I was a Radio City Rockette for 10 years, so I got to have the experience of achieving a top job in the industry that so many dancers aspire to. But along the way, there are some moments and periods that I definitely could’ve done without. The thing is, those are the valuable nuggets I have to pass on to anyone I teach, so I’d never frame them as “regrets.”
Here’s a list of my “coulda woulda shoulda” things, combined with things that I’m forever grateful for.
• I’m grateful that I followed my own path, seeking out as many opportunities to train as I could find, while always having my anchors for formative training.
• A tool I wished I’d learned earlier was being better at connecting with people. Talent alone is never enough. Let it be natural and not forced, but it’s a skill that, like anything, needs to be practiced.
• I’m grateful that I never let negative talk from my teachers or peers stop me, and there was a good amount. I definitely defied their expectations. I was good at not letting things stop me. It’s more challenging now with social media!
• I wish I wouldn’t have been so intimidated by other artists. Making the leap from Rockette-land to soloing as a tap dancer was a daunting one. I feared nobody would take me seriously in the tap world. I let that inhibit my journey sometimes.
• I’m grateful for the mentors I had, because they changed my life, and THAT’s what I get to pass on.
• I wish I’d learned to sing when I was younger. But I can’t look back, PLUS we didn’t have all the resources back then, as far as seeking out ideal teachers. PLUS I didn’t know I’d love musical theatre so much.
• I’m grateful to have come of age in an analog world. We got to live in the moment so much more. I hope Gen Z and Gen Alpha can experience that feeling, and for my fellow Gen X-ers, this is my year of channeling my early 20’s self and rediscovering that reckless abandon.
• I wish I’d have realized sooner that I can only be what I am right now. Too much time was spent wishing I were better at this or better at that, or wondering what ‘they’ didn’t see in me but saw in someone else. It’s all ok.
• I’m grateful that I’m never done learning, that the more I know, the more I know that I don’t know, and it makes me excited rather than anxious.
• And finally, I wish I’d have found my voice as a choreographer sooner. I let the naysayers get the best of me on that one. It doesn’t have to be amazing every single time. Just play and create, and some of it will be great.
