Graduate story: Erin Taube

What was one of the main life-lessons you learnt through your full-time studies?

One of the main life-lessons I learnt was to have empathy and care for my body. As a vessel which is going to carry you through the intense emotional and physical experience which is full time dance, it's important to learn how to work with your body not against it.

Having completed the first half of my final year with a chronic injury, I spent a lot of time being frustrated at my body for not coping with the physical load of full-time. However it was not until I gave it what it was asking for – rest and strengthening – that it healed. The key is to establish a routine to bring yourself inwards for a few moments a day, assess where both your mind and body are at, so that you are able to provide it with what it needs, whether that be a coffee to treat yourself or to complete class at 60 per cent energy levels. Oftentimes approaching class the way you need to, is when you are able to get the most out of it.

What is your best memory of your full-time dance studies?

One of the most joyful memories I have is finishing our final show for our graduating season. In the last few minutes of the final piece, we each performed a duo/trio while the rest of the cast got to watch while on stage. I vividly remember an overwhelming sense of gratitude as each person stepped up to have their moment. I felt incredibly privileged to have had the opportunity to embark on a journey with these beautiful people, to witness them grow, and to hold space with them. It was a bitter-sweet moment of realising how far we’d come as a collective that will stay with me forever.

Erin is just one of many graduates who tell their stories in the Full-Time Studies Guide in the current issue of Dance Australia (July/August/September). Print is for keeps! Buy your issue in your favourite newsagent or dance retailer or online here or here.