Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emily K. Bailey. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Emily K. , thanks for joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Living as a dancer is an intensely isolating job. It is all-consuming in time, energy, and emotion. Your entire being becomes your tool to go into work every day with, and your job is to refine that tool and “fix” what is wrong. Dancers in this day and age aren’t paid living wages. Many dancers, including myself, have to find work outside of our 9-6pm daily rehearsal schedule to survive on even just the bare basics. It’s incredibly difficult, if not impossible at times, to manage such a demanding life without draining yourself entirely. You have to figure out what you are willing to sacrifice. All that being said, I have never once thought that the hardship is too much and worth trading it in for a desk job. There is too much love in what we do. It’s addicting in a sense, and to leave that is too hard to even imagine.

Emily K. , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I grew up dancing in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. My childhood and teenage years were pretty tumultuous with my mental and physical health wavering often. The one constant in my life was and is ballet. My training began at Susquehanna Dance Center under Shari Vegso. I studied classical ballet for the majority, however shifting to a more 50/50 approach of contemporary and modern as I grew. I studied a variety of styles and techniques, including Vaganova, Balanchine, Horton, Graham, and even acrobatic partnering. This balance gave me a really strong foundation for neoclassical ballet work. However, my heart has always been centered in classical and contemporary ballet. I was also a cellist from age 7-15, which I credit for my adoration of classical music and having a truly solid sense of musicality.

While ballet is ultimately a tremendous joy in my life, making a career out of something so difficult and competitive is not an easy feat. In spite of great efforts in the last few years to break boundaries set by years of prejudices, unhealthy body standards, racism, imbalances of power, and sexism, the ‘ballet world’ is still a wildly f*cked up place. It can be a breeding ground for eating disorders, depression, chronic anxiety, etc. You’re staring a mirror all day every day being told what’s wrong with you, and self-critiques are almost even more important and can go from constructive to detrimental dangerously quickly.

However, there is a silver lining to all of this. The connections you can make in this type of environment are invaluable. The elation of dancing a piece that feels like it’s a part of you, the anticipation before a performance with a packed house, rehearsals where shared laughter and enjoyment fill the room–those moments are irreplicable.
One particular memory that encapsulates everything that ballet is to me was getting to the theatre early, and sitting between the barres with my best friend James Lankford recounting the previous night’s show, stretching and rolling out our exhausted muscles, laughing, taking painkillers, and getting ready to do it all over again that afternoon and night. That is what I dream of doing for the rest of my life, or at least until my body gives out on me.

In light of bodies giving out, this interview is actually very timely. I am currently 3 weeks post-op for a foot joint surgery I had as a result of being overworked and overused. My surgery was a rare surgery for a dancer to have, however the cause is no mystery to ballet dancers. I worked, despite the pain, for about a year before it became too excruciating to dance through, let alone walk. Going from dancing full-length ballets to not being able to walk without crutches is a very humbling experience. My recovery and pathway to returning to ballet is foggy right now as it was a very intense surgery on an integral part of me, being a dancer, however right now I can only look forward and towards ballet.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

There is no job, role, or contract worth sacrificing your safety and self for. Find a place with people that value what you have to offer, versus taking advantage of your strengths and power. The backstory of that one is still ongoing.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Really, anything you can do to educate yourself. Find people who inspire you and watch and listen to them. Learn from people who are changing the ballet world, not perpetuating the same damaging and abusive cycle they went through. In terms of books, “Dancing on my Grave” by Gelsey Kirkland and “Turning Pointe: How a New Generation of Dancers Is Saving Ballet from Itself” by Chloe Angyal come to mind. Listen to speeches and interviews. I’m a sucker for Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday. Write about your experiences even if you don’t plan on publishing them. Find fellow dancers you can trust and TALK. Open communication breeds confidence and can give you a better scope on what you really want in your career. Psychologists, registered sports dieticians, eating disorder therapists- seek out help if you can afford it. Find ways to make money without working yourself to a pulp. Take care of yourself, your past, and trauma or it will show up when it’s the most inconvenient. Cross train. It’s another kind of peace at a gym, just like a studio. Seriously, do so much yoga. I started a journey during the pandemic of doing a yoga practice at least one a day for a month. It’s 3 October, and I made that goal 854 days ago. I haven’t missed a day since (even the day I got surgery). These are lessons I learned the hard way. My goal is a new generation of dancers doesn’t have to suffer so damn much.

Contact Info:

• Website: emilybaileyk@gmail.com
• Instagram: @emilykbailey
• Facebook: Emily K. Bailey

Image Credits
Emmanuel Lee Luna Williams Brad Schelton David Morel Anna Haas Lydia McRae Photography Mikhail Saunders