#blues dancer

Erin at home making one of her favorite snacks!

Erin Occupation Bike courier and dance event organizer Grew up in Seattle area Place of Residence Seattle, WA Age 24

Erin considers herself to be in poly relationships.  She is currently has a local partner of 5 years, 2 long distance partners and still enjoys going out on dates and meeting people.  She isn’t out as polyamorous to her family but when it comes up in most other parts of her life, she is open about it. Her partner of 5 years has met her family and she tells them that they are not exclusive.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how I reconcile myself with a dance community that I’ve been feeling increasingly disconnected from. As a person who values both competence and learning new things, it’s a struggle to find less and less of a space for myself within a less-structured dance. In lindy, there are teams, performance groups, etc... but in blues, the performance opportunities are much more limited to teachers showcasing their work. As a non-teacher, who doesn’t choreograph, this leaves me at an impasse of where to grow and how to practice regularly.

As I’ve aged, I’ve plateaued from a variety of factors - recovering from injuries, additional career opportunities and prioritizing non-dance-based relationships. Is it worth it to try and travel constantly? Is it worth it to try to get my name out there, when djing has fewer opportunities for newer names, regardless of quality? Is it worth it to shell out for private lessons when I don’t want to teach?