Dancer to designer: The truth about changing careers after performing

From ballet dancer to mental performance coach : A career change story

Kirsten Kemp dedicated her life to ballet. She trained at the Houston Ballet Academy, earned a BFA in Ballet from the University of Utah, and fulfilled her dream of dancing professionally with the Oklahoma City Ballet. After a knee injury led to an early end of her performing career, Kirsten found a new path. Today, she's the founder of The Confident Dancer, where she helps dancers overcome performance anxiety, perfectionism, self-doubt, and comparison so they can perform with more confidence and joy. In this episode, we talk about navigating an unexpected career transition, discovering coaching, building an online business from the ground up, and finding an identity beyond performing. Whether you're an artist exploring your next chapter or someone interested in coaching or entrepreneurship, Kirsten shares practical advice on choosing a niche, building confidence, marketing your business, and giving yourself permission to grow into a new career. 📍 In this episode, you'll learn ▸ How Kirsten transitioned from professional ballet dancer to coach ▸ How she discovered coaching during her career transition ▸ What it actually takes to build a successful coaching business ▸ Why choosing a niche is one of the biggest keys to success ▸ How to navigate the identity shift that comes with leaving the stage ▸ Why building a business takes patience, consistency, and the right mindset This conversation is packed with practical advice for anyone navigating career change, building a business, or redefining who they are beyond the work they've always known. If you're a performer wondering "What’s next for me? ", let's connect! ⁠⁠💥  Connect with Kirsten at: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/kirsten_theconfidentdancer/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/kirsten_theconfidentdancer/] 👋  Connect with Eve on Instagram⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/recastandrise.eve/⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/recastandrise.eve/] 👉  Recast and Rise website  ⁠https://www.recastandrise.com/⁠ [https://www.recastandrise.com/] And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE for more inspiring stories and CAREER TOOLS for your next career change! 👉 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch the full conversation on YouTube.

From Las Vegas performer to director of operations: A career change success story

Michelle DiTerlizzi spent years performing on some of the biggest stages in Las Vegas. She danced for Bette Midler, Lionel Richie, starred in Peep Show, worked as an aerialist, and finished her performing career with Criss Angel. But after years of performing, her body was telling her it was time for something different. In this episode, Michelle shares how she began building her next career while she was still on stage. From earning a business degree to shadowing managers backstage and taking on new responsibilities, she slowly started exploring what life beyond performing could look like. She also talks about navigating the uncertainty of the pandemic, becoming a beginner again, and learning an entirely new industry from the ground up. Today, Michelle is a Director of Operations leading teams, managing budgets, and overseeing entertainment experiences across multiple locations. Her story is a powerful reminder that your next career doesn't have to start after you leave the stage. It can start while you're still on it. _____________________________________________ 📍 In this video, you'll learn ▸ How Michelle started building experience before leaving the stage ▸ Why networking played a major role in her transition ▸ How she handled being a beginner again in a completely new industry ▸ The mindset that helped her overcome imposter syndrome ▸ Skills performers already have that employers value ▸ Practical advice for artists considering a career change _____________________________________________ Whether you're actively planning your next chapter or simply exploring what's possible, Michelle's story is a reminder that the skills you developed as a performer can take you much further than you think. If you're a performer wondering "What’s next for me? ", let's connect! And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE for more inspiring stories and CAREER TOOLS for your next career change! 👋  Connect with Eve on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recastandrise.eve/ [https://www.instagram.com/recastandrise.eve/] ⁠⁠💥  Connect with Michelle  at: https://www.instagram.com/michelled3.14/ [https://www.instagram.com/michelled3.14/] 👉  Eve website  https://www.recastandrise.com/ [https://www.recastandrise.com/] 🎙️ Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch the full conversation on YouTube.

Life after Cirque du Soleil: Finding a new career beyond performing

Former Cirque du Soleil artist Dasha Sobelman spent years building the career she had dreamed about since childhood. From watching Cirque performances on VHS as a kid to performing in The Beatles LOVE in Las Vegas, she achieved the goal she had worked toward for decades. But when the show closed, she found herself facing a question many performers eventually encounter: who am I when I'm no longer performing? In this episode, Dasha shares her transition from performer to digital marketer and content creator. She opens up about the emotional reality of leaving a career that shaped her identity, the pressure of maintaining a performing career while preparing for what comes next, and the surprising sense of freedom she discovered after stepping away from the stage. This conversation is an honest look at career change, identity, and what it means to let go of a dream you've already achieved. Whether you're a performer, creative professional, or anyone navigating a major life transition, Dasha’s story offers reassurance that it's possible to honor one chapter of your life while building the next. 📍In this episode, you'll learn: ▸ What it feels like to walk away from a career you've dreamed about since childhood ▸ Why leaving performing can feel like a loss, even when you're ready for the next chapter ▸ The emotional process of separating your identity from your profession ▸ How Dasha’s prepared for a second career while still performing full-time with Cirque du Soleil ▸ The hidden physical and mental pressures that come with being a professional performer ▸ Why many artists struggle to say out loud that they're ready for something different ▸ The unexpected freedom that can come from no longer relying on your body as your career ▸ How to trust yourself through the uncertainty of a major career transition _____________________________________________ If you're a performer wondering "What’s next for me? ", let's connect! And don’t forget to subscribe for more inspiring stories and career tools for your next career change! 👉  Eve’s website: https://www.recastandrise.com/ [https://www.recastandrise.com/] 👋  Connect with Eve on Instagram⁠  https://www.instagram.com/recastandrise.eve/ [https://www.instagram.com/recastandrise.eve/] ⁠⁠💥  Connect with Dasha at: https://www.instagram.com/dashasobelman/ [https://www.instagram.com/dashasobelman/] 🎧 LISTEN ON SPOTIFY https://open.spotify.com/show/1yzSIrIhf5FoQNFzbU1VgU?si=0c4c6f87ec1e4eb7 🎧 LISTEN ON APPLE PODCAST https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recast-and-rise-career-transition-stories-for-artists/id1841231998 Watch it on YouTube -> https://youtu.be/pdvBEvAKaNs [https://youtu.be/pdvBEvAKaNs]

She reached her dream career, and had to reinvent herself

In this episode of Recast and Rise, I sit down with former Cirque du Soleil aerialist and performer Gelsey to talk about the part of career change no one really talks about the messy, uncertain transition in between. After building a successful career across Broadway tours, cruise ships, stunt work, and her dream role in Cirque du Soleil’s The Beatles Love, Gelsey was forced to rethink everything after a serious head injury ended her path as a stunt performer. What followed wasn’t a clear next step. It was years of questioning, burnout, identity shifts, and figuring out what life looks like outside of performing. In this conversation, we talk about what it really takes to move on from a career you loved. From detaching your self-worth from your craft, to navigating job applications with no “traditional” experience, to redefining success on your own terms. Gelsey shares what it’s like to start over when you’re not fully ready, and how she’s building a new path in the corporate world without losing who she is. If you’re an artist, performer, or creative thinking about what’s next, or currently in that uncomfortable in-between, this episode will make you feel seen, grounded, and a little less alone. __________________________________ 📍 In this video, you'll learn: ▸ What the transition period actually feels like after a performing career, not just the outcome ▸ How a career-ending injury forced a complete identity shift ▸ Why performers often struggle with self-worth outside of what they do ▸ The reality of applying to “normal jobs” after a non-traditional career ▸ How to identify your non-negotiables when choosing your next path ▸ Why having hobbies and identity outside of performing matters more than you think ▸ What performers bring to the corporate world that most people don’t ▸ How to approach career change with more clarity, patience, and self-trust __________________________________ If you're a performer wondering "What’s next for me? ", let's connect! FREE resources 👉A self-discovery workbook with 10 prompts to help you find what’s next [https://recastandrise.systeme.io/careerchangeforartist] 👉A Job search and Interview kit [https://recastandrise.systeme.io/careerchangejobsearch-ed36f73e] 👉  Recast and Rise website  ⁠https://www.recastandrise.com/⁠ [https://www.recastandrise.com/] 👋  Connect with Eve on Instagram⁠ ⁠ https://www.instagram.com/recastandrise.eve/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/recastandrise.eve/] 💥 Connect Gelsey https://www.instagram.com/gelseylaurie/ And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE for more inspiring stories and CAREER TOOLS for your next career change! 👉 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch the full conversation on YouTube.

Dancer to designer: The truth about changing careers after performing

Ashley Lafferty spent 14 years performing at Cirque du Soleil, living what many dancers would call the dream. From The Beatles LOVE to Michael Jackson ONE, dance was her identity, her routine, and her entire world for most of her life. In this conversation, Ashley shares what it actually looks like to step away from a career that has defined you since childhood. She opens up about the emotional side of leaving performing, the quiet grief that comes with it, and how she knew it was time to move on even while still loving dance. Instead of waiting until the end, she started preparing early, going back to school during COVID and slowly building her next path while still performing. Today, Ashley is an interior designer and project manager, blending creativity with structure in a completely new way. She walks us through how she made that transition, what surprised her about entering a new industry, and why real-world experience mattered more than anything else. This episode is honest, practical, and reassuring for anyone wondering what comes after performing. _____________________________________________ 📍 *In this video, you'll learn* ▸ How Ashley prepared for her career transition while still performing at night ▸ What she specifically did during COVID to explore interior design and go back to school ▸ How she translated dancer skills like discipline, timing, and teamwork into a corporate role ▸ What the interview process looked like with zero experience in a new industry ▸ Why working as an assistant and making mistakes fast-tracked her learning more than school ▸ The real difference between interior design and project management (and how she does both) _____________________________________________ If you're a performer wondering "What’s next for me? ", let's connect! And don’t forget to *SUBSCRIBE* for more inspiring stories and *CAREER TOOLS* for your next career change! 👉  *EVE’s website*⁠  https://www.recastandrise.com/ 👋  *CONNECT WITH Eve on Instagram*⁠  https://www.instagram.com/recastandrise.eve/ ⁠⁠💥  *CONNECT WITH Ashley*  at: https://www.instagram.com/ashleynicolle_lafferty/ [https://www.instagram.com/ashleynicolle_lafferty/] 🎧 *LISTEN ON SPOTIFY* https://open.spotify.com/show/1yzSIrIhf5FoQNFzbU1VgU?si=0c4c6f87ec1e4eb7 🎧 *LISTEN ON APPLE PODCAST* https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recast-and-rise-career-transition-stories-for-artists/id1841231998