little about me & my experience: I’m Annie Hanauer, I work in contemporary dance mostly as a performer, and I also make choreographies and facilitate different sorts of dancing sessions. I grew up in the USA, where I studied dance and got my undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota in my home state. I moved to London in 2008 when I got a job here. I thought I would stay for an 18 month contract but 12 years and a UK passport later, I seem to still be here. I began my work life in Europe as a dancer with Candoco Dance Company, and in 2014 I went freelance, like many freelancers I now work all over the place. One thing I’m proud of is the fact that I’m still here.

I was dancing as long as I can remember, in the living room and in the local studio in the small town where I grew up, but I never thought I would make a life as a professional.  Growing up, I never, ever saw anyone on stage who shared my physicality. I wear a prosthetic arm, and I identify as disabled. So although in hindsight my pathway to the professional world looks quite straightforward, I had access to what we could call mainstream dance training and many amazing teachers, there was always quite a bit of internal struggle going on. In order to commit to my pathway of study, I had to come to terms with the fact that there may not be a place for me in the professional world, not because of any lack of skill as an artist, but because maybe no one was willing to accept me as I am.

I never could have anticipated that now, after years of work, one of the greatest joys (and there are many joys) of my life in dance are all the people I’ve met who I resonate with strongly, and who have profoundly shaped my life. I hope that over your course of study you have found your people, and if you haven’t yet, they are out there!

Some thoughts I might offer my younger self entering the professional world, which might resonate with you (take what you like and ignore the rest):

 When working for others: ethical working practices are just as important as being artistically inspired by the project.

Get involved with unions. Learn about negotiating fees and conditions (this is ongoing work for me personally). There is strength in numbers & it is possible to ask for what we want.

For everyone, and particularly those with disabilities: own your skills. It’s hard to be great at everything, so figure out your power, your personal vocabulary as an artist and work it. Own your training, your pathway in the dance world, your physicality, how you function, how you think, your perspective. Own your movement.  No one can be you but you.

Be active in proposing what you want to do, in the studio, in the industry. You don’t need to wait for an invitation. The advantage of the digital world is that it’s now easier than ever to create & share your own work in a really professional way. 

In the dance world we all deal with rejection on micro and macro levels, applications and auditions take a lot of work and it takes time to bounce back from things that don’t work out. Remember that even people who seem super successful and famous have been rejected loads and loads of times. Learn to take care of yourself and support each other when you’re feeling drained. We are a creative & resilient bunch, but we all require support & care.  No one can do it alone. 

Connect with other artists as a community. Supporting each other is totally powerful and can save you (it saves me in difficult moments). Resist the effect of funding structures in the cultural world which pit us against each other to compete for scraps. We can build grassroots structures of our own (like Understory).

Figure out what you need to put in place to support yourself, financially, emotionally, artistically, spiritually. What else needs to happen in your life to support your creative work? Don’t judge whatever work needs to happen to pay the bills. Dancing can be the guiding light in your life if you want.

Dancing may take different shapes in your life, all of them are valid. You can take a break from dance and come back. You may find that nurturing your other passions will also feed your dancing. Everything is connected. You don’t have to be tied to dance if it’s no longer right for you. 

Lately these are some ideas which keep me going:

Keep connecting to whatever brings you joy. This will probably be different at different times.

Keep connecting to the passion that got you here in the first place. It can be a powerful sustaining force.

Respect your own boundaries.

Take a break when you need to.

Kindness and ambition can coexist.

Keep going.

I hope that in 2020 and beyond we retain the sense of care, connection and advocacy which has emerged in many communities during the pandemic, and that structures in the dance world which don’t serve us can be transformed to support voices which have been under-heard. The world is a turbulent place right now, but I really believe in artists, and in people coming together. In turbulent times it also feels possible to imagine the kind of future we want, and to push for it.

I’m excited to meet all of you and for you to be part of creating whatever comes next.

Wishing you all the dances you desire, and that you enjoy the ride.