Dancer

Description

Dance is a beautiful work of art. A dancer or choreographer convey ideas and stories and describe events using their bodies in a very artistic and beautiful way, which is the act of dance.

Education requirements

Although no set degree is required to get into this profession, dancers go through years of practice and training either in their college or high school by being a part of dancing groups or clubs or practicing at home. They start to learn and rehearse dance at a very young age. They might also join summer training programs for dancing and might perform at small parties or clubs, initially.

Many dancers pursue further education and do courses in theatres or fine arts through different universities that offer these courses.

If one wants to go in teaching dance in an institution such as college, university or a school, they are expected to have a college degree. However, prior experience might still get them a job without a degree.

Working hours

This usually varies on where they work. If they work for a big company and have to go on tours, they spend most of the time rehearsing and practicing and might have to perform on stage all through the night.

Some work part time on cruise ships, casinos or clubs so they are only called when required. Instructors who teach dance classes, however, have regular working hours.

Common Duties/Routines

A dancer expresses emotions and sentiments through dance. They also have a very vital role in many music videos and dance in them to uplift the soul of music and make it more entertaining to the viewers.

Often, dancers specialize in a certain type of dance such as ballet, cultural dance, hip-hop or salsa. Some dancers can do all of them and are versatile, which helps them more in the longer run. As if one can do many different types of dance, they have more chance of getting work and being hired. No matter what type of dance one has specialized in, the duties and responsibilities are generally the same.

When they are not dancing, they are learning, rehearsing and practicing their moves and also learning moves taught to them by choreographers and spend many hours doing them to get them right. Some moves are complex and takes a longer time than usual to get them right. Infact, dancing on stage or for an audience is a small part of their lives compared to practicing these moves backstage. Rehearsal and practice are actually pretty innovative processes, giving dancers not only the chance to perfect their moves, but also alter and change their dance moves, learn new moves and add any new dance move that they think will be suitable. To get work, they audition at different companies or different television shows who need dancers and are looking for them. If they get hired by large companies, sometimes they also have to go to world tours, such as if they become part of the team of a very renowned singer who does concerts throughout the world. This helps develop international contacts and a chance to market one’s skill worldwide. They also appear in promotional events and get photographed and interviewed for upcoming music videos or films that they have danced in.

Dancers usually perform with a group or team of other dancers. Additionally, some might sing and dance as well. The places dancers perform are casinos, bars, clubs, private events and cruise ships. They also work in ballet and other dancing studios.

Many dancers also give dancing classes to new trainees who want to pursue this profession and provide them training and skills.

Dancers require a lot of energy and strength to perform and so, the younger you are, the better it is as most dancers quit when they are in their 30’s as they are unable to meet the requirements of such physically demanding work.

Required/Trained Skills

• Should know dance and how to captivate an audience through it. They should also know the different types of dance and either be trained in one or all of them.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills to market themselves and their skills in an effective way and to communicate with the different types of people present at the company they get hired to work for.
• Stamina is extremely important as dancing involves moving all the body and can be a very heavily exhausting work.
• Creative as dancing is an artistic ability and they should know how to express ideas and emotions through dance in a way that the audience does not lose interest. Also, they need to create, alter and add new and innovative dance moves.
• A passion for dance and a dedication to excel.