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114. Following your North Star in a Dance Career with Shannon Quirk
176 Plays7 days ago
What does it take to sustain a professional dance career for 15 years while always finding new ways to grow as an artist?
In this episode I’m joined by Madison Ballet company artist Shannon Quirk to discuss her journey from a young ballet student in Southern California to a longtime professional dancer and co-founder of the newly launched North Star Dance Theatre.
Shannon reflects on her decision to pursue a BFA at UC Irvine, the realities of transitioning from college into the professional world, and the lessons she's learned through rejection, leadership changes, and career longevity. She shares how her perspective on artistry has evolved over the years (and why enjoying the process may be the most important career advice she can offer).
We also dive into the creation of North Star Dance Theatre, a new summer dance company dedicated to providing performance opportunities for dancers and choreographers while fostering artistic collaboration and new work.
Whether you're an aspiring professional dancer, a seasoned artist, or someone interested in arts leadership, this episode is full of wisdom about building a sustainable and fulfilling career in dance.
Key "Pointes" from this Episode:
- Why Shannon chose to go to college for dance and why the decision came easily to her
- What it felt like to realize dance had become her paying career
- Navigating three different artistic directors over 15 years with the same company
- Taking on a mentorship, "motherly" role for younger dancers
- Her favorite roles, including one she was thrown into unexpectedly
- Starting her own company, North Star Dance Theatre, and balancing it with her professional career
Connect with Shannon:
Visit North Star Dance Theatre’s Website: https://www.northstardancetheatre.com/
Follow North Star Dance Theatre on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northstardancetheatre/
Visit Madison Ballet’s Website: https://www.madisonballet.org/
Follow Madison Ballet on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madisonballet/
Links and Resources:
SHOP MSeam Apparel: https://mseamapparel.com/ (use code BRAINY25 at checkout for 25% off all items)
Register for the “See & Be Seen” College Recruitment Event: https://eisenhowerdance.org/beseen
Let’s connect!
MY WEBSITE: thebrainyballerina.com
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/thebrainyballerina
Schedule your complimentary career consultation: https://www.thebrainyballerina.com/career-mentoring
Questions/comments? Email me at caitlin@thebrainyballerina.com
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Transcript
Behind the Scenes: Show Production
00:00:00
Speaker
There are so many elements to putting on any sort of show, whether it's small or large in scale, part of a company, a project, the amount of like behind the scenes stuff that as dancers, we don't get to see all the time. As we walk in, we do our class, we get on stage, we go home and that's it. But the tech crew, the artistic leadership, they've been there probably for about six to seven hours before you even showed up. There's so much more that goes into our profession than just us, it is truly a community.
Meet the Host: Kaitlyn and Brand New Ballerina
00:00:33
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.
00:00:49
Speaker
I'm peeling back the curtain of the 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.
00:01:07
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Brainy Ballerina Podcast.
Introducing Shannon Quirk and Her New Project
00:01:10
Speaker
I'm your host, Caitlin Sloan, and I am joined today by Shannon Quirk. Shannon has been a company artist with Madison Ballet for 15 years.
00:01:18
Speaker
She is also a co-leader of the Summer Project, Dance at Delafield, and the newly formed North Star Dance Theater. a summer dance company committed to creating meaningful performance opportunities for dancers while fostering artistic collaboration and the development of new work. And we're going to talk all about that new project today.
Shannon's Dance Journey Begins
00:01:37
Speaker
But first, Shannon, can you tell us why did you take your very first dance class?
00:01:41
Speaker
Hi, Caitlin. It's so nice being with you today. i took my first dance class when I was about three, so many moons ago. i couldn't tell you why besides the fact that my mother was a special education teacher and her aide, her mom was a ballet teacher. so once she found out she was having a girl and prompted her to put me in ballet and it stuck. There's been no break since. So I just fell in love with it and didn't want to stop.
00:02:13
Speaker
And what was your training like growing up
Diverse Training at West Coast Conservatory
00:02:15
Speaker
from there? My training, i wouldn't say it was standard, but in my head, it was standard. um i grew up in a ballet conservatory, but we also did work with, I had a modern teacher, a jazz teacher, and a tap teacher and hip hop for a very brief time. so I was fortunate enough to kind of get that element as well besides my ballet training. And the school that I trained at, West Coast Conservatory of Ballet, had a studio company called Orange County Regional Ballet.
00:02:46
Speaker
And it was a small studio company that would rehearse now that I know like a company. We would learn new work and we would perform it and we were part of Regional Dance America. So we would work throughout the year, have an adjudication process, perform pieces that we had been working on. One was selected. We would go to a festival and then perform with other kind of studio companies throughout the area. And I loved it. It was rigorous, but I loved being in the studio. we were I was in the studio six days a week and it was amazing.
College Over Dance: A Personal Choice
00:03:20
Speaker
Then how did you decide to go to college for dance? You got your BFA in dance performance from UCI. i So what was that decision like for you? That decision, I would say, was pretty easy looking back. I would say a lot of people have the impression that sometimes ballet dancers or dancers in general just go straight from their training into a company or an apprenticeship or a studio company.
00:03:46
Speaker
I was not ready for that whatsoever, i would say mentally and emotionally, to handle life as a professional dancer. Also, my parents strongly encouraged that I pursue some academics as well. They're very supportive, but they also know that this career does not last forever. And having a backup is always smart because it can end in an instant with an injury or burnout or whatever may happen. So I actually got injured my senior year of high school and deferred for a full year. for UCI and just took basic academics while I recovered and then came into UCI my sophomore year and started their dance program as well as pursuing political science. So i did I did a double kind of duty. And for me, it was probably the best choice that I could have made for myself. At the time, I would say that wasn't very common for my generation to go to school. And I'm very happy I did because it opened my eyes to a lot of different things, especially in terms of the career, but also just growing for myself personally. The job is hard and I wouldn't say I was the person I am today and I needed that extra time to kind of just gather myself before entering the profession.
00:05:11
Speaker
Yeah, I felt the same way at that age, for sure. How do you feel like your experience at UCI prepared you for the professional dance career
UCI's Role in Shannon's Dance Career
00:05:18
Speaker
track? Like beyond just the time it you know gave you to sort of mature a little bit, how else did it help you prepare for this next path?
00:05:24
Speaker
The wonderful thing about it was I would say most training, depending on on how it's structured, whether you're at like an academy or... a small studio in your local town, I would say that it is like we focus on our technique classes and we do this. Sometimes there are very little performance opportunities.
00:05:43
Speaker
At UCI, we obviously had technique classes and we had repertory classes, which also is a huge part of what we ah learn in the profession, but you auditioned to be part of every show that was being produced. So you went through an audition process for master's candidates to be selected in their new works. You went through an audition process to be selected in faculty works, whether it's reset material or original works that they were created.
00:06:13
Speaker
So you were practicing auditioning at least four to five times a year within a cohort, I would say that you were growing with. I would say it is competitive, but you were in a safer space to do so.
00:06:28
Speaker
Beyond just that, because you are auditioning quite a bit throughout your entire professional career, whether it's to get the job or even when people come in you're always being looked at.
00:06:39
Speaker
It allowed me the opportunity to play and explore things in a safer spot that maybe I was uncomfortable with so I could take those chances. And also working with people that are creating new work.
00:06:52
Speaker
You figure out the process of collaborating and like what that is like to be in that situation. Because most of us just learn a variation and somebody teaches it to you and you go in and you perform it. And that would be it. So working with different master's candidates and different professors that I had and being on the floor and helping in that creative process really, I think, preps me more so for the career than anything.
00:07:22
Speaker
I probably got as ah as a student. I was lucky to work with some incredible people during my time like Jodi Gates and Donald McHale and all these wonderful people that had these extensive reps that they taught us but also would create. So we got the best of both worlds, which I feel is quite important nowadays in the profession.
00:07:45
Speaker
And then what was your transition like from college student to
Transitioning to Professional Dance During Recession
00:07:50
Speaker
professional? How did that audition season go out of your senior year? o i will tell you, I'll probably say to anybody that is auditioning, that jump is hard. It doesn't matter if you get the job or if you don't get the job or if you get a traineeship or if you get an apprenticeship.
00:08:06
Speaker
It's incredibly hard. I came into the job market when the world was in a bit of a recession and jobs were very, very scarce. I didn't walk away with a company contract right away.
00:08:19
Speaker
So I kind of had to patchwork some stuff of doing like a Nutcracker guesting here and there or work with like a small company up in l LA for a little bit. And that's kind of how my professional career started was working with a very small company in Pasadena through the fall. And then I came out to Madison as a guest guest.
00:08:42
Speaker
for Nutcracker and then went back to Pasadena to do a spring show as well as auditioning during all of this time to try to get a full company contract and then got a phone call in the spring of like 2012 to ask if I wanted to come back full time for Madison Ballet since that's when they were starting the full time company rather than just pick up artists. So It wasn't easy. it was definitely, there's lots of questioning, lots of doubt, lots of rejection, but the more you do it, the easier it gets.
00:09:17
Speaker
It's like never easy emotionally, but the process became, it almost was like doing a daily ballet class because that's what it is. It's a daily ballet class. And now that I'm older, i would say it's also an audition process for you as a student, as a professional dancer that is thinking about wanting to change companies. You also want to know what you may be walking into.
00:09:40
Speaker
and seeing if you like the people at the front of the room or how they operate, or if you you feel like they would provide what you would want. Sometimes it's easier said than done because you only have a very limited amount of places that may be interested, but it's all part of the learning process. I continued auditioning for quite a few years, even after I had a company contract just to see where you are and see if you still actually want to be where you're at. That jump is never easy. i was fortunate I never had to go through a trainee or a second company or a studio company.
00:10:14
Speaker
I lucked out in that kind of
Adjusting to Professional Ballet
00:10:16
Speaker
capacity that I kind of walked in and I was a professional. which is rare and I'm very cognizant of that now because that next jump from apprentice into a company position is incredibly hard. I imagine and I see from being in the studio all the time now. Yeah.
00:10:34
Speaker
I do. I always tell dancers that because we can get so wrapped up in do they like me? Do they want me? And you forget to ask, do I like this company? Do I want this company? And like you said, you don't always have a lot of choices, but you do have choice in your career. And so be really aware of that is super important. Were there any big learning curves that you found going from college? I mean, i know you mentioned you were doing so much rep, you're performing a lot, doing new creations. So you were sort of in that process. But what was it like now being in the room and being like, I'm a professional, I'm getting paid, this is my job?
00:11:07
Speaker
The pressure, it's now, it's your job. This isn't just for fun. And oh, I really would love to do it as a job. I was lucky that there was so few of us. And we were all roughly same age bracket. We were all kind of growing together, as well as growing with this company. So it felt like you were part of something that I don't want to say it was on the ground floor, but there is a level of building that happened. There was pressure because it's your job and it's getting used to a new way of moving. i
00:11:38
Speaker
was trained very classically. i worked on some neoclassical stuff and contemporary ballet and Forsyth work when I was in college and thought I wanted to go completely contemporary ballet when I was in college. And then I came here And at the time, it was highly neoclassical.
00:11:55
Speaker
So I had to shift my entire mindset of, oh, this is what my boss wants. They want me to move in this realm. So I have to adjust to...
00:12:07
Speaker
those sorts of wants and qualities that they are expecting out of their dancers, which is no easy feat, especially if you're you're used to a specific way of moving. So I kind of had to shift into a neoclassical feeling, which thankfully, I think for my body, it felt like water, which is funny because I never was trained that way.
00:12:31
Speaker
I loved it. I loved moving that way. I'm rather tall and I was forced to move fast. It just gave more dimension to my dancing that I wasn't able to explore totally as I was training.
00:12:45
Speaker
Those first years and at Madison Ballet, I look back very fondly. They were hard. My first day of work, I learned a male variation or started helping create a male variation, which you're like, what am I doing? But you know you're...
00:12:58
Speaker
You're doing what you love. There's nothing else like that. I would rather be doing learning a male variation than maybe sitting at a computer all day. So you put things into perspective, but it definitely was a beautiful, beautiful thing. And we were able to build together, which was nice because it didn't feel, i would say, highly competitive because it was such a small group. Like we were all in it together. It kind of was like this little family. I enjoyed it. And it was probably the perfect segue for me in terms of my career because it wasn't being launched into a 45-person company and you're lost in the mix. Because there is a big transition to figuring out you have to hold yourself accountable, which is sometimes the hardest lesson to learn, I would say, as a student in the professional, is that you are now in charge of your own business.
00:13:51
Speaker
stuff. Nobody's going hound you all the time about like rotate your legs or do this or go over your choreography or take the time to go over your choreography. There's a lot of extra homework as a professional that you have to start incorporating. So I was in a ah space where we could learn that all together.
Evolution at Madison Ballet
00:14:08
Speaker
And you've been with Madison Valley for 15 years and you've been through all this transition in the company and you've had three different artistic directors How has the company changed and how do you feel like you keep finding your place as it progresses? It has. It's changed a bunch. A, the size.
00:14:27
Speaker
First and foremost, easiest way to answer that would be like the size of the company has increased tremendously. i don't know how many we're at this upcoming season, but we started with four full-time members.
00:14:38
Speaker
So you're just dancing around with four people Monday through Friday and then you would get guest artists to come in closer to shows versus now I think and don't know last year we were at least at 18 full-time in the room, not including trainees or it's like size just is easy.
00:14:55
Speaker
Obviously with every new boss, there is a new artistic vision and direction that they want to lead the company. And that is something for me that's engaging. I worked with my first boss from 2011 2018 and i was able to grow and learn what being a professional dancer was, and then also being like a leading artist during that time and kind of gave me the blueprint.
00:15:21
Speaker
The next kind of iteration of that was finessing what those qualities meant. And then now I feel like with this artistic leadership, it's back to those original works and that creativity, which is always engaging. So I feel with each leader,
00:15:41
Speaker
it kept me engaged because they expected and wanted different things and ah allowed me to continue to grow. Because i I imagine if you've been working with one leader for 15 to 20 years, you could just be doing the same rep all the time. There isn't that, oh, what's new? And granted, your rep changes year to year, but it's the same person. They probably, you're having those same expectations, right? that they wanted 10 years ago, they still want it now. So I feel that has kind of kept me on my toes, so to speak. Having all those was different leadership changes, it is always difficult to see where your place is with new leadership. And I've been lucky that I've been given the opportunity to continue working
00:16:30
Speaker
as I've gotten older and the faith and trust that I can still do my job and hope that it works still within that vision. And the maturity factor, I think as I've gotten older, I would like to say helps. And especially when you have younger dancers coming into a company to kind of have a grounding sensation for the company. I will keep saying this. I'm very grateful and very fortunate that somebody wants to keep employing me into these years.
00:17:02
Speaker
But you keep saying that you're so lucky, but it's not it's not luck, Shannon. It's someone who knows you personally. It's you. It's your work ethic. It's your dancing. It's not just luck. I have put in like a lot of time and effort and i have put in the work. I will say most dancers are hard workers. Most dancers will try to go that extra mile. Nobody is in a studio not wanting to do their best.
00:17:27
Speaker
Sometimes just dynamics don't fit. And I'm aware of that as I've gotten older and seen changes that you could be the most talented person in the room and you just might not be the right fit for them or the right kind of direction that they want to take the company. And that's why I think I'm so lucky because there have been three different people that somehow still see me as part of this organization and that, you know, not everybody is so fortunate to have. All 15 years have taught me something and entirely
Podcast Promotion: M-Seam Apparel
00:17:58
Speaker
different. And even when I would go and perform with other companies that just, I think, informed what I was able to bring back here to Madison since this has been pretty much my artistic home.
00:18:09
Speaker
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00:19:16
Speaker
And what do you see your role as, as an older dancer and seeing new dancers come in each year, you know, fresh out of college or high school or whatever program they've been
Mentoring Young Dancers
00:19:26
Speaker
in? Like, what do you see as your responsibility to the next generation?
00:19:31
Speaker
A, I think just leading by example, you know, making sure that you're doing what the job expects of you, especially since I still do principal roles in ballets. And also when I'm not doing it, when I'm with everybody else in core, you got to make sure that you know what is expected of you when you're doing your job.
00:19:51
Speaker
But also, i like to think that I'm a place where people can come and talk to me about the job. It is hard. It is a hard transition. And I feel like I enjoy that mentoring and seeing the best way to help people shepherd into some sticky situations that they may find themselves in. Yeah.
00:20:12
Speaker
Hey, I'm not getting casted. I'm like, well, sometimes we don't get casted and that's okay. That doesn't mean that you're not right for it. We need to look at it a little differently. I always like to tell dancers, like, go back to the work. because the work is the most important thing.
00:20:27
Speaker
And if you continue to go back to the work, usually people see that in the front of the room. I have a lot of colleagues that will be like, oh, it's like Mama Shannon. She's the one that encourages. She's you know like, if there's an issue, you can go to her. So I've grown into that, I would say, because I was not like that, obviously, when I came in. But now with the years under my belt, I like to be that grounding force because We can all get very anxious and we all are perfectionists in our own way.
00:20:57
Speaker
And sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and be like, it's still a rehearsal. We're not performing just yet. We still work. You're allowed to tinker. You're allowed to play. It's not opening night. So let's take a deep breath and do our job and make it better because that's what we're here to do.
00:21:15
Speaker
What do you feel like you've learned about staying motivated over different seasons of a dance
Passion for Studio Work and Exploration
00:21:21
Speaker
career? How do you keep that motivation intrinsically? i love what I do. i love it. The being in the studio is actually more enjoyable sometimes for me than a performance. I think most people would be like, what are you talking about? a majority of your career is spent in a studio. If you're lucky, you get two performance runs. Nutcracker, you're probably performing the most.
00:21:44
Speaker
You don't get a ton of stage time, especially I would say in American companies, unless you're maybe with ah a very large company. So i love being in the studio.
00:21:55
Speaker
i don't necessarily love doing tendus and degages and grand allegro every single day, but i love being in the studio and I love working and i love rehearsal. If you ask any of my colleagues or any of my partners that I have worked with, they would be like, she loves rehearsing because it's the time to play and it's the time to work and try new things and see what is possible versus like a performance, it's final. It's one shot and it's it's over. It's very fleeting. And so I would say over the course of the 15 years, that love of being in the studio has only grown more because I was able to now, especially working with three different bosses,
00:22:37
Speaker
What they expect in the studio is all entirely different. And so that from myself as an artist, it allows me to play with more colors that sometimes you don't always get.
00:22:48
Speaker
i got to work on all of my Balanchine and then I got to work on this a little more Balanchine and then let's throw in some Arpino and then let's now do go back to creating new work and...
00:23:00
Speaker
You get to kind of play with all the things that you would want to as an artist. And that I think has been how I've been able to stay motivated, even if it's been stressful because you're changing bosses. But each of them have wanted something a little different, which has allowed for more exploration in the studio creativity.
00:23:20
Speaker
That exploration is my motivation. Even now, however many years after doing this, I love it. It might be hard to get there some days. Once you're in there, it's a ton of fun to be in there and to be working. And what we do is so cool. It's really incredible that you want to savor every single moment that you get it.
Gaining Perspective and Enjoying Performances
00:23:41
Speaker
What are some strengths that you think you have now as a dancer that maybe you didn't have when you were 22 years old and starting out?
00:23:49
Speaker
Perspective. Perspective. Big time perspective. I'm able to manage things a lot better. It's funny, i there was a master's student that I would work with quite a bit who used to dance for Houston Ballet and he would always tell me when I was in college to mark.
00:24:07
Speaker
And I was like, what are you talking about? Like, you just have to go. You have to like 100, 150% like all the time. now as i'm older I'm like, oh, sometimes less is more.
00:24:21
Speaker
Not all the time, not in every capacity, but sometimes less is more. Sometimes 150 is not what is required of you, especially if You are one of those people that goes all out all the time. Sometimes you need to do the 50 or your 50.
00:24:39
Speaker
What is your 50%? And that's not by 50% of energy. It's just trying to play with all the different qualities that a dancer has. So I would say perspective is one big time managing the career is another. I had no no clue what I was signing up for.
00:25:00
Speaker
i would say that now, as I'm in like the later stages, I um wish I would have enjoyed some of these amazing things that I got to do when I was younger versus being nervous about like having it be like perfection or wanting it to look a certain way or I didn't hit a pirouette exactly how I wanted it rather than just enjoying it because you don't get those opportunities all the time and i think that's one of the biggest things that I've learned now like every time I get to step on stage I try to enjoy it more so than being
00:25:38
Speaker
an anxious person of wanting to expect it to be a flawless show. I'm like, it's not going to be, you're a human. So just try to enjoy it and be present in those moments. That's what I wish I would have done a bit more when I was 22.
00:25:54
Speaker
twenty two Yeah. And when she realizes when you can do that, then things actually tend to go better. They go so much better. And the audience connects with you more. Like there's so many attributes that kind of allow if you're enjoying what you're doing, usually somebody will connect
Impactful Roles and Artistic Growth
00:26:11
Speaker
to that. And I wish I just would have had somebody telling me that a bit more.
00:26:16
Speaker
When I was in those earlier stages doing some bigger roles, that would have probably been a little bit more helpful because I think it was more of like, oh my gosh, rather than like, oh my gosh, this is amazing. Let's go and do this. Yeah. You feel like you have prove yourself every time instead of just being like, okay, it's one more opportunity to perform and share. Exactly. Because I feel like a lot of people start thinking I'm constantly trying to prove myself versus enjoying it, enjoying the the ride.
00:26:47
Speaker
Are there any really meaningful performances or roles that you dance in your career that you think back on? Oh, yeah. ah This is like, it's, I always say, people are like, what has been a favorite thing? And I'm like, it's like picking a favorite kid, I guess. Yeah.
00:27:03
Speaker
They all inform me for sure as as an artist, but I would say there's like a few meaningful roles and shows that I've gotten to do that I look back and I'm like, oh wow, that's pretty incredible that I got to do these things.
00:27:17
Speaker
First time I ever got up to do a title role, I did Cinderella and I was newly into doing like principal stuff. So that was amazing and taught me so much about carrying a ballet and also developing a character, especially that character that is like very, everybody knows Cinderella in various types of stories. So that was a very meaningful role that I got to do early in my career. i have a plethora of Balanchine ballets that I've been like fortunate enough to do. you were like Tchaikovsky, pas de deux, I got to do this ballet that's very, I think most people wouldn't even know that Balanchine choreographed this. It's part of Tchaikovsky suite number three, but it's the first section and it's called Elegy and it's barefoot and your hair is down and it's like very dramatic and Not many companies do it, so I felt very honored that we got to do it.
00:28:10
Speaker
Ruby's was another one that was I never thought I would do when I got to do that one. Serenade, because it's Serenade. Later in my career, i kind of put it out of my brain that I would never probably touch the classical rep ever again, and I would probably never really touch Giselle, the ballet Giselle.
00:28:31
Speaker
But I always wanted to do Myrta when I was growing up, especially as I became a taller dancer. and I was like, Marita would be so great to do. And I just kind of wrote it off that I would never do it. And i was fortunate enough that that came into my life later. And so that was a very meaningful one. And I'm glad that it happened when i was later in my career, because I think it added what it probably needed to step into a role like that.
00:28:58
Speaker
And then i would just say in general, a lot of the moments on stage that i value a lot is all the connections that I've made with, whether it's partners that I got to work with a long time or the group of people that's surrounding me.
00:29:11
Speaker
So those sorts of things are what I like hold very dear to me. And then I guess my last big one would have been doing Christopher Wheldon's The Spitter. That story was kind of a wild one of getting thrown into it. so Well, tell tell us.
00:29:26
Speaker
I was at Ballet Tucson and Repetitor was working with the original cast and I was the understudy cast and it was a tech rehearsal. And the original cast, it wasn't going very well. And, you know, repetitors come in, especially during tech week, and they have very limited time. And this repetitor I had worked with before, and she is very much about the work and honoring the work. And so... certain things weren't going well. And she got on the God mic and was said, Shannon, let me see it. And so I went and hadn't touched it in about three weeks.
00:30:05
Speaker
And went and did the paw and she said, All right, you're going in, you're going in tonight. And I was like, ah can I go over that because This Bitter Earth is part of a larger ballet called Five Movements and Three Repeats and Ballet Tucson was doing the full thing and i was like I haven't touched the finale in about four weeks do you think we could maybe go through that before I just get thrown into a dress rehearsal and she said oh yeah we can do that but i've had mentors tell me stories like that and you're like that kind of stuff never happens that you're like you kind of write them off and then
00:30:40
Speaker
When you're in that moment, you're like, oh, wait, this is what they are
Performance Highlights: 'This Bitter Earth'
00:30:44
Speaker
talking about. Like those sorts of moments are what your teachers try to prep you. You know, they try to tell you these stories in order to be like, you never know what can happen.
00:30:55
Speaker
Somebody could get injured. Dancers may get pulled. Like there could be an illness. There's a whole host of things. And so i was like, oh, this is what they meant. Yeah. Yeah.
00:31:10
Speaker
yeah so i ended up performing all four shows of that pa which is beautiful and with very limited rehearsal and you know not touching it with the partner at the time for about three and so you're like okay here we go um yeah but So that that is memorable. Also, i mean, the pause is stunning, but the story that goes along with it is always like the lesson part of that one. And then you're like, I did that. But that yeah, right. I can do anything. i did this. i did this after very limited
00:31:42
Speaker
time on stage and which I will say that my time with Madison because we were so small I think really helped prep me for those sorts of things because Valley Tucson was ah a bit bigger of a company and they had the ability to have multiple casts and to share roles a bit more than we did in Madison so You kind of were doing a whole bunch of different stuff. You were always dancing. You were always doing things. So my early stages of my career here at Madison kind of prepped me for those those sorts of moments.
00:32:13
Speaker
Do you have a dream role that you hope to dance? Oh, I would love to do on. That would be like one. A Romeo and Juliet would be awesome. I've done a balcony paw. I've had a balcony paw created on me, but the full length would be incredible.
00:32:28
Speaker
If you can't tell, I love the drama. That seems to be my calling card. And then i think Onegin is also a beautiful story that would be incredible to do. So those are kind of my, you know, my dream, but I'm not sure if they'll come to fruition at this moment in my journey.
00:32:46
Speaker
Well, maybe North Star Dance Theater in stage one.
Creating North Star Dance Theater
00:32:50
Speaker
yeah Well, let's talk more about North Star. So I want to hear about this for brand new company that you have started. How did it all come about?
00:32:59
Speaker
So after the pandemic, I'll kind of go from the beginning quickly. Madison Ballet performed out at Summer Stage of Delafield, and we were out there for A couple of seasons, it's where we first performed coming out of COVID, which was magical. We ended up going back the next year. And then with the change of leadership, they no longer wanted to continue that sort of outdoor performance out there. And so I was like, wait, that was a really cool place. i wonder if they still want dance. Is this possible? And so I just, I called the artistic director and asked if they still want dance. And he was like, yes, we would love to have some dance. And I was like, okay, well,
00:33:38
Speaker
It would give people opportunity to just like dance during the summer and we could do it like right at the end of summer, very beginning of fall. So I called as many tech people that would, that I've known over the years and asked like, what would it take And they were like, this is what it takes. And I'm like, is it possible? And they're like, oh, absolutely. So a group of us put on Dance of Delafield probably in like less than 90 days. It was like we had those calls in June and then we performed by September. And it is it's a labor of love to like make a show happen out there. We have been out there for three summers and we were planning on going out for the fourth and scheduling changes and things outside of our control.
00:34:24
Speaker
We weren't unable to go to go back for this summer and we wanted to still continue to produce stuff and give people opportunities to work on their craft over the summer.
00:34:36
Speaker
So we had to pivot and stars aligned where we were fortunate enough to get some theater opportunities within Madison and we obviously can't continue to call it Dance at Delafield. So we changed the name, which we always wanted to expand, but we didn't think it would happen this summer. We kind of thought it would be a couple of years.
00:34:58
Speaker
When you have an opportunity, you just got to kind of roll with it and see what happens. So we formed it. This like winner, technically, like the name came about and we started our first day of rehearsal for the whole new group was June 1st and we performed.
00:35:15
Speaker
June 26th and 27th. So kind of our style is to put it together really freaking quick. But yeah, so it was something that ah me and my co-leader and also a longtime dance partner have wanted to do. We've wanted to create more opportunities for dancers and artists and choreographers to just keep working during the summer. Since for those of us that aren't fortunate enough enough to have a 52-week or a 50-week contract or a 45-week contract, you're off all summer and you're picking up a side hustle of pick your poison. And I'm sure a majority of people would love to be working and
00:35:56
Speaker
We wanted to see if we could actually continue to foster something like that. And that's kind of how this came about, wanting to just keep giving more opportunities. And selfishly, i would love to keep dancing as well.
00:36:13
Speaker
If you're a dancer starting to think about college or a parent trying to navigate the often overwhelming world of dance admissions, I want to tell you about an event that I wish more dancers knew about.
00:36:25
Speaker
CNBC is a unique college recruitment weekend designed to connect dancers with college dance programs in a supportive, non-competitive environment focused on growth, learning, and possibility.
00:36:38
Speaker
Hosted by Detroit Metropolitan Dance, formerly Eisenhower Dance Detroit, at Central City Dance in Canton, Michigan, this two-day event takes place October 3rd and 4th and brings together dancers, parents, and college representatives from programs across the United States.
00:36:55
Speaker
Unlike a traditional audition setting, CMBC gives you multiple opportunities to engage with schools through college fair style booths, master classes taught by college faculty, panel discussions, and workshops.
00:37:09
Speaker
In addition to these classes and workshops, dancers can audition and receive valuable feedback while being considered for admissions, scholarships, and other opportunities. And the programming goes beyond auditions too.
00:37:21
Speaker
Dancers and parents can attend sessions covering topics like navigating the college application process, FAFSA and financial aid, careers in dance, nutrition, health and wellness, injury prevention, resilience, and preparing for life beyond high school.
00:37:36
Speaker
Whether you're just beginning your college search or preparing to audition this year, seeing and be seen offers a chance to learn, connect, and gain clarity on your next steps.
00:37:46
Speaker
To learn more and register, head to the link in the show notes and start planning for an inspiring weekend this October.
Vision for North Star's Future
00:37:53
Speaker
What's your vision for North Star? What are you excited about?
00:37:57
Speaker
I think, a I'm excited that it's actually like happening. I feel like we had finally gotten ah a wrangle on delafield Dance of Delafield. And then it was like, now let's shift it in a giant way that it's quite unexpected in the most you know beautiful of ways. But it definitely was like, a oh whoa, OK, here we go. The level of intricacies are much, much bigger and bigger.
00:38:23
Speaker
It has only fostered deeper respect for people that are running ballet companies. It's a lot of work. I think I'm excited to see after this season, like what we will try to bring out next summer, since I think we will have a little bit more opportunity to kind of plan in a way that I think will feel a bit more cohesive to us as and leadership group. I would say just to see what we're able to create out of bringing a bunch of different people together. The work and that people are wanting to create, sometimes they don't get the opportunity, whether it's because of... There's a whole host of reasons. And so we like to have the idea that almost you have free reign.
00:39:09
Speaker
of what you would want to create and that I feel like is very rare for people and that's I think one of the things that I'm excited about to see what types of work people could create if they were like hey like go what do you want to do here are the dancers what do you want to do Because we're working on a new program, i I see a lot of people dealing with some stuff that they maybe have been wanting to work on, but they, A, haven't had the place to do it, or there's been the fear of wanting to do it because it maybe is a bit more personal. And sometimes that's scary to share, to be vulnerable and to put that sort of work out there and to share that with a community. And so I'm excited for those sorts of things, the work that comes out of it. And then Hopefully it continues to just give more opportunity to more dancers and more creators to just keep working but at this point in time until, you know, just to kind of see where it will evolve in that kind of summer work. I'm really excited for, and I'm sure that it will probably change on a dime like life always does. yeah.
00:40:21
Speaker
How do you balance being both a performer and artistic leader in this setting?
Balancing Performer and Leader Roles
00:40:27
Speaker
How do you make that work? It's a giant work in progress. Like I was saying earlier, I feel like we kind of finally got our bearings with Delafield. And then now it's like, let's change it all. I am super fortunate to have an amazing community of people that I'm currently dancing with. at North Star and at Madison Ballet and former Madison Ballet dancers and just a beautiful community that I have that are willing to help me and bring this to fruition. We have wonderful people that when I am allowed to be just the dancer, I have a very dear friend that's also our rehearsal director. She's in charge when I have to be a dancer and my partner and co-leader have to
00:41:15
Speaker
to be dancers. She's in charge. So the spirit of like community, i think helps it. It doesn't make it easier, but it helps. But I will say finding that balance is a huge work in progress and I have not figured it out just yet. It's still tinkering with like, okay, I'm going to some emails here. I'm going make a schedule. And then, oh, yeah, now I need to go and do my choreography. And then you're in a production meeting for, you know, four hours. And then you're like, okay, and now I need to review this ballet that we're working on. So I love being busy. I really do. I like flourish under those sorts of things. But I still haven't.
00:41:55
Speaker
figured it out completely. I would be lying if I said i have the secret, but I don't. I think my best motto that I try to live by is to try to lead and be a source of like lead with grace and kindness.
00:42:09
Speaker
And usually it comes back. So that's kind of how I try to operate in this sphere while I'm trying to figure it out. And thankfully, people have been very wonderful with that. So I'm just going to try to continue with that motto and see once I figure out that balance, I can let you know. But I haven't haven't sorted it just yet.
00:42:33
Speaker
I'm sure it's ever changing. Like you said, every day is different. and It's just kind of every day is it brings a new set of challenges and different and just things you would never expect. And I think that's something that I would love for new dancers to know that like there are so many elements.
00:42:50
Speaker
to putting on any sort of show, whether it's small or large in scale, part of a company, a project, the amount of like behind the scenes stuff that as dancers were like the talent we don't get to see all the time. As we walk in, we do our class, we get on stage, we go home and that's it. But The tech crew, the artistic leadership, they've been there probably for about six to seven hours before you even showed up, you know, so those sorts of things, there's so much more that goes into our profession than just us. It is truly a community.
00:43:25
Speaker
And I think I would say, to any younger person, like just take note of it, just of the people that work behind the scenes, your your assistant stage manager, your stage manager, your lighting designer, the person that's back there, you know, pulling the curtain. We're all trying to produce the same thing. We're trying to produce a beautiful show and create art. They just have a different avenue to create it.
00:43:48
Speaker
I know this is a long of ways off, but in your future, do you see yourself continuing down this artistic leadership path once you someday retire? or what do you see yourself doing?
Future in Leadership and Advice for Dancers
00:44:00
Speaker
oh I mean, i would love for North Star to kind of continue. And if that's where that role kind of lives, fantastic. I also love... Coaching dancers and mentoring younger dancers, especially newer into the profession. Like really, that has kind of been something that I have discovered within the probably the past like four to five years. I've enjoyed it and seeing like how to make my fellow colleagues shine or people that are working with North Star right now.
00:44:33
Speaker
So I love like maybe ah a ballet master or rehearsal director of some sorts. That's also something that I've thoroughly enjoyed. it I just would love to be in the field in some sort of capacity because I do, I do love it. And I would love to keep creating opportunities for people.
00:44:51
Speaker
Okay, last question, Shannon. If you had to give aspiring pro dancers pursuing their career one piece of advice, what would you tell them? Oh, goodness. I think something that we I maybe mentioned a little earlier, enjoy it. Work hard. do Do the things that you want. Always strive to be better, but enjoy it because it does go by really fast.
00:45:12
Speaker
And those moments, you you don't want to look back and be like, oh, man, I wish I like just would have lived a little bit more in that moment. you know Just enjoy it. It will only inform you more. And it will just give you a deeper gratitude and appreciation for what you do. Because what we do and what you want to do, if you want to be an aspiring professional, it's incredible.
00:45:33
Speaker
Be present in what you have now because it is just as beautiful as whatever then that next thing may come. Yep. Shannon, this has been so nice to chat with you today. If anyone listening wants to learn more about you or northt Star Dance Theater, where can we find you? When are your performances? Give us all the details.
00:45:52
Speaker
So Norris Star Dance Theater will be performing in Chicago, August 7th and 8th the Doris Humphrey Memorial Theater. And then we will be performing in Madison at the My Art Starlight Theater, August 28th and 29th.
00:46:11
Speaker
And if you need any more details about North Star, it's northstardancetheater.com or northstardancetheater is the Instagram handle. And and then obviously i have to promote the company that I've been working for forever, Madison Ballet. Same thing, madisonballet.org. And the handle is Madison Ballet.
00:46:28
Speaker
Okay, perfect. Thank you so much, Shannon, for all this. I really appreciate you. Yeah, of course. Thank you, Caitlin.
00:46:36
Speaker
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00:46:48
Speaker
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00:47:02
Speaker
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