Burnout Happens… Even to the Best of Us

Even the most passionate dancers hit a wall. The key isn’t avoiding it—it’s learning how to move through it.

Uffff… today I’m feeling some burnout. You know what I mean.

I’ve got my list of “Dan’s Things To Do,” and for some reason, staring at that list for an excessive amount of time doesn’t seem to get anything done. I even tried asking the Universe to complete my tasks for me… no luck.

By the way—Universe… hellooooo? I’m still waiting on that million dollars.(Come on… I know I’m not the only one who’s tried that. 😄)

The worst burnout I ever experienced was when I was teaching full-time, owning a studio, competing professionally, raising three kids—and even running a competition.

One minute I’m rolling through life like the Six Million Dollar Man… and the next, completely out of nowhere, I’ve got no energy, no motivation—no nothing.

“One minute you’re on top of your game… the next, you can’t find the spark.”

So what do we do?

We go through the motions.

Like true dancers, we rely on muscle memory. We teach lessons, travel to events, practice, perform… and keep going.

But something’s missing.

My heart wasn’t in it. And instead of accepting that moment, I started searching for the exact point where everything shifted—which only made things worse.

That’s when the questions start creeping in:

• Am I still a good teacher?

• Is my choreography still relevant?

• Am I running my studio the right way?

And just like that, self-doubt shows up… followed closely by anxiety.

“The moment you start questioning everything… is the moment burnout starts talking.”

Before you know it, you’re convincing yourself that maybe it’s time for a career change.

So naturally—like many dancers before me—I started looking into becoming a real estate agent!

Easy enough, right? No stress… nothing like the dance world.

Yeah… right.

Every career has its challenges. There’s no escaping that.

So I kept going, waiting for something magical to happen.

Maybe a motivational movie like Rudy would spark something. Maybe a podcast. Maybe a conversation with a coach or a friend.

Nothing.

NADA.

Then it hit me.

“You’ve been in this business since you were 18 years old… and you think you’re exempt from the curve? The ups and downs? The highs and lows? You think you’re supposed to be at the top of your game all the time?”

How about this, Dan…

Cut yourself some slack.

Stop trying to figure out why you’re not feeling it. Stop trying to control everything, every day, all day long. Just keep moving.

That high you’re looking for?

It will come back.

“You’re not off track—you’re just in a different part of the journey.”

Ouch.

Those were some pretty strong words I had to say to myself.

But you know what?

It worked.

I stopped questioning my worth—in my teaching, my creativity, and my place in this industry. I started to see things more clearly.

It’s not easy. And I know many of you have been there… and some of you are there right now.

But I can tell you this:

There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

And when you’re feeling this way… just keep moving forward.

The end of that tunnel is closer than you think.

There’s a quote I’ve always loved from The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel:

“Everything will be all right in the end. If it’s not all right, then it’s not yet the end.”

Final Thought

Keep showing up. Keep moving forward. Even on the days you don’t feel it… you’re still in the dance.

See you on the Dance Floor!