In order to survive and thrive, ballet dancers often have to move.
And that’s not a pun.
A ballet career is precarious, in that most company seasons are between 30 to 44 weeks.
So, for ballet dancers, that requires moving out of the state for performance opportunities, leaving side jobs during professional show runs and continually moving out of comfort zones.
Darion Flores, 30, can explain.
“I think a lot of us take jobs in the service industry, whether we’re a bartender or server,” Flores said.
“It’s quick money, but it is taxing. The hours are crazy, and you’re dealing with people constantly. I feel like it does pull focus away from the art, and it doesn’t lend itself to the creativity in my spirit.”
After “a lot of trial and error,” Flores found an ideal job fit, one that supports his dance career. But it took years of job changes that nearly made him reject the one thing he believes he was born to do.
As a teenager, after training at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Flores competed and became a top 20 finalist in the televised “So You Think You Can Dance” competition.
Since then, he has performed in five states and danced for a half-dozen ballet companies, in addition to touring with Royal Caribbean Entertainment, a position that took him to Japan.
Darion Flores is a dancer with the local contemporary ballet dance company The Rosin Box Project. He will be performing in the company’s “Ghost Light” production in October. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune
After the tour to Japan, the challenges of managing multiple jobs in order to dance made Flores consider a completely different career. He returned to family in Connecticut “to regroup.”
Flores entertained the idea of becoming a first responder before deciding to take a job as a direct care specialist serving the disabled community in Connecticut.
“There are a lot of people who live on the spectrum and need assistance,” he reasoned. “Anywhere you go, you’ll find that. If I wasn’t dancing, that’s probably something I would be doing.”
Flores once performed for Ballet Virginia with Brian Bennett, who currently dances with The Rosin Box Project, a local contemporary ballet company headed by Carly Topazio.
Darion Flores is a dancer with the local contemporary ballet dance company The Rosin Box Project. He will be performing in the company’s “Ghost Light” production in October. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune
Bennett called to tell him of an opening and encouraged him to move to San Diego.
Flores contemplated whether dance “was a calling” and decided to “take a leap of faith.”
“Dance has always been a part of my life,” Flores said. “I started really early and I do believe there is a purpose behind it. I have an ability to share my gift and touch lives. I feel like … that’s the point.”
Flores moved to San Diego and joined The Rosin Box Project’s current season.
He’ll next perform in the company’s popular Halloween-themed show, “Ghost Light Masquerade,” opening October 22 at The Nocturne Theatre in San Diego.
“I’ve always loved a good challenge,” said Flores, who performed last month in the company’s “DEBUTS: The Frame Wide Open.”
“Brian was super helpful in that transition and I thoroughly enjoyed the kind of work Carly does and the opportunities that she creates for other choreographers.”
But Flores still needed financial security.
“We need health and dental insurance, all that great stuff,” Flores said. “I started thinking about what I needed to do day to day.”
The experience Flores had as a caregiver for brain-impaired adults back East was positive and he applied for a similar position at the Redwood Family Care Network, a health and human services nonprofit.
As a direct care specialist in a group home, he has the night shift and works from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., overseeing high-functioning adult males.The schedule frees him to stay in shape and dance for both The Rosin Box Project and Culture Shock San Diego.
“It doesn’t feel like work,” Flores said of his caregiver role. “I got along with the guys really quickly. I’m full time at 32 hours and it’s quite ideal. I stay up all night and check on them every hour or so, to make sure they are OK. I’m monitoring and assisting, setting goals and expectations for the next day.”
After his shift, Flores heads to Equinox fitness club, for cold plunges, workouts and hot yoga. After a nap, he’s able to dance.
Flores said that in addition to providing financial security, his job working with brain-impaired adults gives him a sense of gratitude that translates to his dance career.
“I do love my job and the guys I work with,” Flores said. “It goes hand in hand with dancing. It informs the dancing and it gives me more to pull from.”