She’s danced professionally across continents and has now built a career as a freelance dance artist that moves with her.

We caught up with contemporary dancer Terra, who shared how she went from training in Calgary and Arizona to performing in Chicago, Switzerland, and Germany. Now based in Munich, she talks about her life in the European dance scene, the leap into freelancing, and what it really takes to keep her body, creativity, and career moving.

Terra's Instagram

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​​Born from our long voice notes and biweekly calls across multiple continents, this podcast is our space to share the unfiltered realities of the messy, magical, behind-the-scenes journey of building a business (and a life) that is anything other than ordinary.

Follow us on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whereshebuilds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Anna ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@yourtravelfriendanna⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Shandi ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@coachshandi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Watch us on YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whereshebuilds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

00:00 Intro

00:44 Chitty Chat

16:41 Terra's Beginnings in Dance

21:00 Apprenticeship to Full-Time Dancer

26:40 The Start of the Europe Chapter

29:34 Mindset of a Dancer

31:41 Day in the Life as German Dancer

36:55 Workload of a Professional Dancer

40:12 Holiday Pay

41:45 Company Member vs. Freelance Contemporary Artist

42:37 Settling into Routine

43:47 Growing Confidence

45:19 Transitioning to Freelance Dance

48:23 Contract jobs are the same in the Arts

49:22 Outside the studio

53:16 Maintaining Physical Health and Recovery

55:09 What's Your Training Like

59:11 The Strongest Chapter Yet

01:00:43 Navigating Housing as a Freelance Artist

01:00:50 How to Live and Work in Europe

01:04:10 Future Aspirations and Open Opportunities

01:06:46 Support the Arts

01:08:38 Outro