Separating Your Identity from Your Dance Career

Sarah Jenkins · 2026-01-29

You know that feeling when someone asks, "So, what do you do?" and your entire answer is just... dance. It's not just your job, it's your whole world. I get it. We pour our hearts into studios, choreography, and classes until the lines blur completely. But what happens when the music stops? Let's talk about something crucial for every dance professional: separating who you are from what you do. It's not about loving dance any less. It's about loving yourself more. ### Why This Separation Matters When your identity becomes your dance career, every critique feels personal. A canceled class isn't just a scheduling issue—it's a rejection of you. A student struggling isn't just having an off day—it's a reflection of your teaching. That weight is crushing, and honestly, it's unsustainable. I've seen brilliant choreographers burn out because they couldn't step off the stage mentally. I've watched studio owners define their worth by enrollment numbers. We need to create space between our art and our essence. ### Practical Steps to Create Distance Start small. Really small. Here are some things that have helped me and countless other dance professionals: - Develop a hobby completely unrelated to dance (I took up gardening—no rhythm required) - Schedule "non-dance" time in your calendar and treat it as sacred - When someone asks what you do, lead with something else first - Create a morning routine that doesn't involve stretching or technique - Have conversations where dance isn't mentioned at all These might feel strange at first. That's normal. You're rewiring patterns that have been building for years, maybe decades. ### The Benefits You'll Notice Here's the beautiful part: when you create this separation, your dance actually improves. You bring fresh energy to the studio. Choreography flows from a place of joy rather than obligation. Teaching becomes about connection rather than validation. You become more resilient to the industry's inevitable ups and downs. A slow season doesn't define your worth. A challenging student becomes an interesting puzzle rather than a personal failure. As one of my mentors once told me, "The best dancers are whole people first and dancers second." That wisdom has stayed with me through every stage of my career. ### Building Your Identity Beyond the Studio This isn't about abandoning your passion. It's about expanding your foundation. What interests you outside of dance? What values guide you? What relationships nourish you? Think of it like cross-training for your soul. You're developing emotional muscles that will support you through every pirouette and plié of your career. The studio becomes a place you choose to be, not the only place you can be. Start today. Just one small thing. Maybe it's reading a book that has nothing to do with dance. Perhaps it's having coffee with someone who doesn't know your choreography from your grocery list. These moments add up. They create space for you to breathe, to grow, to remember that you were a person before you were a dancer—and you'll be a person long after your last bow.