The Artful Balance of Business and Dance seeks to empower dance creatives to lead authentic, professional, and sustainable careers through business education & personal and creative development.
How do you decide that dancing professionally is right for you? What types of dance professions are out there, and how do you find the path that best suits you? How do you transition from a traditional job to a career in the arts? What are ways to make it financially sustainable? How do you negotiate and set rates? How can you leverage the “pro’s” of social media? Is it viable to pursue a higher education and still succeed in dance? What materials do you need to book jobs? How do you stand out amidst the noise and establish your unique “brand”? What is creative entrepreneurship? How do you turn your passion into profit? What are some keys to longevity? How do you increase streams/sources of income? And most importantly - how do you do this all in a way that stays true your personal values and integrity?
These are all questions I had to figure out along my journey — and ABBD addresses all these + more. It is designed for intermediate/advanced-level dancers who are interested in a dance career, but seek clearer and more actionable guidance. On top of connecting with me personally, you will also join a collaborative and diverse network of like-minded creatives, teachers, community organizers, and entrepreneurs.
Each course is capped at 25-30 students to maintain an intimate environment and ensure individualized attention. Serious applicants only. Scroll down for full program details!
Why I created ABBD.
This program was formulated to be the resource I wish I had earlier in my journey, and seeks to dismantle the “starving artist” stereotype by equipping dancers with the personal, creative, and professional tools they need to thrive.
Upcoming Course Details
ABBD: THE MINI CLASS
May 1 - May 28, 2022
Duration: 4 weeks, 8 lectures total
Class Schedule: (2) sessions per week (2-3 hrs each)
SUNDAYS 12pm PST + WEDNESDAYS 6pm PST
Curriculum Breakdown:
Weeks 1 & 2: Personal/Creative Development
Weeks 3 & 4: Professional/Business Development
Updated and improved curriculum from past ABBD courses.
This course edition, ABBD: MINI-CLASS, is specifically designed for advanced pre-professional and professional dancers.
Course Elements:
ABBD: MINI CLASS shrinks the classroom size of the traditional ABBD course from 30 students to 10, to address more student-specific questions and deepen individual mentorship while still fostering a feeling of community.
Assignments to supplement lecture material
1 final assignment with personalized feedback
Personalized add-on options (1-on-1 Mentorship Sessions, choreo development, teaching development, etc.)
Access to exclusive ABBD alumni network, programs, and events.
Applications due Sunday, 4/24 at 11:59pm PST
My Background
I learned the value of money and business smarts early on - I began working when I was 13 years old, completed my undergraduate business degree a semester early while balancing an office job, internships, and a competitive dance team (GRV), quit my full-time Marketing job at age 22 to pursue dance, and paid off my college loans by age 26.
This program is rooted in my personal approach, which prioritizes creative authenticity + deep self-examination, and then folds in actionable business tools. The course material I curated pulls from my academic background (B.S. in Business Administration from USC), my professional marketing & public relations work (in the events, tech, fashion industries), my experience being signed to a commercial dance agency (Go 2 Talent), my experiences teaching dance around the world for the past 12 years, and all the miscellaneous work in between (choreography jobs, GRV, brand/social media partnerships, artist development, creative directing, personal passion projects, owning and operating ShopSorah, community service, etc).
Follow @abbdcourse for updates and information.