"What I love about the company is working with young people," says Lizzie MacKenzie, founder and artistic director of Extensions Dance Company. "I love seeing how they feel about themselves when they see the results they can get from hard work." (Todd Rector/ Tribune Media Services photo)
Careers in the arts sometimes get a bad rap. They're unstable, it's extremely difficult to "make it," the pay isn't high, and in a profession like dance, there are only a certain number of years before injuries or simply age necessitate a career change.
But in today's employment environment, where even those with once secure and lucrative careers are looking to branch into other fields, the way artists transition their careers can serve as a model for anyone at an employment crossroads.
Despite the challenges, many artists enjoy extremely successful careers. Take Chicago-based dancer Lizzie MacKenzie, founder and artistic director of Extensions Dance Company, who opened her own dance center earlier this year. MacKenzie spoke with us about breaking into the business and evolving her career, offering advice for artists as well as anyone facing job transition.
‘I knew without question'
When most people embark on a career path, it's after trying different things and evaluating what's right for them. In dance and other artistic fields, MacKenzie says, sometimes you just know.
"Someone once told me, ‘we don't choose dance; dance chooses us,'" she says. "That perfectly describes my experience. I took my first dance class when I was 12 years old, and I knew without question and never wavered."
MacKenzie was lucky — and, she admits, perhaps a bit naïve — that she was so passionate about dancing and never looked at the challenges of a career in the arts. She did whatever she needed to in order to pursue what she loved, including supplementing her income with jobs like waitressing. For some young artists, though, aspects like money keep them away from pursuing dance, even if they're really good at it.
After graduating from performing arts high school Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, MacKenzie came to the Chicago area for a year-long scholarship at Giordano Dance Center, followed by an apprenticeship and then a full position in the company.
"That's not how it always happens, but that's how you hope it will happen," she says.
After five years with Giordano, MacKenzie took a year off and then spent another six years with River North Chicago Dance Company. During her career, in addition to performing, she's also choreographed, taught classes and collaborated with noted performers and choreographers in the dance community.
"Getting your foot in the door is a huge part of this career," MacKenzie says. "So much of it is who you know, and who knows you."
Just like in any workplace, attributes such as discipline, open-mindedness, leadership ability and communication skills are valued. But in addition, being able to self-motivate is key.
"A lot of dancers go from gig to gig," she says. "You have to be able to get up every day out of your own accord and answer e-mails, network, take classes and try to balance everything."
The next phase
While still dancing full-time, MacKenzie formed Extensions Dance Company in 2005 with students who wanted to continue working with her. Last year, she retired from dancing full-time to concentrate on opening a studio.
She says that she'd thought of eventually owning a studio as a career option, but that the formation of the company and the studio happened organically.
"When I was younger, I would have told you that I wanted to have a dance studio," she says. "But I can't say that I planned for all this to happen this way."
It helps, too, that she's always had a passion for teaching. She notes that most dancers end up teaching over the course of their careers, but that she truly finds it rewarding.
"What I love about the company is working with young people," MacKenzie says. "I love seeing how they feel about themselves when they see the results they can get from hard work."
Earlier this year, MacKenzie opened Extensions Dance Center near the intersection of Elston Avenue and Irving Park Road in Chicago. The idea of the studio and the classes she can now offer to the community were several years in the making. But the process of actually finding the space and building it out took about a year, and the help of Lauren Brown, her "brilliant" executive director, an attorney who helps manage the business aspects of the nonprofit studio.
"Having great people on your side is really important," she says.
While MacKenzie didn't pursue any additional education to prime herself for running a studio, she says she calls a lot on her communication skills when working with students and parents. She's also tossed around the idea of getting a psychology degree in the future.
"I'm dealing with young people and their ever-changing personalities, and they look to me as a mentor," she says. "I'm not necessarily trained to deal with that, but I do the best I can."