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Anna-Sanziana Beschia was born in Romania and grew up in Montreal, Canada, where she began her training at Ballet Divertimento. She completed her training at the Tanz Akademie Zurich before landing her first job with Ballet Dortmund. After a guest contract with Ballet Leipzig, Anna joined the Slovak National Ballet, where she danced for 11 seasons. She then danced with Tanz Harz, Staatstheater Cottbus, Theater Koblenz, and the Anhaltisches Theater. Anna’s career has traversed a varied repertoire of classical, neo-classical and contemporary works by choreographers such as George Balanchine, Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato, Natália Horečná, James Kudelka, and Stefano Gianetti, among others.
While still dancing, Anna completed a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature and Rhetoric and International Studies at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Over the past year, she has been studying full-time at the Diplomatische Akademie Wien (the Vienna School of International Studies) in the Diploma Program.
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You’ve just graduated with a postgraduate diploma in international relations and affairs from the Diplomatische Akademie Wien. How did you land a spot in this prestigious program?
Anna-Sanziana Beschia: It's an interesting story. I first heard about the institution while I was dancing at the Slovak National Ballet; my mother told me about it and I attended one of their events. After completing my bachelor's at the University of Waterloo, which I did while dancing full time, I began considering my next steps. I was looking at either a master's program or this postgraduate program, which is more intense and compressed into one year.
At first, I thought I would just send in an application - I didn’t think I’d get accepted. My plan was to continue dancing full time for another year or two. I figured it would take time to get accepted into various programs, so I might as well start applying, if nothing else, to get some practice at sending things other than CVs and audition applications. To my surprise, I got accepted.
So although my original plan had been to dance for another season or two, I figured I might as well take this opportunity now. I didn’t have a very fixed plan because I like to keep my options open, but the chance came along and I decided to take it. The minute I got the acceptance letter, I knew I was going to do it - it was just a gut feeling. But it took me a few months to actually convince myself and face up to it.
Do you think your ballet background piqued the interest of the admissions committee or whoever it is looking at those applications?
Anna: Yes, it did. I now know this for a fact because someone from the committee told me a few weeks ago. So that’s something that could be helpful for other dancers to know. She said they always consider applications from ballet dancers or musicians - that’s an instant plus and they always put those applications at the top of the pile because they know that those people are very focused, disciplined, and hardworking.
I think in the academic world, it particularly helps if you highlight classical ballet training, as people do have their own prejudices and the academic world sees a classical music or dance education in a positive light.
However, for job applications, it can be a challenge depending on the particular line of work. They might not say it's useless, but they may say your profile doesn't match what they need. It's all a matter of how you present things. For example, someone advised me to say "managed a project" instead of "choreographed a project". Although "manage" might sound boring to us, these are the kind of verbs they're looking for. You just need to tailor your application appropriately.
The discipline and dedication that ballet requires are highly respected in academia.
Where does your interest in international relations stem from?
Anna: My interest in international relations was there before dance became my professional goal. I actually started dancing quite late - it was a hobby for a long time, but professionally I started quite late. Many years ago, when I was around 16 or 17, I thought I wanted to go to university and study political science and international relations. And then somehow one of my teachers at the time convinced me to try it as a ballet dancer, and I thought, “okay, I have to try this - if I don’t, I’ll regret it all my life.” Then the whole ballet chapter started. So now I’m actually going back to my first interest!
It was always in the back of my mind that I would do this. The question was “when”, as opposed to “if”, because I knew that I was going to do something in this field. In a sense, my first love was international relations, followed by ballet, which is unusual because normally it’s the other way around.
The last few years of your dance career have overlapped with your university studies. Was this always how you had planned to transition into a new career?
Anna: It was more than just the past few years because I started a while ago - I started attending the University of Waterloo online in 2014 and took it very slowly. I knew I wanted to study, but there was no clear transition plan. I was figuring things out step by step, which is sometimes a better way of doing things because if you have a set plan, you could risk closing yourself off to opportunities. If you go step by step, you might discover something unexpected.
It was difficult to start studying online in the first place. There was a lot of inertia and there was a difficult mental shift required in order to avoid thinking about whatever happened in rehearsals, or whatever shows or auditions were coming up. So, I took it little by little. I didn’t even take classes every semester. If I had a ballet season that was very difficult, I didn’t want to burden myself with something else. So that’s why it took me a long time to complete. What really accelerated my progress was COVID, during which I completed more than half of my degree.
I remember people asking me how I would like to transition, and it always felt like this huge topic, which is very difficult to manage. I found it helpful to really break it down into parts: completing my bachelor's degree, studying online, getting accepted into a program. The next chapter might be even harder because I’ll be applying for other jobs and I think my first day on a job other than dancing will feel very weird.
How did you cope with that workload of full time dancing, part time study?
Anna: I pretty much scheduled my studying around my dancing. During those years, dancing was my priority and studying was part-time, on the side. There were times - not many, but it did happen - that I had to hand things in late due to too many performances or rehearsals, and my professors were usually understanding.
I really tailored it to the dancing, so if I had a lighter season I would take more courses, or fewer if it was a heavy season, and adapt it to my schedule. It was good because it forced me to think about something else, to get out of that dance bubble. Although it was still challenging to get out of the bubble - it sucks you in! So it’s healthy to have another thing to focus on, whatever that may be.
Prioritising really helped me - I think pursuing both at the same level would have been really hard. I'm 38 now, and the balance has shifted - studying is now my priority and I keep dancing on the side. I haven’t really had much time this year, but I try to take some classes whenever I can. I also wanted to take advantage of the student life, because I didn’t really have that university experience. That's kind of new to me at 38, which is cool.
In contrast to that overlap time, how are you finding full time study now?
Anna: It's difficult, but it’s been interesting. Before, I had fewer classes, because it was part time. Your brain works a certain way when you’re going to take class or train or perform, and then I had to switch mindsets completely to study. So that was the challenge back then. Now, all my energy goes in the same direction, and obviously there’s a great deal of coursework, papers, and exams. This is also an institution with a lot of social events because it’s the diplomatic academy, so obviously we’re encouraged to go to all those events. You’re bombarded with a lot of information at the same time.
Others seem to switch from one task to another very easily, but I’m used to a ballet dancer’s mentality where we tend to obsess over one thing. Making the switch to juggle multiple tasks has been difficult for me.
You recently went to Brussels on a field trip - how was that?
Anna: Yes, we went to Brussels which was really interesting. We visited all the main institutions - NATO, the EU Commission, Council of the EU, and the EU Parliament. It was really intriguing to understand the protocols involved and to be introduced to all of that, especially as I don’t come from this world at all.
Some people had already done internships in this area, but I studied English literature, rhetoric, and international studies online, so while I have some background in international studies, it's a different experience studying on campus with others and interacting with professors. So yes, this was all very new to me.
There's also that social aspect to the dance world. Do you think that helped you?
Anna: For sure it did. This particular institution is quite small, and it makes me laugh, but I’ve told everybody on campus that it reminds me of the theatre in many ways. It's not a large university; it's a compact campus and everyone tends to hang around. Some people even live there. It has its own microcosm, much like theatre life. So, it's not actually that different. It was quite easy to fit in, in that sense. It’s funny because sometimes I forget to say “school year” and say “season” instead. People say, “what are you talking about, what’s a season?” But I just can’t get it out of my vocabulary, it comes out automatically. It’s funny.
What other skills has your dance career given you that you've been able to transfer to your current life? Are there any that have surprised you?
Anna: Well, I was quite scared in my first two terms here at the Diplomatic Academy. Second term was particularly tough, and I worried that I wouldn’t be able to do it all. But our discipline as ballet dancers helps us a lot; if we have to do something, we have that mentality that means we will make ourselves do it. And while there are very mature and responsible people in the program, I don’t necessarily see that same consistent discipline and focus in other students.
Also, even though this is a diplomatic and international relations program, you find a lot of people that don’t necessarily have a very good sense of presentation, even though they're in a world where they have to present themselves. As dancers, we have an innate ability to present ourselves well, yet naturally. So, the performance aspect of our training is highly transferable. It's like we instinctively know how to present ourselves better. Plus, you’re going to attract a lot of attention if you have an unusual background. Of course, it’s hard for everyone to actually land a job, but I think these things already put you a step ahead.
What have you learned about diplomacy that can be transferred to dance company environments?
Anna: I'm shocked (and I guess everyone is) by the way things are still done in the dance industry, especially in terms of communication. The ballet world has incredibly low standards of communication, and that's something that needs improvement. There's a mentality of this “cult of the master” in ballet that is hard to break.
Here at the Diplomatic Academy we have communication workshops on how to talk to people, what not to say, and what counts as bullying. Sometimes it's taken out of context, but the most important thing is that people are having a conversation. This isn't really done in the ballet world, but it should be. We have a career centre here where you have people come and talk about their path and you can connect with them. Sometimes it's very interesting, sometimes not, but it doesn’t matter, because at least you’re exposed to it. I don't recall having that in ballet school. Schools should guide you and help you get a job, not break you and see who survives. Little things, like workshops on how to write your CV, could be very helpful. I could have benefited from that a lot, but I didn’t have that. These are easy fixes that can change mentalities little by little and it would be simple for a school or company to take those steps and organise workshops on communication. When we had one of these career talks here in my first week, I thought, “it would have been nice to have something like this in ballet school.”
Language proficiency is a good selling point and one of the most important transferable skills.
You're still open to dancing in the future and haven't really said “goodbye” to the stage. Do you think dancers tend to think of their retirement in ways that are too black and white?
Anna: Yes, I think so. Unfortunately, many dancers see it that way. For me, I generally try to avoid such a rigid approach to life. It feels a bit extreme, and I'm wary of anything too extreme. Because you never really know exactly where things might take you. That's why I think it's good to have a broad idea of what you want to do, but nothing too specific, because you need to give yourself the freedom to take things step by step.
Maybe in five years, I'll look back and see that this was actually the end of my dancing career because life led me on a different path. But last year, when I thought about saying "this is the end", that was impossible for me to manage. It was overwhelming. Maybe some people find it helpful to decisively turn the page, but I prefer to see everything in flux.
Right now I don’t see myself returning to full-time dancing, because I'm pursuing other things. But if a project comes up at some point in the future, I'm not ruling it out. I try to see open doors everywhere and give myself enough freedom to explore different opportunities. Dancers often see these things in black and white, but I don't think that's beneficial. For me, it would have added too much pressure, and I wouldn't have enjoyed it.
Did you have any fears about starting this diploma year? If so, how did you process and manage them?
Anna: Yes, I did. First of all, I thought, “I’m a dancer, and all these people have more experience in this world - what are they going to think?” That was difficult to shake off. But people in the academic world greeted me with a lot of interest, which was nice.
My next challenge is to see how it will be in the professional world, but I suspect there’ll be a lot of interest there too. My biggest fear was that I would miss dancing. I was worried that I would start this program and regret it, but fortunately, that didn't happen.
As I said, I knew that I wanted to do this, and it was only a matter of “when”. When you’re nervous about something, most people tend to procrastinate, because we have that natural fear and apprehension. But I knew deep down that I wanted to do it, so as cheesy as it sounds, I had to trust my gut feeling and go with that. Obviously you’re not going to proceed entirely based on that feeling, but you have to take it into account.
When I started, I didn't miss dancing in the sense of regretting my decision, and was happy to get to know a different world - but I did miss the physical aspect of it. Initially, I found it physically painful to just sit in a chair. I missed training and using my whole body.
I spoke with other dancers and this is all very personal, because some people miss the performance aspect, while others miss the training. Weirdly enough, I miss class and rehearsals more than the performance aspect.
How can other dancers reassure themselves that they'll thrive in such an academic environment and quieten that nagging voice that says all they can do is count to eight?
Anna: I think in the ballet world, we're used to such a subservient mentality. This has many downsides, but the upside is that it actually prepares you to thrive in an academic environment. You might face other pressures such as deadlines and some complicated multitasking. However, I found that the academic environment is more encouraging compared to ballet. I think the ballet world could benefit from this aspect of academia, highlighting encouragement without lowering standards. I think it’s doable.
I always encourage ballet dancers to pursue higher education if they wish to do so. You can be successful in so many other ways, particularly today, but the discipline and dedication that ballet requires are highly respected in academia.
I think it’s all about how you approach any fears. Fear is normal, and it's always there in the back of your mind because transitioning to something different is a big change. As a dancer, maybe you’ll always have that little voice, but again, we’re used to working in the face of adversity. With time, you learn to control that little voice. It's not like it suddenly goes away, but you learn how to deal with it.
What anyone has to do when switching careers is to highlight their transferable skills. Teamwork is another crucial skill that dancers already possess. We’ve had to do it all our lives, it’s just in the DNA of our job, whereas others have to learn it, which makes it somewhat artificial.
So teamwork, presentation, discipline, dealing with pressure, and being able to perform under stress: these are all important transferable skills that ballet dancers already have, so hopefully keeping that in mind can help combat that nagging voice.
How much of a plus are your language skills?
Anna: A big plus. Ballet dancers tend to speak several languages and pick them up easily, and that's probably one of the main transferable skills. When I sent my CV here, my ballet career, education, and language skills were noticed.
Ballet dancers are great communicators. We also have the ability to absorb information quickly and memorise a lot - it doesn't matter whether it's choreography or something else.
A lot of people speak several languages here, which is obviously important in international relations. While there aren't many people here who are perfectly bilingual in French and English, if you can speak all three EU procedural languages - French, English, and German - fluently, that's a big advantage.
It’s definitely a skill that ballet dancers should advertise. Perhaps it's overlooked because we focus on ballet and stagecraft, but languages are hugely important. I don't think that many people outside of the ballet world realise just how good ballet dancers are at that. So yes, language proficiency is a good selling point and one of the most important transferable skills.
Do you have any other advice for dancers who are considering a career transition or are about to embark on this journey?
Anna: It sounds cheesy, but go for it, go with that gut feeling.
Dancers are used to working under intense pressure with almost a subservient mentality, which can be a tough reality. But we have a great reputation for being very professional and disciplined, and are generally very highly valued. We are naturally resilient and used to dealing with rejection. When I first started this program, I didn't know what to expect. Would people label me merely as a ballet dancer? But the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
The ballet world can be pretty insular and I think it could benefit from having more people involved in higher education. It broadens your horizons, encourages different ways of thinking, and makes you mentally strong. Higher education can only make you a better artist, and it’s not going to weaken you technically. We’re definitely better in that respect now compared to a decade ago. I don’t have any statistics but I think the trend is going up, so things are improving. Also, academia encourages critical thinking, which can provide a fresh perspective in the dance world. Dancers aren’t very good at critical thinking, not because they can’t do it but because they’re discouraged from doing it from an early age due to the training. Higher education can fill this void, leading to personal and professional growth. This doesn't mean causing a revolution in your next rehearsal, but rather, it allows you to put things into perspective. The capacity to think critically will only make you a better dancer.
Top image by Claudia Heysel
