Meet Sarah Mc Ginley | Dancer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Mc Ginley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, why did you pursue a creative career?
I am from Ireland and grew up around generally a system where the goal is to get married have kids and have a stable 9-5, and while that is all great I just never felt I fit in here I never desired any of that. My first job was in retail a sports shop and I remember thinking of every and any excuse I could to not go into the job, I had many part time jobs like this and felt the same about every single one, and I was fortunate at a young age to think “I MUST do something I love, I want to love going to work if this is going to be literally the rest of my life” I was training in dance a few days a week back then and LOVED it so I started to talk to people about how I could make it happen and never looked back.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Being a professional dancer you obviously have to put in your 10,000hours and then some. I would say the hardest part for me was staying true to myself and not just trying to jump on the next trend or striving for what other peoples version of success is. The best advice I can give is that in this craft we have to spend A LOT of hours in a studio together, on tour buses, hotel rooms, travelling so work on yourself the most as a human being, be kind and be a good person to be around, look after yourself mentally and spiritually as much as physically so that you can show up for yourself when the moment calls. Many times the things I thought would be my “dream job” I didn’t enjoy so much and that was down to the people I simply didn’t resonate with, when you find your people you will know, always go where you are appreciated, if you feel like you are trying to fit a square into a circle then it might not be the place for you, trust your gut.
And my favourite exert of all time is from Brene Brown : “If you are not in the arena getting your ass kicked on occasion, I am not interested in or open to your feedback. There are a million cheap seats in the world today filled with people who will never be brave with their own lives, but will spend every ounce of energy they have hurling advice and judgement at those of us trying to dare greatly. Their only contributions are criticism, cynicism, and fear-mongering. If you’re criticizing from a place where you’re not also putting yourself on the line, I’m not interested in your feedback.”

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love rooftop bars! PERCH in DTLA is amazing and so pretty at night, I would give them a sneak peak into my world and take them to see dance show CLUB JETE which is once a month featuring Los Angeles’s best dancers and choreographers you really get a feel for how amazing our community is there and we would HAVE to eat a Korean BBQ at QAURTERS in Ktown. My favourite place for scenario is the beach I still have a lot more of the coast to discover but I love Long Beach!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to give a shoutout to my best friend Mathilde Veje she is also a dancer, she encourages me to never give up yet put my happiness first always, she pushes me to work hard and stay motivated, she speaks my name in a room full of opportunities and Im sure I couldn’t do this journey without her advice and support.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.mc.ginley/