Today we are pleased to announce a partnership with Career Transition For Dancers! In the coming months you’ll be hearing more about this wonderful organization as we post a regular feature highlighting the work that they do in their offices across the country.

We begin with an interview with Maryellen Langhout, LPC, NBCCC – the career counselor in the Chicago office…

1. What is Career Transition For Dancers?

Career Transition For Dancers is the only nonprofit organization in the US solely dedicated to the career needs of dancers. With offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and a mobile National Outreach Project, we have helped thousands of dancers take their first steps in discovering rewarding second careers.

Career Transition For Dancers arose out of a partnership of several foundations and unions, including the National Endowment for the Arts, AFL-CIO Labor Institute for Human Enrichment, and Actors’ Equity Association. Under the leadership of Agnes de Mille, this partnership led to the development and presentation of a conference held in 1982 at Lincoln Center to discuss the need to assist dancers both during and at the end of their careers. The goal of the conference was to find ways to help dancers make use of their individual backgrounds, talents and skills on and off the stage.

2. How did it get started?

Career Transition For Dancers was founded in 1985 by Edward Weston and was originally administered as an initiative of The Actors Fund in New York City. The program was also supported by Actors’ Equity Association, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, American Guild of Musical Artists, and the Screen Actors Guild. The funding provided by these organizations continues today. The original program provided career counseling and scholarship support for the members of these unions who were in the process of transition. In 1988, Career Transition For Dancers became a self-governing 501(c)(3) organization with a refocused mission to help all dancers, not just union members.

3. What is your role in the organization? [Read more…]