How do you become a dancer, as a living (a sustainable living)?

Question

Do you join a troupe, win a competition, or do you have to get discovered? How do you get paid? Is that by contract?
I'm sort of okay at two hip-hop styles (b-girl,and boogaloo--I try), but I'm really good at rave styles (strings, liquid, 8-ball), but now I'm really thinking about trying aerial tissu (also known as aerial in ballet) and belly dance (specifically - turkish caberat). All I know is that I really love to dance and I think I would like to do it as a career. I just dont know how. How much does it pay? Is there ever any time off? I also want to stay with unique expressions like rave, aerial, and belly dance. Are there any jobs for that or is it all Hip-Hop?

Answer 1

Rough question.

If you want to make a living dancing, here's what you do....

1. Discover the world beyond the stage -- dancers are a dime a dozen on the ballet stage and on the touring hip-hop stage. The auditions are brutal.
However, there is a world in the industry called "Industrials" ~ these are car shows, coca-cola board meetings, budweiser and all that, who put on these HUGE productions with moving lights, dancing, entertainment.
One time I worked a show for Disney people who had the Beach Boys playing the party. It was in a tent, a pre-super bowl party.

2. Commercials and Movies. There is a lot of dancing in front of the lens, these dancers know how to hit their marks and fill in the background. Knowing different styles helps and you don't have to be excellent or super-talented to do it, just have to enjoy the paycheck.
I remember watching Madonna dance in the movie Dick Tracy, I looked over at the dancer next to her and ... "hey, I know her!" Professional dancers in movies are very good, yet not the focus of the lens.

3. Uh ... dancers don't get discovered. They work their butts off at the craft they've chosen. Most dancers are not stars. If you want to be a star -- well, go into acting. Lot's of actors are dancers too. Certainly Travolta has managed to squeeze a dance step into almost all of his movies.

4. It's a free-lance life. Lot's of your answers have been to get a side job as a teacher, that means a steady paycheck! Know that you'll be moving from job to job.

5. Viva Las Vegas. Lot's of dancing in Las Vegas, I know several "serious modern dancers" who've gone to there to be showgirls and even learned to skate. Three shows a night, four on the weekends.

Hey, you can do this. Learn how show business works. Move to a large city like Los Angeles, Miami or NYC. Look into the unions. Talk to some agents. Find the people who are working and ask them for help.

Your first good step was asking here in Answers, keep asking and working and ... I'll see you taking a bow sometime soon!

Answer 2

hi there, I'm an aerialist/dancer currently making a living.

A general gig pays £250 per hour, with contracts lasting over 6 weeks at about £2000 a month with very little time off.

To be honest it's not that easy; a lot of the time I have to work for corporate productions that I'm not ethically keen on. Or I have t do eight hour stilt gigs just to pay the rent.

However, there is nothing that would make me give this up. I have not been discovered, I don't think that happens unless you are an olympic gymnast and cirquedusoleil have their eyes on you.

I constantly train in aerial and in dance, to pay for this I teach children at the studio at weekends. The circus community is great for helping each other out, passing on jobs etc.

There is more work in the US than in the UK where I am based. The burlesque and cabaret scene could really start you off.

If you really want to learn aerial, be prepared for a lot of really hard work. Theres a good school in vermont (nimble arts) and in san fransisco.

Good luck to you...

Answer 3

The Occupational Outlook Handbook's entry on "Dancers and Choreographers" should answer all of your questions. Check it out here: .

Here is an excerpt:

<
Employment of dancers and choreographers is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2014. The public’s continued interest in dance will sustain larger dance companies, but funding from public and private organizations is not expected to keep pace with rising production costs. For many small and midsize organizations, the result will be fewer performances and more limited employment opportunities. Although job openings will arise each year because dancers and choreographers retire or leave the occupation for other reasons, the number of applicants will continue to vastly exceed the number of job openings.

National dance companies likely will continue to provide jobs in this field. Opera companies and dance groups affiliated with colleges and universities and with television and motion pictures also will offer some opportunities. Moreover, the growing popularity of dance for recreational and fitness purposes has resulted in increased opportunities to teach dance. Finally, music video channels will provide opportunities for both dancers and choreographers.>>

P.S. It is very rare for dancers to be able to earn a sustainable living from dancing.

Answer 4

there is jobs you just gotta look. It depends on what area of the dancing careers you want to get into...do you want to teach, perform, create?? If you would liek to teach (which is soemthign good to go in later in your life) then go to a university/college and studdy teaching/dance. If you want to perform, this is a bitchy and harsh environment to go into...it is hard but if you believe in yourself then you'll get through just fine...alot of hard work...one way you can get into being a performer is join a company and go into competitions or you can get an agent and they will look out for things that are suitable for your experience and skills, it may cost tho.

One word of advice..have a back up plan...dance doesnt pay much at all...for example a principle ballet teacher of a dance school would only earn $50,000 a year (Australian) which is above average pay but this is a rare job to have...If you are going to dance as a career you will have to have a few projects and performances going on to live comfortably..it is possible to do tho, heaps of people have and are doing it. You need to be flexible and willing to travel. The main thing to remember while trying to get a job is and i quote from my teacher (as i am doing a dance course), "Don't expect people to come to you, you have to seek until you find."

Oh and you can teach any style you want...their are jobs in every possible style and teaching is probably the easiest way to do what ever style you want...and remember 'hip hop' is a fad...

Good luck you'll be fine!

Answer 5

I think the easiest thing to do is to join a company near you.

Answer 6

Learn to teach as soon as you are eligible to. Teach beginner lessons and social classes.