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.
ABBD: The Why
There is nothing that gives me greater satisfaction than empowering others to use their gifts to better themselves and the communities around them. While there are ample resources that teach people how to be better dancers, there isn’t much guidance when it comes to navigating the professional aspects of a dance career. This program was formulated to be the resource I wish I had earlier in my journey.
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 social media be used strategically while maintaining authenticity? Is it viable to pursue a higher education and still succeed in dance? How do you book choreography and teaching jobs? How do you stand out amidst the noise and establish your unique “brand”? How does one develop a personal choreographic style? What is creative entrepreneurship? How do you turn your passion into profit?
These are all questions I had to figure out along my journey - and this course addresses all these questions + more. It is designed for intermediate/advanced-level dancers, specifically those who are interested in a dance career but seek greater clarity and confidence. 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.
MY BACKGROUND
I was raised in a humble middle-class household, started working when I was 13 years old for my own money, completed my undergraduate business degree a semester early while balancing an office job and 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 and excellence + deep self-examination, and then folds in actionable business and marketing methods. 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 10 years, and all the miscellaneous work in between (choreography jobs, GRV, brand/social media partnerships, personal passion projects, owning and operating ShopSorah, community service, etc.)
COURSE BREAKDOWN
Upcoming Session: TBA
Duration: 4 weeks, 20-24 hours of lecture material
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Week 1: Personal Development
Week 2: Creative Development
Weeks 3 & 4: Professional/Business Development
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2 lectures per week (lectures run between 2-3 hours) = 8 lectures total, held Sundays at 12pm PST and Wednesdays at 5pm PST
Assignments and exercises that correspond with each lecture
1 Small Group Project with fellow classmates
2 Final Projects with feedback: Creative & Entrepreneurial
Office Hours (1-on-1 Session with me)
Guest Speaker Day with accomplished industry professionals
Please follow @abbdcourse for updates and information.
Read student testimonials here.