Today I was re-reading Laura Everling Mulchay's artist profile from November 2012, and her final advice for young dancers is so well-written. I wanted to repost it today for college undergraduates everywhere. To read Laura's full profile, including about her time dancing for Cirque du Soleil, click here.

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1) Let modern be your launch pad. If you learn modern, you can do anything, because modern teaches you a language of all of the basic elements. Modern training is also unparalleled in making good choreographers. The difference is amazing.

2) Practice auditioning. Auditioning can be a really damaging process, and I am honestly no good at it, myself. The casting process can seem very cold. Don’t just go to the one audition you have your heart set on. Go to a few to get used to it. Besides, you never know what will happen when you put yourself out there in an environment in which you aren’t attached to the outcome….

3) Go upside down. Choreographers now seem to all want dancers who can do basic acro. I strongly recommend adding some basic gymnastics into your training. Aerial skills are an added plus.

4) Make taking class and being fit a lifetime commitment. Don’t ever stop taking class, and perhaps more importantly, don’t let yourself get too out of shape. A friend of mine says there’s no such thing as “I used to be a dancer.” You either are, or you aren’t. Much better to realize that, and live by it, and stay in shape to begin with rather than letting yourself get out of shape and then have to work your way back! Besides, we dancers can’t stand sitting still. In the office I felt like a plant with no light. I had to move. 

5) Think about your future. If you are in school, finish school. When I started grad school, I hadn’t gone to a performing arts high school. I’d been a gymnast and a diver and only started learning about dance in college. At that point, I could have moved to NY or LA, I could have given it a shot without going to grad school first. I gave up 3 of my young performing years to finish that degree, and it was a hard 3 years, and it was an expensive undertaking!! My parents talked me into it, and I can’t tell you how happy I am to have it now. It’s an amazing feeling to retire as a performer and already have an MFA. I have no idea how I’d even begin to start a grad program at this point in my life. And also, what I learned in grad school really did inform my professional work. None of it was wasted. 

6) Resist the urge to question your decision to choose this life path. In other words, Don’t Give UP! For me, time and time again in periods of my career where nothing was working, and I was broken and bruised both emotionally and physically, my mind would immediately go towards getting myself out of this career. I would start questioning why I was putting myself through all of this and go looking for other jobs. Then, after a bit of time, things would resolve themselves and life would go on, without me taking any of those other jobs. I could have saved myself a lot of mental angst by just believing in my career path, by waiting, and by realizing that things happen in their own time. It’s a lesson in patience. The bad comes with the good, and I have always envied people who calmly relaxed through the bad and didn’t add into the mess any self-identity issues!

7) Be a nice person to work with. That diva legend is so outdated. No one wants to work with people who are high-maintenance, no matter how talented. I have time and time again seen really talented performers not get work because someone on the artistic team will remember them from a past project, and how hard they were to work with. Be generous. Give compliments and be genuine about it. Show up on time (and at least, when  you’re starting out, be willing to stay late). Talk to people and actually listen: don’t be that person who always has to talk about him/herself. When you go to see someone’s show, don’t feel that you have to tear it apart in order to be the smartest person at the coffee shop. By being this way, you’ll have a long career, you’ll surround yourself with great people, and good things will continue to happen. 

8) Enjoy the journey! These days, good and bad, will not last forever. Cherish them. Keep a journal. Describe your days so that you will remember them, and so will your kids, if you have them. I so vividly remember a conversation I had with my mom one day, about my 2^nd year into my time with Diavolo. I used to call home and incessantly vent about all the ridiculous and annoying things that happened in this world of arts and entertainment. I think that at first, it was novel to hear about all of the behind-the-scenes bs. Finally, one day, she’d heard enough. She said, “Look, Laura,  you chose this life! If you don’t like it, choose something else. If you like it, then stop focusing on what’s not working. Be a part of something in this industry that IS working right.” And that was it. I will never forget it. Wise words, Mom. 

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To read more pieces in the "Career Counseling for College Students" column, click here.

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