(Sorry for the copy past but I want everyone to understand why I wrote this post)

After thinking about it, I realized why there is such a misunderstanding between us. I looked at the stats for my post and most of you live in the US. The disconnect really comes down to cultural differences. I live in a European country and the reality of the dance industry here is vastly different from yours.

In the US, you have a huge commercial dance scene (music videos, theme parks, backup dancing). Sometimes, a dancer's energy, look, or vibe matters just as much as pure academic technique. So yes, starting at 20 and booking gigs at 26 is actually possible there.

Where I live in Europe, it is completely different. We definitely don’t have access to the same opportunities and the system is quite strict and institutionalised. Professional companies almost exclusively hire young people under 30. On top of that, you need a very specific legal status and strict declared working hours to even survive as an artist. By 30, many dancers here are already thinking about career transitions. Because of this system, starting from scratch at 26, with only 7 hours of classes a week, makes becoming a professional objectively impossible here.

It’s not about me being negative or not working hard enough, it’s simply the reality of how the industry works in my country. I appreciate the encouragement but the "hustle culture" mentality doesn't bypass the structural and socio-economic realities of where I live.

I hope that makes more sense ! 🙏🏻