The Ballerina Ecologist

Being a ballerina is a very unique career choice, one that involves intense discipline and skill. However, it is also a short, financially unstable career where many dancers ‘retire’ by their 30s.

But what do dancers pursue after ballet? 

Because many dancers start training at a young age, some as young as 3 years old, by the time they reach a professional level, their work ethic and level of discipline is well above the  average person. That high achieving frame of mind is key to success in many high level disciplines, which could be why many ex-dancers thrive in STEM after their careers.

Here is a spotlight shined on 3 dancers who have taken the leap from the stage to the laboratory. 

1. James Shee

James Shee is an assistant professor of Chemistry at Rice University in the United States. However, In his early adulthood he danced both as a trainee at San Francisco Ballet and as a company artist at the National Ballet of Canada.

He then studied at Princeton after deferring his admittance for two years, and went on to study a PhD from Columbia University focused on computational chemistry.

In grad school, Shee was able to tie his two passions together and study while working as a ballerina at night, proving that keeping a foot in the door for both fields is definitely possible.

Afterwards, Shee completed a postdoc at University of California, Berkeley before taking his position at Rice University.

2. Annika Bounkeua

Annika Bounkeua trained at Queensland Ballet in Brisbane but suffered an injury while dancing.

However, her injury sparked an interest in working in the medical field, which led to the pursuit of a Bachelors of Biomedical Science from Queensland University of Technology. Annika recently completed her postgraduate studies with a Doctor of Medicine and is eager to work in a field which is constantly changing and giving back to others.

3. Beatriz Stix-Brunel

Beatriz Stix-Brunell danced with the Royal Ballet in London for 11 years, one of the most prestigious ballet companies in the world.

Upon retiring, Beatriz enrolled at Stanford University as a major in Symbolic systems. After a huge career dancing, she is excited to rediscover herself and compares the adrenaline of performing to the pressure of academic exams.

So often dancers are told they have to sacrifice everything to be successful in the ballet world, and once that journey comes to an end, what comes next?

But the bottom line, James, Annika and Beatriz are just a small picture of the possibilities when you allow yourself to dream again and strive to continue becoming the best version of yourself.

The ballet and science worlds are quite different, but both require high levels of discipline and an eagerness to grow, which may explain the common crossover between these two fields. Ultimately, we don’t have to put limits on ourselves in order to fit the popular narrative. 

So, if you allow yourself to continue dreaming, where could you end up?