Rising Stars: Meet Moira of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Moira.

Hi Moira, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Moira and I am a professional dancer based in LA. Like many dancers, I started dancing as a kid. My family is super into sports so I grew up running, playing soccer & basketball, and eventually, I begged my mom to put me into a dance class. Slowly I had to drop things one by one as my life got too busy, and dance was the one thing that I never seemed willing to give up.

I didn’t always know that I wanted to be a professional dancer when I grew up–at my studio I was not one of the stronger dancers. I wasn’t picked for my studio’s competition team year after year of auditioning–safe to say that I was not a child prodigy! However, I think that the reason that I am still dancing today is because dance didn’t come naturally or easily to me. It was something that I had to work really hard at, and I was willing to work hard because I loved it.

I remember in my dance studio one summer we had a guest teacher ask how many of us wanted to be professional dancers when we grew up. I gingerly raised my hand because I wasn’t sure–I did not even realize that was an option of something you could do. I grew up in The Silicon Valley where everyone was expected to go into tech. I remembered feeling embarrassed because there were people far more talented than I was, who did not raise their hands. I thought, “I must be delusional; if these people aren’t going to be professionals, what makes me think I can?” I had recently been cast as an understudy because I was not at the level of the other dancers. Being an understudy always seemed like a punishment–when in reality it was the best preparation I could’ve had. Having to learn multiple parts and be ready at any moment is significantly harder than only having to learn one spot. The continuous rejection growing up actually prepared me for my life as a professional. Now, I am paid to be a swing where I cover up to 20 different spots in a show, and I am paid higher because of my ability to do so.

As it came time to submit to colleges I had no idea where I wanted to go or what I wanted to study. Then I found out that schools had dance programs! I was accepted to UCSB for their dance program and that’s when I thought that maybe I could actually pursue dance as a career. I had finally been put in an environment where I felt valued and I thrived there. Upon graduation, I was awarded a scholarship to attend a summer program in New York City and I decided to move there.

I got a job working at a restaurant to pay for my pricey New York City rent. During this time, I began dancing in Night Clubs, Cabarets, backup dancing for local artists, performing at corporate events, all while auditioning for Broadway. I quickly found that it was not so easy to just show up to an audition in New York. You had to be a member of a union to attend the audition, and in order to join the union you had to book a union job–talk about a catch 22. Still, I tried “crashing” auditions where you can wait around and see if they will accept any non-union people into the audition. My first few auditions I was drastically unprepared. I did not have the right shoes, I didn’t know what to expect, I did not have the correct headshot and resume–I felt like I was being launched into a brand new world I knew nothing about. But each audition I got seen at and each callback gave me hope.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Covid was probably the biggest obstacle in my career. I lost all of my jobs and had no way of making money in New York. I moved back home to the Bay Area and began nannying and performing in “virtual” cabaret shows. I was devastated–I felt like everything I had worked for was obsolete. Slowly, things began to open up and I decided to move to LA. The weather was nice and I could dance outside; things were looking up again.

The next obstacle in LA was getting an agent. It’s been six years in LA and I have represented myself the entire time. Representing myself is a challenge because it means that I am responsible for handling the entire business component of my dancing, like negotiating pay and receiving that payment on time. However, I get to keep 100% of the profits from my work. I am grateful that I have had success in booking jobs in LA without a dance agent. Last year, I got an agent for acting which has opened up more casting opportunities that I would not have had access to otherwise, so I am hoping for the same with dance.

The last thing that has been super challenging as a dancer are injuries. I’ve had several injuries throughout my career but the worst one was probably when I was just starting out in New York. I tore my hamstring badly and was told it was a “career ending injury for a dancer.” It took years of strength training and to this day I still do not have my full range of mobility from before the injury. I’m glad this injury did not “end” my career–but it was definitely an obstacle I had to overcome and have to continuously take care of. Injuries are not only upsetting because you feel like you’ve been set back, but a lot of times it means that you are also out of work and have to cover the medical costs yourself.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am most proud of the fact that I have been able to sustain a career for 10 years. I feel like my career is just starting to take shape and I am excited for what is next. I recently became a member of the AEA union which has been a goal of mine since I started my professional career. I am also proud of the diversity of my career; from go-go dancing, to modern dance performances, to scare acting, to theme park shows, to music videos–I have had a lot of cool experiences. I have even gotten to travel internationally because of dance. I also get to perform in so many different styles like Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Heels, Contemporary, and Bollywood. Lastly, my current job has taught me that I love being a swing. I love the ability to do different roles and the challenge of making last minute changes. It really keeps you on your toes! I think all of these moments in my career have made me who I am. I hope there is so much more to the journey, and looking back I realize how far I’ve come, from not even knowing how to audition, to booking jobs that I never even imagined.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
One thing that I do to stay inspired is reading at least one new book a month. My favorite book so far is “A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini. I also love listening to music from my favorite artists, Noah Kahan, SZA, and The Weeknd. I try to attend dance, art, or entertainment shows in LA as well. Lastly, I like to REST and catch up with my friends outside of work to avoid burning out.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moisybdoisy/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moira-saxena-697417a2/
• Other: https://vimeo.com/1080291259/777b414cb0?fl=ip&fe=ec

Image Credits
Photo Credit @ZennLenz on Instagram