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54. See & Be Seen: Creating Pathways from High School to College Dance
176 Plays2 months ago
In this episode, I am joined by Anne Bak Marine and Lindsay Chirio-Humenay from Eisenhower Dance Detroit to discuss their transformative event, See & Be Seen. This two-day collegiate dance experience connects high school dancers with college dance programs, helping them navigate the often overwhelming path from high school to higher education in dance.
Anne and Lindsay share how the program has evolved from a small in-studio event to a statewide (and growing!) hub for dance college recruitment, complete with auditions, classes, workshops, and expert-led panels for both students and their families. They also reflect on their personal journeys through college dance programs in Michigan, and how those experiences inform their current work.
What We Cover:
β¨ The origins and evolution of See & Be Seen
π How the event bridges high school dancers with college programs
π§ Health, wellness & mental health support for dancers
π Parent "nugget" sessions covering FAFSA, housing, campus life & more
π‘ Advice for dancers on how to get the most out of the event
π¬ Reflections on what success means in a dance career
π The skills and confidence college dance programs build both on and off the stage
Learn more about the event:
REGISTER FOR SEEN & BE SEEN: www.eisenhowerdance.org/beseen
EISENHOWER DANCE DETROIT WEBSITE: www.eisenhowerdance.org
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/eisenhowerdancedetroit
Links and Resources:
Get your copy of The Intentional Career Handbook
Get 20% off your first order of ALOHA protein bars: https://aloha.com/BRAINYBALLERINA
1-1 Career Mentoring: book your complimentary career call
Letβs connect!
My WEBSITE: thebrainyballerina.com
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/thebrainyballerina
Questions/comments? Email me at caitlin@thebrainyballerina.com
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Transcript
Unexpected Opportunities at Events
00:00:00
Speaker
By coming to this event, you may go in and say to yourself, I am only interested in the University of Michigan. And if I can't go to the University of Michigan, my life is over.
00:00:12
Speaker
But when you attend this event, you are going to be exposed to so much more than just that. Very easily, you may be swayed.
00:00:23
Speaker
You may hear something from one of the representatives that, totally changes your mind or puts a program on your radar that you never considered.
00:00:35
Speaker
I'm Kaitlyn, a former professional ballerina turned dance educator and career mentor. And this is the Brand New Ballerina podcast. I am here for the aspiring professional ballerina who wants to learn what it really takes to build a smart and sustainable career in the dance industry. I'm peeling back the curtain of professional dance world with open and honest conversations about the realities of becoming a professional dancer. Come along to gain the knowledge and inspiration you need to succeed in a dance career on your terms.
Introduction to Brand New Ballerina Podcast
00:01:09
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Brainy Ballerina Podcast. I'm your host, Caitlin Sloan, and I am joined today by Lindsay Chirio-Humanae and Anne Bach-Marine to talk all about Eisenhower Dance Ensemble's annual event,
00:01:23
Speaker
see and be seen which is a collegiate dance table talk and audition but before we get into the events could you each just give me a quick recap of your dance background and tell you about your current role at Eisenhower Dance Ensemble ah Sure. ah Thanks for having us, Caitlin.
00:01:41
Speaker
So I began as a dancer in the company very long time ago. The company was founded in 1991 by artistic director Lori Eisenhower, hence the name. And I danced with the company for about 10 years, but was always interested in the administrative side of how a dance company operates.
00:02:01
Speaker
So early on, had kind of pestered Lori as to whether there were some opportunities for me in the office. And I began as her administrative assistant, moved into you know managing tours for the company, became the founding director for our school that we opened in 1995.
00:02:22
Speaker
And then moved into other roles, director of operations. Took a little bit of a break from the organization when my children were little. And when Lori retired and Stephanie Pizzo took over the company, who was a colleague of mine, we danced together back in the olden days, as we describe it. She took over as artistic
Developing Off-Stage Skills and Success Stories
00:02:44
Speaker
director. The name changed to Eisenhower Dance Detroit.
00:02:48
Speaker
And then she reached out and said, hey, you know, our executive director had to relocate to another state. Are you interested in coming back? And it was kind of the right time. So I've been executive director for the company since 2018.
00:03:02
Speaker
twenty eighteen Amazing. And thank you for correcting me. Eisenhower, yes, historic, because I grew up actually in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and grew up seeing Eisenhower's performances, went to the summer intensive. And so that's a hard habit to break.
00:03:17
Speaker
Oh, absolutely. And, you know, and it was precipitated by the change in artistic leadership, you know, but we wanted to hand out to the Eisenhower name because, you know, legacy matters. Yeah, absolutely. And Lindsay, can you share about your dance background?
00:03:29
Speaker
Yeah, of course. So I grew up in Michigan and dancing and doing gymnastics. I was a competitive gymnast and dancer for many years.
00:03:40
Speaker
And post high school, I decided to pursue a career in dance. Graduated from Oakland University. And Eisenhower had a really or has a really unique partnership with Oakland University, where every season we have a student apprentice from Oakland.
00:03:59
Speaker
So during my senior year at OU, I was selected as the student apprentice for the company. And i had the unique experience of getting to perform for my very first time with the company at Spring to Dance in St. Louis before officially starting in the company as an apprentice, then continued dancing with the company through finishing out my fifth year of school. It took me a little bit longer to get everything done while I was apprenticing. Had a really special graduation because I had to miss graduation to go on tour with the company.
00:04:39
Speaker
So the company did a really special graduation for me while we were on the road. And then in 2017, I had a hip injury and ended up needing surgery. And rather than taking a step out away from the organization, Stephanie and Lori thought that I could handle some administrative work. And so they were like, let's keep you busy while you are healing from this surgery. And I was like, okay, you know, I don't really know what to expect. I had never really had any thought into arts administration.
00:05:13
Speaker
And they presented this opportunity and i jumped in with two feet and didn't look back. I continued dancing once I healed from my surgery, but at that point they offered me um the position of company manager And now I'm the director of operations. So I officially retired from the company, not by my own decision, but COVID made that decision for me in 2020. And now I have three beautiful babies and it's been ah an amazing experience. And I love, you know, the team that I work with.
00:05:44
Speaker
If I could just give Lindsay the props that she deserves, because... You know, she is the glue that binds our organization together as director of operations.
00:05:55
Speaker
And one of the things that Stephanie and I were particularly focused on making happen when we took over leadership together of the company was we named this initiative, the Beyond the Stage Initiative. We wanted to give the dancers in the company the opportunity to develop skills off the stage that they could then either utilize when they're done performing with our own organization or with another organization. And Lindsay is one of those major success stories.
00:06:22
Speaker
That's amazing. I love that. Let's
Connecting High School and College Dance Programs
00:06:24
Speaker
transition into talking about the See and Be Seen program. So can you share a little bit about what this program is and what inspired the creation of the program? Maybe I can start with the initial development of it. And then Lindsay kind of took it and ran with it and made it something even bigger and better It developed out of a conversation that I had with the chair of one of the dance departments here at university in Michigan. And we were talking about how disconnected the universities were to the high school
00:07:01
Speaker
dance ecosystem, that, you know, recruitment was not easy. Also talking about, you know, how higher ed, even before COVID, things were changing, budgets were tightening in arts programs. And she was talking about how it was especially crucial for them to be able to connect and reach these high school dancers who might be interested in pursuing a college career.
00:07:29
Speaker
dance program. So that got the wheels turning and we thought, well, maybe we can invite into our space a representative from each of the colleges in the state of Michigan that have a dance program and host a table talk and just kind of Q&A, talk about dance careers, how each of those college representatives got to where they were sitting in that room today and giving an opportunity for the students and the parents to ask questions.
00:07:58
Speaker
That was pre-COVID. And then when COVID hit, we took the whole thing online and had some wonderful conversations and representatives talking about careers in dance and pathways to get there.
00:08:12
Speaker
And then post-COVID, we wanted to expand the program. It keeps getting bigger, but the primary focus is for Eisenhower Dance Detroit to be that bridge, that connector between the high school dancer and dancer family and higher ed.
00:08:32
Speaker
So I'll let Lindsey take over from here because it's really expanded to something extremely exciting and highly attended. Yeah, definitely highly attended. we have very high expectations for what this event is going to bring in October. As Anne mentioned, that first in-person experience that we were able to offer, we were in our Birmingham space and we had two studios in one location and then you had to go outside and you had to walk to two other studios in the other location.
00:09:06
Speaker
the We made it work. We got great feedback. People were so pleased with the outcome, but really all we offered was the opportunity for the students to take one or two classes from the college representatives and then have the opportunity to audition and then visit all of the college booths and ask questions.
00:09:29
Speaker
And the next year we were officially in our new beautiful 10,000 square foot facility. And we were like, all right, we have the capacity to do so much more with this.
00:09:43
Speaker
So not only did we increase the number of students that we were able to bring into this, but we were also very interested in how we could offer both the parents and the students this really lovely, all-encompassing experience where they were going to get just a little more background information so that especially the parents weren't going into this going, well, my kid wants to dance, but what are they going to do with that? they really have a career there?
00:10:15
Speaker
How long can they dance? What do they do after that? So we were able to really open their eyes to what existed And over the years, we've continued to build on that. So now we have not only that careers and dance panel discussion, but we have a health and wellness panel discussion where we bring in professionals.
00:10:37
Speaker
Yeah. So we've got one of our board members is an orthopedic doctor with a specialty in athletics and dance, sits on a number of national dance boards. We do a session with him We also have a clinical psychologist who comes in to talk about mental health. We also have another wellness practitioner who, you know, alternative wellness therapies that our students can incorporate into their routine so that they can stay mentally focused and sharp
00:11:13
Speaker
and happy, and also physically keeping their instrument tuned.
Comprehensive Event Offerings for Dancers and Parents
00:11:17
Speaker
One of my favorite additions two years ago to this was our elevator pitch session.
00:11:25
Speaker
And this is where each of the college representatives has two minutes to share what makes their program stand out from the rest. And it is really interesting because as I have discovered, and these are all colleagues that I've known for years, but it even gave me a greater insight into really each of these programs is different whether it's you know this program has a study abroad component or this program incorporates commercial dance or this program is more focused on getting the dancers their education certifications that they can go and teach in the high schools or this program is is heavy into the triple threat dancer jazz ballet and contemporary so not only was it interesting for me but of course it helped the students and the parents
00:12:13
Speaker
And then having the college and career fair kind of exhibit hall, so to speak, it then gives the families an opportunity to speak directly with representatives, get all the information that they need in a one-stop shop.
00:12:25
Speaker
And the feedback that we got when we started out, we didn't really expect to anyone from outside of Metro Detroit to really take advantage of the event. But we had people coming from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Fort Wayne, Indiana, and last year out in New Jersey. And so people are starting to hear about it.
00:12:45
Speaker
And the fact that instead of taking a dozen different trips to different college campuses, they can go to one place. figure out which colleges they're really interested in based on what that program does and then kind of hone their research or hone in on, you know, a handful.
00:13:05
Speaker
Yeah. And then this year we're adding three additions to our panel discussions and workshops. So we're doing a workshop on what you need to know about the FAFSA.
00:13:16
Speaker
So applying for that financial aid and how we can assist the parents kind of through that process or the students, because a lot of the times the parents maybe don't have the capacity to do that. So now it's being put into their students' lab.
00:13:31
Speaker
We're also doing a injury prevention workshop with Dr. Stephen Karaginas, our board member. And then we are partnering with the Ballet Scout.
00:13:42
Speaker
And so Robert Fulton, one of the co-founders, is going to be doing a workshop on success and best practices for the audition process. So that is another exciting addition. Anna and I spent quite a bit of time yesterday, you know, very thoughtfully trying to massage and lay out this schedule so that there is just a really beautiful flow through the two days. And that's the other part of the expansion. It used to only be a one-day event, and now we have expanded it to be a two-day event.
00:14:14
Speaker
And we're bringing in universities from outside of Michigan, which is very exciting. I think this is amazing. I feel like as a young dance dancer, I would have loved this kind of events.
00:14:24
Speaker
It's hard. Even if you're looking at universities in Michigan, there's so many options. And just traveling around, it's expensive. It's time consuming. Dancers are already so busy. It's a great event.
00:14:36
Speaker
Let's quickly pause this episode so I can share with you one of my favorite snacks that I have been loving lately. As a busy dancer, educator, and mom, I am always looking for a snack that I can throw into my dance bag that will be quick, convenient, and provide lasting energy.
00:14:55
Speaker
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00:15:09
Speaker
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00:15:23
Speaker
And the best news is you can get 20% off your first order with code BRAINYBALLERINA. Head to the show notes and click the link to try Aloha Protein Bars for yourself today. Can you share what ways you think your events might differ from other collegiate dance events out there?
00:15:40
Speaker
Well, I think one of the things that sets ours apart is just the panel discussions and the different workshops that we're providing. So the students get an opportunity to take class. You know, each of the college reps is is teaching a class. They do get the audition experience like they do, you know, in other similar programs, placement audition. But I think the...
00:16:02
Speaker
approach for ours is to try to provide information education to the entire family. So it's the dancer, but it's also those parents, particularly parents of, you know, a first time potentially collegiate dancer who are going, oh my gosh, I don't understand this ecosystem.
00:16:22
Speaker
I don't know this territory that they're diving into. All I know are the, you know, things that cause me concern. And so I've noticed, you know, in the panel discussion, the careers in dance panel discussion that I've participated in over the years, that the parents leave with a lighter expression on their face than when they walk into that session. Because I think the artists that we have on the panel do a really good job of explaining that, you know, there's no price tag that can be placed on passionately loving what you do.
00:17:02
Speaker
Of course, we want every artist to be compensated and paid for what they're
Job Security for Dancers in the Age of AI
00:17:07
Speaker
worth. That goes without saying, but to be able to wake up every morning and look forward to your day and look forward to the other artists that you're working with and the work that you're creating,
00:17:20
Speaker
I mean, that's that's incredibly valuable. And so that we talk about the definition of success. And a lot of parents, and I know mine included, tied success to financial compensation. But success and happiness go hand in hand and are defined differently by each individual.
00:17:44
Speaker
And I think the parents really started to understand when they see the passion of the artists on the panel that, you know what? We've done it. We're here. We're earning paychecks doing what we know and love. And we really enjoy getting to work in the morning. Yeah, I think there is this conception that as a dancer, you'll always be a starving artist. And for a parent, obviously, you want your kids...
00:18:09
Speaker
to be comfortable. You don't want them to be struggling all the time. And so to see working artists and realize, oh, this is a legitimate career path that my kid could actually do. It's not just a pipe dream. Like this is a real thing.
00:18:23
Speaker
That's huge for a parent. Oh, absolutely. i have two kids in college right now. So I completely understand the cares, the concerns that the the parents have. and But we're also not the only field, I guess, you know career path that parents could have reservations about. you know We talk about the fact, especially last year in particular in the panel discussion on careers, that you know AI is changing the landscape of what work means and redefining jobs and entire industries of work.
00:18:58
Speaker
And one thing we know for sure is that the dancer is never going to be replaced on stage by ai You need a human body on stage in order to accomplish the work.
00:19:12
Speaker
You know, now, AI might be integrated in innovative and interesting ways, but you still need the
Event Overview and Interaction Opportunities
00:19:18
Speaker
dancer. So there's job security in the AI age. Yes. Can you describe the typical experience for a student who is attending the event? What should they expect when they arrive the first day, when they walk in the door?
00:19:30
Speaker
i would assume that's a Lindsay question for sure, the logistical magician over here. Like I said, Anne and I spent a lot of time really massaging this schedule.
00:19:41
Speaker
On that Saturday, the dancers will arrive with their families. They will get checked in. They'll get assigned a number that will live with them through the next two days. They'll keep that number on. then we immediately kick off the entire event with that elevator pitch so that each of the universities is able to give a ah little bit of background on who they are, what they offer,
00:20:06
Speaker
And while the parents and students are sitting and listening, they're able to go, all right, these are the places that I really have that interest in talking to, you know, visiting the booth, going to take class with this person and kind of thing.
00:20:20
Speaker
And then we jump into classes. So we have a 45-minute class that they'll go into. The dancers will be split into separate studios we have four beautiful spaces then We'll
00:20:35
Speaker
to go into their audition process and in the meantime the opposite group is going to be with their families in careers in dance panel discussion and then the boos will stay open for the rest of the day and we'll have a health and wellness workshop we'll have a few more classes offered throughout the evening.
00:20:55
Speaker
And then on Sunday, dancers arrive in the morning. They start out with the parents attending that FAFSA workshop or the students if they want to, and going to that success and best practices workshop call because that one will be over Zoom.
00:21:13
Speaker
And then we take a short break. They have some more classes that they can go into And during classes, now we have a parent nugget session, which is what we're calling it for now.
00:21:25
Speaker
And it's just little pieces of helpful information for these parents to ease their minds through this process. And then we set up for that second group to do their audition and we flip-flop. So whoever is doing the audition, the opposite group will be listening to that careers and dance panel discussion.
00:21:42
Speaker
We are also considering potentially hosting a mock audition session for any students that are younger than that senior age, because we are very focused on those dancers that are going to be graduating this upcoming year, but we don't want to completely close off the opportunity to younger students.
00:22:02
Speaker
And we finish up the day with some classes and our injury prevention workshop. If I could just jump in and share a little bit more about the parent nugget, because this is a piece that I particularly like, where we share with parents why their dancer should take certain things into consideration. They and their dancer should take certain things into consideration.
00:22:21
Speaker
as they embark on the college experience. So what is the campus culture like? You know, as a dancer, you're going to be in rehearsal for hours on end. Your experience is going to look different than a traditional academic major.
00:22:38
Speaker
How are you going to navigate that? Do you want to attend a school where the social aspect is a really big component of campus life. And are you going to feel left out if you can't ah attend every event that your friends are attending who are not dancers? We talk about housing, you know, and selecting roommates and we talk about dining plans and, you know, making sure that when you go to the colleges, you check out the dining hall and you have a meal there and you talk about your body as your instrument as a dancer.
00:23:14
Speaker
And so the choices that you make regarding the college that you're going to go to, there's other things to take into consideration besides just what's going on inside the dance department. So I enjoy the parent nugget conversations.
00:23:27
Speaker
Let's pause this episode so I can tell you about one of my favorite resources for dancers, Ballet Help Desk. If you've been loving the Brainy Ballerina podcast, you'll want to add the Ballet Help Desk pod to your list.
00:23:41
Speaker
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00:24:06
Speaker
Another one of my favorite resources from Ballet Help Desk is their reviews. Head to their website for over 1,400 reviews on summer intensives and year-round training programs.
00:24:18
Speaker
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00:24:32
Speaker
Yeah, and one thing that I think is really cool about this conversation right now is that all three of us received college dance degrees from different universities in Michigan. i went to Grand Valley, and I know you went to Western, and Lindsay, you were at Oakland, so I'd love to hear more about your own personal experiences in a college dance program and how you think that that prepared you for a professional career.
00:24:54
Speaker
you want to start, Lindsay? Sure. I mean, I think I did have a ah unique experience in that β The professors that I was working with at Oakland, Lori Eisenhower, founding artistic director of the company.
00:25:11
Speaker
Stephanie Pizzo at the time was the assistant artistic director. Those are the people that were teaching me. I had Greg Patterson, who was a founding member of the company. I had Christina Tasco, who danced with the company and is now our finance manager, has served in many other roles. Mary Devitt, who was in the company at the time teaching me, i had just a lot of influence by Eisenhower to like prepare me to move into that professional career in Eisenhower.
00:25:44
Speaker
So I think having that tie to the university was really special and not something that I even... acknowledged or understood going in as a freshman.
00:25:56
Speaker
I really had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I wish I would have attended an event similar to this, like you said, Caitlin. It would have just given me so much more insight into what to expect.
00:26:09
Speaker
But my experience at Oakland, I am a homebody, so like that was kind of the perfect balance for me. It was not a campus That at the time, it has evolved quite a bit now, but at the time, it was not like ah everybody stays around for the weekend and goes out.
00:26:28
Speaker
Pretty much everybody by Friday was packing up and going home because it was a commuter school, even if you lived on campus for a good majority of us. So I was still able to like have that comfort of being close to home.
00:26:44
Speaker
And then, like I said, it was so unique being trained by the company that I then moved into. So my pathway, my family was the epitome of the family who needed CNBC. and Maybe that's why it evolved to something that would have really served me well back in the day.
00:27:06
Speaker
i was the oldest of four kids. My parents were just embarking on the whole college experience for the first time. I was fortunate to get a full ride academic scholarship to Western.
00:27:19
Speaker
And so that's where I ended up because for my family, it was a matter of you're going to go where the money is. We had no idea.
00:27:30
Speaker
whatsoever about anything related to receiving a BFA in dance. I think my dad in particular was shocked that there were even dance programs at colleges and universities, let alone understanding the nuanced differences between any of those programs.
00:27:48
Speaker
So by divine intervention, i ended up at Western, which it was a phenomenal experience for me. I mean, I just felt at home in that dance department.
00:28:01
Speaker
I loved the campus. You know, at that time i was living in a small Northern Michigan community and so felt like Kalamazoo was moving to the big city.
00:28:11
Speaker
and the campus was large, but the dance department felt intimate and small. and very connected. i felt like the faculty were very invested with the students.
00:28:23
Speaker
I had tremendously wonderful experiences, performance experiences, and guest artists that I was able to work with there. And yeah I'm just grateful that that's where I ended up because it was the only place that was on my radar because of the scholarship that I was offered. But I really can't say enough good things about the experience that I had there.
00:28:44
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, all the things you talked about earlier with the parent nuggets, a lot of that went into my decision to attend Grand Valley because I went to the audition. I loved the class. I love that it was really, at the time, it was a very strong ballet program. I think it's since shifted to be a more well-rounded program. Not that it wasn't well-rounded at the time, but it was like very ballet-based when I started. And I really liked that. And I didn't want to leave the state.
00:29:11
Speaker
You know, I wanted to stay in Michigan, so I thought that was a great fit. And I had a unique experience there because I was in college for three years. I graduated in three years. And in that time, I had three different department heads.
00:29:23
Speaker
Every single year I was there, it changed, which was very wild, just happened to be. That was my timeline. And I started with... Jefferson Baum, who was ballet from New York City Ballet.
00:29:34
Speaker
And then my second year, ah director was more gram-based, but also jazz. And then Lisa Gutret-Bellrose. And then the next year, we had a new director, Shanti Bible, who was very modern, more like um release technique sort of modern, not as even like structured as more of a gram basis. So like my training completely changed. At the time, I remember thinking, oh I'm a little bit frustrated that I came here for more about ballet base and it's really shifted. But then going into my career, i ended up falling in love with Contemporary Ballet and dancing in the Contemporary Ballet Company for seven years and realized that
00:30:12
Speaker
oh, if I hadn't had that, I don't think I would have been prepared for this pathway that I fell in love with. So it all kind of worked out like how it maybe was supposed to at the time as a younger dancer.
00:30:24
Speaker
I couldn't really see that. But also like just going to campus, I loved the campus. I stepped foot there and was like, this is a gorgeous campus. I love the dorms. I love the dining hall. I love the performing arts center. Like all of it just felt at home for me. And I think that's something for dancers, like you said, with the parent nuggets to take into consideration is like, you are spending most of your time in the studios, but you're also going to have a life outside. So what is the campus life like? Like, could you see yourself in that environment
College Education Benefits and Networking
00:30:55
Speaker
as well? Because you have to have those other things so you don't get burnt out, you know?
00:31:00
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. And then the college piece just in general you know, as opposed to going into an apprentice training program with a professional company right out of high school, everyone chooses the path that makes the most sense for them.
00:31:15
Speaker
But, you know, for us, we wanted to provide an opportunity for those families and those students who felt that receiving that college degree was important for them long term.
00:31:27
Speaker
There's a whole host of skills that you develop going through any college program that will serve you well through life. and and And dancers, we know about discipline. We know about collaboration. We know a lot of those soft skills, so to speak, that we developed through our training as dancers helps us to be successful in college. But then college adds a whole nother layer of skills that allow you to then be even more successful in your dance career.
00:31:58
Speaker
For Lindsay and i we're probably a good example of being able to leverage that college education and those skills to be functioning in administrative capacity with the dance company. Yeah.
00:32:12
Speaker
Could you share what has been the most rewarding parts of directing this program for you personally? What have you really gotten out of it? Yeah. I mean, for me personally, i as an mentioned, like the look on the students and the parents faces when they come in and they're like deer in the headlights.
00:32:34
Speaker
And then by the end of the day, when they're leaving and just like the pure relaxation and joy that you can sense in them or excitement, like that buzz that ends up just kind of hovering in the space at the end of the day.
00:32:51
Speaker
Like that really is to me what it's all about. And obviously I enjoy As director of operations, but also just as like part of our mission and personality, like I love feedback because I want to do better.
00:33:08
Speaker
That our mission and our goal is I want to listen to what you say and i want to do everything in our power to make it the best possible experience overall.
00:33:22
Speaker
What did we miss? What can we include that is going to make your experience that much better? Or what is something that maybe you found not as valuable? And maybe it's something that needs to just kind of be eliminated from the program, not only from the perspective of the parents and the students, but also from the perspective of the programs that we're bringing in.
00:33:45
Speaker
We have made significant adjustments over the years listening to that feedback. And it's always exciting the following year when they return and they're like, wow, this part of it went so much better.
00:34:00
Speaker
Or wow, this really got my years turning. And I think it would be great if we could also do this. So for me, I think that is the most rewarding part of it.
00:34:12
Speaker
I enjoy ah constant improvement. Yeah, I would say two things. One, particularly because I'm currently a parent of college students and I enjoy being able to answer the parents' questions, maybe put them at ease a little bit and let them know that their child's going to be okay.
00:34:32
Speaker
You know, even if they start out as a dance major and shift to mechanical engineering. They're going to be OK and that the parent themselves will be okay At the end of the day, they're going to land where they need to be and they're going to flourish because of the people that they are.
00:34:52
Speaker
You know that these parents have raised good human beings who are capable. We're there just to provide the information to help them get from point A to point B. But I had a parent reach out to me just a few weeks ago.
00:35:05
Speaker
who attended our event last year. And so the student is currently a freshman at Michigan dance program, Michigan University dance program.
00:35:19
Speaker
And she said, i want to share this with you because this is what my daughter just created. And her daughter created as a dancer, a documentary about the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles in dance companies, especially considering that women are the majority in the dance ecosystem.
00:35:40
Speaker
And I went, wow, you know, that's the kind of feedback that makes us sit back and go, okay, she's making a mark. She's a freshman in college and she's already making a mark.
00:35:52
Speaker
She created this documentary. Of course, there's a lot of dancing in the documentary as well. It lives on YouTube. Anyone can go and see it. Those are the things that we didn't, I don't think anyone recognized that she had that drive and that capacity to create something that remarkable right out of the gate. you know Hearing that was fantastic.
00:36:18
Speaker
And she did a good job with the documentary too. That's amazing. I think that is one thing that I see for dancers graduating from college is that it really helps you hone that critical thinking muscle that you don't always get if you don't go through the college dance program. Obviously, there's so many different pathways. Everyone finds their own pathway, but that is one thing that your college program is really going to help get you thinking in a more critical way and having those conversations and doing those kinds of projects that you might not do in like a training program or something like that.
00:36:50
Speaker
So I think for a lot of dancers, like you said, if you're thinking β beyond even your dancing years and where you might see yourself beyond the stage if you want to stay within this industry, those are skills that you're going to pick up in a college dance program. Yep, absolutely. and I mean, case in point, look at what you're doing today. Dancers are creative people and we're creative problem solvers and it's ingrained in our beings.
00:37:18
Speaker
When we're done dancing, there's still a lot of opportunity within I keep referring to the dance ecosystem, but you know there's a lot that can be done even after we're finished on the stage. And I think that's what the parents need to hear because they see these you know short windows of time for their their son or daughter to be performing. And then they go, okay, what next?
00:37:44
Speaker
And we're there to tell them there's a lot of opportunity for what next can be. Yeah, and you're not going to know when you're starting out what it's going to be. I never would have thought that I would have been an entrepreneur or started a podcast or any of these things that I've done now. And if you had told me that 15 years ago when I was graduating college, I would have probably laughed because β I hate public speaking, or I used to. at the time, I hated it. Now I love it. But like there's all these things that you evolve as a person. And so I feel like when you're looking at a young person graduating high school and your're you're barely an adult, you know you're just starting out. And so there's so much you can do. And what you're doing is so important, like you said, to give everyone just that peace of mind that like it's going to be OK. This is a viable path.
00:38:32
Speaker
And let's just let's just explore it together in a nice environment where we're giving you the tools you need to explore it effectively. Right. Because not everyone gets the opportunity to follow their dream.
00:38:45
Speaker
And if we can help someone start that journey, that's the reason why we're here. And everyone pivots at different times in their lives. Very few of us can be Martha Graham dancing into our eighty s But giving the families that sense of it's okay to follow the dream. You're not going to end up in a cardboard box living on a street corner. you know Yep. Last question I have. I would love to hear what advice you would give to a dancer who's considering attending this event.
00:39:17
Speaker
How can they get the most out of it? How can they be the most successful? if they come to see and be seen. In general, by coming to this event, you may go in and say to yourself, I am only interested in the University of Michigan.
00:39:32
Speaker
And if I can't go to the University of Michigan, my life is over. But when you attend this event, you are going to be exposed to so much more than just that.
00:39:44
Speaker
Very easily, you may be swayed. You may hear something from one of the representatives, that totally changes your mind or puts a program on your radar that you never considered.
00:39:57
Speaker
Just by being at the event, it's also just a beautiful and unique networking and connecting opportunity between the dancers, between the families, because they're all going through the exact same thing, and between the students and the families and the universities to have that. There's nothing stronger than having that face-to-face connection of meeting someone and just starting to build that relationship.
00:40:26
Speaker
Even if it's a two-minute conversation stopping at a booth, that is a conversation and a memory and is going to assist you in future networking.
00:40:38
Speaker
It might be 10 years down the road, you know you're applying for a job and maybe the person that you spoke to at the booth is the same person that is now interviewing you. You never know. So building those connections, I think, is it's going to happen organically just by being in the room.
00:40:54
Speaker
I love that. and I love that you said that analogy of you know like you think this is the school this or bust. And i see I say this to the dancers all the time because you can get so stuck in that idea of this is what I have to do or else I fail.
00:41:07
Speaker
You know, if answer is like, I really want to dance for this company. I'm like, well what do you like about that company? Like, do you like the size? Do you like the rep? do you like the location? Like, what is it? Because I guarantee you there's 10 other companies that you would also like that have similar vibes, you know? So having that openness of like, and being able to think critically again about What is it you really like about University of Michigan? Is it because it's the most prestigious in your mind or is it because of these things that it can offer and where else could you find that?
00:41:37
Speaker
And having one place to go and figure that out is huge.
Event Registration and Podcast Subscription Encouragement
00:41:41
Speaker
It's huge. Well, and I think we try to do the heavy lifting for the students so that they don't have to really become prepared at all other than their personal dance skill set.
00:41:53
Speaker
We guide them through the audition process, the meeting, the reps. There's not a lot of pre-work that has to be done. They just have to show up and they're going to leave with a ton of information. Amazing. Okay, so give us the details. If a dancer wants to come to the events, what are the dates? How can they register? all of the nitty gritty.
00:42:12
Speaker
Yeah, so we will be launching our registration on June 1st for high school seniors only to start in And the event is taking place October 11th and 12th. And it will be at our studios in Bloomfield Hills, Eisenhower Dance Detroit.
00:42:31
Speaker
Amazing. We'll put that in the show notes for any dancer listening or parent listening who is curious to learn more. And thank you so much, both of you, for taking the time today to share about the program.
00:42:41
Speaker
I'm really excited about what you're doing. And I just am happy we had this conversation. Thanks so much for having us. We really enjoyed talking with you, Caitlin, and thank you for the service that you're providing to the dance community as well.
00:42:53
Speaker
Yeah, of course. We appreciate you. Thank you so much for having us.
00:43:00
Speaker
Thank you for tuning into the Brainy Ballerina podcast. If you found this episode insightful, entertaining, or maybe a bit of both, I would so appreciate you taking a moment to leave a rating and hit subscribe.
00:43:13
Speaker
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00:43:26
Speaker
I'll be back with a new episode next week. In the meantime, be sure to follow along on Instagram at The Brainy Ballerina for your daily dose of dance career guidance.