The Ballet Writer is Back!

It’s time to reintroduce myself.

My name is Linnea Swarting- I am a freelance dancer and dance educator based in Nashville, TN. I am also the author of The Ballet Writer blog and a contributing writer for Pointe Magazine.

I took a longer hiatus than intended on the blog, which started due to a provision in a contract I was working under. Then, when I started working freelance about a year ago, I lost my voice a bit, which does seem like horrible timing, because in theory I finally had the freedom to express myself without restraint. But, as I’m actively working in the ballet industry, it feels like that freedom is riddled with risks. While I do feel like there are some truths that will have to wait until I’m retired from my performance career, I do think now is the time for me to get back to the blog and sharing as much as I can with you all.

My freelance dancing work is mostly for touring ballet companies, which truly are their own little bubble within the ballet bubble. The first tour I did was in America on the West Coast, and then I did two tours in the Baltics and Scandinavia. My intention with going freelance was to say yes to as many performance opportunities as possible, and that resulted in me performing 28 shows of Nutcracker, 21 shows of a new ballet called “The Snow Queen,” 10 shows of Don Quixote, about 25 shows of Swan Lake, and 14 shows of another new ballet, “On the Beautiful Blue Danube.” I performed in Europe as a principal and soloist, worked as a Ballet Master for a professional company, staged Swan Lake (in 4 days!), and performed for my family in Sweden, all for the first time! I went to cities and countries I never thought I would see and performed roles I never thought I would get the chance to. Touring is crazy- not for the meek or weak- but so far, I’ve had some incredible experiences.

I have made friends from all over the world who I love and value so much, and also met some of the most insane people I’ve ever worked with. I hit a low point this year when a friend of mine suddenly passed away. I took about a month off of working, which was also a first for me. For the first time in my 20+ years of dancing, I felt unmotivated. I was still taking class every day so I guess I understood I would go back to dancing, but it made me question my priorities. While this isn’t a story I can share at this time, I’m sure a lot of people can relate to how loss impacts you in ways you never thought it would. It’s not the first time I’ve lost someone in my life, but for some reason, it took me into a dark place, probably because of how that loss intersected with dance and my work, which is usually a space where I feel “safe” (ha- that’s not the exact word I would use about how my experience in ballet has been, but more on that later).

I feel compelled to return to this blog, not only for myself, but also to shed some light on what ballet is really like right now. I've been talking with other colleagues and younger dancers who are feeling pressure and confusion on how the art, expectations, and our careers are shifting, which I think I am in a unique position to speak on. With the way the dance industry and art scene as a whole are transitioning in the United States, I think the gig economy is leading dancers to freelancing, and it’s still not seen as a viable career option by many in the ballet world. I’m not a principal at ABT, and I’m not performing in exclusive galas which seems like how guesting and freelancing is portrayed on social media most of the time, but I am using my experience and new skills to continue my career in dance. My freelance journey is leading me to find my own success, joy, struggles, and voice again in a very new way, and I hope you’re interested in reading about my travels, thoughts, and tips!

And, if you have anything you want to read about here on the blog, send me a DM on Instagram at @theballetwriter or email me at theballetwriter@gmail.com