I've graduated! My 3 years at London Contemporary Dance School

7 July 2023

Megan Bader has graduated from London Contemporary Dance School.

I have officially completed my BA hons in Contemporary Dance from LCDS at the University of Kent.

What's next?!

After a summer of chilling out a little bit and enjoying my accomplishments, travelling, visiting family, etc. I have come back to London and will be auditioning, teaching, working, and of course still creating.

I have been back for a month now and am starting to get into the swing of things. It is definitely a new chapter, but one that I am grateful for. I am really appreciative of the free classes and things that so many artists are offering actually, and also for work that feels fulfilling towards my career while I source auditions in the meantime.

I have been working Front of House at the Place Theatre, and am excited to announce I am also starting on the Front of House team at Sadlers Wells this week! I also plate wait and work as bar staff for Hosts Staffing agency which is super nice for the flexibility and has some super cool locations for work- like the top of Tower Bridge!

Things I am missing from university:

The community. Man, I am lucky to be living with people from my year and still working with some other friends from school, but dance is such an intense course that you spend so much time with your year group and then go to nothing... definitely missing my year group, Even moments of just silently warming up next to each other on early Monday mornings or 15 min breaks outside. It's the little interactions where everyone just knows what's up- knows what you are going through- knows the type of day you have had. I miss that.

I miss watching all of them dance and create, and just being their talented cool selves!

The training. I miss the consistent training. The hours of sweat- the feeling that you are a dancer, even though we weren't being paid yet, there was less imposter syndrome not having a degree in it but doing it all day than there is trying to prove to yourself you are a dancer when you have to work all day to pay the bills and its not dance work. I am finding peace knowing that I am accomplishing things in different forms, and that I am still bringing myself into dance environments for class, auditions, and even through the types of work I am doing to be surrounded by other creatives.

Things I am enjoying about this 'freelance life'

The flexibility in my schedule- Not being on a 9-6 dance education I have a lot of more freedom in how I organise my days which is really nice. It is keeping it interesting. Sometimes it's exhausting not having as clear of routines but I notice things like my daily habits and ritualistic habits in the mornings being so much more important because of it.

The change of pace every day- with working and taking different classes etc. I have seen so much more of London recently. I feel like I am always in a different place. I mean my bank account isn't appreciating the travel costs, and sometimes by a Sunday, I feel like I cannot leave the house again, but at the same time, it's so nice to be reminded of where I live and the beauty that comes with it every day.

I am always doing different things as well- some days are very work heavy. Others auditioning and interviewing. Others doing random things to catch up on admin of life, training, seeing friends, or even just exploring myself and this life.

The choice to fill my life with 'what I am interested in'