In July 1999, I took my final curtsey as an aspiring ballet dancer in London. At the time, I was devastated, having been ‘assessed out’ by the ballet school I’d attended the year after I finished high school in Ireland. I wish I knew then what I know now: there are no endings in a career, just different paths. It took a few more iterations for me to learn that lesson. I hope my experience can provide some reassurance for anyone out there grappling with their next career move.