I haven't danced in a year... I want to go back
I quit dancing due to a relationship sometime last year around this month and I'm contemplating returning for financial reasons. I danced for eight years before I quit all over the country and was pretty damn good at it. I made excellent money and worked really hard.
Being out of it for a year is strange for me. I don't know what to expect coming back. My body hasn't changed so I'm sure I'll be hired at the best clubs in my city but I'm worried my hustle is gone. The last year I've worked in a non-socializing environment so I think talking to customers is going to be the biggest challenge.
Anyone else quit for a year+ and went back? What was your experience?
How long until I get back into the hang of things?
What's a good way to not experience the shock of returning?
Re: I haven't danced in a year... I want to go back
A year off after dancing for eight shouldn't be too tough of a transition! I took about that much time off at one point and it was a bit strange coming back in that I returned to my home club and didn't recognize most of the girls but the club itself felt somewhat familiar.
It didn't take long to get my bearings straight and get my hustle on again though. I feel like I returned as a much stronger hustler since I had more life experience to draw on in my conversations. It helped that I was returning to my old stomping ground and some of the regulars had missed me and still remembered me, but still!
I think your best bet is to either slowly ease yourself in to dancing. I'm not sure what your plan for dancing is (full-time? a few shifts here and there?) but if you plan on dancing full-time, I think starting with less than a full-time shift load will be good. Your body will still be sore, so you don't want to push yourself too hard.
It's also really important to not let yourself get down about bad shifts. When I came back, I came back to Saturday afternoons, which I'd been working for years and always loved. Well, they were nowhere near as good as they used to be, and it was really disappointing the first few times. They got better over time as I re-established my Saturday afternoon regulars, but it was pretty demotivating at first to compare what I used to earn on that shift with what I was earning when I first came back. So, give yourself a low bar and celebrate the wins!
Also, if you happen to be in touch with any of your old regulars (still have their numbers or emails), reach out and let them know about your return! I did that with a few and it was nice to have a friendly, familiar face (and their friendly, familiar $$$) to look forward to.
Re: I haven't danced in a year... I want to go back
I'm sure you'll be fine..also read up here & you'll rock it!
Re: I haven't danced in a year... I want to go back
OP, it's like riding a bike. I quit for 6 years and jumped right back in as if no time passed at all. My body was sore as if I was starting like a newbie, but my hustle came right back to me and I was able to close a VIP sale shortly after my audition.