Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristin Wagner.
Kristin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I began my formal dance training in my home state of Connecticut at the age of five. Dance was my number one activity and priority (besides school) through high school graduation. After high school, I left Connecticut to attend Boston University, where I studied Hospitality Administration and Dance. I went to college thinking I wanted to be an event planner. About half way through, I realized I definitely did NOT want to be an event planner, but BU is expensive, so I didn’t want to start over and change majors. I also have always genuinely enjoyed the hospitality industry – it is pretty fascinating – so I began searching desperately for another career path within hospitality. I toyed with the idea of hospitality sales/marketing/PR, as well as restaurant management, but ultimately gravitated toward hotel accounting and finance simply because I was really good at it and my professors encouraged it. I graduated from BU with a pretty prestigious position as a Manager-In-Training at The Four Seasons Hotel Boston.
I probably should have known that hospitality wouldn’t stick, because throughout undergrad, I was constantly prioritizing my minor classes in dance over my major classes in hospitality. I was very active in Dance Theater Group, the only dance group on campus for which you can receive academic credit, and I regularly filled my schedule with rehearsals, dance classes, and choreographic projects to such an extent that I couldn’t fit in any internship opportunities or hospitality-specific extracurricular. About two weeks before graduation, one of my many dance mentors and educators at BU, DeAnna Pellecchia, told me that I should think about dancing as a profession. I had never considered it before – I always assumed I wasn’t good enough, that the lifestyle would be impossible to manage, and that I would fail, which is why I picked practicality in school. However, DeAnna was (and still is) a professional dancer, and she was standing there telling me I could do it. Additionally, I was going through quite a bit of personal change and revelation, and this seemed like a sign. In a very uncharacteristic move, I quickly decided that I would pursue dance. I just didn’t tell anyone for over a year. I had already signed my contract with Four Seasons, so I planned to work there for one year while dancing with DeAnna’s company, and eventually I would transition everything over to dance.
Flash forward 6 years, and I am now Principal Dancer and Rehearsal Director for KAIROS Dance Theater (under the artistic direction of DeAnna Pellecchia). I have performed at a number of locally recognized theaters, including Jazz at Lincoln Center, and I often perform as a guest artist for a number of local choreographers. I teach dance across the area at award winning studios, including Koltun Ballet Boston, Wilmington Dance Academy, Miss Maria’s School of Dance, and The Dance Complex. I have provided freelance support for a number of dance/art businesses, including The Dance Complex, Dance Paws, and IG MODA by Irina Gorbman. I am currently the face of the Boston Lyric Opera’s 2018-19 season. And, I recently produced my own independently funded and curated dance theater showcase, …that’s what she said, which opened doors to sold out audiences after raising over $5000 to support production costs and artist fees. I have been so fortunate to have had so many instrumental and inspiring figures in my life who have helped me achieve these incredible goals.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Choosing a life in the arts is never a smooth road. Financial struggle is probably the bumpiest part of the journey. I work just about everyday, a minimum of 4 hours and up to 15 hours, and I still make under $25k/year. I am always tired, and I am always stressed. I think it is often difficult for people to understand just how demanding this lifestyle is. I have faced a number of personal challenges with friends, family, and employers, who want me to be more available, more flexible, more present, and more normal. And I wish I could be everything to everyone – but at any given time, I have between 4 and 10 jobs, and it is simply not possible to attempt to balance all of that, feed my cat, do my laundry, sleep, and give everyone what they want all the time. This year has been huge in terms of finding ways to respectfully set boundaries so that I can take better care of myself while still holding onto valuable relationships. I don’t think I have done a really good job at actually upholding those boundaries, but I can say that it has been at the forefront of my mind for the whole year, and I am hoping to do better next year. On the other hand, I think I say that every year. So maybe it’s just who I am!
Please tell us about Kristin Wagner .
I am first and foremost a modern and contemporary dancer. I do teach other styles of dance, but I only perform and create modern and contemporary work. This year I have tried to dedicate more time and attention to my own choreographic projects. In March, I produced “…that’s what she said,” a show which aimed to highlight and promote female artists and the female experience. I contributed two pieces of choreography to that show, in addition to performing in other choreographers’ work in the show and curating/producing. I have also been collaborating with Tony Guglietti since January of this year. We have been working on a contemporary dance duet, “fold,” which, in its simplest explanation, explores the complexity of relationships and navigating your own baggage as well as your partner’s baggage. I would not say that I am yet known for my choreography, but after taking this step in committing myself to making work more regularly, I will say that I have been humbled to receive mostly positive feedback. I think the number one thing that sets me apart from others is my business background. It is definitely a not-always-kind cliché that artists are not business people. I would have to say that for the most part, in my experience, there is a lot of merit to this cliché. My business skills are probably what I am most confident about in my career, and, because having a business degree is not super common in the arts, it provides me with opportunities not all artists seem to receive or at least take advantage of. I have managed to continue to apply my degree in hospitality to my career in the arts in a number of ways – whether it be freelance marketing support, box office/bar management at dance performances, or producing shows either for myself or on behalf of others. I was laughing with a friend the other day, after realizing that I went to hospitality school to be an event planner, and only just realized that IS essentially what I ended up being — a healthy percentage of my income is derived from producing shows, which is in fact event planning!
Pricing:
- Private lessons starting at $100/hour plus the cost of the studio rental
- Administrative support/other freelance business support starting at $20/hour (depends on the nature of the work)
- Choreographic services starting at $300+ (negotiable depending on needs)
Contact Info:
- Website: http://kristincwagner.com
- Email: kristincooperwagner@gmail.com
- Instagram: @kriscross392 and @followwhatshesaid
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/followwhatshesaid
Image Credit:
These photos were taken by Gabriel Rizzo/Golden Lion Photography and Tim Avery/Timothy Avery Photography.
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