Dancing Your Way to a Layoff

Layoffs have been much in the news and much on the minds of Americans for several months. Though some have opined that the recession is over, employees still being laid off don’t believe it. When we think about layoffs, we’re inclined to think of factory workers, sales personnel, clerical employees, even middle management, lawyers, and accountants.

In a recent New York Times article, we’re given a look at layoffs of a different group of employees, which also underscores that no one is immune. The New York City Ballet has laid off some of its corps dancers. These dancers are like the chorus in an opera. They’re the necessary workhorses. They receive little individual recognition and are rarely in the spotlight.

Ballet dancers are a different breed of employee, because their lives, since early childhood, have been about dancing. They’ve endured grueling hours of daily study and practice to see if they can achieve a level of artistry sufficient to become a member of a professional ballet company. Ballet dancers define themselves and their self-worth by what they do. It’s all they’ve ever done.

Getting another ballet job is just as difficult these days as getting any other kind of job once a layoff occurs. Ballet companies aren’t hiring. A layoff is hard on anyone. It’s perhaps harder on ballet dancers, because they lose their identity with their job.

One of the laid off dancers, trying to put things in perspective, may have stated where we are as a society, particularly in our workplaces: “I’ve seen many dancers come and go. Everyone is expendable. Even principal dancers are replaceable. It’s all about the system, the end product.”

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   Elise says:

   August 8, 2009 at 6:01 am

   Hello, just wanted to stop by and leave a comment to say that I Love your wonderful blog, thanks for such interesting and enlightening posts and pictures.

   Thank you !