Daisy Long completed her dance training at the John Cranko Schule in Stuttgart before enjoying a successful career at the Stuttgart Ballet, where she danced major classical works such as Swan Lake, Giselle, and Sleeping Beauty, as well as contemporary works by Mauro Bigonzetti, Marco Goecke, Christian Spuck, Bridget Breiner, and Demis Volpi. Daisy then completed a degree in practical filmmaking at the Met Film School in London, paving the way for her next career as a writer and director. She went on to write and direct both a short film about choreographer Hans Van Manen as well as a documentary series about the Ballett am Rhein in Düsseldorf. Daisy co-wrote and produced the feature film Mother, May I?, and is currently working as a writer on the upcoming Amazon series Étoile, created by Amy Sherman Palladino and Dan Palladino, which follows two ballet companies in Paris and New York.
Daisy Long: I think I've always been interested in film because my parents are both in the industry. As a kid, I found it really fun to visit my Dad on set and go to work with my Mum, who was a voiceover actress at the time. So I was always interested in that world. I think my teenage rebellion involved not doing that - I did ballet instead. Not that I did it specifically to rebel, but dance is just so all-encompassing that you don’t even think of a plan B. I think if I hadn’t pursued dance, I may have gone into film naturally because I was surrounded by it. But even when I stopped dancing, I didn’t immediately consider a film career. I came to it a bit later.
Daisy: When I left the Stuttgart Ballet, the plan wasn't to stop dancing entirely. I was going to move to London and use London as a base to audition for other companies. But when I got there, it was sort of like this subconscious slow stop; I wasn't taking classes or pursuing ballet in any way. I was gravitating towards things that may sound mundane to the average person but that were totally new experiences for me - a job in a cafe, then a pub, then a chocolate shop. I hadn’t made a concrete decision to stop, but things just unfolded and I found myself not dancing anymore, and that felt okay. You know, you need to train every day, and if you’re not doing that, you lose it. This was scary at first, but then it felt fine, and eventually it felt great.
At that point, I really rejected dance and my identity as a dancer. It wasn’t until much later that I started to mourn my ballet career because I had never really processed ending it, I had just jumped into the next challenging thing.
Daisy: I didn’t receive any specific help for my transition, because as I mentioned, that wasn’t the plan. However, I did withdraw my pension from Germany to put towards film school.
Daisy: I took a documentary filmmaking class at film school where our teacher really encouraged us to write what we know and tell a story that was close to home. Since I had only been out of the ballet world for a year, it seemed like an obvious choice for a story. Even though I hadn't fully processed the end of my career, making this film became a way for me to mourn and process leaving the dance world. Also, it allowed me to stay connected to the dance world, but in a new role.
One thing that’s hard when you stop dancing is feeling like you've spent so much time on something you don't use anymore. There's a lot of guilt associated with that. The film was a way for me to continue using my knowledge of dance in a new way, which was nice.
Daisy: Both projects were a blast from the past! I was working with former dancers from Stuttgart, with all of us in these new roles but still just as passionate. It was really wonderful getting to document and interview the dancers at the Ballett am Rhein on their first day of the season. There were a lot of young dancers who had never been in a company before, so it brought me straight back to my first day at Stuttgart and reminded me of all the excitement and uncertainty and hope I had.
Working with Hans was another surreal experience because one of my favourite moments on stage was dancing a piece he choreographed called "In and Out". I felt very “Freddy the Fan”' talking to him because we were shooting during Covid and it was only he and I in the room together. I'm not religious at all but it was absolutely a holy experience sitting in these long silences he'd take in between me asking a question and him thinking about his response. I feel really honoured to have created both projects and really thankful to Demis Volpi for taking a chance on me.
Daisy: It was an undergraduate program, so no degrees were required. I believe a high school diploma was necessary. I had to submit a personal statement too.
The program is really for people just starting out, exploring an interest in film. So, the qualifications were not too intense or demanding. I think that being a dancer does set you apart as it's a unique story. People understand that if you were a professional ballet dancer then you must be a responsible adult.
...be patient with yourself, give yourself time to learn and practice in this new sphere. Understand that you're not going to be really good at it right away, and that's okay.
Daisy: I still struggle with the unknown of it all. When you're in a company, there's a set schedule and someone tells you where to be, how to hold your head, and where to stand, so not having that external structure was hard. It took me a while to just commit to one thing. As a freelancer, you get projects well in advance and it can be scary because you don't know what your calendar will look like or what you’ll be doing. Even wedding invitations can be stressful because you don't know where you'll be or what you’ll be doing that far in advance.
Dealing with the unknown is difficult, but you just have to commit - put the thing in your calendar and do it. Things usually work out. I find it helpful to do practical things, like brain dumps and journaling, to organise my to-do list and tackle tasks more easily.
Daisy: There are obvious things like hard work, determination, and resilience - the ability to accept and use criticism for improvement rather than taking it personally. Stamina is another vital aspect that dancers possess. Working on film sets can be really demanding and people complain about the long hours and constant standing, but as a dancer, I think, "This is nothing! Try dancing on your toes in pointe shoes all day!” This preparation allows me to handle any kind of physically difficult work, and consequently, the mental work seems manageable. The challenging experience of a dance career gives you the confidence to take on other difficult tasks. This fearlessness in facing hard work is really important.
Daisy: Maybe. I might have ended up working in film, but my ballet career absolutely set me up for writing on Étoile, the TV show I’m currently on. It’s a show that takes place in a world I know so intimately. But more broadly, yes, I might have been drawn to film because it’s also a performance art-based career.
Daisy: Aside from being hardworking, determined, and driven, dancers are really good at reading a room because we understand body language so well. This skill is beneficial when transitioning to any new career that involves working with people. We know how to communicate. For instance, in fields like film, understanding set etiquette or writer's room etiquette is crucial.
Also, dancers are used to working with a diverse range of people from different countries, preparing them to communicate in culturally diverse contexts. This is a valuable skill that definitely comes in handy, which people don’t realise.
Daisy: Yes, I did. I struggled with this because I found that I need feedback to feel like I've achieved something at the end of the day. It doesn't have to be positive, even negative feedback can drive me. Being my own boss and setting my own schedule was challenging. I found it hard to give myself credit. I would close my laptop at the end of the day questioning what I had accomplished or if I had worked hard enough. With dance, the outcomes were clearer - you leave the studio sweaty and physically feel the efforts of your work. Of course, there were bad days, but you were still there doing your tendus.
Now, I try to give myself more credit and also to put myself in positions where I receive feedback; I share projects with friends and ask for notes. That way, it feels more active and I don’t feel like I’m working in a vacuum, as writing can be isolating. Figuring out how to feel productive and accomplished at the end of each day took some time.
Daisy: Yes, I do. There's always been a fascination with the ballet world for filmmakers. What's exciting about Étoile is that, often, people choose to tell stories of the dance world through a dark, almost depressing lens, like in Black Swan. These stories of broken, bleeding toenails, and backstabbing understudies are told for a reason. There is that dark element to ballet, but the Palladinos are choosing to showcase the ballet world through a lighter, more varied lens.
Hopefully, people will gain a different understanding of how wonderfully weird and eccentric ballet dancers are, and not just the dancers, but all the people who work in the ballet world. It's a fascinating world. And hopefully, as a result of the show, people will become interested in watching more dance on screen.
Daisy: I don’t work in live theatre anymore, so the element of surprise, the uncertainty of how a piece will turn out each night because you’re human and things change every night, is gone. With film, you know how it's going to go because it's a locked, finished product that won't change. The nerve-wracking part is still the audience's reaction - you never know how it will be received. When you watch your own work, you think, “This is so slow, tedious, and boring, people will hate it and I should just quit.” So, it's very difficult to watch your own stuff, but the element of surprise isn’t there.
Additionally, the preparation process is different. When I was a dancer, if I had a show in the evening, my entire day revolved around that show. I had to consider everything from not overexerting myself to ensuring I ate the right foods and getting sufficient sleep the night before. There was constant anxiety, like teetering on the edge of a diving board.
Now, once a movie is locked and complete and there's nothing more to change, nothing more I can do, I find it a bit more relaxing. You simply have to let go and hope for the best. So, I find presenting on screen less stressful just because it's not live.
The challenging experience of a dance career gives you the confidence to take on other difficult tasks. This fearlessness in facing hard work is really important.
Daisy: There are definite similarities. When I performed I was always interested in connecting to the audience. As a kid, my mum used to call me a "money player" because I would only really turn it on when there was an audience present. So I think that having an audience, and again that feedback or that exchange of energy, was always something that gave me an adrenaline rush and thrill. Now, with film, I think the interest in connection is still very much present but it happens at a different stage. It isn't a performance anymore. There's still an adrenaline rush, but it comes from working with actors on set or from being in a writers' room. At the end of the day, I'm still connecting with people and there's an exchange, only it looks a little different.
Daisy: We discussed earlier that you've already accomplished a near-impossible dream. You've done the hard thing. So I believe there should be a certain fearlessness around going for another challenging thing. Dancers are also really attractive to employers because they understand the sacrifices we've made to achieve our first dream.
Also, your career in dance ends at a very young age. We may be made to feel old in the dance world, but being in your thirties or forties is still young to end one career and start a new one. When I stopped dancing, I found it hard to start over again after being at a certain level in a previous career, because I was shocked that my skills weren't entirely applicable to something new. It took me ten years to get on a show and reach where I am now.
I think patience and kindness towards yourself are vital. I try to tell myself to remember how long it took to step out on the stage of Stuttgart Ballet. Think about all the preparation it requires. You don't just walk out on stage, it takes time. So be patient with yourself, give yourself time to learn and practice in this new sphere. Understand that you're not going to be really good at it right away, and that's okay. I think that would be my advice.
Daisy: I think there's more awareness now, and companies are probably doing more to help dancers consider their future careers. I stopped dancing at such a young age that I don’t think anyone thought that I needed help, so it’s hard for me to specify what organisations could do.
However, for me, what I needed (and what I actually wish I had more of) was just some time to zone out. I think dancers probably feel the pressure to have their farewell performance one day and start a new career the next. In reality, I believe it's beneficial to have some time in between rather than a direct overlap. You shouldn’t be expected to know what you want to do right away. After I stopped dancing, I felt a strong need to experience boredom and do nothing.
My advice to dancers transitioning careers would be to not rush into something new. Take time to discover what you want to do. I took six months off before I went to film school, and I wish I had taken more. The freedom from a rigorous schedule allows you to get bored, try things, read, relax, and treat yourself. It’s actually an exciting place to be.
Ultimately, you'll figure out what you want to do, or the career will find you. Resist the pressure to immediately jump into something new. Giving yourself time to process your career transition sets you up for a smoother journey.
Daisy: Absolutely. I went from being ballerina Daisy to filmmaker Daisy. But really, I'm just Daisy. The temptation to label yourself is so strong. In my documentary short, one of the dancers I interviewed, Renee Wright, eloquently described having a job title as "armour" or a "shield" that we all wear and without it, we feel exposed and vulnerable. But I think giving yourself time to breathe and not rebrand yourself immediately really helps with the identity crisis you experience when you stop dancing.
Daisy: It’s hard because concrete advice is so subjective and depends on which field you’re going into. But reflecting on that time, I believe the advice that would have been most helpful is to not be afraid of trying something new and then changing your mind later. Dancers are such perfectionists which can inhibit them from exploring unfamiliar territories. Don’t be afraid to sound like you don’t know what you’re talking about - you don’t have to be perfectly polished.
Trust that your skills will translate. Even if you're no longer performing pliés and tendus, you're still using the skills you developed as a dancer. Have the confidence to know that you can achieve in this new sphere. It takes time, so be patient with yourself. Don't hesitate to ask questions and seek help when necessary. Embrace the learning and growing process, because that's part of the journey.
Top image by Daniel Senzek
