41. Pilobolus life, letting go of ego and redefining what success means with Ryan Hayes

Ryan Hayes didn't take his first dance class until he was twenty years old, and this episode is proof that the timeline you think you're supposed to be on rarely has anything to do with the career you actually end up building. He went from a Spanish major who'd never set foot in a studio to earning a dance degree at Gonzaga, spending two years training at Steps Conservatory in New York, and landing a spot as a company member with Pilobolus, the modern dance company known for pushing performance into territory that barely looks like dance at all. We get into what it was like grinding through auditions for cruises, tours, and regional theater before finding the kind of room that finally felt like home, and how choosing to lean into his niche instead of chasing versatility became the thing that let him stop performing for the industry and start showing up with real authenticity. We talk about the mental health weight of comparison, the quiet timeline anxiety that convinces so many dancers they're already behind, and what it actually took for him to believe he belonged in that Pilobolus audition room the second time around. We also get into life on tour with a company of only six, the unspoken rules that keep that many people sane in close quarters for weeks at a stretch, and the moment he had to rebuild what success even meant once booking the job didn't magically fix the rest of his life. If you have ever felt like you started too late for the thing you actually wanted, this one is for you.Stay in the loop with me 🤍Find Ryan here👇🏼Instagram: @ryan_hayes39