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10. Embracing the Joy in Ballet with Camille Goldsborough
142 Plays4 months ago
Camille Goldsborough is a professional ballerina based in Los Angeles, currently dancing as a soloist with Petra Conti’s Hollywood ballet. Since moving to LA, Camille has worked as a model as well as dancing in films, commercials and music videos. She is the founder of The Prima Club, a positive brand and community for dancers, and of Dance Dominican, a foundation that supports teaching ballet throughout orphanages in the Dominican Republic.
Camille is incredibly generous with her experiences, sharing insight about touring through Europe, dealing with her first major injury and tips for breaking into the freelance dance industry. Her positive attitude is infectious - if you’re looking for inspiration to go out there and MAKE IT HAPPEN, this is the episode for you!
Key Moments:
- Early dance training [1:30]
- Moving away from home at 15 to study ballet [3:06]
- Her first steps into the world of professional dance [8:32]
- Spending a year touring throughout Europe [14:55]
- Dealing with her first major injury [20:20]
- Her tips for breaking into the freelance dance industry [29:30]
- Founding The Prima Club [39:02]
- Her biggest piece of advice for dancers pursuing a career [42:45]
Connect with Camille:
CAMILLE’S WEBSITE: camillegoldsborough.com
THE PRIMA CLUB: theprimaclub.com
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/camillegoldsborough
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/theprimaclub
Links and Resources:
The Intentional Career Handbook: https://www.thebrainyballerina.com/intentional-career-handbook
1-1 Career Mentoring: book your complimentary career call
Let’s connect!
My WEBSITE: thebrainyballerina.com
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/thebrainyballerina
Questions/comments? Email me at [email protected]
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Transcript
Introduction to Positive Dancewear
00:00:00
Speaker
the starting point was to make clothes that people could wear that mostly have positive message, so one of our shirts is like, it's just ballet, like take a deep breath, this one says ballet is hard, take a deep breath, just reminders that like we're all in this together and ballet is hard, but it's also fun and to find the joy in it again.
00:00:19
Speaker
I'm Caitlin, a former professional ballerina turned dance educator and career mentor. And this is the Brain 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.
Camille Goldsboro's Ballet Journey
00:00:53
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Brainy Ballerina podcast. I'm your host, Caitlin Sloan, and I am joined today by Camille Goldsboro. Camille is a professional ballerina based in Los Angeles, currently dancing as a soloist with Petra Conti's Hollywood Ballet. Since moving to l LA, Camille has worked as a model as well as dancing in films, commercials, and music videos. She's the founder of the Perima Club, a positive brand and community for dancers, and of Dance Dominican, a foundation that supports teaching ballet throughout orphanages in the Dominican Republic. Camille, I am so excited to share your story today and chat more with you. I want to start from the very beginning. Why did you take your very first dance class? Oh my goodness. Yes, I'm so happy to be here. Thank you for having me. Hmm.
00:01:39
Speaker
I started doing my own little performances by our pool and I would just put on a tutu and like walk around every morning my mom says every single morning I would put on a tutu and walk by the pool and do my own little performance. So somehow I just always wanted to do ballet. I don't even know what the first thing I saw was but I just always wanted to do it. So soon as I was old enough to take the baby ballet class I was in there. I think maybe three or four.
Professional Ballet Training Challenges
00:02:06
Speaker
There was just something innate or maybe I saw something but I just always wanted to perform. I love that. What was your training like when you were growing up? So I'm from Florida, which is actually where I am right now. And so I went to small ballet schools. I really started at just various ballet schools. I popped around to different ones, but I didn't get kind of consistent professional ballet training until I was
00:02:32
Speaker
almost 16, which is a little unusual. Normally we like to start it a little bit younger. I was still taking every day, but it was kind of your like small town, Florida schools. And then eventually I moved to central Pennsylvania youth ballet in Pennsylvania to go to a boarding school. And really that was my first time being like, wow, that's the caliber that is out there now. Went to a couple summer intensives. And that's when I was my very first exposure to like, great ballet and then eventually moved away from home to really pursue it. ah How old were you when you moved away? I was 15 turning 16. Was that hard leaving your family at that time or were you so ready?
00:03:16
Speaker
For me personally, I know it's different for everyone. I was really ready because I wanted to go after ballet and after I saw what was out there and saw what was almost necessary to be able to pursue it professionally, I wanted to go. I've always been a little bit independent so it wasn't that big of a deal for me because of course like I called my parents as much as I could and it was an excuse to planned fun visits and everything, but I was mostly ready to go because I wanted to get the training that I needed and I wasn't getting it where I was. and What was your experience like at CPYB? Did you enjoy it? Did you feel like it got you to that next step of your career? I think it definitely got me to the next step. It was an intense school. I was there when Marcia was still alive, which was our main artistic director. She's passed away now.
00:04:04
Speaker
So I feel really grateful to have worked with her because she's kind of a legend. It was very, very intense. We took sometimes four, five, six ballet classes a day, which was very intense and definitely eye opening. But. that was the best training I had ever had at that point. And so I'm really grateful for it because I don't think I'd be where I am if I hadn't had that consistent like, they break it down for you. But if you're not willing to live in a very small town and dance extensive hours, I wouldn't recommend it. It's definitely a small town. So you're only doing ballet and there's Sunday class as well that was optional.
Independence and Diverse Training in NYC
00:04:45
Speaker
but not really optional. So seven days a week. Okay, wow, that is really intense. Yeah. After you went through this program, what was the next step? Did you start your professional career then or did you go to another school? Went to another school. For me, the small town, I wasn't loving it after a year. I really had amazing friends there and I liked the training, but I have other interests. I've always been a little bit interested in like singing and a few other things, so I was like, I need to get to a city where I can focus fully on ballet, but also have the room to explore and become a little bit more well-rounded.
00:05:23
Speaker
And so I actually took a train from Pennsylvania without my parents fully knowing to New York City. And I auditioned for Valley Academies and the School at Steps on Broadway, which I think has a different name now because I knew Darla of Valley Academies prior as well. And so then I audition for those schools and then I got a full scholarship to the school that steps on Broadway. And so then I called my parents from New York and I was like, hi, I'm in New York and I want to move here next year. I just got a scholarship. Can I come? And eventually I convinced them they were hesitant. And then I moved to New York City at 16.
00:06:01
Speaker
and actually lived by myself. So at CPYB I had like a house mom and everything and I somehow convinced them to let me live with just another young girl in New York City and I went to the school at Sepps on Broadway for a year. That's pretty intense to be in New York City that young and truly on your own. I feel like the hardest thing for a lot of dancers is not just the dancing portion, it's like taking care of yourself, making sure you go to the grocery stores, your laundry, all those things that your parents really help you with, all of a sudden you're doing it on your own. Yeah, I think that CPYV was the perfect transition. So I went from living at home to living with a house mom with other girls where we still did our own laundry and we still made most of our own food. They just made us dinner. And then that was like the perfect year transition where I was like, okay, I'm doing almost everything by myself.
00:06:49
Speaker
but I'm still getting a little help. And then I was like, all right, now I'm ready to fully live alone. And growing up, my mom was never the coddling type. I don't even want to say that in the negative way, but we made our own food a lot and did our own stuff a good bit. So I was kind of already prepared, a little bit used to it. And I was mainly just ready. I know there were moments where I was on the subway alone and I was like, whoa, this is crazy. Like I'm just wandering around the city by myself and navigating the train system and everything. That was a little interesting. But as far as the food, and everything. We had Whole Foods, Trader Joe's. It was fine. At the program at Steps, how did that help you expand as a dancer? How did that help you get to the next level of your training? Well, it was definitely very different from CPYB. So we had ballet every day. There was a couple days a week
00:07:36
Speaker
maybe two days a week we didn't have ballet and I still wanted ballet to be my main focus so I took the steps open classes which are amazing with great teachers and dancers from like ABT and New York City Ballet just in class but we had theater jazz, normal jazz, contemporary and a bunch of other styles whereas CPYB only has ballet at the time we didn't have modern or contemporary there or anything just ballet in point we also had modern at steps So it was definitely eye-opening and all these girls were so trained in theatre jazz and everything and they looked amazing and I was like, this little bun head, like what is happening? But not my band, but it also showed me that ballet is what I really love. It was just nice in that it really opened my eyes to what's out there and kind of helped me decide what I want to pursue further.
Becoming a Professional Ballerina
00:08:26
Speaker
Yep, totally. You go to steps and then did you go and start your professional career from there?
00:08:33
Speaker
Okay, almost. Still I was about 16 still, yeah maybe turning 17 throughout the year I turned 17 and so I was still going to summer intensive so I did a couple auditions and I got accepted to the Los Angeles Ballet summer intensive and I got accepted to some bigger ones as well but I was kind of thinking year-round opportunities. So I went to Los Angeles Ballet summer and while I was there they offered me a traineeship and I was still in high school and for their traineeship they said you have to have graduated but since I was already doing online school they said they'd make an exception and let me come.
00:09:05
Speaker
So I moved from New York City to l LA at 17 and finished high school online and joined the trainee program at Los Angeles Ballet. So we had company class in the morning and then trainee classes in the evening every day. And then I did my school like in the breaks or on the weekends basically. How was that transition for you? was good. I was actually born in l LA there from when I was like two but I was born there so it's kind of cool. It was like I was returning to my original place and I lived with another dancer kind of same as New York so I was already used to that and we lived within walking distance to the studios. It was definitely a shock to be in the professional world versus the school. It was no longer like oh we're all students and these are our like teachers sharing. It was like
00:09:50
Speaker
I'm now in a company class with incredible dancers and they're all worried about themselves and you have to worry about yourself and be in charge of your own technique especially in the morning. It was definitely very intimidating at first and then it kind of became fun and you got used to it and rehearsals were very scary too because we were just in the back like trying to learn everything but at any moment we could be put in and if you didn't know it or messed up you were just out and it was the next one in. So it was very like cut throat and definitely a huge contrast to being out of school. But we still had our school classes in the evening, so that was kind of nice that we still had training because I didn't want to be like done with my training at 17. I wanted some more like technique and everything. But yeah, company life, as I know you know, is very different from school. Yeah, and I agree that transition is so tricky because I felt like kind of like a big fish in a small pond type thing when I was training. Like not that there wasn't other amazing dancers, but I was always giving good roles and my teachers liked me. Everything was pretty hunky dory, you know, and
00:10:49
Speaker
And so going to professional world and it was definitely eye opening. Yeah, I felt like I had a ah big struggle trying to acclimate to this different environment. Like you said, in some ways, it's not different. In some ways, it's really the same as what you're used to. You still take class, you still go to rehearsal, but there's just a completely different vibe to it. And you're just thrown in and it's like kind of sink or swim. And that can be a little bit scary. Yes, it's definitely sink or swim. And our directors, though they were wonderful, I actually still, you know, have a lot of respect for them. They weren't the like, nurturing type, it was kind of like, do it or you're out. And that was the vibe. And I know every company is different. So it is hard to speak on like, what company life versus school is like, because every place is so different. But in my experience, it's definitely
00:11:36
Speaker
completely different vibe from school. You really have to take, especially when you fully join a company and you're not taking the school classes in the evening, you have to take responsibility for your own dancing. No one's going to be correcting you and telling you to fix this, fix that. You have to fix yourself if there's something you need to work on. It's up to you now and that was definitely surprising. Every once in a while you still get corrections of course and like I said every director is different but You have to be your own artist, which is really cool. And it's something that's nice when a training program kind of exposes you to it and doesn't throw you in completely. But I know a lot of dancers go straight to companies sometimes too. Yeah, exactly. Like company class is different because you're just trying to get warmed up for the day. You're trying to get on your leg. Like that's the goal of company class. It's not to break down dynamics of a pirouette or talk a lot about technique. You're getting little quick corrections, mostly to the whole group. just kind of reminders. And so it's definitely a different vibe than your school classes where you're taking a lot of time to talk about things more in depth. And that's definitely like you said, a lot of self responsibility all of a sudden, I have to notice like, Oh, I'm not
Impact of COVID-19 and European Tour
00:12:43
Speaker
on my leg today. I got to figure that out. Because no one's gonna take 10 minutes to talk me through it. Also, like you're gonna be in rehearsal and an hour and a half, you have to be on your leg.
00:12:52
Speaker
You don't have a choice. So you got to figure it out. And that's, that's definitely a little bit daunting at first. Yes. But I think it brings a much better self-awareness and you get to learn your body and your dancing so much better. So it really does help in the long run, but at first, like you said, it's a little daunting. And I don't know if you had this as well, but there's a lot of, especially if young dancers are listening, there are a lot of unspoken rules that some of us don't know about. Like every dancer, especially the mature ones, maybe the soloists in your company, the principals, they have their bar spots.
00:13:26
Speaker
And the trainees or new court of ballet, you are not to stand there. And kind of same with doing the combinations. Like if a more seasoned dancer wants to go in front of you, but you, you know, of course you want to be seen by the director, you have to let them go in front of you. There were a lot of things that I had no idea about. And I don't think I had any like bad experiences with it. But I did notice other girls like stood in a spot and then the soloist would come up and be like, I stand there. And there's just little things that you have to learn. And sometimes you have to learn the hard way. But, it's better if you don't have to, so be a little bit, like I don't know, cautious going in and let them, they're seniority, basically. yeah Yeah, really good points. That's some really good advice, yeah. Definitely experience that, too. You did your trainee year at LA Ballet, and then did you continue on with the company, or what did you do after that?
00:14:13
Speaker
So actually this kind of brings us to the COVID era where I'm about four months into my first trainee year and then COVID happened. So we all everything shut down. I think most of us went back home. So I moved back to Florida for a little while because the company was fully closed and I didn't want to be stuck in my apartment in LA for months. So kind of came home to Florida and just did online ballet classes. And then things finally opened back up. went back for a little bit, I think closed down again, just the whole COVID situation basically just took classes at home. I went back for a second year. It was a two-year training program but everything was closed so I think moved back and did another full year there because of everything that had happened. That brings us to I think maybe about two years ago there was a director change at Los Angeles Ballet and
00:15:02
Speaker
trainee program was gone, apprentice program was gone, there's a lot of shifting, and I had gone to the masterclass in Prague program that summer. They had an audition while I was there for this European touring company, and I just did it kind of for fun, not exactly sure where I was going to go next, and then they emailed me afterwards and offered me a corps de ballet position for that touring season. So I kind of left LA Ballet at that point. There was a whole new director, like I said, and I went to Europe for the year. Amazing. and yeah Tell us more about that experience. I know a lot of dancers I talked to are very curious about dancing in Europe and very curious about touring life. so I'd love to hear your take on that. I also get messages if I ever post anything about the touring like, how did you get the job? so If it helps, I got the job through a summer and it was a masterclass. and A lot of people know masterclass Prague. I just did an in-person audition there. There was someone there kind of watching and then they asked for a video later.
00:15:58
Speaker
I know a lot of touring companies accept videos too and then the touring scene seems to be very word of mouth and then you just email directors. So kind of similar to auditioning for a normal company as well. That's just how I got it. And then we rehearsed in Germany so I flew from l LA to Germany and we stayed in these actually really cool houses but they had us staying with just people we had barely met and I actually had a it was a king-sized bed but I had to share with this random dancer that I had never met before. I was like never in the US s would you go somewhere and randomly be like sleeping in the same bed as someone you just met but we're all dancers and we rehearsed for two weeks in Mainz which is right by Frankfurt in Germany. It was very quick turnaround, two weeks and we did Swan Lake and Nutcracker so we had to learn it prior
00:16:45
Speaker
on our phones or on video they sent us videos of what they wanted us to learn. We rehearsed for two weeks and then we began the tour which was on a bus and hotel theater bus hotel theater bus hotel for months. We went all around Switzerland and France performing. It was incredible I wouldn't want to say it's once in a lifetime but I'm so glad I did it. I really enjoyed it. It's really hard on your body because you don't have your normal food and your bed, like all the things that you're used to. You're, you know, resting on a bus basically and then at a random hotel and then at a theater. So it is really hard on your body. It's a younger dancer's job in my opinion. I thought it was incredible and I think the culture that you're exposed to and all the people, it was amazing. And there were Italian dancers in the company, French dancers, Ukrainian dancers.
00:17:34
Speaker
a couple of Americans. So you're just learning from each other, everyone speaking a different language. And I think it expanded my worldview endlessly. I'm just so ah in awe of that. And, you know, as a dancer, well, retired dancer in my mid 30s, a mom, you know, the thought of being able to go over to Europe up and tour for like six months sounds so cool. And I agree, it's something that if you have the opportunity to do that, you know, earlier as a younger dancer, I would definitely leap at that because it's just such an awesome opportunity to see the world and just try something totally new. And like you said, it's hard on your body and it's not something you could probably do ah for a very long time, but for a quick gig or something like that, really cool.
00:18:17
Speaker
Yeah, that's what I felt about it as well. And when I finished LA Ballet, I had another offer with a smaller company in a smaller town, which is also um amazing. I was so grateful for that. And then I had this offer, which wasn't as long term. But I was like, for what I want for my life and what I wanted to be exposed to, I ended up taking the shorter term contract but in Europe so that I could see the world because I think it'd be incredible to actually live in Europe at some point. So I was like, this is a perfect little taste of but if I like it, if I feel at home there. And Yeah, I definitely think I learned a lot. I ended up getting to dance a soloist role which was amazing too. That was probably my first, actually it was one of my first paid corps de ballet contracts. You did that gig and then did you come back to l LA after that? Yes, so I came back, I had another season with them if I wanted it, but then I ended up, that brings us almost to present, we're almost done guys.
00:19:09
Speaker
Heather Ponte was the principal dancer of Los Angeles Ballet, the female principal, and she used to dance at La Scala and Boston. She was a principal there as well. She started her own company with her husband, Eris, who was also a principal dancer, and I knew them from l LA Ballet, and I was randomly just taking class at their new space for Hollywood Ballet and they talked to me after and was like, hey, do you want to do our inaugural show? And I was like, absolutely. I just got back like, I'm down. Let's do it. So I did a show with them. Then afterwards, they spoke, we're like, we're starting this company, we're going to start having full seasons and we want to hire you. And I was like,
00:19:46
Speaker
great because I really wanted to stay in l LA. I really enjoy it there. I feel at home. I think it's beautiful and I love the other opportunities that are there and my friends and I just had the Europe thing so I was like wow if something works out with Hollywood Valley I can stay somewhere a little while because I had just had the go everywhere. I was like staying somewhere a little bit of roots actually might be kind of nice. They promoted me to soloist, which is very nice. Yeah, so I just did the one show with them. And then our season started late October or November, this past November. That brings us to present currently with Hollywood Valet. That's where I am now. Except on the very first day of rehearsals for Nutcracker, I actually injured my foot. Very dramatic first day story, but that brings us to present.
Career Handbook and Injury Recovery
00:20:30
Speaker
ah There is so much dancers need to learn as they pursue a professional dance career. It can be completely overwhelming. Where do you even start? With your intention. To me, this is the first step in defining success on your terms. Once you have an intention for your career based on your core values, you can begin to hone in on a strategy to make your goals a reality. But without it, you will always feel out of alignment, out of control, and ultimately unfulfilled in your career.
00:21:02
Speaker
So how do you figure out what success means to you? With the Brainy Ballerina intentional career handbook. This is not just your ordinary book. The intentional career handbook walks you through it everything you need to think about as you embark on your dance career. With over 50 guided question prompts, you will dive deep into determining what really matters to see you in a dance career based on your individual core values. By the end of this handbook, you will not only be crystal clear on your goals, but in the mindset you need to make it happen. Tap the link in the show notes to download your copy today and start pursuing your dance career with intention.
00:21:40
Speaker
Yeah, let's talk more about that. So are you still dealing with that injury now? Kind of just on the end of it, hopefully. As a dancer, being injured is just something we all experience and it really stinks and it's never at a good time. Yeah, I would just love to hear more about your take on how you coped with that and got through that, you know, not just physically, but emotionally, what's helped you stay sane and positive through that experience. Oh of course, I'd actually love to speak about it. This was my first major injury, pretty much my first injury, and injuries in dance are really common. It's kind of like being any other athlete, like injuries happen. I feel like a lot of times when dancers get injured we just like go inside and stop posting on social media, you never hear about it, and then we make this big comeback post and we're back and everything's great.
00:22:28
Speaker
And that is wonderful and I totally respect that because I wanted to do that as well. But part of me was like, it's great to talk about it because it makes it more known and also helps you know that you're not the only one going through it. So whenever I saw someone posting about their injury story, I was like, wow, like I'm not alone. It happens. So I have a little TikTok and I've been sharing some of my injury videos and people have been messaging me saying like, thank you for sharing this because I'm injured too. And it really helps to see that I'm not the only one. So that's how I felt. But yeah, I basically, I hurt my foot. It was just a freak accident. It wasn't an ongoing thing. I think my foot got like a little bit caught on the tape on the ground and just twisted the wrong way. And I hobbled out of there. Like I said, it was the very first day, which is just crazy, but things happen. I was on crutches for over two months.
00:23:14
Speaker
which was definitely an experience of trying to be okay with just being still because as dancers we're always moving so much and then if not dancing we're doing yoga or pilates or long walks we're always moving so that was really it was really really challenging but it also made me super super grateful because now i'm and grateful to walk around which i never felt before and i think when i'm able to like fully fully dance i'm definitely gonna have a new outlook i actually came back to florida because I was hobbling around my apartment in LA. I needed my mom. I was like, I need help making food. I just can't do this. So I came home for a bit and I found a great team of people to help me rehab. If I have any advice on it, I would say get multiple opinions if you have a serious injury because you know your body the best and people are really quick to give you advice on what you should do. And I think if you have the ability to ask a few people and have a couple different types of doctors look at you, then you should, because the very first doctor that I saw immediately told me that I needed a surgery, and that was obviously a very traumatic thing to hear, but so far I've actually managed to be okay without one.
00:24:24
Speaker
I'm gonna knock on some wood just in case but I've abbed without and if I had just gone with his opinion he wanted to book me that same week and of course nothing to them like surgeons are great we need them they're amazing if there's another option I would of course like to go with it so I'd say get multiple opinions and then As far as staying sane, I think if there's that one thing that you've never gotten to do because ballet is so consuming and dancing is so consuming, if there's something you can think of that you haven't gotten to do, do that. Like, consume yourself in something else. That would be my best at advice, I think.
00:24:58
Speaker
I'm curious because I had an experience with this and I'm curious what your take is. Growing up, it's always the culture of like, when you're injured, you still go to the studio, you still need to be in every class or rehearsal, you take notes, you're always there. And that was what I learned growing up. When I was in my second season with my first company, I had a pretty bad injury. I tore my calf and it was the week of the performance. So it was three days before I went to the theater. Tore my calf, you know, it's totally out. And I was still at the theater for every tech rehearsal, just sitting there in the audience. And I was getting pretty depressed, feeling pretty bad. And I remember one of our artistic associates, Amanda McKierro, who I adore, came up to me in the theater and just said, you don't have to be here. Like you can go home. It's okay. and And it was like such a relief because I never even considered that that was an option. Like I didn't want them to think,
00:25:50
Speaker
oh she's not working hard she's not being supportive of the other dancers she doesn't care and she was just like if it's making you upset to be here you can leave and i am curious how do you feel about that because i know some answers it feels good to be there still with everyone and be in the environment and for some it just does not Oh, I'm really glad you said that. I think I think i was taught the same thing, especially when ah when you're in a ballet school. And if you are in a ballet school, some schools require you to be there to watch classes and take notes. I think it shifts a little bit when you're in a company because you're already hired and your job is to dance. And if you can't do your job, you don't need to be there. I think it's definitely very personal. Like you said, some people feel
00:26:29
Speaker
like they want to still be a part of it and still support and some people would probably feel better being like fully away from it. For me if it was a smaller injury and I would still like super mobile then I probably would have jumped back in and been like hey can I do some social media like that's a thing now or Can I just be at the theater helping? I would love to see everyone. But because I was like on crutches and it was an effort for me to leave the house, which sounds dramatic, but it kind of was, then I needed to just get away. I actually did go see the performance. So I didn't go for the rehearsals and everything. I did go because I wanted to see them perform and I wanted to support. So I went.
00:27:03
Speaker
I crutched over and saw the Nutcracker. That was like my form of supporting and I re-shared the posts and everything, but I needed to needed to not be there and I was really lucky that they were fine with that. I think it does depend on your company and your school and mostly you, but if you have the opportunity to do what feels best for you, what felt best for me was definitely just like being away from it because it was really hard and like you said of course like you were supposed to be dancing in that show i was supposed to be dancing in that show and we don't want to be sitting like we want to dance so it really is challenging to watch sometimes for me i was like i gotta be out of here but that's a privilege
00:27:38
Speaker
Yeah, it's worth examining how it's affecting your mental health. If you are noticing that being in the studio constantly, and like you said, especially if it's a larger injury, like a smaller one where you're maybe going to be back for the show, then yeah, you want to be there because you need to hear the corrections, you need to make sure you know what's going on. But if you like know you're out for the show and you're not gonna be able to do it, then if it's starting to really affect you, it's okay, I think, to go talk to your directors or talk to your teachers about that and just see what their take is because I didn't even think of that as being a possibility at the time, even though I knew it wasn't making me feel good, it was making me really upset, but I didn't even think of it as being a possibility. So I do think it's good for dancers to know that you can speak up and just respectfully ask
00:28:20
Speaker
Because I also felt even like I was trying sometimes to schedule all my PT and everything around rehearsals, which I was not even involved in, you know? So that I'm just trying to do so much where it's like I would be better off taking that time to go do my PT, to do my exercises, to do the other things that help me get back to dancing sooner as opposed to sitting in a studio and just feeling sorry for myself. So I think that's individualized for sure, but it's worth examining how it's making you feel and asking those questions.
Freelance Dance Opportunities
00:28:48
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. And like you said, if it's a small injury and you know you're going to be back, you just have like a week or so, then of course. But if it's something bigger and you know you're out, just like you said, definitely looking inside to what feels best for you. If you're going to be really sad that you're not included, then be there and support. But if you have other stuff you can be doing, I would definitely do that. There's more and more studies coming about about the mind-body connection. And if you're really upset and just feeling terrible. Your body's not spending the energy on healing. It's obsessed up here. So if you can find peace and be calm, you're more likely to heal. If you're happy, you're going to be healing. So it's better to definitely find your peace if you can, if you have the privilege to. Yeah, absolutely. I know you've also done a lot of freelance work in LA. And I would love to hear more about that. Because again, I feel like that's something
00:29:37
Speaker
similar to dancing in Europe and doing the touring gig it's another thing that dancers feel like is kind of this like mystical thing like how do I go out there and get freelance work especially as a ballet dancer I feel like it's not the norm for us and so I'd love to hear what that process was like for you Yeah, of course. I think you're right. I think it is not the norm. Like we think of commercial freelance dancers to be like music video dancers and everything, but I would say ballet is getting more and more popular, which I'm happy to see. First I was like, no, it's our little secret, but it's cool to see it kind of be a little bit commercialized as long as we keep the art form. Basically the Europe tour, like I said, it was short and in between there was like two months and something like that. And I was like, well, I'm not going to just sit around for two months. so
00:30:20
Speaker
I was in l LA which is a great place to freelance. I would say for freelance and you kind of need to be in a bigger city because there's so few jobs in general so you got to be where there's at least some options. I have an agent so I did go that route to start off with. I will say Most of the freelancing stuff that I have actually booked has not been through my agency, which is kind of cool to say that you don't necessarily need an agent. It's mostly word of mouth, which is annoying to say, but it kind of is just about like being around and showing your best. So if you want to start freelancing and you go to like a bigger city, take open classes is the main way that I've seen a lot of people do it. Just go to Bali open classes, whether that steps on Broadway or l LA, it's West Side, there's a bunch of them obviously.
00:31:03
Speaker
And you just take class and you start networking like, Oh, hey, do you freelance? And it's like, Oh, but that's kind of what you have to do. And then someone's like, Oh, I know someone who's looking for an extra dancer, send them your stuff. And then you just send them your stuff. And then the email you back is kind of how things happen are like, Oh, I'm doing a little show. do you want to be a part of it? So I would say it's mostly word of mouth connections and networking but that's not to say that you can't start. Like I basically left LAV and LAV was such a ah consuming thing that it wasn't like I was freelancing while I was doing that. I more started freelancing
00:31:35
Speaker
once I was going to start doing the Europe thing because I had this extra time. And so I took open classes where all the other professionals did and just started making conversation and just waiting for things to pop up. I went ahead and emailed a couple agencies and got signed, which helped because then they sent me some stuff. And then Instagram, which we talked about how we have a love-hate relationship with social media. I do, I'm barely on there, but I do think that in this time, if you want to do more than just a ballet company, which is enough, but if you want to do other gigs, then your Instagram and your social media is kind of your resume. Someone told me this that was a freelancer. She's like, it's not that you have to post all the time, but when someone goes on your account, they need to know that you are a dancer,
00:32:17
Speaker
model whatever it is you do and so I posted mostly dance photos and photos where you can clearly see my face so that if someone sees my account because they do check them casting directors do then they know what I look like and how I dance basically. So I've actually gotten a few gigs through my Instagram and I don't have a lot of followers or anything like that but it's just like what I just mentioned. The whole process of just going to class, and I've said this to the dancers before, is just go to class and just meet people. It feels kind of hard, I think, for a lot of dancers. We're not always so apt to go up to someone, just start a conversation, because for a lot of us, I mean, I personally, when I was
00:32:53
Speaker
younger, especially, you know, I danced because I didn't feel confident speaking. And so to want to go up to someone as an introvert and just start a conversation and just kind of like make a friends in a ballet class felt tricky, like in a setting like that. But I was always happy for someone to come up to me and say hi. And just remembering that made me realize, okay, other people are going to be happy for me to come talk to them too. And just Like you said, those connections end up being so key because you never know who's going to need a dancer short notice. And they think of you and your name comes up. The more people see you, the more you're out there, the more opportunities keep popping up. Yeah, exactly. And I think if you just show up as your best self, and that sounds a little cringy, but if you're just kind and easy to work with, then it'll be exactly like you said, like someone will be like, Oh, we're looking for someone.
00:33:39
Speaker
oh, know this girl, come here. Oh, I met her, she's nice. you know or And if you're you know rude and stuff, then it's not gonna work. But if you're just kind and you're just available and you you show up, then I think things will happen. And of course it's a little bit of luck and timing, but I know some dancers have taken a few classes and randomly someone was like, oh, I need a dancer. I know a few people who tried for like a full year and then it started happening. So the timeline is definitely not the same as like, I audition for a ballet company, I either get in or I don't. It's not like that. but what's cool about that is that anything can happen and if you just show up let your dancing speak for itself and if you're shy to talk to other people like you said they're all shy too but at the same time let your dancing speak for yourself just dance your best and someone might approach you and go out and get it but yeah and I think there is like a little bit of redundancy if you're going and going and nothing's happening I did
00:34:28
Speaker
feel that for a couple months as well. I was like, well, I'm just taking all these open classes. Of course they cost money too. There's professional rates, but still, and nothing's happening. But at the same time, it's like you're still getting to dance and you're still keeping your craft up. And I was just like, something's going to happen. It's fine. But it is harder. You consider the class every day and audition because it's like you just want to enjoy the class and it's not like you're trying to get something. but you kind of are. So it is a little tricky. I mean, I've not done this route of freelance dancing, but I do always feel like as far as audition goes and everything, when you do show up, like you said, and just dance as cringy as it sounds, dance from the heart and just show yourself and be your best self, that comes out. And sometimes in auditions, we can get so worked up. So it's almost like just go and take class and be a nice person and
00:35:10
Speaker
Yeah, people will see that. Have you had a favorite gig that you've done as a freelancer? Oh, okay, let me think about that. Okay, I do have a favorite. And then I have like a quirky one. My favorite was that I danced in a short film. That was my only experience, my first experience on set. And I absolutely loved it. And I really liked the idea that with live performance, you do it and it's gone, which is cool. That's also like a really great aspect about it. But when you work on like a music video or a film or something you have something forever that you can you know show your kids or just like show your older self and look back upon. I was the dance double for the main actress in a short film that needed a ballerina and so I sent videos in, sent like a slate in, it was my first time being like
00:35:54
Speaker
Hi, I'm Camille from LA, like a slate, which is a little weird. And then I went to the callback and I looked similar to the main actress. And so I got the part. We were on set at a theater, which was cool because they were filming like she was doing a performance basically. And I just really enjoyed it. It was so fun to see all the cameras and like everyone just working together to create something and everyone was so invested. I also feel very lucky that the cast and crew were just warm and welcoming and kind. I thought that it was gonna be a little bit of the LA vibe, like TV film, like cutthroat, I don't know, a little fake, but no, I got really lucky. It was for a film called Viva, actually, about a dancer escaping Cuba using ballet, and it's going to feature, so there'll be a feature film coming out kind of soon as well. But that was my favorite, dancing in this short film with this amazing crew, and I had to do a little bit of salsa and a little bit of ballet, and it was so fun.
00:36:48
Speaker
That sounds amazing. I definitely would love to do more films in the future. So hopefully that comes to fruition. I'll just be taking class until it happens. Right? Okay, I'd love to hear your quirky story too. The quirky one was that I get a d-gram from this lovely girl. So that's where the Instagram plays in. And that's kind of what I was thinking of when I was saying this. Again, not a lot of followers, but just like, hey, I'm a dancer in LA. And she was, would you like to come dance at a wedding? And I was like, Oh, Okay, it was a performance with two other dancers that they also hired who are freelancers in l LA and we performed at a huge Armenian wedding which I just thought was kind of random because I don't think of ballet being like showcased at weddings but some people who aren't dancers want to have beautiful things at their wedding and so we had two rehearsals and and then we had these wild outfits that matched the theme of the wedding and we performed on like slick floor but we rubbered our pointe shoes which i didn't know was a thing but you can you probably do yep a cobbler did mine put like rubber on my they didn't slip around and did this like beautiful little classical trio variation thing
00:37:56
Speaker
at this huge wedding, just a little ballet at a wedding. And then we also did some just standing around doing ballet arms for 45 minutes as everyone entered. So I was just like, this is funny. Like what's happening? I really enjoyed it. And that was probably my most more recent random one. that's really fun and I think that it's just really important for dancers to stay open to those kind of opportunities and not like scoff at something like that where it's like oh it's just a random gig at a wedding it's like you said it was fun you got paid to dance like why not just go out and do something like that so I think that's really cool
00:38:28
Speaker
And as a freelancer, you do need to be open. And I think that's one thing is like when you're in a ballet company, you know what to expect. You're going to be taking ballet class and rehearsing. As a freelancer, you've got to be one of those people that is down for anything in a way. And of course have your like boundaries, but you've got to be open to crazy situations and random performances because it's how you're going to be getting paid and it's the next connection you're going to make. Because if you again show up as yourself, dance from the heart and be a good person, then they're going to use you again. because of course there'll be another way and of course you want to
Prima Club: Building Community in Dancewear
00:39:00
Speaker
get used. Yes, totally. I want to talk now about the Prima Club, which is an amazing dancewear brand that this is how I first found out about you because I saw the Prima Club on Instagram and was immediately like, I love this.
00:39:13
Speaker
And so I want to hear about how you started this company. Yeah, of course. That's how we connected. So that's already one thing that I'm so grateful for with Prima Club is just like getting to meet new people that I probably wouldn't have crossed paths with or might not have. So this kind of started around A little over a year ago, um I've always wanted to have my own business or my own community. I think also because as a ballet dancer, you're always looking up to someone to tell you what you're going to get to do and what you're not going to get to do, like a director, for instance. And it's really nice and you probably know to have something that is yours to work on and that you're the director of, you know?
00:39:51
Speaker
so that was one aspect of it but I basically just wanted to start a positive community for artists and my intention is to eventually host maybe some events where we can talk about like different problems and what we can do to move forward in the dance world and things like that and then the starting point was to make clothes that people could wear that mostly have positive message so one of our shirts is like it's just ballet like take a deep breath this one says ballet is hard take a deep breath just reminders that like we're all in this together and ballet is hard but it's also fun and to find the joy in it again. The idea came way before but I started really working on it probably like a year and a half ago maybe a little more. I did it all myself, I had some friends but I didn't even tell my parents about it because I really wanted to see like what it would be like to just really do something for myself but um and now it's a community of other dancers. I'm using all real dancers, that's another thing is there's so many brands that are
00:40:49
Speaker
dancer brands, but they're run by just random people who saw the market and I want it to be real dancers or anyone who loves ballet, but genuinely. But yeah, a club, cute clothing, and a positive intention, I guess that's what it is right now. Yeah, it's amazing and I love, you know, the it's just ballet. motto, because I think that's something that I've always agreed with, you know, as a dancer is like, we can get so serious and so caught up in this industry. And yeah, we can take it seriously. Like I take my job seriously, it's important to me. But that doesn't mean that I can't laugh, I can't enjoy myself in rehearsal, that it can't be fun. And when I was able to start enjoying dance more is when I realized I can take the work seriously, but not myself.
00:41:33
Speaker
I find myself, I can laugh at myself and I can move on, you know, and it's okay. It's just ballet. It's ballet. I mean, and of course, I'm in no way saying like, to not appreciate your craft and take it seriously, like you said, but I'm just saying that, of course, it's intense. And of course, we love it. But also, it's just ballet and everything's gonna be okay. And of course, that's what I was trying to tell myself when I was injured, which was really hard to take my own advice and be like, it's just ballet, you're gonna be okay. Because we do love it so, so much. But at the end of the day, take a deep breath. that Yeah, that's the intention. It's clothes that you can wear. The actual dancer would wear real ballet core with like a positive intention. And I want to continue to go on that route of like reminding people that it's just ballet, reminding people to take a deep breath and do their best, but have that support system. And also dancers that really support each other, which is something that you do see a good bit of in the freelance community, like helping each other out and get jobs. But I'm
00:42:31
Speaker
In no way a part of the push each other down to get ahead, take a jog over someone else. Like I don't want that and I want Prima Club to be pushing forward that we can help each other and that dancers can support dancers and artists can be there for each
Encouragement for Aspiring Dancers
00:42:43
Speaker
other. Amazing. On that note, if you had to give aspiring dancers one piece of advice as they pursue a career, what would you tell them? I guess I want to say that anyone can be a dancer if they really set their mind to it, and I know that that might sound a little bit cringy, but that your route might not be exactly as you intend or exactly the same as someone else or one of your fellow students, but that if you want to be a dancer, you can be. You've just heard about my career if you're listening at this point. I mean, I wouldn't have known where I would end up.
00:43:15
Speaker
but if you want to pursue it just keep going and you will find a place to dance. There is a place to dance for you and I think sometimes people quit or they get discouraged because what they had their mindset on didn't work out. I understand that but you can be a dancer and you can dance somewhere. You will find your place, just stick with it. I think that would be what I would say because there is a place for you. You can dance if you want to even if it's not exactly what you thought it would be. Maybe it's better or a little different. I totally agree. I say that to dancers all the time because we get so stuck in this idea of wanting to be in, you know, in New York City, ballet or whatever. And it's like, if we don't make that, then our career is over. And like you said, there's so many more options out there. I didn't know that the company I danced for for most of my career even existed when I was a young dancer. And actually, it might not have at the time, you know, but it's just you don't know it's out there. And even if you can't find it, you can create it. You can make
00:44:11
Speaker
your own company. Yeah, you will find what you're looking for. And I think that's really great advice, Camille. And I would just love if you could tell everyone how they can reach you or how they can shop Prima Club. Give us all the links. Okay, yes. All right. I'm glad that resonated because it's so true. Yes. Okay. So if you want to reach out to me, you always can. I try to check my messages. My Instagram is at Camille Goldsboro. My TikTok is also at Camille Goldsboro and I look through all your messages. The Prima Club is at the Prima Club on Instagram and TikTok as well. And theprimaclub.com is where our little products are. So I would love if you support us. And there's opportunities with that coming up too. We're doing dance or day in the live takeovers and stuff. so You can always send me a message if you want to do a takeover or anything like that. And you can send me a personal message if you have any questions. I'm always here. Wonderful. Thank you so much Camille for all of this insight and the positive energy you spread in the dance world is very refreshing and I've just really enjoyed talking to you. So thank you so much. Oh, thank you so much for having me. i I feel the same about you and I think your work is incredible too and I'm so glad we were able to do this.
00:45:21
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. By subscribing, you'll never miss an episode. And you'll join our community of dancers passionate about building a smart and sustainable career in the dance industry. Plus, your ratings help others discover the show too. I'll be back with a new episode next week. In the meantime, be sure to follow along on Instagram at The Brainy Valorina for your daily dose of dance career guidance.