With Graduation and a Certificate IV Degree Course in Performing Arts behind her, 2003 marked the end of the training road for Amy Petsalis - or so it seemed.

The expectations from here were much the same as every other bright eyed young performer and dreams of the commercial dance world lay ahead. There was film work, live theatre work, travel to Asia, corporate gigs, backup dancing for artists and all that came between. Numerous dance jobs were tackled, many enjoyable but the volume of work available was less than anticipated so the teaching option slowly crept in to help pay the bills.

Fast forward to July of 2009, six years have passed since our intrepid young performer ventured into the world of commercial dance, we now find a slightly older and wiser choreographer has evolved from the dancer that was. Still learning (always learning) and still loving the dance and creation on offer, Amy tumbled effortlessly into choreography, this seemed the instinctive way of maintaining a presence in the dance world while keeping the passion for dance very much alive. Despite having some lean times as a dancer there was never the urge to ‘get a real job’, “I never lost hope in the industry, I always knew this was my passion” says Amy who still trains hard, loves teaching but especially finds reward in choreographing. Never one to assume she knows more than you, Amy has learnt so much in these past six years, all valuable stuff and a great deal of it handed onto eager dance students grateful to share in Amy’s acquired knowledge of the industry. Amy has slowly developed into an inspiring and engaging choreographer, by following her passion from dancer to teacher and choreographer, she continues to grow and learn at every given opportunity.

“The transition from dancer to choreographer always came naturally to me but I tended to worry about what people would think of my work. Sometimes my original concepts would change, it would be obvious that I needed to fit the ideas I had to the dancers I was using, I learnt to highlight their strengths and work with them instead of always trying to mould my impressions into their styles. I discovered as a choreographer you must always believe firmly in who you are, you must be brave and put yourself out there, belief in your own ideas and being positive play a very big role. The challenge in taking it further - taking your ideas from thoughts to rehearsals and to the stage is as much about hard work as it is self belief. Having a plan B also helps, things can go wrong and you sometimes need to think on your feet to make rapid changes! I remember once creating various routines for a particular job and then getting to rehearsals and the numbers needed changing so I pulled out the best material on the spot to fit them to cut down music! You have to love your work but not be so precious about it that you can’t let some of it go if you have to.”

The main question Amy is asked by students is how do you stick it out for so long when there’s no work? “Involving yourself in the industry is a great start, by doing classes, creating and staying current - these things all play their part in keeping things fresh. Create when you have the time and take every opportunity to push yourself forward, appreciate moments to become inspired by things around you, including the people you can learn from. Personal experience is always important but the knowledge and understanding of learning from great icons is invaluable, share in people’s insight and expertise. Constantly learn, you’ll never know it all and that’s the best part of the industry, there’s always a surprise waiting around the corner.”

Amy has come up against some of her students in auditions before which she finds strange but it’s never been a big deal. Remember that you offer individuality and you have something unique to offer, everyone deserves that respect. Acknowledge that it doesn’t always matter what you have done, it matters who you are and what you bring that sets you apart. Be prepared to work hard, never give up if you’re passionate about something - recognize your true passion and run with it. “Sometimes people jump into work much faster than others and this will always be the case, never take it too hard if you’re the person who takes longer to get there, always strive and it’ll make you stronger. You’ll see the different paths if it takes you longer, you’ll learn your strengths and your own direction will be apparent. Be good at the one thing you do well, be a master of your own craft.”

Later in 2009 Amy plans to travel abroad and discover how the dance world operates outside of Australia, once again our student will be learning - always learning and always asking questions.

Article by: Cimone Grayson with Amy Petsalis

Amy is represented by International Collective Artist Management.

For enquiries contact Cimone Grayson by email: cimone@internationalcollective.com