After the Final Bow- Unspoken Stories of Career Transitions in Ballet

Abstract:

Classical Ballet has a long history of beautiful storytelling, both onstage and off. It is important to acknowledge not just the stories that occur through performance but also how the daily ritual of technique classes and rehearsals carry unspoken stories of tradition, discipline, and identity. But there is one story that remains absent, and that is what happens after a dancer takes their final bow? This paper explores this missing story and why ballet does not adequately prepare dancers for the inevitable transition out of a professional career. Ballet’s hidden curriculum and other unspoken stories heavily influence not only a dancer’s training but also their difficulty in navigating what comes after a career in dance. Drawing from my experience as a former professional ballet dancer and current MFA in Dance candidate, I examine how these internalized values directly impact dancers’ career transitions and often leave them feeling unprepared to imagine life beyond the stage. The inherent discipline and sometimes submissive practices that are deeply embedded in ballet practice often lead dancers to immerse themselves in their careers so fully that there is no space or motivation to think of what may come next. This study calls for a more expansive approach to dance education to make space for the questioning surrounding a dancer’s life beyond the stage. Through autoethnographic reflection and research in dance pedagogy and career transition studies, I argue that ballet’s tendency to ignore this transition limits dancers’ understanding of themselves and the potential of their futures.

 

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Presented by Liz Lloyd, Graduate Student; Washington University

 

Biography:

Liz Lloyd is a dance artist, educator, and MFA candidate in Dance at Washington University in St. Louis. Originally from North Carolina, she began her dance training at Ballet Spartanburg in South Carolina and continued her studies at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts before being accepted into the San Francisco Ballet School’s year-round program. Upon completing her training, she joined Oregon Ballet Theatre’s Professional Division as a Trainee.

In 2014, Lloyd became a Company Dancer with Saint Louis Ballet, where she performed for eight seasons, dancing numerous soloist and principal roles. During her performing career, she earned her undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis and received the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence upon graduation.

Following her retirement from performance, Lloyd worked in New Product Development in New York City before returning to dance education. Over the past decade, she has taught ballet to students of all ages and currently serves on faculty at Saint Louis Ballet School and Saint Louis Academy of Dance, where she co-directs the Youth Ballet Ensemble, which she founded in 2024.

Her choreographic work, Nocturne for Eight, created for Washington University Dance Theater’s Fall performance, marked the first MFA choreography to be presented in that program’s history. Lloyd’s current research focuses on ballet pedagogy and the hidden curriculum within traditional ballet training, exploring ways to preserve classical technique through more student-centered and inclusive teaching practices. Lloyd currently sits as the President for the Washington University chapter of the National Honor Society of Dance Arts.