The World is Your Stage

By: Eileen Nesbitt

When you consider that ballet dancers, like doctors, spend at least 10 years to train to become professionals, the realization that the dancer's career, unlike the doctor's career, will likely last for only a couple decades, if they're fortunate, comes as a shock. When is the last time you heard of a surgeon retiring in his 30s? For this reason, dancers have to always be thinking in the back of their minds, of what their second career choice might be.

Former principal dancer Geon van der Wyst, 33, encountered a very public retirement from the National Ballet of Canada this past February, as a chronic knee injury would keep him permanently from returning to the stage for the company's Winter Season.

“When I stopped dancing I felt like I was encountering a death of part of myself. It was a very difficult and emotional decision. I thought I'd be dancing until I was 35 or 40, but you never know what the future holds. You have to live for the performance because you never know if it's going to be your last.”

Van der Wyst, who had danced professionally for 13 years with both the National Ballet of Canada and the Australian Ballet, started thinking early on about what the future might hold for him after dance.

“I thought seriously about being an orthopaedic surgeon and I did some job shadowing in Australia . It takes approximately 15 years of study to become that type of doctor. I needed to establish my new career fairly quickly after retirement, so I came up with another plan.”

Van der Wyst – a very outgoing, exceptional people-person – decided that the best direction for him would be to become a licensed real estate agent for the Greater Toronto Area. His parents in Australia were always very interested in real estate when Van der Wyst was growing up, which piqued his interest. He sold some property in Melbourne , got his feet wet in the business and enjoyed it. In 2002, he started his Toronto studies, spending 10 months of intensive training to acquire his agent license.

“You have to be very disciplines, take a lot of computer courses and attend several real estate seminars in order to become suitable for the role. I am having a lot of gun right now. I am putting all my energy into this new career dealing with open houses, direct mailing, referral clients and more. Some day I hope to expand my business, employ people, become a leader!”

I watched the National Ballet perform in August and as I watched I thought, why do we do this? Satisfaction in ballet comes from positive feedback of others. You have no control of your own destiny as a dancer. I'm happy to be on the other side now. It's calming. I get out of my career what I put into it.

Most dancers have a complete disregard for their career after ballet, but you have to prepare for a second career also, it's a must. Get your models into place. Preparation is key to a successful life. Aspire to be anything you want. So set yourself goals. Find your calling and reap the rewards!”

Chan Hon Goh is one of the world's most sought-after principal dancers, who continually wins much praise everywhere she performs, she joined the National Ballet of Canda when she was 19 and have been dancing professionally for 16 years. She also dances with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet and quests with the Royal Danish Ballet, the Queensland Ballet, The Vail International Dance Festival and others. Goh is in the prime of her career.

“I still get tremendous joy from dancing as it really fascinates me. Dancing is in my blood. However, I did realize that some day I'd have to re-invent myself if I wanted a career until I'm old and gray. I actually thought I'd retire from the stage by age 30. But because of tremendous opportunities and the amazing artists that I've been able to work with, I've stayed dancing,” says Goh.

She might not be retiring from the stage any time soon, but when she does, she has the option of a full-time career waiting for her, as Goh and her husband Chun Che (a former prnicipal dancer with the National Ballet of China), own and operate a successful dancewear line called principal by Chan Hon Goh in Toronto .

“I like being a president. And I'm proud that Che and I have successfully developed this business over the last eight years, in which we provide dancers with long-lasting, high-quality, affordable, hand-made shoes, designed by dancers for dancers. I've had to take a lot of business and finance courses, attend lectures and learn to be proficient on the computer to make this business a success,” explain Goh.

“Dancers have such short careers that you always have to be thinking about what's next. It's good to be considering other projects to give you future flexibility and financial stability. I've thought about doing other things, like writing my autobiography – which I did and had published in 2002 (Beyond the Dancer: A Ballerina's Life). And of course, there are so many other things in life that I haven't tried yet. Wouldn't it be exciting to be a mother, a commercial real estate agent or a cultural ambassador?

“When I finish dancing, I was to utilize all the discipline, dedication and passion that I thrive on as a dancer. My advice to other dancers is to ask yourself, what makes you happy and what are you good at? Apply those answers to your second career choice. It's simple advice, but it works!”

Since 1996, Lindsay Fisher has been running the Intensive Dance (Advanced Post-Secondary Training) and Dancer Career Planning Programmes at The National Ballet School in Toronto . He knows first-hand about retirement from the stage. A former principal dancer with both the New York City Ballet and The Dutch National Ballet, Fisher had to retire nine years ago when he was 37 because of a dance injury.

“Dancers have to think about their retirement from the stage way before it happens,” Fisher says. “I say it's like sex education, it's much easier to counsel an adolescent about sex before they actually enter their sexuality, rather than talking to them as they're going through it. It's so much less frightening and difficult to talk and think about, before then event takes place.”

He advices dancers to acquire basic life skills – typing, driving, learning how to manage time and money and how to complete job applications, both in and out of the arts world.

“The key to success is good mental health. Dancers have to learn a sense of consequence rather than dread. It gives them a sense of control, which is so important. I help them understand that they will have to rely on other people in life to succeed, but their own strength and confidence will lead them ahead. In the ballet world, you are treated how you act. Some 35-year-olds still act like they are 10, and that is how they will be treated,” says Fischer.

Fischer has his own career ambitions at the front of his mind too, as he is planning to complete the degree he began as a dancer at Fordham University in New York and one day aspires to become artistic director of a ballet company. “The options are endless for us dancers, as we are energetic, disciplined professionals,” exclaims Fischer.

Patrick Canny, 29, former international ballet soloist, should now correctly be addressed as Constable Canny, as he is one of the newest additions to the Calgary Police Service in Calgary , Alberta . “It's going to be tough, but I'm up for the challenge!” beams Canny.

Canny retired from the Alberta Ballet in May 2004 after dancing his last role of Stepmother in Jean Grand Maître's new Cinderella . He danced professionally for 12 years, guesting with several international companies, including the Northern Ballet Theatre, Stradttheater Bern, Ballett Art Francois Klaus and The Hong Long Ballet.

“I wanted to retire at the top of my game, not on the bottom, I was mentally ready for a move and motivated to do something else.

“My father inspired me to look into becoming an eye surgeon like him. I also thought I'd like to be a history teacher, but I felt this overwhelming inner need to server my country at some point in my life, a sense of duty you might call it … that's why I knew being in the police service was right for me.”

Canny started seriously thinking about joining the force three years ago, as he thought it would offer him better job security, a good salary and more excitement than dance ever could. “I have a friend in the Calgary Police Service who first inspired me. I rode along with her and checked out the lifestyle of being an officer. I applied in 2000, but I wasn't accepted the first time round. It's not as easy as you think to get into the force, as it's highly competitive, there are multiple mental, physical and written tests.

“Even as a former ballet dancer, I really had to work on my strength to pass the physical testing. I was however, accepted this summer, so starting in September I take six months of police school, graduate and hopefully get my badge in February 2005. Then I look forward to a one-year probation on Calgary streets. I don't know what area of policing I was to end up doing yet. I'm going to spend a good five years getting valuable information form senior offers to be the best police officer I can be. This career is for the rest of my life.”

Canny offers a lot of advice for dancers out there contemplation what to do with their lives after they retire. “Remember, your career is not over when you leave the stage. Always have your videos and resume prepared on disk, touch them up frequently and don't limit yourself. Make sure you have a skill to fall back on and learn how to use a computer so you can support yourself. This will make your like so much easier. Leap at every opportunity, don't be scared of change. You are in control. Be an adult.”