A retired professional dancer, acrobat and singer, Christy was the line captain for the Folies Bergere at the Tropicana in Las Vegas. She was a featured dancer at Busch Gardens (Tampa) and has performed with Carnival Cruise Lines , Star Pointe Dancers, Tampa Bay Arts and the Lexington Ballet .A choreographer, judge and instructor for Dance Masters of America, Christy teaches gymnastics, tap, jazz and ballet and is safety certified by USA Gymnastics. Christy now runs her own web-based businesses Showstrings and YoYoMonkey.

Fighting Burn Out

As a Professional Dancer, one of the most difficult things to deal with is burn out because most jobs require a great deal of repetitiveness. Some jobs are more creative than others; however, some are so redundant that one may be performing the same show up to six times a day. Theme parks, cruise ships, Branson, Vegas and the tourist islands are a few good examples. Unfortunately, not all jobs can be as creative and exciting as a professional ballet/jazz/modern company.

It is very easy to sink into habitual patterns when one performs the same rituals daily; however, there are many ways to combat the fatigue. Changing warm up routines, learning new roles within the performance and shifting one's focus are a few ways to fight the stress. Warm up routines are extremely important for a dancer's overall existence; yet, alternating stretches can refocus a dancer's mind and body. Secondly, learning new parts in the same show can make an extreme difference in the quality of a dancer's performance and can have an enormous effect in a dancer's mind. Learning new parts can make one feel as if the show is new once again and the excitement of doing new things can completely change a dancer's view. Lastly, shifting one's focus can also help fight the fatigue. Focusing on facial performance, partner work or technique are a few examples of changing the priority

These techniques of fighting burn out can also be applied to the classroom dancer. Working on different aspects of performance and technique can help the dancer grow as a performer and an artist.

Advice given here is just that -- advice. If you are suffering from an Irish dance injury, please see your doctor for treatment.

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