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What They Do

Dancers Career Video

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Dancers make a career out of entertaining audiences with their grace and creativity. There are many styles of dance. They can be grouped into four categories: concert, commercial, traditional and social. All four categories have professional, amateur and recreational options.

Concert dance includes groups like the New York City Ballet. Modern dance companies also fall into this group. Commercial dance includes dancers you might see in clothing commercials, in Las Vegas, on cruise ships or in Broadway musicals. Traditional dancers perform the traditional dances of a culture, ethnicity or nation. Social dance includes everything from recreational salsa dancers to dancers at nightclubs.

Dancers have an extremely varied schedule. Employment contracts for dancers are usually short. They could range from one performance to a 32-week contract with a dance company. Contracts that go over a year are rare. This means that dancers must constantly promote themselves and always be on the lookout for the next opportunity.

"One week I could be flying three times in a week to do shows or instruct, another week could consist of going to auditions, and one week there could be no work at all!" says Robin Merchant. She is a professional, commercial dancer trained in over 15 styles, including hip hop, break dance, jazz and ballet. She's danced in movies, commercials and music videos.

"The industry changes so rapidly you never know what could be thrown in your direction. There is not a lot of consistency so you need to be ready for anything," says Merchant.

Dancers must be fit. However, the demands in North America for what a dancer should look like are changing, says John Munger. He is the director of research and development for Dance/USA and a long-time dancer.

Munger says that while dancers are still more fit than the average person, the demand for dancers to have a certain shape has lessened. He sees more short men, tall women and "those who are not perfectly slender" finding jobs as dancers.

Munger says the fastest growing field of dance is traditional dance. He explains that in many of these cultures the preferred ages and/or body shapes are different. They may be looking for dancers over 30 years old or those with more solid body types.

There are also new opportunities for dancers with disabilities. For example, AXIS Dance Company ensembles include performers with and without disabilities, including those in wheelchairs. Dancing Wheels is a company that performs and teaches children and adults of all abilities around the world.

Regardless of the level of ability, dance is a physically demanding job. Many hours of the day are devoted to dance.

"I'd say I put at least six to eight hours a day into my dancing. That could include going to auditions, actual shows or shoots, continuing my dance education or working on marketing myself," says Merchant.

Injuries are more common in dance than in office careers. But dancers who take good care of their bodies may find they have less illness than their office counterparts. A good insurance plan is a smart idea for professional dancers.

Jennifer Abbey, also known as J-Beautiful, is primarily a hip hop dancer. She had a role in the 2007 movie Hairspray with John Travolta and Michelle Pfeiffer. As a hip hop dancer, she is in good shape.

"Common injuries include rolling your ankle or pulling a muscle if you did not stretch correctly before you danced. It is a bonus to be flexible and trained in other styles because it gives your body more practice in different positions," says Abbey

Most dancers dance because they love to dance, not to get rich. "There are a very low percentage of dancers that make a large income," says Merchant.

Munger says that 1,500 to 2,000 professional concert dancers in the U.S. can make a living from dancing alone. "These figures only relate to the concert dance world. In the commercial dance world -- if you can land a job -- the pay scales are way, way higher," Munger clarifies.

Munger says in the summer of 2006 there were 85 concert dance companies in the U.S. with a budget over $1 million. The 77 big companies employed only 1,273 dancers. "Not what you'd call a large field," Munger remarks.

Commercial dance includes cruise ships and theme parks. Merchant says there are contracts available for dancers. "On cruise ships you can easily make a $35,000 salary a year and not have to pay a dime towards living expenses or food," she says.

"Working for Disney's theme parks are great opportunities as well. An individual can make approximately $70,000 a year dancing in productions -- again, having zero expenses. Now that's a lot of pocket money!"

Just the Facts

Want a quick overview of what this career is about?Check out Just the Facts for simple lists of characteristics.

At a Glance

Express yourself through movement

  • You can work in many different styles of dance
  • You'll have to network and be persistent to get work
  • Dance degrees are becoming more popular

Contact

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  • 1-800-GO-TO-XAP (1-800-468-6927)
    From outside the U.S., please call +1 (424) 750-3900

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