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Job outlook for dancers in the United States
Are dancer jobs in demand?
Dancer job and salary trends over time
Dancer jobs over time
Dancer job growth rate over time
Year  | # Of Jobs | % Of Population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,919 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 5,589 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 7,348 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 7,371 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 7,530 | 0.00% |
Average dancer salary over time
Dancer salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $53,667 | $25.80 | +4.0% |
| 2024 | $51,581 | $24.80 | +5.4% |
| 2023 | $48,948 | $23.53 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $47,887 | $23.02 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | $46,588 | $22.40 | +2.1% |
Dancer jobs by state
Most common states for dancers
| Rank | State | Population | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 739,795 | 0 | 0% |
| 2 | New York | 19,849,399 | 0 | 0% |
| 3 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 0 | 0% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 0 | 0% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 0 | 0% |
| 6 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 0 | 0% |
| 7 | Vermont | 623,657 | 0 | 0% |
| 8 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 0 | 0% |
| 9 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 0 | 0% |
| 10 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 0 | 0% |
| 11 | Delaware | 961,939 | 0 | 0% |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 0 | 0% |
| 13 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 0 | 0% |
| 14 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 0 | 0% |
| 15 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 0 | 0% |
| 16 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 0 | 0% |
| 17 | California | 39,536,653 | 0 | 0% |
| 18 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 0 | 0% |
| 19 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 0 | 0% |
| 20 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 0 | 0% |
Most common cities for dancers
| Rank | City | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duluth | 1 | 3% | $42,244 |
| 2 | Marietta | 1 | 2% | $42,097 |
| 3 | Costa Mesa | 1 | 1% | $59,032 |
| 4 | Roswell | 1 | 1% | $42,188 |
| 5 | Sandy Springs | 1 | 1% | $42,142 |
| 6 | Tampa | 1 | 0% | $44,230 |
Dancer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of dancer experts
Bard College at Simon's Rock: The Early College
Butler University
University of Arizona
University of Nevada - Las Vegas
Sam Houston State University
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Kennesaw State University
Montclair State University
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
The University of North Carolina Greensboro
Case Western Reserve University
Radford University
The Ohio State University
Oberlin College
What general advice would you give to a Dancer?
Mary Marino: The art of Theatre and Dance is often taught in addition to being performed. Many graduates find themselves teaching at independent dance studios and high schools to supplement their income. Some also pursue certifications in yoga, pilates, or personal training for added financial security. These "back pocket" jobs not only provide a source of income, but also offer flexible employment options and promote good health. Performers must be prepared for the ebb and flow of employment opportunities, which often come in the form of temporary or seasonal contracts. The audition process can also be lengthy and frustrating. Therefore, it is crucial to have additional skills and income streams at your disposal. The more versatile you are in your skill set, the better equipped you will be to financially plan for your career and future.
What Dancer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mary Marino: Physical Stamina, Collaborative attitude, Curiosity and Creativity, Work Ethic, Time Management, Open to feedback/Quality Listener, Strong mind, Tough skin, Soft front
What will help Dancers increase their earning potential?
Mary Marino: Understanding the distinction between working as an independent contractor and an employee in the performing arts industry is crucial. If you're an independent contractor, it's wise to collaborate with an accountant to guarantee that you pay your taxes on a quarterly basis. Furthermore, keeping track of your expenses and budgeting your earnings is critical because many expenses may be claimed as write-offs. Additionally, as a performer, having health insurance is essential. To advance your career, it's crucial to be open to a variety of opportunities and accept most of them. Your resume is a reflection of who you are, therefore it's essential to establish an online presence that showcases your work, such as videos, a resume, or a CV. This may be accomplished by creating a website or a creative page that is worthwhile to invest in to ensure professionalism. It's also a good idea to explore opportunities beyond the performing arts. The more skills you acquire in various areas of theatre, the more marketable you become. You might also consider working in technical roles such as sound or lights, or even learning to sew or assist as a wardrobe assistant. Theatre is a diverse industry, and if you can offer your abilities in multiple areas within an organization, you become a valuable asset. It's essential to maintain a kind but firm demeanor when interacting with others. Setting clear boundaries and realistic goals for yourself is crucial. Cultivating strong relationships with like-minded individuals is also a valuable pursuit. While it's important to safeguard your emotional wellbeing, it's equally important to take bold action and seize opportunities when you feel up to it. Remember to prioritize punctuality and preparedness, as these are the traits that will impress potential employers, not just your social media popularity.
Tara Lorenzen
Visiting Associate Professor of DanceBard College at Simon's Rock: The Early College
Dance
What general advice would you give to a Dancer?
Tara Lorenzen: Take classes in all different forms of dance: Ballet, Modern, Hip Hop, etc... Never assume that devoting your study to one style of dance will set you up for a particular company or job. Most choreographers and repertory companies expect dancers to be well versed in multiple dance aesthetics. Take class everyday.
What Dancer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Tara Lorenzen: Acquire as many administrative tools as possible! Respond to emails quickly and have a personal writing practice. Show up for everything and never say how exhausted you are. People respond to others who are engaged citizens but are delightful to work with.
What will help Dancers increase their earning potential?
Tara Lorenzen: I predict more multidisciplinary collaboration (text, AI, film, theater) in Dance being an important skill to consider when entering the field. This approach is a return to a multi-authorship model and community resource sharing. And fun!
Ramón Flowers MFA, ACUE
Associate ProfessorButler University
Dance
What general advice would you give to a Dancer?
Ramón Flowers MFA, ACUE: You can maximize your salary potential by adhering to all of the advice I mentioned in my previous responses.
What Dancer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Ramón Flowers MFA, ACUE: My advice would be to continue to work hard in ballet classes and remain relevant in the field by continuing to do research that would enable you to keep your tools sharpened.
What will help Dancers increase their earning potential?
Ramón Flowers MFA, ACUE: The skills I think will become more important and prevalent in the near future are the ones that will keep you on your toes, literally and figuratively. Those being the tools that will keep you well-rounded with the ability to adapt quickly to any style of dance that might be expected of you in any given company's repertory, or at auditions.
What general advice would you give to a Dancer?
JaMorris Rivers: There are three skills that come to mind: 1. Cultivate your voice, 2. know the difference but train both for choreography and improv, and 3. be the hungriest person in the room. Dancers that cultivate their artistic voice and critical consciousness to speak truth to power is an essential skill that continues to challenge the way artists serve their communities. Artistic expression that serves humanity cuts deeper than belief systems, physical characteristics, nationality, gender, or sexual identity—wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness and unity. In terms of movement practices, dancers should develop an understanding between choreography and embodied dance practices. Both approaches can be developed through training. However, choreography deals with an idea, or a set of ideas presented to the artist and how much interpretation one can augment that idea. If you are entering an environment where you are representing a choreographer's ideas or a company's mission, be sure that your values also align with its mission and vision statements. Embodied dances cultivate a deep collaborative relationship in communication with others. Improvisation, text-cuing movement and sensation research such as Gaga, social dances like contact partnering and Lindy Hop, and the ever-evolving jazz dance continuum which expands through a much larger cultural phenomenon under the umbrella of Hip-Hop like breaking and house dance; continues to be at the forefront of the dance industry. These embodiments train a sophisticated system of movement intelligence that can only be cultivated from the experience, the setting, including all of the elements: the music, the people who innovate and transmit the dance and history, and the moment where it all happens. With the Paris Olympics featuring breaking as an Olympic sport and the increasing demand in the entertainment industry, it would be wise for a dancer to invest in their understanding not only at the level of movement, but the entire ethos of Hip-Hop culture to develop an appreciation of its dance pioneers. Its history is vast, profound, and absolutely necessary to honor the people who have contributed to the art that continues to be a global phenomenon. No matter what background one has trained in, I encourage all movement practitioners to experience some form of embodied dance where they are forced to negotiate their thinking-body and their acting-body, in real time, in community with others. Now, both approaches can coexist, but to develop improv, you have to be there to feel it! Most directors and choreographers don't look for the most talented person in the room. They look for the hungriest dancers who demonstrate a willingness to collaborate with them. Depending on the prospects, they look for chemistry like how well one interacts with others, how well they respond to feedback, how they show that spark in their eyes, and that hustle to take whatever is thrown at them to bring their vision to life. Choreographers know that if they don't have people like that in the room, it makes their work much harder to make decisions and feel inspired to create. Although showing hunger and a creative drive is a subjective feeling that choreographers witness, it's still a skill that one can develop to show that you have what it takes to be a collaborator in the process.
What Dancer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
JaMorris Rivers: Self-advocacy using a digital platform remains at the intersection of getting your name out in the community and getting ahead in the industry. Nevertheless, going to an audition or working with an agent does have its value, but self-activation produces its own kind of fulfilment and can often lead to small gigs that align with your unique vision as a dance artist. The key is to plan, plan, plan, ahead. Start small. Do you have a performance piece that you performed well, post-class combination, improv, or a reel that highlights your strengths as a dancer, choreographer, and/or educator? Dancers should develop a digital calling card, a portfolio of previous works, a website, or a media page dedicated to their craft and writing about dance. When one is not racing to the next audition, find time to archive recent projects to a digital space; it could lead to an opportunity for the next future gig. It's also a space where dancers can continue to hone their expression as a reflective journal which has its own reward. It can be a creative habit that highlights their artist statement, their teaching philosophy, a writing sample or an instructional video as a teaching sample, and/or creative work and services that one can provide to get paid. Just don't forget to include all necessary contact info. It can also be used to advertise as a model for photography, commercial work, serve as an adjudicator for competitive dance, post one's CV for graduate school, or a blog/vlog space to vent creative processes. Don't forget that dancers are writers as well. Writing about dance is an opportunity to be compensated. Performances and dance texts need strong writers to write reviews too. If you have the skills, your website can advertise yourself as a dance writer willing to attend and critique performances—it takes practice, but you've got to start somewhere. Try writing for your local dance studio or university and work your way up to larger publications and performance venues. It might even lead to a podcast or working with an arts organization to supplement your income by managing media platforms, photography, archiving, grant research, or other areas of their management team. Just continue to look at your vision and adjust your plan according to your interests as you acquire them. Don't underestimate your potential in community theatre. Many dancers today graduate and audition for big entertainment industries like Broadway, concert dance companies, sports teams, cruise, or some form of commercial areas but often don't consider dance for local theatre and pick-up dance companies that work from project to project. These avenues can bridge gaps in employment as long as they also align with the vision that you set out for yourself. The idea is to lead with an absolute confidence and creativity. Keep circling back to adapt your strategic plan. Think about the specific skills that add value to your current status. Ask yourself 'What makes me unique right now? What is my current value that I add? How can I leverage that skill to a level of compensation? Are there areas to share what I have, or do I need to conduct research/training to face a new challenge?' Continue to develop your skills to become an expert in that particular area. As you master an area, move to a new challenge and give yourself permission to take on new endeavors while continuing to build each skill set that you currently have to offer within the field of dance.
What will help Dancers increase their earning potential?
JaMorris Rivers: Trust yourself. Design a strategic plan for your career early on that includes a clear vision of where you see yourself thriving and a mission statement to get you there. Be sure that your plan highlights one to three strengths that you can bring to a new job. Align your next step with your interests. Before accepting any new role do the research so you know the details about any enterprise as well as understand your own curiosity about how you might impact a new job prospect. Learn to say 'no' with honesty and sincerity. Go where you are valued, challenged, and where your voice can develop. Don't think of your "flaws" as weaknesses, consider what makes you unique and tap into those traits to turn them into your superpower. Build strong partnerships in every creative environment that you find yourself. Be aware of how you feel when new opportunities are presented to you. Don't settle for any gig that opens up. Be sure that your next step is in agreement with your strategic vision that you have planned while being willing to make small adjustments to your short-term goals. Smaller goals should move in the direction of the bigger picture, that's your vision. It's about looking at yourself and asking, 'what makes me unique in this moment? What makes me valuable with this next step that I am facing?' Ask yourself, 'Am I excited? Fearful? or Uninspired?' If you can answer these questions, they can be a guide to the right decision.
What general advice would you give to a Dancer?
Gianni Howell: To maximize your salary potential at the start of your career, focus on building your resume. Accept paid work opportunities even if they do not align perfectly with your long-term career vision. These jobs might not be immediately fulfilling, but the connections you make, the stage experience you gain, and the enhancements to your resume will lead to more significant opportunities. Additionally, being multidisciplinary can make you more valuable to employers, who may compensate you for a broader range of skills. For example, when I worked for Cirque du Soleil, I collaborated with the marketing team to create videos for social media, adding another dimension to my role and value to the organization.
What Dancer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Gianni Howell: In the next 3-5 years, being multidisciplinary will become increasingly important, particularly in circus arts. A dancer with skills in aerial work, pole, acrobatics, and similar disciplines will have a better chance of securing work due to their foundation in circus arts. Additionally, dancers should leverage their creativity to learn a skill outside their physical craft, such as video production, photography, or graphic design. This enables them to apply their artistic voice in various ways and makes them more versatile and valuable in the industry.
What will help Dancers increase their earning potential?
Gianni Howell: My general advice to graduates starting their careers is to continue learning. It is easy to focus solely on securing a job, celebrating college graduation with a vacation, or taking a break. Even if you land your first job and feel like you’ve 'made it,' it's crucial to remember that there is always room for growth and improvement. Each class, job, or life experience contributes to your development as a performer and entertainer. Stay aware of this and keep growing, continuously applying new knowledge and skills to your craft.
What general advice would you give to a Dancer?
Hayley Meier (she/her): In 3-5 years, I think the incorporation of interdisciplinary practices will be even more prevalent in this field. No longer will people be attending single-disciplinary forms of entertainment, but rather, they will be interested in attending multifaceted shows that bring a diverse community of people together. We are already beginning to see this shift and I think it’s going to continue to expand and reach new heights. This trend reflects a growing desire for innovation and inclusivity. Adaptability and open-mindedness will be paramount traits for dancers navigating this evolving landscape. As such, dancers who possess additional skills beyond movement will be highly sought after.
What Dancer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Hayley Meier (she/her): One of the most crucial pieces of advice I can offer - leverage your connections and resources effectively. Reach out to the people that you know (who are already working in the field) for advice and guidance. You will be so surprised to discover how small the dance community truly is. Building these connections can open doors to opportunities you might not have otherwise encountered. While setting healthy boundaries is important, I encourage you to be proactive and seize opportunities that align with your goals. Saying 'yes' to projects, collaborations, and performances, no matter the scope, will contribute to your growth and will give you that “professional experience” that so many companies are seeking. Aim high, but don’t limit yourself by only focusing on the big-named companies. Many smaller companies can offer invaluable learning experiences, mentorship opportunities, and leadership development to help build your foundation. Invest your time wisely. Attend workshops, take classes from as many instructors as possible, and immerse yourself in the community you want to be involved with. Stay inspired and stay informed. Remember, every experience, whether big or small, contributes to your journey as a dancer and choreographer and you never know what door is about to open.
What will help Dancers increase their earning potential?
Hayley Meier (she/her): Be as diverse of a dancer as possible. Explore various styles and techniques, continuously seeking opportunities to learn from different people. This will not only help to strengthen your technical skill and artistry, but it will broaden your marketability, opening doors to more performance and job opportunities. Develop a professional website or portfolio showcasing your work, experience, and skills. Utilize social media to promote yourself as an artist and connect with like-minded individuals in the industry. Networking often leads to new and exciting collaborative opportunities. Lastly, know your value, and don’t be afraid to negotiate salaries and contracts. Research industry standards, get advice from professionals, seek guidance from mentors, and be prepared to advocate for your worth. This can seem very intimidating, but it is a skill that can and should be developed. Remember, it’s not just about securing higher pay; it’s about valuing your skills and contributions to the dance community.
What general advice would you give to a Dancer?
Dr. Elizabeth Shea: I think training in non-western forms, especially those that hail from Africa and the African Diaspora, are especially important today as the field broadens. Too, new and existing technologies such as new media and film for dance, sound creation and editing, and social media skills will be standard.
What Dancer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Elizabeth Shea: Be prepared to be lucky! Take advantage of every course, every opportunity at your institution of higher learning. A course in advertising, grant writing, stage management, or wardrobe maintenance could be an added boost when seeking work with established companies. Dancers often have more than one job within a company, and providing needs beyond dance artistry can be a boost in the hiring process. Make sure you have had sound coursework and experience in dance pedagogy, as dancers often teach to supplement their incomes.
What will help Dancers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Elizabeth Shea: Stay open to all opportunities, and do not narrow your artistic directions. Sometimes offers may feel outside of your interests and skills, but every experience works to build your career in the field.
What general advice would you give to a Dancer?
Dionne Noble MFA: Don’t shy away from opportunities and do your research. Try not to say no to a great opportunity due to logistics. Say yes, and then figure out who in your support system can help you make it happen.
What Dancer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dionne Noble MFA: Versatility and awareness of technology. We have to be ready to communicate how beneficial dance and movement is for our overall health and communal expression.
What will help Dancers increase their earning potential?
Dionne Noble MFA: Apply or audition for positions where the organizations seem to have it together. Know what your skill set is and find organizations that can use your expertise. If you know your value, you can communicate it more effectively.
What general advice would you give to a Dancer?
Mr. Timothy Cowart: No matter how the development of AI technology impacts learning and automates administrative tasks, dance is a person-to-person kind of skill that is passed down from one human being to the next. If you are a choreographer communicating your choreographic ideas to dancers, or if you are a dance instructor helping other dancers learn to move with efficiency and understanding, we are all educators on some level. It is vital for dancers to have pedagogical skills to work with various communities and maintain this human, person-to-person connection. There is no doubt that AI is transformative, and technology can help dancers as a tool for feedback and can play a role in dance education, but at its core, dance comes down to people communicating with each other. So dancers need to have good communication skills.
What Dancer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mr. Timothy Cowart: Dancers can maximize their salary potential by having an entrepreneurial mindset. They have to find multiple income streams and piece together how they can provide value and benefit to others using their skills. Dance has moved into the gig economy and so dancers can make money teaching, choreographing, earning artists' fees, writing articles, graphic design, print-on-demand, video editing, photography, catering, affiliate marketing, monetizing social media, freelance services, arts administration, grant writing, somatic, wellness, and therapeutic practices, physical therapy, and athletic training are all various ways that dancers supplement their income sources. Dancers have to hustle and have to look for ways to meet their fixed expenses by combining their performance work with something else part-time.
What will help Dancers increase their earning potential?
Mr. Timothy Cowart: I believe that dance is a do-it-yourself kind of an art form. A lot of opportunities come to those who work well with and communicate well with others. Graduates need to be dependable, persistent, passionate, and adaptable. The skills required to find work go beyond refining one's dance technique and movement skills, they also require a dancer to be supportive of the creative ideas of other people and to look for ways to contribute and help. In many ways, it comes down to a dancer's character. Can you work well with others? Can you be where you say you are going to be and do what you say you will do? Can you be trusted to complete a task, be resourceful, and see it through to the end? Can you get along with other people and be encouraging of them and their ideas? If you are dancing in a company, you are spending long hours in rehearsal, in the theatre, and traveling together in close proximity with other people. You will need to be able to get along and contribute to the group. As I said, dance is a do-it-yourself kind of an art form, but you don't do it alone. It is done in community.
What general advice would you give to a Dancer?
Daniel Burkholder: If you are interested in performing with a specific dance company or choreographer, find ways to study with them. Take weekly technique classes, enroll in a workshop, and attend every performance you can. Many companies do have auditions, but most dancers are hired because the choreographer or dance company artistic director is already familiar with you as a dancer and as a person. And, be patient. Success in the dance field often takes time. Even if you see other people getting jobs or opportunities quickly, it is always the artists that commit to being a dance artist for the long hall that are still in the field, making work, and performing decades later. Better to be a slow burn than a flash in the pan.
What Dancer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Daniel Burkholder: The best way to make a living as a dance artist, especially at the beginning of your career is to be able to apply your skills as a dance artist to multiple contexts. Being able to perform is important, but so is your ability to choreography, collaborate, and teach dance in different settings (K-12, dance studios, professional studios, etc..). Having additional skills can also be helpful, like having knowledge of dance on video, photography, lighting design, or administrative skills.
What will help Dancers increase their earning potential?
Daniel Burkholder: This depends on what avenues you want to explore as a dance artist. But, if the pandemic showed us anything, is that having a knowledgeable practice with creating dances for video will be more and more important. This does not just include sharing on social media, but how can you craft and develop sophisticated and thoughtful artistic works of significant length and depth using video as a platform.
What general advice would you give to a Dancer?
Autumn Eckman: In the next 3-5 years, marketing and self-promotion through social media, dance related forums/websites or advertisements, and face-to-face contact will become more important. Graduates are taking on their own creative projects as independents early on, learning how to manage businesses and become successful sole proprietors at a young age.
What Dancer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Autumn Eckman: I would advise a graduate beginning their career in dance to not be afraid to ask for mentorship and advice from their college professors even though that have graduated. Building and maintaining professional relationships is crucial to building a meaningful and sustainable professional network.
What will help Dancers increase their earning potential?
Autumn Eckman: You can maximize your salary potential when starting your career in dance by exercising as many skillsets as you can. Teach, perform, choreograph, and take on administrative responsibilities. Have a clear and concise resume that highlights your skills and practice how to interview in-person to showcase your experience and value.
What general advice would you give to a Dancer?
Professor Darryl Thomas: For a graduate beginning their career in the field of dance, my general advice would be to stay persistent, network actively, and continue honing their craft. Building a strong professional network can open doors to various opportunities, from auditions to collaborations and teaching gigs. It's also crucial to remain adaptable and open-minded, as the dance industry is ever-evolving.
What Dancer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Professor Darryl Thomas: In the next 3-5 years, I believe that digital literacy and technological skills will become increasingly important in the field of dance. With the rise of virtual performances, online platforms for dance education, and digital marketing for dance companies, dancers and choreographers will need to be proficient in using technology to connect with audiences and advance their careers. Additionally, interdisciplinary collaborations and the ability to work across different art forms will be valued as the industry continues to blur traditional boundaries.
What will help Dancers increase their earning potential?
Professor Darryl Thomas: To maximize salary potential when starting a career in the field of dance, graduates should consider diversifying their income streams. Alongside performing or choreographing, they can explore opportunities in teaching dance classes, leading workshops, choreographing for commercial projects, or even venturing into arts administration. Negotiating fair compensation for their work and seeking out organizations or companies that prioritize equitable pay can also contribute to increasing earning potential. Additionally, continuing education and professional development can lead to higher-paying roles and opportunities for advancement within the field.
What general advice would you give to a Dancer?
Elizabeth McPherson PhD: Job salaries are often set, but certainly for teaching or administrative kinds of positions, one can always ask if there is any 'wiggle room' in the salary you were offered. Choreographers and dance companies are usually working on tight budgets, so there likely may be no room for more pay at the time one is hired. One way to increase salary potential in teaching positions is to earn advanced degrees. I worked on earning advanced degrees throughout my performance career which supported me in better paying teaching positions when I moved into dance teaching as my primary career.
What Dancer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Elizabeth McPherson PhD: Be gritty. In the performance field, there are often more 'no's' than 'yes's' in auditioning for dance jobs. Don't let the 'no's' get you down. Keep going to auditions, taking class, and building connections. Try to keep your side jobs in the field, like teaching or arts administration, because each of those connections builds your community.
What will help Dancers increase their earning potential?
Elizabeth McPherson PhD: Versatility and adaptability. Because there are major shifts happening in the field, being able to roll with the changes and stay relevant is key.
Michael Bearden
Director, School of DanceUniversity of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
Business Administration, Management And Operations
What general advice would you give to a Dancer?
Michael Bearden: It can be challenging to earn a substantial wage when starting out in the field of dance. Teaching classes to young students and beginning adults in classes such as modern dance, ballet, or pilates can help supplement a dancer's salary and typically pays a better hourly rate than food service or hospitality jobs.
What Dancer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Michael Bearden: Dancers are being asked and increasingly required to be adept at various skill sets, including acting, singing, and improvisational techniques.
What will help Dancers increase their earning potential?
Michael Bearden: Be open to all possibilities regarding types of work and styles. At the same time, establish the value of your time and talents by only taking work that involves compensation.
Janet Lilly
Professor, Director of UNCG School of DanceThe University of North Carolina Greensboro
UNCG School of Dance
What skills stand out on Dancer resumes?
Janet Lilly: When we look at a resume, the skills that stand out are evidence of contiguous training in several areas of movement practice. There is a bit of a sweet spot involved in these considerations. We look to see that a dancer has studied with a teacher and/or in a specific style enough to support an embodied understanding of the form. We also know how much time it takes to really understand a movement practice both physically and mentally. A good example of this would be yoga. Lots of dancers say they practice yoga and/or teach yoga but have they really taken the time to investigate the practice beyond a superficial "looking good" in the asanas. It can also be too limiting for a contemporary dancer only having studied one dance form, which may result in ingrained movement patterning that is hard to let go of.
What soft skills should all Dancers possess?
Janet Lilly: Soft skills that come to mind are interpersonal communication and the quality of openmindedness in new or different situations.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Dancers?
Janet Lilly: In terms of dance technique, building alignment from the floor up with a clear understanding of dynamic alignment, that is, how their alignment moves as the dancer moves through space. There can also be technical skills involved in the creative process. Dancers who are comfortable improvising and making compositional choices with phrase material are valuable contributors to many choreographers' processes.
What skills will help Dancers earn the most?
Janet Lilly: Consistency and perseverance!
Not taking things personally and being willing to self-reflect, improve and advocate for yourself.
What skills stand out on Dancer resumes?
Karen Potter: Performance experience - literally names of dances and the choreographers.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Dancers?
Karen Potter: Listing the styles/techniques on a resume and the names of teachers with whom a dancer trained.
What skills will help Dancers earn the most?
Karen Potter: Versatility in contemporary/modern dance and ballet
What skills stand out on Dancer resumes?
James Robey: Training and performance experience stand out the most on a dancer’s resume. Potential employers scan a dancer’s resume looking for the level of training and performance and the duration. I believe most dancers are aware of the level aspect but not as aware of the duration aspect. For example, a dancer with sustained training in a structured program, be it a conservatory or college dance degree, demonstrates commitment over a dancer who piecemeals training from several drop-in classes. Also, a dancer who spends a year here and a year there hopping from company to company could possibly signal an issue of sociability. The level and the duration both stand out.
What soft skills should all Dancers possess?
James Robey: I don’t like the term soft skills and much prefer calling them essential skills. Critical thinking, creativity, communication skills, collaboration, and compassionate thinking are essential. The hard skills of a dancer’s technique are important, but when hiring a dancer as a performer, teacher, or choreographer for a sustained period, they must demonstrate strong collaboration, creativity, compassion, and communication skills such as writing, speaking, and presenting.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Dancers?
James Robey: The technical skills for a performer consist of their dance technique, for a dance teacher, their pedagogy and understanding of technique, and for a choreographer, their composition and creativity skills.
What skills will help Dancers earn the most?
James Robey: I have repeatedly seen that it is a combination of depth of craft (technical or hard skills) with the essential skills of critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, and compassion that lead to the most rewarding careers in the dance field. Some excel in craft but lack in the other skill but achieve great success. Our culture loves stories about difficult, temperamental artists. In reality, when I look at those thriving in this field, whether a teacher, performer, choreographers, directors, administrators, or therapists, they almost always have a combination of all those C skills.
What type of skills will young Dancers need?
Damian Bowerman: -The Ohio State Dance Department is a contemporary dance program. Through our BFA program, we’re committed to exposing students to an extensive range of movement — our goal is to create versatile dancers that can do a variety of styles (Cunningham, Taylor, Martha Graham, Doug Varone, Mark Morris, West African, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company) — in fact, many of our faculty have trained with these companies).
-Our movement practice is contemporary-focused, with other traditional styles such as West African and ballet.
-We also offer several electives — e.g., jazz, tap, hip-hop, etc. — as support for building students’ dance knowledge.
-In addition to providing intense dance training, Ohio State Dance also teaches students to write about dance, talk about dance, and be engaged citizens in the world. We are in the business of training savage entrepreneurs.
-The Ohio State Dance curriculum and experience is focused on building the whole artist. Our students are not only trained to be performers; they also round out their education by learning about:
-Production: In our black-box theatre, students learn about lighting, staging, and running a show.
-Technology: In our media lab, students learn how to shoot and edit video/sound design/Photoshop.
-Entrepreneurship: Our students are required to build e-portfolios where they can share their research and showcase their artistry. Lots of our students also minor or take classes in the Department of Arts Administration, Education, and Policy, where they learn about arts administration and managing the arts.
-We offer one of the broadest BFA programs in the country because our program structure lets students explore their academic and artistic interests. For the first two years of the BFA program, students follow the curriculum the department outlines that will build and grow the foundational skills they need as dancers. For the last two years, students tell us what THEY want to explore through the many research and interdisciplinary opportunities available to them. (And, they often receive funding – through grants and scholarships — to do this.) For example, in the past, students have explored the impact of dance/movement in aging, technology and dance, education and dance, etc. Because of this, every student leaves with a different BFA.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Dancers to find work opportunities?
Damian Bowerman: Ohio State Dance celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018. Because we have been around so long, our alumni network is strong and large. The university also has over 500,000 living alumni, so the global reach of the university alumni base is too extensive.
Because of our broad approach to the discipline and our alumni network, most of our alumni are working full-time in dance and dance-related fields in major U.S. cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York.
How do you envision technology impacting Dancers in the next 5 years?
Damian Bowerman:
Immensely, and therefore, we offer our students classes in dance technology, dance film, and intermedia. Many of our students take courses at the Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design (ACCAD), which functions as an applied collaboratory for time-based digital media production, both in furthering the excellence of its faculty and graduate students in residence and cultivating its own innovative research agenda clustering around animation and interactive media. ACCAD’s work unfolds in a generous physical space, complemented by specialized and flexible studios for animation, motion capture, interactive design, media production, and mediated performance design.
LabanLens™ is a dance scoring application developed at Ohio State for the Microsoft HoloLens that engages Laban-based movement notation and analysis.
Our augmented reality (AR) teaching tool called LabanLens™ engages innovative digital practices responding to diverse intelligence and abilities to immerse students in a digital-kinesthetic experience with dance analysis. LabanLens™ introduces a modality to re-envision how we teach and employ Laban-based scoring tools, and an immersive environment for composing dances, analyzing them, and understanding historical embodiments. The AR experience engenders studentsʼ to articulate dance analysis, which deepens their kinesthetic-empathetic engagement with each other and their world. LabanLens™ expands existing dance, scoring methodsʼ capacities to advance knowledge for accessing and analyzing new and existing dances.
LabanLens™ is generously supported by The Ohio State University Department of Dance and The College of Arts and Sciences Technology Services unit. LabanLens™ is developed by Immersive.is.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Dancer job market given the pandemic?
Ann Cooper Albright: There are more and more online classes happening now that folks cannot go to studios in person. We have seen a rise of interactive dancing online; children's programming, and more work in virtual settings, such as retirement centers. (Note: the technology in demand for these is the "play and go" options and streaming resources). Art and expressive movement can be a balm for situations where people cannot be touched. In addition, many of our recent grads are working in nonprofits, focused on fundraising and community engagement. Also, the practice of being an artist at this moment in time insists on a certain nimbleness and agility, and improvisatory spirit. This is what dancing teaches us!
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Dancers in the next 3-5 years?
Ann Cooper Albright: Many of our students are double majors in dance and neuroscience, psychology, etc. They are focusing on the latest research in embodied cognition, and their background in dance gives them the perspective to ask questions about how space impacts our experience of balance or how movement can affect the parasympathetic system. How we move in the world influences how we think about and experience the world.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Dancers in the next 5 years?
Ann Cooper Albright: Needless to say, the need to rethink our educational system in the wake of this pandemic will be crucial, especially for younger children who may have missed crucial developmental steps. Movement educators will be much in demand as our country works to undo the year-plus quarantine.
What type of skills will young Dancers need?
Danielle Dreis: The skills young graduates need, when entering the workforce in the coming years, highly depend on the individual's long-term goals. If they are pursuing a career as a performing artist or company member, they will need versatility, good training, communication skills, an understanding of anatomy, and performance experience. If they are pursuing a teaching or choreographic career, they will need skills in pedagogy, understanding of dance history, movement capabilities, and ability to understand and apply technological developments, choreographic creativity, Dance Studies, some stage production knowledge, and Repertoire.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Dancers to find work opportunities?
Danielle Dreis: A good place to find work in the U.S. is any place you can find the opportunity. It depends on the preference of location, availability of positions, and the abundance of studios/companies in the area. After graduation, if seeking a career as a performer, it is important for graduates to research dance companies and arrange to send their resume or attend a company audition. There are several companies looking for dancers each season, but it is the responsibility of the graduate to reach out and make contact with companies they are interested in dancing/working for. Major auditions are often held in big cities like L.A. or N.Y.C., but private auditions give the individual more of a chance to be seen and hired rather than open call auditions. Professional companies usually have a point of contact or audition dates listed on their website.
For those seeking teaching jobs after graduation, there are many dance schools constantly looking for teachers. Graduates should search for local dance studios, companies, or colleges they are interested in teaching at. Then send their qualifications and interest in a position via email. I suggest applying to several locations and schools to allow more opportunity and choice.
How do you envision technology impacting Dancers in the next 5 years?
Danielle Dreis: Technology has already had a huge impact in this field recently, and I believe it will continue to have a large impact in the next five years. This is due in part to the Coronavirus pandemic, as schools and studios have had to make adjustments in order to continue practicing safety through the use of video software. Technology has been helpful in aiding these changes like the cancelation of many seasonal performances or replacement with recorded live streams or previously recorded productions.
This adjustment impacts dancers because they are not performing, this impacts students because they are not getting as much hands-on feedback in classes, and this impacts audiences because they do not get to experience live art. I don't think an audience member can truly experience a virtual show in the same manner as a live show. I would compare this concept to listening to a live concert and the impact it has versus listening to a CD or recorded version of the same song. These experiences are just not the same. On the one hand, we are using technology in a positive way, staying connected, and making the best of the situation. On the other hand, technology is replacing our live performances, and the general public doesn't realize how many virtual performances are taking away from or negatively impacting the performers.