SO, how do we Get out of Dancing..? If you are a dancer this question should be on your mind from the very beginning, and it most of the time is. Every dancer that I know who has danced for years, did not start with the intention of staying. It was just supposed to be until.. or when..or while.
It's important to have a plan or know what goals and milestones your working towards, so you'll reach them. It isn't that dancing is so bad, it is what you make it.
    It's that it is not a normal job and it really isn't in your best interest to treat it like it is.
 At most jobs your value to the company or as a professional increases with time, when your a dancer it does not, and the job becomes more difficult in some ways "even if you still look good".
  I'm sure some people would just say, "It's simple, just quit and go get a job".
 I haven't found that to be as simple as it sounds, it's not easy to go work all week for the same amount as you make in a shift. Unless you married someone financially stable, got an awesome opportunity somewhere, or went to school to become something that has a decent salary or wage, entry level jobs and pay will not get you out; you'll go to work for a few days at that normal job and then appreciate dancing that much more. Which, isn't bad if you do something with your new motivation, like decide that your going to use dancing for ..this..or that.
   The thought I find scary is to not find something else that works and then to get to the point where you can't dance any more. I don't want to have the bottom drop out. If you've been a dancer you probably know what I'm talking about, you don't want to be that older dancer that doesn't make any money, guys tease and talk about, or run away from when she gets on stage. It's sad. Every girl should realize you may not think so, but that could be you if you don't do something about it.
Time goes by faster than you think. There's nothing wrong with aging, and were lucky to have the opportunity to get old, some people are not as fortunate, but dancing is not a place you probably want to do it in. I'm not saying that mature women are not sexy or capable, they are.
      I'm saying that in most cases it seems like anything can become toxic if it hinders your growth.
If you grow out of something and you continue to stay in it, it can become toxic for your mental, emotional, and spiritual health. It may not effect everybody the same way, everyone is at different points and levels of their personal growth. What is healthy for one person can be toxic for another.
It also seems to be something that changes with time, at one time dancing was a very healthy option for me, that doesn't seem to be the case for me anymore. It reminds me of the sensation you get as a kid when you've grown out of your shoes, your feet hurt and your toes are squinched because your shoes don't fit anymore. I guess I'm at that point, I need a new pair of shoes.

     I have been a dancer off and on since the age of 18, I am now 36. I really have a Love/Hate relationship with dancing. I often wonder if I hadn't started to dance if I would have had to find a different way to make things work, or if I would have been farther along in my development as a person by now; or maybe my life would have been harder. There's no point dwelling on what could have been, but it is useful to reflect. I realize that it has effected my life in positive and negative ways.
 In my heart I know that I'm ready for what's next now, and that I've outgrown it, and it's time to do something else, but what..?
    I'm not ready for this change because I have to be, I actually make the most money I've ever made dancing. I don't think the reason I make more money is because I look much different, or because the economy is good, I think it's because my "Game" has improved.
I read a lot of books about self improvement and growth, and in many of them they have the same theory that it takes 6-8 years to become an expert in your profession.
I guess that makes me an expert 😝. I honestly would say that I have been successful as far as being a dancer is concerned. I am not an alcoholic,  addicted to drugs, I have my kids and they are for the most part normal healthy kids, and I have accomplished goals while being a dancer with out ever having to lower my standards and limits that I've set for my self .
That doesn't mean that I don't have issues or that I have not been effected, I'm just saying considering that I've stayed a dancer for as long as I have with what you have to face , I am Okay.
This is my first blog, so I'm definitely not an expert on how to go about it.
 I plan on sharing my experiences, advice, what I've learned,  what I'm still learning, and look forward to connecting and learning from others as well.
I have become a Real estate Broker, I've had an eBay store selling vintage lingerie, I am currently an esthetician who makes make up and natural products. I love to learn and research. Have you figured out what you want to do after dancing or what did you move on to? What worked or didn't work to get you out?