Career Profiles Dancer
Dancing is a fun activity for many people all over the world and a career for only a select few. With few paid opportunities and a great deal of competition, only the most talented dancers are employed regularly. Those dancers who are also talented in singing and acting are most likely to find the most opportunities. Many dancers have other jobs or sources of income as well.
Professional dancers work in avariety of different settings, everywhere from musical theater to opera to televeison to commercials and music videos. It is most common for dancers to be employed in groups. There are a few professional solo dancing opportunities, but they tend to be few and far in-between. Most dancers work primarily at night, often on weekends, and practice during the day, meaning that free time can be very rare. Many professional dancing opportunities may involve regular travel as well, so staying in one city or general location for a long period may be difficult if a dancer wants to be employed regularly.
While a dancing career may seem extremely fun and an easy way to earn money, truthfully it is not. Professional dancing ishard work. Dancers put in many, many hours. They are constantly perfecting their skills and learning new ones. Different job opportunities require that dancers learn different dances, some that may be new to them. The pressure to learn new dances quickly is very great as time is money for most companies or organizations that employ dancers. Those dancers who learn the fastest and who are the most versatile in their skills are most likely to have the most paid opportunities available to them.
Dancing is very taxing on the body, especially over a long period of time. Dancers must always be inexcellent physical condition. However, even in top physical condition, the risk of injury for dancers is very great. Since dancing involves the use of so many different parts of the body, there are few dancers who are able to continue their careers beyond their mid-thirties. Many turn to other related careers such as acting, choreographing, directing, coaching, or managing.
Dancing is career that must be prepared for early on. Most dancers start dancing between the ages of five and fifteen. Experience is more important than academics, however many dancers do earn associate's or bachelor's degrees. Formal degrees aren't required, but formal training is very important. Dancers should learn basic dancing skills as young as they can and introduce themselves to as many styles of dance as they possibly can. When they reach their late teens or early twenties, it's a great idea for dancers to choose a style they prefer and focus all further training on that particular style. Those who want to dance for a career need to be willing to train long hours, six or seven days a week, all year long.
Since dancers usually do not dance professionally for more than a decade or two, there are generally a fair amount of job openings. However, they are almost always many, many applicants for every open position. The most dedicated, hard-working, and talented individuals are the ones who ultimately get hired.
Wages for dancers depend upon experience and opportunity. Some opportunities pay a great deal more than others, however the highest paying opportunities are usually the most competitive. Average salaries for dancers in the United States are$34,424 per year or $16.33 per hour, however some parts of the country are better than others for dancers to find employment. Those cities with a lot of nightclubs, shows, advertising companies, entertainment venues, etc. are likely to be the best places for dancers to find the most job opportunities.
