How many companies encourage their employees to think about what they will do after they end their careers?At Pacific Northwest Ballet, a program called Second Stage encourages dancers to plan for a future after dance."It gives the dancers a terrific opportunity to prepare themselves for a transition and helps remove that fear of what happens next," said PNB soloist Maria Chapman, the chairman of the dancers committee of Second Stage. "A board member, Richard Redman, had the idea. As a former football player, he understood how significant a change it can be when a career like ours ends, a whole lifestyle change. Many dancers end their careers absolutely fearful about what they would do next. Rich wanted to relieve some of that stress and fear by letting people try things out before that happened."Started in 1999, Second Stage provides grants to the PNB dancers for college classes or other professional training. Through the program's resources, which includes access to mentors and career counseling, former dancers have made transitions to a variety of careers including Pilates instructors, real estate agents, interior designers, law and medicine. Some have even used their grant money to start small businesses. "The goal of Second Stage isn't necessarily to pinpoint the next career, but to let people experiment with different things. I can enjoy the classes and continue to enjoy my ballet career." Most professional ballet dancers decide to make dance their career by age 12. By their late teens, they have joined a company. And, like professional athletes, their peak comes before they are out of their 20s.After that, careers can extend into the 30s and, for an extraordinary few, the early 40s. But everyone who begins a career in ballet knows that the end will come while they are still relatively young."Nobody can dance forever," said Nicholas Ade, principal of PNB's Eastside School. "Here at the studio, we constantly talk to young dancers about expectations, dancing at your peak every day while you can, and then anticipating what happens after you are finished dancing."Ade took classes through Second Stage and also used the program's grants to launch his own career as a dance teacher."Second Stage was a great way for me to find out what I wanted to do next," he said. "Very early on, I caught the teaching bug." Using grant money to pay for plane tickets, Ade took himself to different ballet schools, offering his services as a teacher and also learning how those schools operated. Other Second Stage classes he took taught him the business aspects of running a nonprofit.As he came to the end of his dance career, Ade was able to make a smooth transition into working for PNB in a new capacity. "As the principal, I oversee the day-to-day running of the school and the curriculum," he said. "I really believe our curriculum at PNB is one of the best for building technique. We're constantly working on scheduling, how much you can fit into a student's schedule, what's too much and what's not enough. Having been able to go out to other schools and see what they do really helps me to discuss this and other issues with Peter [Boal, director of Pacific Northwest Ballet]." Not every dancer expects or even wants to continue working in ballet after their career ends. Corps dancer Rebecca Johnston graduated last spring with a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Washington."Nobody wants to dwell on the negative, on how you might be injured and can't dance any more," said Johnston, who is retiring from PNB this season after seven years with the company. "But even when I was just starting out, I knew I wanted an education to fall back on."For Johnston, college classes had to be fitted around an extraordinarily full work schedule. Dancers don't just rehearse for productions; they continue throughout their professional careers to take "class" at the ballet studio to hone their skills and stay in peak physical condition. With packed schedules, most elect to take only one or two college courses each quarter.Johnston used to take her classes in the morning and then head to PNB for a full day of dance. For her, the concentration needed for academics helped balance the concentration needed to perfect a movement in a ballet. It became a way to balance both the demands of the mind and the body."Even without Second Stage, I probably would have gone for a degree. But [Second Stage] shows that PNB is behind you, that they are willing to help," she said."We have 40-plus dancers in the company and every dancer has a different interest," said Chapman. "But it is a common goal that they want to continue their education."To help the PNB dancers get started on an undergraduate degree, Second Stage entered into a partnership with Seattle University in 2003. SU offers some classes at the Phelps Center where the dancers train, allowing the dancers to get the basics done at times that worked best for their schedules."This year, we also encouraged the professional division students [at PNB] to join us in the classes," said Chapman. The professional division students are just starting their careers in dance but it's also a good time for them to start thinking about what else they want to do with their lives, Chapman added. "The great thing about the classes was that it let you find out what will drive you after ballet," Ade said. "There's a perfectionist attitude that all dancers have. We go to the studio every day to refine our technique. That translates to never resting on your laurels or being complacent.""It's the dancers who keep Second Stage going, because it's their needs that drive it. If they ask for something, the board will try to make it work. We're always looking for ways to make it better," Chapman said.The dancers also help fund Second Stage by donating a portion of their salary to the program. "We all donate one night's performance each season and PNB matches that," said Chapman. "But we also absolutely rely on our audience."At the beginning of the "donated performance," Chapman or another member of the company will appear before the curtain to explain Second Stage and ask for support."The audience has always been so generous," said Chapman. "And it is because of them that we've been able to do all the things that we've done with Second Stage. Those donations that they leave in the boxes are much more powerful than I think they ever know. They impact us so much."Chapman continued, "I'm always rewarded to see what I and my fellow dancers have accomplished with Second Stage. Some have budding business careers already, others have graduated from college."Because of Second Stage, Chapman said that she's comfortable about what will come after ballet. "I can go to work at PNB, talk to my friends about the future with excitement, and then we can leave it all behind and get back into rehearsal and just dance. It's a huge gift to be able to dance without worrying about what will come next."Dancers' Last Season at PNBSeveral dancers will leave PNB at the end of this season. Principal dancer Casey Herd moves to Amsterdam to join the Dutch National Ballet and principal dancer Noelani Pantastico recently accepted a position with Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo. "My journey as a professional dancer began at 16 when I auditioned for Pacific Northwest Ballet in 1996," said Pantastico. "I have been blessed to work in one of the best companies in the U.S. When I think back on my aspirations of dancing for PNB, I never imagined I would leave. Now, at 27, I am at a point in my career where I feel the need to spread my wings and experience another dance world." Corps member Kara Zimmerman will become a soloist with Cincinnati Ballet next season. Two other corps members Rebecca Johnston and Brittany Reid have decided to retire."It's a cliché, but the first thing that I'll probably do is cut my hair," said Johnston, referring to the long tresses typically worn by ballerinas. "And I can paint my toenails too. Polish doesn't last with toe shoes."Having just completed her undergraduate degree, Johnston is also contemplating pursuing a masters or perhaps taking a job in the arts. "I'm looking forward to doing something completely different," she said. "I'm going to cast a wide net and see what I can get."[[In-content Ad]]
