I've dance for my entire adult life. I worked in fast food, retail, and I was a nanny up until graduating high school. I found dancing a month after I turned 18 and have stuck with it ever since. I've made a good amount of money during those years and was able to purchase two homes, a few stock options, and a decent sized savings.
I'm so tired of dancing. I dread going in to the point that I refuse to talk to anyone and walk around in circles until someone approaches me. Even if they do, I only dance for them if they treat me respectfully (i.e not grabbing me). I'm not making what I use to because I could care less about hustling guys.
I decided to try something new. Since my resume is blank for the last several years, I'm stuck with non-traditional jobs. The problem with this is that I'm not getting a stable paycheck but I have the ability to make as much, if not more, than dancing. I'm not going to explain what this job is but just know that it's 100% legal and not involved with the sex industry.
My new job pays enough to cover my bills and then some but it's more volatile than dancing. I suppose I should be use to this lifestyle but I'm not; I guess because I'm inexperienced with my new job. When I started as an inexperienced dancer, I didn't have to worry about things like a mortgage, retirement, etc.
Everyday I question whether transitioning out of dancing is the best option for me. I'm scared that this new job will be a significant pay cut even though the people who brought me into it are making more than I ever did as a dancer. I want to stick it out and give it my all but I stress about the opportunity loss with cutting my hours down from dancing. I'm currently working about two-three days a week which bothers me because I'm a full time dancer. It's slow in the summer so the cut back is justifiable even if I didn't have another source of income.
Any advice from those that were able to get out of the industry? When did you become confident that you no longer needed dancing to survive? Is there anything I could do to ease my stress?



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