Time….money….opportunity…..
Commuting is a serious consideration for dancers, whether driving or using public transit to get to jobs and rehearsals. How far are you willing to travel? What are the trade offs? Is it commuting to one job, or the total time spent traveling as you are juggling 4 different freelance gigs? Three artists from around the United States share their take on this topic. Their answers are honest, with a balance of seriousness and humor. Commuting can push dancers to their limits; it can become one of the most time consuming elements of the week. It can make dance happen for us, or pull us directly away from the heart of our work.
Artists Tina Fehlandt, Randee Paufve, and Damon Rago were asked the following questions:
-How do you become at peace with the reality of commuting?
-How do you weigh the pros and cons?
-How do you make the most of your commute time?
-Do you do dance related work or non-dance activities?
–Is commuting a time to be still, not think about dance, etc?
-How do you care for your "commuting body?"
Tina Fehlandt
Tina Fehlandt (New York City/New Jersey Area)
I recall a conversation I had with Eva Nichols, then Education Director at Mark Morris Dance Group. It went along the lines of, “Princeton wants to do a dance by Mark. You would go out twice a week for the Fall Semester. Are you interested?” Me – “Sure! I can handle going to Princeton twice a week for a few months.” Seven years later I’m STILL traveling there, usually three times during any given week and more when we have a show going up. Truthfully, I would LOVE to work someplace closer to where I live! But…the University is a phenomenal employer and the support all the arts programs receive is unparalleled in higher education. The campus is gorgeous, the students are engaged and responsive, and my fellow faculty members are, simply put, amazing and inspiring. I think about those things when I’m stuck in traffic or on a stalled train…
I use my car time for thinking and listening to music or an interesting podcast. On the train I’ll read, plan classes, sort through email and, of course, relax and look out the window! When the chance presents itself I’ll commute with one of my colleagues – a true bonding experience!
I do a series of exercises and stretches both before I leave home and after I arrive on campus. At this point in my dancing life this has become a priority! Warm up exercises first, then email or meetings or whatever else needs to get done. In addition, I do a weekly Pilates session, ride the stationary bike at my YMCA, and see a PT or massage therapist for any lingering aches and pains.
To read Tina’s artist profile, click here.
Randee Paufve (San Francisco Bay Area)
I grew up in farm country and while the gifts of a childhood spent barefoot in nature are immeasurable, to get anywhere besides the river or the woods we had to get in a car. This was a way of life and I have inadvertently continued to set up my life as a commuter. I have never made peace with this. As a dancer and choreographer I teach and rehearse in venues in San Francisco, East Bay, North Bay and beyond. I sometimes drive a full loop of the Bay for work in a single day. We all know this but it bears repeating that commuting in the Bay Area absolutely sucks, a whole lot of body-crunching wasted time sitting in a car, spewing CO2. Yet aside from making a radical move such as getting rid of my car, taking out a giant loan and getting an electric car, making a severe shift in my work or changing professions completely, I don’t know how to transform this. I have implemented a no-drive Saturday policy, which is working except that I sometimes cheat by riding in my boyfriend’s car. I also walk or take public transportation as much as possible, but even on days where public transportation is doable this means a combination of a long walk, bus and BART, carrying all the stuff I need for a day of teaching and rehearsing. Between the arthritis in my hips and the expenses of BART, I often cave in and just take my car. Though driving may well have contributed to the hip situation, bit of a catch-22 there.
While driving I do music research, talk on the phone, catch up on news, think, practice challenging and sometimes phantom conversations, win one-sided arguments, say weird or awful things I would never actually say to anyone, repeat certain words over and over to see what happens (porch, porch, porch, porch, porch), practice facial expressions, write meaningless inspirations on little pieces of paper which is very bad driving of me, spew, vent, cry, talk to God, Della (Davidson), and any other spirits who appear on the ride that day….
Damon Rago (Los Angeles Area)
I’ve been commuting 50 miles each way for 15 years. I wake at 4:45 each morning and leave the house at 5:40. I try to leave school (Loyola Marymount University) no later than 4, but as chair, that is often not realistic. I spend about 3-4 hours in the car 5-6 days a week. We choose to live where we do because of a desire to be near our family, but, the truth is, my patience with the long drive comes and goes. I have an electric vehicle, thus I can use the carpool lane, but the sheer distance is what makes the commute so long. I do enjoy the solitude, as it is the only few hours a day when I have quiet time to myself. I refuse to “work” in the car and take no calls, except from my wife, and I try to keep those brief. I treat myself to podcasts on my favorite past time, stand-up comedy.
I must admit that my relationship with commuting is dynamic. There are times when I feel flat out suicidal about the concept of a 2 hour commute, and times when I truly zen out in the car and feel even refreshed by it. It is nice in the evening to feel like I’ve truly left school and the work component of my job far, far behind me.
To read Damon’s artist profile, click here.
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Life as a Modern Dancer 
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