My Dance Week: Tanya Chianese

We are excited to launch our new monthly series, My Dance Week. Once a month, an artist will sketch out or write out (literally) his/her week. One of the hardest things for a young dancer to envision is what a weekly schedule might look like - fitting in paying work, teaching, rehearsing, performing, training, family, friends, relaxation, and more. In particular, since the majority of modern dancers will teach in some capacity, how much teaching makes for "full-time?" Plus, "teaching" includes class time and also prep time. 

How do we balance our dance and non-dance life?

Please join us once a month as we look at different dancers' schedules and ways to balance a life in dance. 

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Schedule #3: Tanya Chianese (San Francisco Bay Area)

Tanya is a performer, teaching artist, choreographer, and director of ka.nei.see collective.

 

 

Note about this week:

This was a particularly full dance week for me. My schedule changes often --- as projects/groups come and go, tech/performance weeks happen, subbing opportunities arise, my boyfriend's schedule synchronizes with mine, or I need more non-dance life time.

 

The only part of my schedule that generally gives me monetary return, as well as consistency on a weekly basis, is my teaching. The pros of this is I know what my schedule will be like weeks in advance, and my employers are understanding when I need to get a sub for industry-related situations (such as performing). However, it can be very tiring to dance all day and then teach multiple classes with the same commitment, and this also means I do not get a mental break from dance. 

When my schedule looks like this for a long period, I try to keep one day a week to a dance-minimum (if not exempt). My body needs time to recover, and my mind time to prepare. Besides, there are so many other experiences in life to be discovered and enjoyed, and if you do not get your dosage of them, your dancing will suffer.